Theoretical model of thin‐film deposition profile with shadow effect

A theoretical model and a computational algorithm are presented for the shadow deposition of thin films through a generalized mask of finite dimensions in a vacuum environment. The computer model enables a theoretical study of the deposited‐film‐thickness profile from extended sources with shadow effect. Numerical evaluation of the masked deposition profile has been carried out to illustrate the film‐profile dependences on several basic mask parameters. Using computer‐aided design procedures, a deposition mask has been successfully constructed for the fabrication of precisely shaped thin‐film Luneburg lenses for guided‐optical‐wave applications.