Abstract

It has been demonstrated that ion bombardment causes significant changes in the optical, physical and chemical properties of thin films. As a result, various ion beam-based thin film deposition processes have been introduced. Significant advances in our understanding of thin film growth have been achieved, especially in establishing a relationship between coating’s microstructure and optical properties. The most important feature of applying ion beam-base processes has been the ability to control film properties and therefore better predict the performance of interference coatings. Ion beam-based deposition processes will be reviewed with special emphasis on their impact on the optical properties of coatings.

© 1995 Optical Society of America