OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITED BLACK MOLYBDENUM THIN FILMS.

This dissertation reports on the study of black molybdenum, a new cermet consisting of small Mo particles embedded in MoO₂. As with most two-phase materials, the optical properties of black molybdenum are significantly different from those of either constituent, and can be adjusted within wide limits through modifications of composition and microstructure due to variations of the fabrication process parameters. The subject of this work is to understand the exact relationships, to allow reproducible production of films with chosen optical properties. Theoretical interpretation of the optical properties of two-phase materials has in the past been hampered by insufficient microstructural characterization. Recent theoretical work by others has lifted the requirements of detailed microstructural knowledge, leaving only two required parameters for characterization of cermet reflectance: the optical properties of the constituent phases and their volume fractions in the cermet. Better characterization is obtained when structural considerations, such as film topology, surface texture and the presence of a possible amorphous phase, are taken into account. We adopted this approach to the study of black molybdenum, and accomplished satisfactory agreement between theoretical and observed reflectances. Black molybdenum films were prepared using two separate chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, involving deposition from either Mo(CO)₆ or MoO₂Cl₂. We found the influence of composition through a comparison of films with different Mo:MoO₂ ratios, while the influence of structure on film reflectance was determined by comparing films from these two deposition techniques. During this investigation we produced black molybdenum films which display a spectrally selective profile--low visible reflectance combined with high infrared reflectance, and which may be applied to photothermal solar energy conversion. The versatility of CVD in adjusting film composition and structure resulted in another film of interest in photothermal conversion--black tungsten, a tungsten-tungsten oxide composite material. The black molybdenum and black tungsten systems studied here establish the utility of CVD for the production of high temperature thin film optical devices