The laser-induced damage mechanism of amorphous and crystalline Sc2O3 films

• Published in: Vacuum 2021-09, Vol.191, p.110332, Article 110332
• Main Authors: Kong, Pengfei, Pu, Yunti, Ma, Ping, Zhu, Jiliang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Amorphous and crystallization; Ion beam sputtering; Laser-induced damage threshold; Scandium oxide films; Vacancy defect
• ISSN: 0042-207X; 1879-2715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vacuum.2021.110332

This paper investigated the laser-induced damage mechanism of amorphous and crystalline scandium oxide (Sc2O3) films prepared by ion beam sputtering (IBS) and annealed at different temperatures. A significant increased laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at 355 nm wavelength was obtained by amorphous film annealed slightly below the crystallization temperature, which was above 300% higher than those of crystalline films. Meanwhile, the damage morphologies of amorphous and crystalline films were totally different. Measurement of the absorption of films showed that higher absorption led to a large distinction between the LIDTs of films. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) patterns revealed very uniform distributions of elements without obvious aggregation phenomenon. Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) indicated that vacancy defect increased the absorption and heavily reduced the resistance of films for 355 nm wavelength laser. The investigation in this study would promote the understanding of the laser-induced damage mechanism of amorphous and crystalline films and provide an effective method to increase LIDTs at 355 nm wavelength. •The laser-induced damage mechanism of amorphous and crystalline Sc2O3 films was studied for the first time.•A significant increased LIDT was obtained by amorphous film annealed slightly below the crystallization temperature.•Vacancy defect initiates the difference of LIDTs of amorphous and crystalline Sc2O3 films.•Results lay a theoretical basis for promoting the understanding of damage characteristics.