Investigations of optical and surface properties of Ag single thin film coating as semitransparent heat reflective mirror

The paper presents results of optical and surface morphology investigations of semitransparent silver single thin films deposited on glass substrate in relation to their heat radiation treatment. The thickness of 15 nm for the silver thin films was selected using computer designing of optical spectra and the films were deposited using electron beam evaporation process. Optical transmission and reflection were investigated for as deposited samples and after exposition to heat radiation from quartz-halogen lamp. The changes in the optical spectra were observed which suggested degradation of deposited heat mirrors. Structure and surface morphology studies performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy allowed us to conclude about formation of nanometric silver islands, regularly distributed over the surface of the glass substrate after exposure to heat treatment.