This study investigates the optical and structural properties of SiO(x) (x similar to 1) films prepared by an ion-assisted deposition (IAD) process. The films were prepared by evaporating silicon monoxide, with and without simultaneous Ar(+) bombardment. The stoichiometry of each film was determined as measured by the infrared spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The variation in the stoichiometry revealed that the oxygen content of the SiO(x) thin films varied slightly under the different conditions of the Ar(+) bombardment. The results of the X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements illustrated that all of the films had amorphous structures. However, a different interfacial appearance between the film and the substrate was observed from the TEM image. The optical constants of the SiO(x) thin films were determined by a spectroscopic ellipsometry. The extinction coefficient of all of the films approached zero in the infrared wavelength range from 2 to 7 mu m, but the refractive index was varied by the IAD process. The variation of these refractive indices is mainly related to the packing density of the films. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.
