Al-Ni-Y-X (XÂ =Â Cu, Ta, Zr) metallic glass composite thin films for broad-band uniform reflectivity

The Al-Ni-Y-X (X = Cu, Ta, Zr) thin film metallic glasses are manufactured by sputtering, and their optical reflectivity characteristics are explored. The relationship among composition, atomic structure and reflectivity performance is established. Compared with pure Al films, the Al-Ni-Y film surface roughness is much lower and hardness is much higher, more suitable for optical reflector applications. For composite Al-Ni-Y films, the reflectance varies within 80-91%. For fully amorphous films, the reflectivity exhibits unusual uniform reflection at ~ 70%, perfect for broad-band reflector.