Merit functions for more effective thin film calculations

Abstract

This paper reviews the different types of merit functions that have been used in the past in optical thin film calculations. Attention is drawn to the power of merit functions which operate on complicated quantities that require one or more integral expressions for their definition. To prove this point, several thin film problems are solved in which the CIE coordinates, luminous transmittances or reflectances, solar absorptance, and blackbody emittances of a multilayer are specified.