Past Achievements and Future Challenges in the Development of Infrared Antireflective and Protective Coatings
Shuai Guo, Lei Yang, Bing Dai, Fangjuan Geng, Victor Ralchenko, Jiecai Han, Jiaqi Zhu
Abstract
Infrared (IR) antireflective and protective coating (ARPC) is crucial for the development of IR precision guidance and detection systems for practical applications, attracting significant attention from strong military powers worldwide. Extreme application environments require functional film to have high surface hardness, excellent stability, and good adhesion. Further, multispectral optical transmission demands extremely low absorption in the visible and far‐IR bands, adjustability of optical performance parameters, and optical antireflection in particular bands, and radar stealth requires a relatively low resistance. Herein, recent experimental progress on IR ARPC is reviewed and future opportunities are discussed. Based on the application environment and window substrate, various ARPC material systems, including diamond‐like C, Ge carbide, B phosphide, and oxides, have been developed. These systems are capable of fulfilling different application demands and demonstrate exciting application prospects. To promote the development of IR ARPC material technology, the basic characteristics, fabrication techniques, microscale structures, optical properties, mechanical properties, and development and applications of typical IR ARPC materials from a comprehensive and systematic perspective are presented.