IV Multilayer Antireflection Coatings

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on antireflection coatings that are very extensive and scattered. The chapter considers absorption-free materials, no dispersion, and normal light incidence. Another major restriction is imposed by the fact that only a few materials lend themselves to deposition as thin films. There are no methods yet of finding a certain design, which can be proven to be optimum in its class. The usual procedure is to use a design method, which relates simple designs to more complicated ones. Several methods are available and the selection for a particular problem is quite arbitrary and highly personal. It is to be understood that the derivations are half-logical and half-intuitive. The chapter describes the design method of effective interfaces and the coating of reflection reducing multilayers. Environmental stability of multilayer antireflection coatings is also discussed.