Laser damage dependence on structural and optical properties of ion-assisted HfO2 thin films

Laser damage studies at 248 nm (KrF excimer laser) have been performed on H fO2 films of 300 nm thickness deposited on silica substrates by the Xe ion- assisted electron beam evaporation technique. The assistance parameters (io n mass, energy and current density) have been adjusted to investigate the e ffect of the Xe-ion momentum transfer parameter P on the film optical and s tructural properties. Then, the dependence of laser damage fluence on film properties has been studied. Higher laser damage fluences have been found f or the HfO2 films deposited at lower P values and characterized by a fully crystalline structure with the grain of smaller size and randomly oriented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.