Method and apparatus for deposition of at least one layer, optical element and optical arrangement
The disclosed techniques relate to a method for depositing at least one layer composed of an ionically bonded solid on a substrate, comprising the following steps: converting a coating material to the gas phase and depositing the coating material converted to the gas phase on the substrate. The layer is irradiated with UV/VIS light during the deposition. The disclosed techniques also relate to an apparatus for implementing the disclosed method and optical elements and devices created using the disclosed method.
1 . A method for depositing by physical vapor deposition at least one layer composed of an ionically bonded solid on a substrate, comprising:
converting a coating material to a gas phase;
depositing the coating material converted to the gas phase on the substrate forming the ionically bonded solid on the substrate; and
irradiating the coating material converted to the gas phase with UV/VIS light during the depositing, wherein the UV/VIS light comprises a first spectral range for annealing at least one crystal defect of the ionically bonded solid by removing electrons from the crystal defects,
wherein the first spectral range at least partly overlaps an absorption range of the at least one crystal defect, wherein the first spectral range comprises an absorption energy of the at least one crystal defect, and
wherein a mean energy of the first spectral range deviates from the absorption energy of the at least one crystal defect by 0.5 eV or less, and wherein the UV/VIS light comprises a second spectral range for mobilizing atoms at a surface of the ionically bonded solid, the second spectral range lying in an energy range of between 75% and 100% of a bandgap energy of the ionically bonded solid.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mean energy of the first spectral range deviates from the absorption energy of the at least one crystal defect by 0.25 eV or less.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one crystal defect forms a color center.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first spectral range is chosen based on a relationship between the absorption energy of the at least one crystal defect and an anion-cation distance of the ionically bonded solid.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mean energy of the first spectral range is greater than the absorption energy of the at least one crystal defect by 1 eV or less.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mean energy of the first spectral range or a mean energy of the second spectral range is less than 0.5 eV of a bandwidth of the first spectral range, or a bandwidth of the second spectral range is restricted to less than 1.5 eV.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between an intensity of the UV/VIS light in the first spectral range and an intensity of the UV/VIS light in the second spectral range is more than 3:1.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ionically bonded solid is a fluoride or an oxide.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing comprises a plasma-assisted and/or ion-assisted deposition.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing is carried out in the presence of at least one reactive gas.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one reactive gas is selected from the group comprising: F 2 , O 2 , NF 3 , XeF 2 , SF 6 , CF 4 , and NH 3 .
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the depositing is carried out at a pressure in a range of between 10 −6 mbar and 10 −2 mbar.