Production of fused silica having high resistance to optical damage
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorThomas P. Seward, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of rendering fused silica resistant to compaction caused by UV laser beam irradiation. The method of the invention results in a fused silica member that is desensitized to compaction caused by the long-term exposure to UV laser beams. The invention includes a means to pre-compact fused silica members using high energy radiation.
Claims8
A method of increasing the resistance of a fused silica member to laser-induced optical damage with a target area of the member exposed to a high pulse fluence laser during use, said method including pre-compacting the member by flooding an area of the member with a high energy radiation laser beam wherein the area flooded is larger than the target area.
A method of increasing the resistance of a fused silica member to laser-induced optical damage by pre-compacting the member, said method including flooding an area of the member with a high energy radiation electron beam having an energy greater than 4 MeV.
A method of increasing the resistance of a fused silica member to laser-induced optical damage by pre-compacting the member, said method including hot isostatic pressing said fused silica member wherein the density of said fused silica member is increased by 0.1-3%.
A method of increasing the resistance of a fused silica member to laser-induced optical damage by pre-compacting the member, said method including flooding an area of the member with a high energy radiation in order to densify the member wherein the density of the member is increased by 10 to 100 ppm.
A method of making a fused silica member for use with a UV laser beam, said fused silica member having a target area exposed to said UV laser beam during use, said method including providing a fused silica member and, prior to using said fused silica member target area with said UV laser beam, flooding a large area of said fused silica with a high energy laser radiation wherein said laser radiation flooded large area is larger than said target area exposed to said UV laser beam during use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.