负离子元素杂质破坏模型

探讨了HfO₂薄膜中负离子元素杂质破坏模型，并得出薄膜中的杂质主要来源于 镀膜材料. 用电子束蒸发方法沉积两种不同Cl元素含量的HfO₂薄膜，测定薄膜 弱吸收和损伤阈值来验证负离子元素破坏模型. 结果表明，随着Cl元素含量的增加薄膜的弱 吸收增加损伤阈值减小. 这主要是因为负离子元素在蒸发过程中形成挥发性的气源中心而产 生缺陷，缺陷在激光辐照过程中又形成吸收中心. 因此负离子元素的存在将加速薄膜的破坏 . 关键词： 负离子元素杂质 缺陷 吸收     

Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation: Structural, morphological characterization and laser induced damage threshold

Four kinds of Y₂O₃ stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) thin films with different Y₂O₃ content have been prepared on BK7 substrates by electron-beam evaporation method. Structural properties and surface morphology of thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra and scanning probe microscope. Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) was determined. It was found that crystalline phase and microstructure of YSZ thin films was dependent on Y₂O₃ molar content. YSZ thin films changed from monoclinic phase to high temperature phase (tetragonal and cubic) with the increase of Y₂O₃ content. The LIDT of stabilized thin film is more than that of unstabilized thin films. The reason is that ZrO₂ material undergoes phase transition during the course of e-beam evaporation resulting in more numbers of defects compared to that of YSZ thin films. These defects act as absorptive center and the original breakdown points.     

Influence of substoichiometer on the laser-induced damage characters of HfO2 thin films

HfO₂ is one of the most important high refractive index materials for depositing high power optical mirrors. In this research, HfO₂ thin films were prepared by dual-ion beam reactive sputtering method, and the laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) of the sample were measured in 1-on-1 mode for laser with 1064 nm wavelength. The results indicate that the LIDT of the as-grown sample is only 3.96 J/cm², but it is increased to 8.98 J/cm² after annealing under temperature of 200 °C in atmosphere. By measuring the laser weak absorption and SIMS of the samples, we deduced that substoichiometer is the main reason for the low LIDT of the as-grown sample, and the experiment results were well explained with the theory of electronic-avalanche ionization.     

Influence of ZrO2 in HfO2 on reflectance of HfO2/SiO2 multilayer at 248 nm prepared by electron-beam evaporation

Influence of ZrO₂ in HfO₂ on the reflectance of HfO₂/SiO₂ multilayer at 248 nm was investigated. Two kinds of HfO₂ with different ZrO₂ content were chosen as high refractive index material and the same kind of SiO₂ as low refractive index material to prepare the mirrors by electron-beam evaporation. The impurities in two kinds of HfO₂ starting coating materials and in their corresponding single layer thin films were determined through glow discharge mass spectrum (GDMS) technology and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) equipment, respectively. It showed that between the two kinds of HfO₂, either the bulk materials or their corresponding films, the difference of ZrO₂ was much larger than that of the other impurities such as Ti and Fe. It is the Zr element that affects the property of thin films. Both in theoretical and in experimental, the mirror prepared with the HfO₂ starting material containing more Zr content has a lower reflectance. Because the extinction coefficient of zirconia is relatively high in UV region, it can be treated as one kind of absorbing defects to influence the optical property of the mirrors.     

Comparison of TiO2 and ZrO2 Films Deposited by Electron-Beam Evaporation and by Sol-Gel Process

TiO2 and ZrO2 films are deposited by electron-beam （EB） evaporation and by sol-gel process. The film properties are characterized by visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, x-ray diffraction analysis, surface roughness measure, absorption and laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） test. It is found that the sol-gel films have lower refractive index, packing density and roughness than EB deposited films due to their amorphous structure and high OH group concentration in the film. The high LIDT of sol-gel films is mainly due to their amorphous and porous structure, and low absorption. LIDT of EB deposited film is considerably affected by defects in the film, and LIDT of sol-gel deposited film is mainly effected by residual organic impurities and solvent trapped in the film.     

