AVS 47th International Symposium
    Thin Films Thursday Sessions
       Session TF-ThM

Paper TF-ThM3
Porous Thin Film Microstructure Control for Tuned Optical Properties

Thursday, October 5, 2000, 9:00 am, Room 203

Session: Optical Films
Presenter: J.C. Sit, University of Alberta, Canada
Authors: J.C. Sit, University of Alberta, Canada
S.R. Kennedy, University of Alberta, Canada
M.J. Brett, University of Alberta, Canada
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The technique of glancing angle deposition (GLAD) has been used to produce highly porous thin film media by exploiting the enhanced atomic self-shadowing encountered with highly oblique angle deposition. Using advanced substrate motion with this technique allows for a great deal of control over the columnar morphology in these porous films. GLAD films with "helical" or chiral morphology have been shown to possess unique optical response including optical rotation and circular dichroism. As the structural parameters of the film determine many of the optical properties, careful control over the structural parameters is critical. For example, the wavelength at which peak optical activity is observed may be engineered to fall within the UV, visible, or NIR regions by appropriate control of the helical pitch. We present here characterization of the optical response with respect to several structural parameters in optical GLAD films including helical pitch and radius. Further, we apply similar characterization to several other microstructural types of interest such as periodically bent nematic (planar "s"-shaped) morphologies.