Methods for coating a substrate with magnesium fluoride via atomic layer deposition
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsMing-Huang Huang, Hoon Kim, Jue Wang
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Abstract
Atomic layer deposition methods for coating an optical substrate with magnesium fluoride. The methods include two primary processes. The first process includes the formation of a magnesium oxide layer over a surface of a substrate. The second process includes converting the magnesium oxide layer to a magnesium fluoride layer. These two primary processes may be repeated a plurality of times to create multiple magnesium fluoride layers that make up a magnesium fluoride film. The magnesium fluoride film may serve as an antireflective coating layer for an optical substrate, such as an optical lens.
Claims19
An atomic layer deposition method for coating an optical lens with a magnesium fluoride layer, the method comprising:
- (i) exposing an optical lens to a precursor gas comprising magnesium, thereby forming a magnesium-containing precursor layer over a surface of the lens;
- (ii) exposing the magnesium-containing precursor layer to a first oxygen-containing gas, thereby forming a magnesium oxide layer;
- (iii) exposing the magnesium oxide layer to a source gas comprising fluorine, thereby forming an intermediate layer comprising magnesium and fluoride;
- and
- (iv) exposing the intermediate layer to a second oxygen-containing gas, thereby forming a magnesium fluoride layer.
An optical lens, comprising:
- a magnesium fluoride film coated over a surface of the optical lens, the magnesium fluoride film comprising:
- a thickness in a range of 25 nanometers to 75 nanometers;
- an optical absorption value of 1% or less for light having a wavelength of 220 nanometers and an incident angle of 6 degrees;
- and
- a thickness variation of 5% or less.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.