title: Effect of argon pressure on the optical properties of sputtered solar selective surfaces.
abstract: The influence of argon gas pressure (0.15-40 Pa) on the refractive indices n,k of dc planar-magnetron reactively sputtered cermet and amorphous semiconductor films has been investigated for a layer thickness of approximately 50 nm. Stainless steel-carbon and amorphous hydrogenated carbon layers with relatively low index n and stainless steel-silicon and amorphous hydrogenated silicon layers with relatively high index n are examined with a view to solar selective surface applications. The development of structural porosity with associated reduction in n for layers deposited at high argon pressure significantly improves the solar absorptance of surfaces incorporating stainless steel-silicon or amorphous hydrogenated silicon layers.
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney School of Physics, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Harding