IAD of oxide coatings at low temperature: a comparison of processes based on different ion sources

A comparative study of different ion and plasma assisted physical vapor deposition processes at low temperature is reported. To work out a clear comparison of the different processes, the object of the study are single layers of different metal oxides like Ta2O5, TiO2, SiO2 and mixed oxides like H4 (Merck) deposited on glass and silicon substrates. Three different types of ion- (or plasma-respectively) sources are used: the cold cathode ion source from Denton (CC 104), the end hall ion source Mark II from CSC and the advanced plasma source from Leybold. Each of these processes is run under conditions concerning process parameters like bias, ion current, ion energy, beam characteristics and gas flow, which were understood to be optimized also to maintain long-term stability as realistic production conditions. The resulting metal oxide single layers are characterized by their optical properties, dispersion curves for NUV and VIS as well as absorption and scatter at discrete wavelengths. Also discussed are mechanical properties like hardness and adherence. A test method is presented which clearly shows the superior behavior of the IAD coatings.