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ION-ASSITED
EVAPORATION
Ion-assisted evaporation is used
mainly to deposit multilayer optical interference
coatings for optical filtering and antireflection.
We have designed such systems for R&D, the
optical components industry, and the ophthalmic
coatings industry.
Ion assisted evaporation
(IAE) uses a broad beam ion source to direct an
energetic, reactive (typically oxygen) ion beam
simultaneous with the evaporation of metal or
dielectric materials (typically using an electron
beam) onto a substrate. The ion sources are
usually of the “gridless,” end-Hall type. The ion
beam is neutralized with an independent electron
source. The desired film is frequently an
alternating stack of high and low index of
refraction materials of metal oxide composition
like SiO2, Al2O3,
TiO2, and Ta2O5.
The goal is to control the stability,
density and optical properties of the deposited
films. IAE allows the deposition of much higher
quality optical films than is possible by
evaporation alone.

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