A probe into compositional and structural dependence of optical properties of lanthanum fluoride films prepared by resistive heating

The paper describes investigations into the correlation between the optical properties and the composition, structure and morphology of lanthanum fluoride films deposited at 373–473 K substrate temperatures by resistive heating of lanthanum fluoride powders. The composition of the films that includes depth profiling of fluorine has been determined non-destructively by ion beam analysis while their structure and morphology have been investigated by glancing incidence X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy respectively. The films are polycrystalline, exist in hexagonal phase and display substrate temperature dependent texturing. The substrate temperature has an important influence on composition as well. The films deposited at 373 K or 398 K substrate temperatures are deficient in fluorine but tend to acquire stoichiometric composition at 473 K. Possessing granular (∼100 nm) morphology, the films, in general, are UV transparent but their optical loss increases with texturing. Carbon and oxygen, present as impurities, lower the density and consequently the refractive index (1.47) of the films. Annealing in vacuum at 573 K brings about deterioration in the optical properties of the films which are related mainly to morphological changes and thermal stress.