ABSTRACTOptical thin films of nitrides, oxynitrides and oxides of aluminum and silicon were deposited using ion assisted deposition. Coatings were deposited by thermal evaporation of AlN and e-beam evaporation of Si with simultaneous bombardment with 300 eV ions of nitrogen, a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen or oxygen. The chemical composition and the index of refraction of the coating was varied by varying the gas mixture in the ion beam. Optical properties of and environmental stability of coatings were examined. Results indicated that coatings are stable even under severe conditions of humidity and temperature.