Degradation of thin films in low-earth-orbit and comparisons with laboratory simulation

Blaine R. Spady; Ron A. Synowicki; Jeff Hale; M. J. DeVries; Natale Joseph Ianno; William A. McGahan; John A. Woollam

doi:10.1117/12.192089

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4 November 1994 Degradation of thin films in low earth orbit and comparisons with laboratory simulation

Blaine R. Spady, Ron A. Synowicki, Jeff Hale, M. J. DeVries, Natale Joseph Ianno, William A. McGahan, John A. Woollam

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Proceedings Volume 2253, Optical Interference Coatings; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.192089
Event: 1994 International Symposium on Optical Interference Coatings, 1994, Grenoble, France

Abstract

Low earth orbit exposes space materials simultaneously to atomic oxygen and ultraviolet light. Numerous materials were sputtered, e-beam evaporated, and CVD deposited. Experiments with these samples aboard the NASA (USA) 1992 and 1993 space flights STS-46 and STS-51 are discussed, and comparisons made with laboratory studies in an oxygen plasma environment. Multiple samples of thin films of Al, diamondlike carbon, diamond, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and solar concentrator multilayer stacks were prepared. These were characterized both before and after flight by spectroscopic ellipsometry, spectrophotometry, interferometry, Auger spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

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Blaine R. Spady, Ron A. Synowicki, Jeff Hale, M. J. DeVries, Natale Joseph Ianno, William A. McGahan, and John A. Woollam "Degradation of thin films in low earth orbit and comparisons with laboratory simulation", Proc. SPIE 2253, Optical Interference Coatings, (4 November 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.192089

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