Development of Infrared Coating Techniques for Reconnaissance and Weapon Delivery.
Abstract
Materials used in the fabrication of infrared windows all suffer from one or more problems. The highly transparent materials are fragile, and/or soft, and/or soluble. More durable materials are inherently low in transmittance, requiring antireflection (AR) coatings. The flight dynamic requirements of high-performance aircraft require a higher level of technology for coating materials and deposition techniques to protect and/or antireflect window materials for avionic systems such as FLIR and SCNA. Conventional thermally deposited coatings have reached a plateau in performance and durability. Semiconductor personnel have found non-melt techniques which will produce denser, more durable coatings than are possible by thermal evaporation. Non-melt techniques have also been used to deposit film materials which cannot be deposited by thermal means. The Phase II program determines the feasibility of utilizing three nonevaporative processes for depositing infrared optical coatings, including RF sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and reactive plasma deposition (RPD). Each process was used to deposit various optical films on infrared substrates. Spectral and environmental test results are reported to evaluate impact on the areas of material feasibility, conductive infrared coating materials, graded-index films, and uniformity potential for scale-up to production-size components. Deposition parameters and related experimental data are reported. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0913163
Entities
People
- Dale E. Morton
- Frank C. Sulzbach
- Klaus C. Wiemer
- Lou H. Hall
- Robert F. Pinas
Organizations
- Texas Instruments