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Coating Materials 1 2 Martin Friz and Friedrich Waibel 1Merck KGaA, D-64579 Gernsheim, Germany 2Umicore Materials AG, FL-9496 Balzers, Liechtenstein 1 Coating Materials for Different Deposition Techniques A large number of different deposition techniques are used for the production of thin films for optical applications, as outlined in chapter Thin Film Deposition Techniques by H. K. Pulker. The two most important categories are physical va- pour deposition (PVD), namely thermal vaporisation and sputtering, and chemical vapour deposition (CVD). It is obvious, that for each deposition technique suitable coating materials are required. The PVD processes normally use inorganic elements or compounds and gases, whereas the CVD processes, dip coating and spinning, use liquid inorganic and organic compounds and gases. Liquid compounds and gases are normally purchased directly from the pro- ducer, because they need no special preparation. Solid materials have to be compact and in the appropriate form or shape, free of gas inclusions or even be prepared according to a special recipe. Targets must also fulfil structure requirements (grain size, texture, precipitation). These operations are the task of companies specialised in the production of coating materials and targets. This chapter focuses on solid coating and sputtering materials. The require- ments on these materials are discussed, their properties listed and their production described. Earlier summary articles or chapters in monographs on coating materials have been written by H. A. Macleod (Macleod 1986) , H.K. Pulker (Pulker 1979, 1999) and E. Ritter (Ritter 1975). 106 Martin Friz and Friedrich Waibel 2 Requirements for Coating Materials 2.1 Evaporation Materials Apart from the elements only a relatively small number of inorgani