This book is a comprehensive introduction on infrared anti-transparent materials and their applications in anti-reflective and protective coatings. Optical, mechanical and thermal properties and preparations of various kinds of films, such as amorphous diamond films, germanium carbide films, boron phosphide films, alumina films and yttrium oxide film are discussed in detail making it suitable for material scientists and industrial engineers.

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon films (a-C:H) were deposited on glass, silicon and germanium substrates. The films are transparent in the IR and are extremely hard. The a-C:H films were homogeneously deposited at a rate of about 500 A/min in an RF excited discharge from benzene vapour. The characteristic features of this deposition method are discussed. Thickness, short wavelength absorption, refractive index (2 - 10 micrometers) and relative hydrogen content were determined. Variations in short wavelength absorption, IR-refractive index and relative hydrogen content could be correlated with deposition conditions. The refractive index of a-C:H can be tuned to be exactly 2, thus a-C:H is an ideal single layer AR-coating for germanium (n = 4). Laser calorimetric measurements of optical absorption at 10.6 micrometers give an absorption coefficient of 250/cm. The application of a-C:H as single layer AR coating on Ge and as outside layer of a multi-layer coating is demonstrated.

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