AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeM

Invited Paper TF-WeM3
Mechanical Characteristics of Optical Films: Their Origin and Evaluation

Wednesday, November 17, 2004, 9:00 am, Room 303C

Session: Optical Thin Films
Presenter: L. Martinu, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
Authors: L. Martinu, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
J.E. Klemberg-Sapieha, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Canada
Correspondent: Click to Email
Control of the mechanical properties is essential in order to achieve reliable performance of optical thin film systems such as filters, waveguides, optical MEMS, sensors, optical coatings on plastic substrates and others. Mechanical properties are closely related to the film microstructure and composition that, in turn, depend on the choice of materials and processes and on the energetic conditions during deposition. In order to assure successful performance and high stability of optical films, the mechanical properties have to be optimized together with the optical characteristics and other film functional properties (electrical conductivity, thermal and environmental stability, surface energy etc.). This presentation will give an overview of the methodology of mechanical testing and will describe the advantages and limitations of individual methods. We will concentrate on the effect of process parameters on the mechanical properties of the individual low, medium and high index optical films, especially those prepared by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). After a detailed review of the basic mechanical properties of films and substrates used in optical applications, we will illustrate the advances in this filed by examples of complex optical systems in which the control of the mechanical behavior is particularly important. This includes a comparison between inhomogeneous and multilayer films, optical coatings on plastics, complex optical filters used in optics, optoelectronics, photonics, architecture, and in medical, security, aerospace, automobile and other applications.