Laser-Induced Damage of Calcium Fluoride
As advances continue to be made in laser technology there is an increasing demand for materials that have high thresholds for laser-induced damage. Laser damage occurs when light is absorbed, creating defects in the crystal lattice. These defects can lead to the emission of atoms, ions and molecules from the sample. One specific field where laser damage is of serious concern is semiconductor lithography, which is beginning to use light at a wavelength of 157 nm. CaF2 is a candidate material for use in this new generation of lithography. In order to prevent unnecessary damage of optical components, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms for laser damage and the factors that serve to enhance it. In this research, we study various aspects of laser interactions with CaF2, including impurity absorbance and various forms of damage caused by incident laser light. Ultraviolet (UV) laser light at 266 nm with both femtosecond (fs) and nanosecond (ns) pulse widths is used to induce ion and neutral particle emission from cleaved samples of CaF2. The resulting mass spectra show significant differences suggesting that different mechanisms for desorption occur following excitation using the different pulse durations. Following irradiation by ns pulses at 266 nm, multiple single-photon absorption from defect states is likely responsible for ion emission whereas the fs case is driven by a multi-photon absorption process. This idea is further supported by the measurements made of the transmission and reflection of fs laser pulses at 266 nm, the results of which reveal a non-linear absorption process in effect at high incident intensities. In addition, the kinetic energy profiles of desorbed Ca and K contaminant atoms are different indicating that a different mechanism is responsible for their emission as well. Overall, these results show that purity plays a key role in the desorption of atoms from CaF2 when using ns pulses. On the other hand, once the irradiance reaches high levels, like that of the fs case, significant desorption is possible due to multi-photon absorption by the intrinsic material.
- Research Organization:
- DOESC (USDOE Office of Science (SC) (United States))
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI ID:
- 1051664
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Undergraduate Research, Vol. 4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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