Deposition and properties of optical oxide coatings from polymerized solutions

Oxide films ranging in thickness from less than a hundred angstroms to several thousand angstroms may be deposited from clear solutions derived from metal-organic compounds. These solutions contain oxide constituents in a soluble polymerized form and deposit a glasslike film upon application on substrates. A bake temperature of 300-500 degrees C is required to reduce these film into a pure oxide state. The properties of the resultant oxide films are process dependent. In this paper, parameters that affect the optical properties of oxide films deposited from polymerized solution are identified, and their specific effects are described. The parameters include: type of solution; nature of substrate; drying conditions; and heat treatment atmosphere and temperature.