Optical and Mechanical Properties of Silver Film on Glass Substrate

Silver films were prepared on the glass substrate by electron-beam vapor deposition. The reflectivity of the Ag thin film was measured by a Perkin-Elmer Lambda spectrophotometer in the wavelength region of 450-680 nm. The experimental measurements of reflectivity were validated with the numerical results using the Essential Macleod software. The surface topology and microstructure of the film were examined by means of atomic force microscope (AFM). The effects of the thermal and humidity on the reflectivity of the Ag film were examined by the environmental test. Nanoindentation tests were employed to determine the hardness of the film. The measured hardness of the Ag thin film was found to depend on the penetration depth.