Investigation on the Effect of Withdrawal Speed on Laser Induced Damage Performance of TiO₂ Thin Films

In this work TiO₂ thin films are deposited on glass substrates by sol gel dip coating process. The effect of withdrawal speed on the properties and laser induced damage is investigated. Structural analysis showed that the TiO₂ films exhibited the amorphous phase. The film thickness, roughness and transmittance are found to be related to the withdrawal speed. AFM microscopy revealed that the layers were homogeneous, with no cracks on the sample surface. Evaluation of laser flux resistance showed that the damage threshold (LIDT) is inversely proportional to film thickness, and the damage mechanism is thermal melting.