TiO2--Ta2O5 composite thin films deposited by radio frequency ion-beam sputtering.

TiO2--Ta2O5 composite films were prepared by a radio frequency ion-beam sputtering deposition process, and the refractive indices and extinction coefficients of the composite films were found to be between those of the TiO2 and Ta2O5 films. The structure of the as-deposited films was amorphous, and the surface roughness was approximately 0.1 nm. The residual stress of the composite films was less than that of pure TiO2 film. The structure of the composite films after annealing was amorphous, with low surface roughness and slightly increased residual stress. The film containing 6.3% TiO2 displayed better properties than either the pure TiO2 or the pure Ta2O5 film.