A two layer coating was deposited by sol-gel dip-coating method on phosphate laser glass. First silica film was coated from SiO₂ colloidal suspension derived from ammonia catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane in ethanol. Then a methyl containing silicate film was covered. It was fabricated from a solution prepared by the hydrolysis of methyltriethoxysilane in the presence of hydrogen chloride catalyst. A 130 degree(s)C, 16h heat-treatment was done after coating process. It is confirmed by optical microscope that the two layer coating improves obviously the chemical durability of phosphate laser glass. The laser damage threshold of this coating is measured to be 31 J/cm² at 1060 nm wavelength of 10 ns pulse duration. It is found that silica film contributes to the improvement on both film adhesion to phosphate glass substrate and laser damage threshold of film. The methyl containing silicate single film has only 18 J/cm² laser damage threshold and can be easily dissolved in ethanol solution when it was coated on the phosphate laser glass substrate.

Date Published: 8 December 1997
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 3047, Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference, (8 December 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.294282

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3047:
Solid State Lasers for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion: Second Annual International Conference
Michel L. Andre, Editor(s)