Description of particle induced damage on protected silver coatings.

In the visible to infrared spectral range, highly-reflective silver mirrors are applied in the manufacture of optical instruments such as telescopes. However, it is still difficult to combine high reflectivity and long-term stability of the protected silver coating. We show that the deposition of impervious protective layers is necessary but often not sufficient for long-term environmental stability. Hygroscopic air borne particles absorbed by the protections surface attract water molecules and form a solution. This solution first damages the protection, subsequently permeates the protection and finally damages the silver whereby the reflectivity is reduced. We demonstrate this particular damage mechanism with different experiments and describe this mechanism in detail.

Mixed oxide coatings for optics.

Material mixtures offer new possibilities for synthesizing coating materials with tailored optical and mechanical properties. We present experimental results on mixtures of HfO2, ZrO2, and Al2O3, pursuing applications in UV coating technology, while the mixtures are prepared by magnetron sputtering, ion beam sputtering, plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD), and electron beam evaporation without assistance. The properties investigated include the refractive index, optical gap, thermal shift, and mechanical stress. The first high reflectors for UV applications have been deposited by PIAD.