SEDL / STP / STP1141-EB / STP23642S

Laser-Induced Damage of Diamond Films

Read, HE
S-CUBED Division of Maxwell Laboratories, La Jolla, California

Merker, M
S-CUBED Division of Maxwell Laboratories, La Jolla, California

Gurtman, GA
S-CUBED Division of Maxwell Laboratories, La Jolla, California

Wilson, RS
S-CUBED Division of Maxwell Laboratories, La Jolla, California

Pages: 15    Published: Jan 1991

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Abstract

The laser-induced damage thresholds of diamond films deposited on silicon substrates were investigated. Experiments were performed with both CW and pulsed lasers operating at a wavelength of 10.6 μm. Analytical studies were conducted to determine the thermal and thermomechanical states, as well as the electric field strengths, of the films and the substrates at the damage thresholds in an effort to identify the damage mechanism. The evidence suggests that the diamond films are damaged by stress-induced cracking which occurs when the underlying silicon approaches melt.