Decomposition of AFM images of ultrasmooth optical surface polished with gas cluster ion beam

Abstract

A new approach for analysis of atomic-force microscopy (AFM) images of ultrasmooth surfaces is developed. Decomposition of AFM image into three components is the base of the approach. Each component represents a characteristic feature of the surface relief. It allows obtaining statistically reliable quantitative characterization of ultrasmooth surface topography. The decomposition makes it possible to predict the reflective properties of multilayer interference coating deposited onto a glass ceramics substrate as early as at the stage of the substrate treatment. The developed technique and direct measurements of integral light scattering showed that polishing glass ceramic substrate with gas cluster ions before the reflective coating deposition results in smoother surface. Consequently, we improved reflective properties of the mirrors.

Sputtering and ripples formation by gas cluster ions on LiNbO-=SUB=-3-=/SUB=- crystal

“…So, surfaces with the same values R rms can have a different nature of the relief. The power spectral density function (PSD) carries more information and describes two aspects of roughness: the range of heights relative to the midplane and the lateral dimensions of the corresponding irregularities [40,41]. In this paper, an analysis of the evolution of the relief formed on the surface of LiNbO 3 by a beam of cluster ions was carried out using the PSD formalism, described in more detail in section 3.…”

Preferential sputtering of alloys by gas cluster ions

“…Interest in the processes of interaction of gas cluster ions with solids is due to the role that particle beams play in modern fundamental research and practical applications. Over the past two decades the gas cluster ions beams have been successfully used both for modification (ultraprecise polishing, implantation at ultra-low depths) [1][2][3][4][5], and for surface analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) [6,7] or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [8,9].…”