Raman microprobe studies of laser induced damage in dielectric films

Abstract

Raman microprobe studies of pulsed laser damaged TiO2 films deposited using three different methods are reported. Phase transformation and redeposition of coating materials were observed in selected regions of amorphous films deposited by ion beam sputtering and electron beam evaporation. Preferential removal of a specific phase or transformation to a second phase were observed in reactively sputtered films. Some damage sites exhibited regions of stress heterogeneity which can be explained in terms of the return electron stream model of plasma/target interaction and rapid quenching.