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PLASMA POLYMERIZATION FOR THE FABRICATION OF OPTICAL STACKS

JOHNSON, ERIC MICHAEL
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1004706209

Abstract Details

2001, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering : Materials Science.
Plasma polymerization was investigated as a potential method of producing optical devices. Two different types of optical devices were considered: dye-doped silicon based optical stacks and organic thin film interference filters. The effectiveness of plasma polymerized HMDS barrier layers to stop interlayer chromophore diffusion and produce temporally stable devices was evaluated. The thickness of the barrier layer and the molecular architecture of the substrate were both found to play a role in the diffusion limiting properties of the plasma polymerized barrier layer. Plasma polymerization allows for the deposition of films with a wide variety of physical and chemical properties, including thin, dense, crosslinked films. The use of plasma polymerization is a viable means of limiting chromophore diffusion in optical stacks to create devices employing non-homogeneous device concentrations with temporal stability. Plasma polymerization was investigated as a means of constructing organic anti-reflection (AR) coatings, organic quarter-wave (QW) stacks and organic rugate filters. To date, virtually all materials used for optical films are inorganics. In fact only inorganic materials can be deposited to create films with a controlled, periodic and continuous variation in refractive index. As a result, all rugate filters to date have been fabricated from inorganics, even though optical components are commonly constructed of both organic and inorganic materials. Differences in surface energy and thermal expansion coefficients between organic substrates and inorganic coatings lead to problems such as delamination. This incompatibility has given rise to a desire to produce inhomogeneous organic coatings. The possible use of plasma polymerized benzene (PP-benzene) and plasma polymerized Octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8) (PP-OFCB) as organic AR coatings and organic QW stacks was evaluated. The refractive indexes of PP-benzene and PP-OFCB were determined as 1.63 and 1.39 respectively at 632 nm. Calculations determined a maximum reduction in reflectivity of over four percent for a single layer AR coating of PP-OFCB. The effectiveness of PP-benzene and PP-OFCB as dielectrics in QW stacks was evaluated by considering the maximum theoretical reflectance. The use of plasma polymerized benzene and OFCB was found to be an effective method in the production of QW stacks as a calculated maximum reflectance greater than 90 % was obtained after only five bilayers. A fundamental rugate filter is constructed from a thin film with a sinusoidally varying refractive index with respect to the normal of the film. A method is needed for the deposition of an organic film with a controlled refractive index that is continuously varying between a high and low value. Co-deposited plasma polymers from precursor injection into the plasma region may provide a future means of producing organic rugate filters.
Dr. Stephen J. Clarson (Advisor)
154 p.
Engineering, Materials Science
plasma; polymer; optical; coating; organic

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • JOHNSON, E. M. (2001). PLASMA POLYMERIZATION FOR THE FABRICATION OF OPTICAL STACKS [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1004706209

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • JOHNSON, ERIC. PLASMA POLYMERIZATION FOR THE FABRICATION OF OPTICAL STACKS. 2001. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1004706209.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • JOHNSON, ERIC. "PLASMA POLYMERIZATION FOR THE FABRICATION OF OPTICAL STACKS." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1004706209

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1004706209
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© 2001, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.