Granularity in ion-beam-sputtered TiO(2) films.

TiO(2)-SiO(2) multilayer dielectric stacks that were deposited by ion-beam sputtering were found to have a granular structure. The grains were in the TiO(2) layers rather than in the SiO(2) layers. Their formation was due to the heating of the film during deposition. When the apparatus was modified to reduce the substrate temperature, the granularity was eliminated.