Optical properties of plasma-polymer-silver composite films and their simulation by means of effective-medium theories

Plasma-polymer-silver composite films were prepared by simultaneous or alternating plasma polymerisation and metal evaporation. The optical properties of some selected plasma-polymer-silver composite films are presented by means of transmission spectra for different filling factors. The dielectric functions of the plasma-polymer-silver composite films are calculated using the effective-medium theories of Maxwell Garnett and Bruggeman, and the transmission spectra resulting from this are compared with the measured spectra. If the quasi-two-dimensional structures are described by means of the theory of Maxwell Garnett, it is possible to simulate the fine structure of the experimental spectra.