Engineered fluoride-coated elements for laser systems
First Claim
1. An element for use in wavelengths <
- 200 nm laser systems, said element comprising;
a substrate,one or a plurality of periods of fluoride coating materials, each of said periods comprising at least one layer of a high refractive index fluoride material and at least one layer of a low refractive fluoride material, andat least one layer of an amorphous SiO2 based material selected from the group consisting of silica, F-doped SiO2, N-doped SiO2 and Al2O3-doped SiO2 applied to on top of at least one of said periods of fluoride coating materials.wherein said high refractive index fluoride material has an index in the range of 1.65 to 1.75 and said low refractive fluoride material has an index in the range of 1.35 to 1.45; and
and, optionally, a coating of an amorphous SiO2 material between the substrate and the first period of fluoride coating, the optional amorphous SiO2 material, when applied to said substrate, being in addition to the at least one layer of an amorphous SiO2 based material.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to elements having fluoride coated surfaces having multiple layers of fluoride material coatings for use in laser systems, and in particular in laser systems operating at wavelength <200 nm. In a particular embodiment the invention is directed to highly reflective mirrors for use in wavelengths <200 nm laser systems. The invention describes the mirrors and a method of making them that utilizes a plurality of periods of fluoride coatings, each period comprising one layer a high refractive index fluoride material and one layer low refractive index fluoride material, and additionally at least one layer of an amorphous silica material. The silica material can be inserted between each period, inserted between a stack consisting of a plurality of periods, and, optionally, can also be applied as the final layer of the finished element to protect the element.
17 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An element for use in wavelengths <
- 200 nm laser systems, said element comprising;
a substrate, one or a plurality of periods of fluoride coating materials, each of said periods comprising at least one layer of a high refractive index fluoride material and at least one layer of a low refractive fluoride material, and at least one layer of an amorphous SiO2 based material selected from the group consisting of silica, F-doped SiO2, N-doped SiO2 and Al2O3-doped SiO2 applied to on top of at least one of said periods of fluoride coating materials. wherein said high refractive index fluoride material has an index in the range of 1.65 to 1.75 and said low refractive fluoride material has an index in the range of 1.35 to 1.45; and and, optionally, a coating of an amorphous SiO2 material between the substrate and the first period of fluoride coating, the optional amorphous SiO2 material, when applied to said substrate, being in addition to the at least one layer of an amorphous SiO2 based material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
- 200 nm laser systems, said element comprising;
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13. A reflective mirror element for use in wavelengths <
- 200 nm laser systems, said element comprising;
a substrate, a plurality of periods of fluoride coating materials, each of said periods comprising at least one layer of a high refractive index fluoride material and at least one layer of a low refractive fluoride material, and a plurality of layers of an amorphous SiO2 based material selected from the group consisting of silica, F-doped SiO2, N-doped SiO2 and Al2O3-doped SiO2, wherein said layers of amorphous SiO2 are inserted between periods of said fluoride coating materials or between a stack of a plurality said periods, and, optionally, a coating of an amorphous SiO2 material between said substrate and the first period of high refractive index fluoride material and low refractive fluoride material; wherein the thickness of the SiO2 material between the substrate and the first period and the thickness between the periods is in the range of 5 nm to 75 nm.
- 200 nm laser systems, said element comprising;
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15. A method for making a fluoride coated element suitable for use <
- 200 nm laser systems, said method comprising the steps of;
providing a substrate; coating, using an energetic deposition technique, the substrate with one or a plurality of periods of fluoride coating materials using an energetic deposition technique, and further coating, using an energetic deposition technique, with an amorphous SiO2 material to thereby form a fluoride coated element suitable for use in <
200 nm laser systems;wherein coating the substrate with one or a plurality of periods of fluoride coating materials means coating such that each period comprises a layer of a high refractive index fluoride coating material and a layer of a low refractive index coating material. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
- 200 nm laser systems, said method comprising the steps of;
Specification