Optical and stress properties of ZrO 2 /SiO 2 and TiO 2 /SiO 2 anti-reflective coatings deposited by ion-beam-assisted deposition on a flexible substrate
Abstract
Dielectric films of ZrO 2 ,TiO 2 , and SiO 2 were deposited on flexible polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by using ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). Each layer had a thickness ranging from 30 to 210 nm. The optical and anisotropic stress properties were investigated. Two anti-reflective coatings (ARCs), ZrO 2 /SiO 2 and TiO 2 /SiO 2 , were selected and deposited on the PET flexible substrate. The anisotropic stresses of the single layer and ARCs were measured using a phase-shifting moiré interferometer. Experimental results showed that the optimal oxygen flow rates for the ZrO 2 ,TiO 2 , and SiO 2 films deposited with IBAD were 10, 10, and 15 sccm, respectively. The refractive index ( n ) was TiO 2 (2.37)>ZrO 2 (2.05)>SiO 2 (1.46), and the extinction coefficient ( k ) for all samples was below 10 −3 . The thermal expansion coefficient of the PC substrate was three times that of the PET substrate, and the high-refraction ZrO 2 and TiO 2 single-layer films presented cracks and distortions on the PC substrate. Only the low-refractive-index SiO 2 sample did not present cracks. The three dielectric films did not crack or distort when deposited on the PET substrate. The anisotropic stress analysis provided the maximum principal and shear stresses for the three dielectric films on the PET substrate. Therefore, the maximum principal stress of the 210 nm single-layer film on a PET substrate is TiO 2 >ZrO 2 >SiO 2 . It was also discovered that the principal stress of the AR multilayer film is significantly decreased due to the damping stacking effect (DSE) of the high- and low-refractive-index materials, ZrO 2 /SiO 2 ARC (−297.3MPa)>TiO 2 /SiO 2 ARC(−132.6MPa). Thus, the high packing density of TiO 2 gives a better DSE than ZrO 2 .
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ZrO2 has a high refractive index, a band gap greater than 5 eV, minimal optical losses, and a wide transparency window from the visible to near-infrared, making it ideal for combining with SiO2 to obtain optical coatings.
“Zirconia, or zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), is a transition metal oxide that boasts a high refractive index and a band gap greater than 5 eV [55], minimal optical losses, and a wide transparency window spanning the visible to near-infrared region, making it ideal for combining with SiO2 to obtain optical coatings [56].”
From Metal Oxide Thin Films for Advanced Photonic Applications (2026) · cites this paper as [56]
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- Authors
- Chen, H.-C., Chang, C.-H., & Chen, K.-H.
- Affiliations
- National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (TW)
- Venue
- Applied Optics
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Published
- 2024-10-31
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 31
- Pages
- 8280
- ISSN
- 0003-6935 (ISSN-L)
- 1559-128X
- 2155-3165
- OpenAlex
- W4403517705
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 0.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Applied Optics (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 113-2221-E-224-026-, NSTC 113-2622-E-224-001-)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Surfaces, Coatings and Films › Optical Coatings and Gratings
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Metal and Thin Film Mechanics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Advanced Materials and Semiconductor Technologies
- Keywords
- antireflection coatings, TiO2/SiO2 multilayers, ion beam assisted deposition, flexible substrates, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, stress anisotropy, refractive index, extinction coefficient, thermal expansion mismatch, film cracking
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