SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1986
STP23139S

Light Stripping of UV Dielectric Coatings

Source

High-performance ultraviolet lasers require optics with a tighter tolerance on surface figure than comparable visible and infrared systems. Consequently, the costs of large-aperture figured substrates can be quite high. When ultraviolet coatings become damaged through exposure to photons and/or halogen radicals, recoating is often performed in order to salvage such substrates. If the coating is not strippable, this entails the expense of regrinding and repolishing. We have found that the remains of damaged coatings of SiO2, LaF3, MgF2, and HfO2 can be removed with pulsed xenon flashlamp radiation. A train of shots at 30 J/cm2 is sufficient to dislodge a coating without damaging fused silica and Zerodur substrates. A pulselength of 600 microseconds was employed. Frequently, photochemical damage involves only the coating and not the substrate. In these instances flashlamp stripping may be employed to salvage the substrate without reworking the surface.

Author Information

Asmus, JF
Oldenettel, JR
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Details
Developed by Committee: E13
Pages: 377–381
DOI: 10.1520/STP23139S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4997-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0960-5