A comparative study of the influence of different post-treatment methods on the properties of HfO2 single layers

Heat treatment, laser conditioning and ion post-treatment were used, respectively, on HfO₂ single layers deposited by electron beam evaporation (EBE). Optical, structural and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) properties of the films had been studied. It was found that all of the post-treatment methods are effective for improving the LIDT, but the mechanism for the improvement differs. Heat treatment in atmosphere was found to be effective for improving film stoichiometry. Laser conditioning was useful to decrease the defects by stress release. While in the ion post-treatment, the defects were removed by ion sputtering and the absorption was reduced at the effect of compression induced by ion bombardment. The most suitable method should be chosen for the required characteristics of the coatings.     

Influence of Annealing Temperature on Structure, Optical Loss and Laser-Induced Damage Threshold of TiO2 Thin Films

TiO2 thin films are prepared on fused silica with conventional electron beam evaporation deposition. After annealed at different temperatures for 4h, the spectra and XRD patterns of the TiO2 thin film are obtained. Weak absorption of coatings is measured by the surface thermal lensing technique, and laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） is determined. It is found that with the increasing annealing temperature, the transmittance of TiO2 films decreases. Especially when coatings are annealed at high temperature over 1173K, the optical loss is very serious. Weak absorption detection indicates that the absorption of coatings decreases firstly and then increases, and the absorption and defects play major roles in the LIDT of TiO2 thin films.     

Working Pressure Dependence of Properties of Al2O3 Thin Films Prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation

The effects of working pressure on properties of Al2O3 thin films are investigated. Transmittance of the Al2O3 thin film is measured by a Lambda 900 spectrometer. Laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） is measured by a Nd：YAG laser at 355 nm with a pulse width of 7ns. Microdefects were observed under a Nomarski microscope. The samples are characterized by optical properties and defect, as well as LIDT under the 355 nm Nd：YAG laser radiation. It is found that the working pressure has fundamental effect on the LIDT. It is the absorption rather than the microdefect that plays an important role on the LIDT of Al2O3 thin film.     

Effect of SiO2 protective layer on the femtosecond laser-induced damage of HfO2/SiO2 multilayer high-reflective coatings

Two kinds of HfO₂/SiO₂ 800 nm high-reflective (HR) coatings, with and without SiO₂ protective layer were deposited by electron beam evaporation. Laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) were measured for all samples with femtosecond laser pulses. The surface morphologies and the depth information of all samples were observed by Leica optical microscopy and WYKO surface profiler, respectively. It is found that SiO₂ protective layer had no positive effect on improving the LIDT of HR coating. A simple model including the conduction band electron production via multiphoton ionization and impact ionization is used to explain this phenomenon. Theoretical calculations show that the damage occurs first in the SiO₂ protective layer for HfO₂/SiO₂ HR coating with SiO₂ protective layer. The relation of LIDT for two kinds of HfO₂/SiO₂ HR coatings in calculation agrees with the experiment result.     

Effect of Process Parameters on Laser Damage Threshold of TiO2 Coatings

We investigate the laser damage behaviour of an electron-beam-deposited TiO2 monolayer at different process parameters. The optical properties, chemical composition, surface defects, absorption and laser-induced damage threshold （LIDT） of films are measured. It is found that TiO2 films with the minimum absorption and the highest LIDT can be fabricated using a TiO2 starting material after annealing. LIDT is mainly related to absorption and is influenced by the non-stoichiometric defects for TiO2 films. Surface defects show no evident effects on LIDT in this experiment.     

