Oxide materials, articles, systems, and methods
This disclosure relates to oxide materials, as well as related articles, systems and methods.
1 . An oxide comprising silicon and a metal, wherein the oxide has a refractive index of at least about 1.8 at a wavelength of 632 nm.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide has a refractive index of at least about 2.2 at a wavelength of 632 nm.
4 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide has a refractive index of at most about 2.5 at a wavelength of 632 nm.
5 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, hafnium, aluminum, niobium, zirconium, tantalum, magnesium, neodymium, tin, vanadium, and yttrium.
6 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises titanium
7 . (canceled)
8 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide comprises at least about five atomic percent silicon.
9 . (canceled)
10 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide comprises at most about ten atomic percent silicon.
11 - 12 . (canceled)
13 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide comprises at least about twenty-five atomic percent of the metal.
14 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein:
the metal comprises titanium;
the oxide comprises at least about fifteen atomic percent titanium; and
the oxide comprises at least about one atomic percent silicon.
17 . The oxide of claim 16 , wherein the oxide comprises at most about thirty atomic percent titanium.
18 . The oxide of claim 17 , wherein the oxide comprises at most about ten atomic percent silicon.
19 - 24 . (canceled)
25 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein the oxide is at least about 90 percent amorphous.
26 - 29 . (canceled)
30 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein:
the oxide has a thickness defined by first and second surfaces;
the oxide includes a first portion partially defined by the first surface of the oxide;
the oxide includes a second portion partially defined by the second surface of the oxide;
the first portion is different from the second portion;
the first portion has a first average atomic percentage of silicon that is greater than zero;
the second portion has a second average atomic percentage of silicon that is greater than zero; and
the second average atomic percentage is different from the first average atomic percentage of silicon.
31 . (canceled)
32 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein:
the oxide has a thickness defined by first and second surfaces;
the oxide includes a first portion partially defined by the first surface of the oxide;
the oxide includes a second portion partially defined by the second surface of the oxide;
the first portion is different from the second portion;
the first portion has a first average atomic percentage of silicon that is equal to zero;
the second portion has a second average atomic percentage of silicon that is greater than zero.
33 - 35 . (canceled)
36 . The oxide of claim 1 , wherein:
the oxide has a thickness defined by first and second surfaces;
the oxide includes a first portion partially defined by the first surface of the oxide;
the oxide includes a second portion partially defined by the second surface of the oxide;
the first portion is different from the second portion;
the first portion has a first average atomic percentage of silicon;
the second portion has a second average atomic percentage of silicon; and
the second average atomic percentage is different from the first average atomic percentage of silicon.
37 - 39 . (canceled)
40 . An oxide compound that comprises at least about one atomic percent silicon and at least about twenty atomic percent of a metal.
41 . (canceled)
42 . The oxide of claim 40 , wherein the metal comprises titanium
43 - 49 . (canceled)
50 . The oxide of claim 40 , wherein:
the metal comprises titanium;
the oxide comprises at least about fifteen atomic percent titanium; and
the oxide comprises at least about one atomic percent silicon.
51 . The oxide of claim 50 , wherein the oxide comprises at most about thirty atomic percent titanium.
52 . The oxide of claim 51 , wherein the oxide comprises at most about ten atomic percent silicon.
53 - 63 . (canceled)
64 . The oxide of claim 40 , wherein:
the oxide has a thickness defined by first and second surfaces;
the oxide includes a first portion partially defined by the first surface of the oxide;
the oxide includes a second portion partially defined by the second surface of the oxide;
the first portion is different from the second portion;
the first portion has a first average atomic percentage of silicon that is greater than zero;
the second portion has a second average atomic percentage of silicon that is greater than zero; and
the second average atomic percentage is different from the first average atomic percentage of silicon.
65 - 69 . (canceled)
70 . The oxide of claim 40 , wherein the oxide has a refractive index of at least about 1.8 at a wavelength of 632 nm.
71 - 101 . (canceled)
102 . An article, comprising:
a first layer, the first layer comprising of titanium oxide; and
a second layer, the second layer comprising an oxide comprising titanium and silicon.
103 . The article of claim 102 , further comprising:
a third layer supported by the second layer, the third layer comprising of titanium oxide;
a fourth layer supported by the third layer, the fourth layer comprising an oxide comprising titanium and silicon.
a fifth layer supported by the fourth layer, the fifth layer comprising of titanium oxide; and
a sixth layer supported by the fifth layer, the sixth layer comprising an oxide comprising titanium and silicon.
104 - 115 . (canceled)
116 . The article of claim 103 , wherein:
the first layer has a first thickness,
the second layer has a second thickness;
the third layer has a third thickness, the third thickness being greater than the first thickness;
the fourth layer has a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being about the same as the second thickness;
the fifth layer has a fifth thickness, the fifth thickness being greater than the third thickness;
the sixth layer has a sixth thickness, the sixth thickness being about the same as the second thickness.
117 . The article of claim 106 , wherein:
the first layer has a first thickness,
the second layer has a second thickness;
the third layer has a third thickness, the third thickness being less than the first thickness;
the fourth layer has a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being about the same as the second thickness;
the fifth layer has a fifth thickness, the fifth thickness being less than the third thickness;
the sixth layer has a sixth thickness, the sixth thickness being about the same as the second thickness.
118 - 145 . (canceled)
146 . An article, comprising:
a substrate; and
a layer of an oxide supported by the substrate, the oxide comprising silicon and a metal, the oxide having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of silicon oxide and less than a refractive index of metal oxide,
wherein the article is an optical element.
147 . The article of claim 146 , wherein the optical component is selected from the group consisting of thin film interference filters, absorption filters, wire grid light polarizing structures, rugate filters, conformal filling of a three-dimensional structure, conformal film growth on a three-dimensional template structure, optical lens structures, interface layers between different parts of an integrated optical component.
148 - 156 . (canceled)
157 . The article of claim 146 , wherein:
the metal comprises titanium;
the oxide comprises at least about fifteen atomic percent titanium; and
the oxide comprises at least about one atomic percent silicon.
158 - 206 . (canceled)