title: Synthesis and physicochemical characterization of silicon oxynitride thin films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering.
abstract: SiO(x)N(y) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering to realize low-loss optical multilayers have been studied. We have analyzed the variations of the optical and physicochemical properties of oxynitride layers according to the deposition parameters: the gas partial pressures, the rf power, and the target composition. A linear variation of the layer refractive index as a function of the oxygen partial pressure was observed as well as a strict substitution of O atoms by N atoms. Thanks to IR spectrophotometric analyses, a model of the oxynitride amorphous structure was proposed and confirmed by Bruggeman and Gained approximation methods. Finally, the absorption level of the oxynitride layers was studied by photothermal deflection spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Service des Matériaux Avancés, Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pinard
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mackowski