MgO-Al2O3-ZrO2 Amorphous Ternary Composite: A Dense and Stable Optical Coating

The process-parameter-dependent optical and structural properties of MgO-Al2O3-ZrO2 ternary mixed-composite material were investigated. Optical properties were derived from spectrophotometric measurements. The surface morphology, grain size distributions, crystallographic phases, and process- dependent material composition of films were investigated through the use of atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis, and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis. Energy-dispersive x-ray analysis made evident the correlation between the optical constants and the process-dependent compositions in the films. It is possible to achieve environmentally stable amorphous films with high packing density under certain optimized process conditions.