电子束蒸发法制备ZrO2薄膜的相变模型分析

 用电子束蒸发方法制备了纯的ZrO₂薄膜和含Y₂O₃摩尔分数为7%和13%的ZrO₂薄膜,即YSZ薄膜,通过测定薄膜的损伤阈值来验证温度诱导相变模型;并用X射线衍射（XRD）来测定ZrO₂和YSZ镀膜材料和薄膜的结构特征。结果表明：ZrO₂镀膜材料和薄膜室温下都表现为单斜相,YSZ镀膜材料和薄膜室温下都以立方相存在;YSZ薄膜的损伤阈值远高于ZrO₂薄膜的损伤阈值,这是因为添加Y₂O₃后的YSZ材料的相比较稳定,在蒸发过程中不会发生相变,而ZrO₂材料则发生相变,产生缺陷,缺陷在激光作用下成为吸收中心和初始破坏点,导致ZrO₂薄膜的损伤阈值降低。     

溶胶-凝胶SiO2酸性膜与碱性膜的激光损伤行为

 采用溶胶-凝胶技术分别在K9基片上镀制了光学厚度相近的单层SiO₂酸性膜和碱性膜。测试了两类薄膜的激光损伤阈值;分别采用透射式光热透镜技术、椭偏仪、原子力显微镜、扫描电镜和光学显微镜研究了两类薄膜的热吸收、孔隙率、微观表面形貌、激光辐照前薄膜的杂质和缺陷状况以及激光辐照后薄膜的损伤形貌。实验结果表明：相对于碱性膜,酸性膜有更大的热吸收和更小的孔隙率,因此其激光损伤阈值较小;两类薄膜不同的损伤形貌与薄膜的热吸收系数与微观结构有关。     

Influence of porosity on laser damage threshold of sol–gel ZrO2 and SiO2 monolayer films

Monolayer ZrO₂ sol–gel and physical vapor deposition (PVD) films were prepared by spin method and electron beam evaporation method, respectively. Monolayer sol–gel SiO₂ films were prepared with the dip-coating method from acid and base catalyzed SiO₂ sols, respectively. Some of the SiO₂ base films were subsequently treated in saturated ammonia gas for 20 h. The laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of each film was measured. Properties of the films were analyzed by using Stanford photo-thermal solutions (SPTSs), ellipsometer, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical microscopy. The experimental results showed that porous ratio is an essential factor to decide the LIDT for sol–gel films, which benefits the pressure exerted on the film or substrate by the moving particle to dissipate. The films with lower thermal absorption and higher porous ratio have higher LIDT.     

Influences of CO2 laser annealing on mechanical and laser-induced damage properties of ZrO2 thin films

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) thin films were deposited on BK7 glass substrates by the electron beam evaporation method. A continuous wave CO₂ laser was used to anneal the ZrO₂ thin films to investigate whether beneficial changes could be produced. After annealing at different laser scanning speeds by CO₂ laser, weak absorption of the coatings was measured by the surface thermal lensing (STL) technique, and then laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) was also determined. It was found that the weak absorption decreased first, while the laser scanning speed is below some value, then increased. The LIDT of the ZrO₂ coatings decreased greatly when the laser scanning speeds were below some value. A Nomarski microscope was employed to map the damage morphology, and it was found that the damage behavior was defect-initiated both for annealed and as-deposited samples. The influences of post-deposition CO₂ laser annealing on the structural and mechanical properties of the films have also been investigated by X-ray diffraction and ZYGO interferometer. It was found that the microstructure of the ZrO₂ films did not change. The residual stress in ZrO₂ films showed a tendency from tensile to compressive after CO₂ laser annealing, and the variation quantity of the residual stress increased with decreasing laser scanning speed. The residual stress may be mitigated to some extent at proper treatment parameters.     

Influence of SiO2 additional layers on the laser induced damage threshold of Ta2O5 films

A series of Ta₂O₅ films with different SiO₂ additional layers including overcoat, undercoat and interlayer was prepared by electron beam evaporation under the same deposition process. Absorption of samples was measured using the surface thermal lensing (STL) technique. The electric field distributions of the samples were theoretical predicted using thin film design software (TFCalc). The laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) was assessed using an Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm with a pulse length of 12 ns. It was found that SiO₂ additional layers resulted in a slight increase of the absorption, whereas they exerted little influence on the microdefects. The electric field distribution among the samples was unchanged by adding an SiO₂ overcoat and undercoat, yet was changed by adding an interlayer. SiO₂ undercoat. The interlayer improved the LIDT greatly, whereas the SiO₂ overcoat had little effect on the LIDT.     

