Ion-beam sputtering (IBS) and evaporation are the two deposition techniques that have been used to deposit coatings of Al protected with {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} with high reflectance in the vacuum ultraviolet down to 115\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} . Evaporation deposited (ED) Al protected with IBS {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} resulted in a larger (smaller) reflectance below (above) 125\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} than the well-known all-evaporated coatings. A similar comparison is obtained when the Al film is deposited by IBS instead of evaporation. The lower reflectance of the coatings protected with IBS versus ED {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} above 125\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} is because of larger absorption of the former. Both nonprotected IBS Al, as well as IBS Al protected with ED {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} , resulted in a band of reflectance loss that was peaked at 127 and 157\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} , respectively. This result was attributed to the excitation of surface plasmons due to the enhancement of surface roughness with large spatial wave vectors in the sputter deposition. This reflectance loss for IBS Al protected with {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} is small at the short \left(\lambda \sim 120\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm}\right) and long \left(\lambda >350\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm}\right) wavelengths investigated. IBS Al protected with ED {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} is thus a promising coating for these two spectral regions. Coatings protected with IBS {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} resulted in a reflectance as high as coatings protected with ED {\text{MgF}}_{\text{2}} at wavelengths longer than 550\text{\hspace{0.17em} nm} , whereas the former had a lower reflectance below this wavelength.