Abstract

Improving the optical and mechanical properties of optical thin films deposited by thermal evaporation is a great subject of interest and research. Ion-assisted deposition [1] has proven to be a very successfull technique to achieve high packing densities, relief of tensile stress, and elimination of water absortion bands provided films are grown stoichiometrically. Ion-plating, another ion assisted process, has been successful in growing dense oxide layers such as TiO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, and Ta₂O₅ onto unheated substrates [2].

© 1988 Optical Society of America