两种后处理方法对HfO2薄膜性能的影响

利用电子束蒸发和光电极值监控技术制备了氧化铪薄膜,并分别用两种后处理方法(空气中退火和氧等离子体轰击)对样品进行了处理.然后,对样品的透过率、吸收和抗激光损伤阈值进行了测试分析.实验结果表明,两种后处理方法都能不同程度地降低了氧化铪薄膜的吸收损耗、提高了抗激光损伤阈值.实验结果还表明,氧等离子体轰击的后处理效果明显优于热退火,样品的吸收平均值在氧等离子体后处理前后分别为34.8 ppm和9.0 ppm,而基频(1 064 nm)激光损伤阈值分别为10.0 J/cm2和21.4 J/cm2.     

Effects of annealing on laser-induced damage threshold of TiO2/SiO2 high reflectors

The mechanism of improving 1064 nm, 12 ns laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of TiO₂/SiO₂ high reflectors (HR) prepared by electronic beam evaporation from 5.1 to 13.1 J/cm² by thermal annealing is discussed. Through optical properties, structure and chemical composition analysis, it is found that the reduced atomic non-stoichiometric defects are the main reason of absorption decrease and LIDT rise after annealing. A remarkable increase of LIDT is found at 300 °C annealing. The refractive index and film inhomogeneity rise, physical thickness decrease, and film stress changes from compress stress to tensile stress due to the structure change during annealing.     

Preparation of sol-gel ZrO2-SiO2 highly reflective multilayer films and laser-induced damage threshold characteristic

Sol-gel (ZrO₂/SiO₂)¹² ZrO₂ films were prepared by spin coating method. The reflectivity spectrum of the films was measured with a Lambda 900 spectrometer. In order to investigate laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) characteristic of highly reflective films, one-layer ZrO₂ and SiO₂ films, two-layer ZrO₂/SiO₂ and SiO₂/ZrO₂ films were also prepared by spin coating method. LIDT of each film was measured. Damage morphology after laser irradiation was characterized by optical microscopy (Nikon E600K). The experimental results showed that the reflectivity of (ZrO₂/SiO₂)¹² ZrO₂ film at 1064 nm and 355 nm wavelength is 99.7%. The LIDT results decreases as the number of layer of films increases. All the films have similar damage morphology. The experimental results are explained by the different temperature profiles of the films.     

Structural and optical properties of nitrogen-incorporated HfO2 gate dielectrics deposited by reactive sputtering

High-k HfO_xN_y thin films with different nitrogen-incorporation content have been fabricated on Si (1 0 0) substrate by means of radio-frequency reactive sputtering method. Analyses from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopic have indicated that the increase of the crystallization temperature of HfO₂ thin films and the decrease of the roughness root-mean-square value of HfO₂ thin films due to the incorporation of nitrogen. Based on a parameterized Tauc-Lorentz (TL) dispersion model, the optical properties of the HfO_xN_y thin films related to different nitrogen-incorporation content are systematically investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometer. Increase in the refractive index and the extinction coefficient and reduction in band gap with increase of nitrogen-incorporation content are discussed in detail.     

Overcoat dependence of laser-induced damage threshold of 355 nm HR coatings

A series of HR coatings, with and without overcoat, were prepared by electron beam evaporation using the same deposition process. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) was measured by a 355 nm Nd:YAG laser with a pulse width of 8 ns. Damage morphologies of samples were observed by Leica-DMRXE Microscope. The stress was measured by viewing the substrate deformation before and after coatings deposition using an optical interferometer. Reflectance of the samples was measured by Lambda 900 Spectrometer. The theoretical results of electric field distributions of the samples were calculate by thin film design software (TFCalc). It was found that SiO₂ overcoat had improved the LIDT greatly, while MgF₂ overcoat had little effect on the LIDT because of its high stress in the HR coatings. The damage morphologies were different among HR coatings with and without overcoats.