Sputtered Ag films on polymer webs: Correlation between layer properties, deposition conditions and substrate

In comparison to other noble metals like Au or Cu, Ag has a very low absorption in the visible wavelength region. Therefore it is used in several types of optical layer stacks e.g. in transparent heat mirrors, solar control layer stacks or transparent electrodes. For several applications the mentioned layer stacks need to be deposited onto a flexible and transparent substrate like a polymer web. Examples are the retrofit or existing glazing units with transparent heat mirrors or the applicationof optical layer stacks onto non-flat surfaces.This paper will present experimental results of the influence of the process parameters during the deposition on the optical and electrical properties of the Ag layer. It will be shown that not only process parameters but also the substrate properties influence the film properties