Multilayer enhanced infrared reflection

Supported metals can also be studied using the multilayer enhanced infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (MEIRAS) developed by Wolff and co-workers, prepared using semi-transparent thin metal films or nanowires over Si02 or Ti02 dielectric films of varying thicknesses with reflecting gold films underneath. 

Another type of structures for metal-dielectric mirrors are metallodielectric multilayers. In this case alternating quarterwave or subwavelength stacks of metal and dielectric are deposited. Typical for such multilayers is alow reflection in visible, but large in infrared wavelength range. Thus they basically behave as low-pass optical filters. Such stmctures were denoted in literature as heat mirrors. First heat mirrors were fabricated as early as in 1950s [252]. The simplest heat mirrors consist of three layers only, dielectric-metal-dielectric or, alternatively, dielectric-transparent conductive oxide-dielectric [253]. Full multilayer metal-dielectric reflectors with binary but also ternary layers were also considered [254]. Because of their high reflectance in infrared, but also because of their plasmonic properties [255] metal-dielectric multilayer mirrors are of interest for cavity enhancement of infrared detectors. 

The attenuated reflectance technique presents an excellent example of how radiation at sample surface can enhance signal-to-noise ratio. Details of general optics and reflectance techniques can be found in the classic text (10). This technique is used extensively to determine differences between the structure of polymers in surface and bulk phases. Commercial accessories make these spectroscopic experiments easy to perform, although quantitative analysis of the data remains difficult. Examples of ATR applications include chemical composition analysis of polymers, surface orientation resulting from various processing methods, and chemical or thermal degradation of polymers. For samples such as powders or poorly defined surfaces, the diffuse reflectance technique can be used (11). In addition, the photoacoustic technique has been used to probe surface structure and multilayer structure commonly found in polymer laminates (17). In all these cases, optical effects can complicate analysis of infrared spectra. Nevertheless, these data have proven very useful in analytical applications. 

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