title: Nonoptical characterization of optical coatings.
abstract: Besides the theoretical design of optical interference coatings, the knowledge of their nonoptical properties like chemical composition, structural features, mechanical peculiarities, and environmental stability is often a basic condition for their industrial production. After some remarks on specifications and standards relevant for optical coatings this paper gives a review on various possibilities for nonoptical characterization of optical coatings. Those methods of surface analysis, depth profiling, and electron microscopy available to and widely used by a major coating manufacturer-like Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive (ED) and wavelength dispersive (WD) electron probe microanalysis (EPMA)-are pointed out in more detail and illustrated with examples from daily practice. Other characterization methods, which are less common but very interesting, are also briefly reviewed.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Guenther