Light scattering of interference coatings from the IR to the EUV spectral regions

Light scattering of optical components caused by residual imperfections can be a critical factor for their practical application. In particular, the scattering properties of optical interference coatings are rather complex. Yet, simple theoretical models and comparisons with experimental results provide valuable insight into the main impact factors and mechanisms. The magnitude of scattering and the dominating factors strongly depend on the wavelength of application in connection with the types of coatings used in the corresponding ranges. The paper, therefore, gives an overview of the scattering properties of coatings in different spectral regions including the visible, deep ultraviolet, and extreme ultraviolet and discusses strong in-band variations of the scattering characteristics that have been neglected so far.