Ion Beam Reduction Of Optical Scatter From Coated Metal Surfaces

Abstract

Deposition of thin (0.2 - 2.0 μm) metal film on a polished metal substrate changes its scatter characteristic. The light scatter due to high spatial frequency structure is reduced by as much as a factor of ten; total integrated scatter is reduced by as much as a factor of four. The effect is strongly influenced by the deposition mechanism employed, film and substrate materials and film thickness. The effect is most apparent when using simultaneous Ar+ bombardment during film deposition (i.e., ion assisted deposition).