RF magnetron co-sputtering deposition of Cu-based nanocomposite silica films for optical applications

The size, the size distribution, the structure and the concentration of the metallic particles embedded in a host dielectric matrix determine the linear and non-linear optical properties of this kind of composite glasses. In this work, copper-containing silica films about 0.5 ?m thick were prepared by radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering deposition technique, and then heat-treated in oxidizing and/or reducing atmospheres. The characterization of the samples was performed by optical absorption spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The investigated preparation protocols actually allow to control the final composite structure. Preliminary results indicate that some nanocomposite films have non-linear optical properties in the ps regime.