TUNABLE NANOPOROUS FILMS ON POLYMER SUBSTRATES, AND METHOD FOR THEIR MANUFACTURE

This technology relates to fabricating tunable refractive index nanoporous thin films on flexible polymer substrates. The refractive index of the nanoporous thin film can be tuned during fabrication to a designed vale by adjusting the porosity of the thin optical film. Experiments show that thin-film SiO2 with tunable porosity fabricated by oblique angle electron beam deposition can be deposited on polymer substrates. Further, these SiO2 thin films show remarkably good adhesion to the polymer substrate.