Nonoptical characterization of optical coatings.
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.
Guenther
K H
KH