Laser nanotechnologies have enormous potential for bringing products with new surface functionalities to market, while meeting sustainable development objectives. However, SMEs and start-ups are not benefiting fully from these technologies because of their cost and the necessary access to testing and validation infrastructures. The Horizon 2020-funded NewSkin project has thus created an Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB) focused on surface nanotechnologies to overcome these challenges. It provides access to scale-up and testing facilities to enhance surface properties in different relevant sectors. Regarding laser nanotechnologies, NewSkin provides access to different laser up-scaling facilities that integrate innovative manufacturing processes, including surface texturing, roll-to-roll femtosecond laser texturing, heat-treatment laser, multimodal laser processing. Several companies and research organisations have benefited from these technologies to improve surface functionalities such as wettability properties, improved heat exchange, friction reduction, wear resistance. The creation of NewSkin AISBL will further accelerate the uptake of innovative laser processes to manufacture new nanoenabled products.
High-power laser facilities, such as Laser MegaJoule, are currently being operated for inertial confinement fusion experiments. Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and moreover semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) from seals in laser environment is of tremendous importance for the optics lifetime and laser performance. That is why all the seals were screening in the same conditions: 48 h at 30°C and three successive cycle of 1.5 h at 50°C. This paper focuses on the qualification test performed on three seals: two ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and one fluoropolymer (FPM). It is shown that the molded and the extruded EPDM do not outgas the same amount neither the same molecules whereas EPDM and FPM outgas nearly the same level of phthalates.
Laser induced damage of optical components is often a limiting factor for the development of high power lasers. Indeed,
for many years, organic contamination is identified as a factor decreasing the laser induced damage threshold of optical
surfaces, limiting the use of high fluencies. Also, for the development of its laser facilities, Laser MégaJoule and
PETawatt Aquitaine Laser, the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives investigates the
influence of organic contamination on the performances of the optical components. Actually, although great care is
provided on the cleanliness of the optics, organic volatile compounds outgassed from surrounding materials can be
adsorbed by the sensitive surfaces during its timelife. Thus, for this study, performances of clean and contaminated
multilayer dielectric mirrors are compared. Contamination is intentionally realized either by controlled protocols or by
exposing optics inside the laser facilities. Qualification and quantification of the organic contamination is realized by
automated thermal desorption and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Laser induced damage
threshold of clean and contaminated mirrors are then investigated by 1053 nm laser at 670 fs.
The lifetime of optical components submitted to high laser fluences is decreased under organic contaminated
environment. Our previous studies have shown that chemical species outgassed from materials present in the laser
environment of the Ligne d’Intégration Laser (LIL) and in the optics packaging (phthalates, silicones, and aromatic
compounds) are potential contaminants for optics. In order to avoid the presence of such molecules in the Megajoule
Laser (LMJ) environment, a new comprehensive program is started up using a qualified Micro-chamber/Thermal
Extractor (M-CTE250 Markes International) for controlled contaminations of optics. The final target is the development
of a qualification procedure to determine the compatibility of materials used for the building of the LMJ with the LMJ
optics. First results of this program will be presented.
The impact of molecular contamination on the lifetime of fused silica UV optics used in high power laser facility is
studied. In our particular case corresponding to Laser MégaJoule (LMJ) beams, the irradiation conditions are a fluence
higher than 10 J/cm2 at a wavelength of 351 nm (3 ω) for 3 ns pulse duration and a single shot/day frequency. A confine
environment, a long period of exposition and proximity of the optical components with outgassing materials are critical
parameters for the optics contamination. Consequently, experiments were performed in the UV section of the Ligne
d'Intégration Laser (LIL), actual prototype of the LMJ. Moreover, the optics storage conditions were studied. Indeed, to
ensure an efficient replacement of the optics on the laser bundle, many optical components are fabricated long before.
They are stored during months in polypropylene frames put in containers. Then, we intentionally contaminated silica
samples with one sort of polypropylene. We evidenced an important increase of laser induced damage density on
samples contaminated by both bundle and storage environments. Surface analyses have been used to identify the
potential causes of this effect. Various hypotheses of damage mechanisms are proposed.
Contamination by metallic particles has been known to reduce the laser damage threshold on high power laser
optics. To simulate the presence of metallic particle on the Ligne d'Integration Laser optics, silica substrates
were arti.cially polluted by square aluminum dots of 5 × 5 micron2 and 50 × 50 micron2, respectively. The metallic dot
sites were irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm with different fluences. The sites were analyzed by Nomarski
microscopy, optic profilometry and photothermal microscopy. For both sizes of metallic dots, vaporization of
metal can be observed. We study in this paper the dot size influence on the surface cleaning process and the
effect of the pre-irradiation mode (1 shoot or several shots).
To evaluate the impact of particulate contamination in laser induced damage of optical material, an
experimental program is established. The first step consists in the Ligne d'Integration Laser (LIL) particle
contamination sampling. Carbonated cellophane tapes, antireflection coated and uncoated silica samples were
inserted in the LIL laser chain, in six different zones to collect particles. The second step is the pollution
characterization. Polluted cellophane tapes are analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy
Dispersive Spectrometry. The density and the nature of particles collected in the Amplification Section are
found to be homogenous throughout this section. The pollution collected in the Frequency Conversion and
Focusing system is more complex. One of its features is a larger proportion of silica particles. The last step
consists in the silica samples irradiation. Antireflection coated and uncoated silica samples are examined by
optical microscopy, then irradiated at 1064 nm or 355 nm and examined again. No damage growing under
several irradiations is observed. We show a cleaning effect efficient for particles larger than 20 microns.
The lifetime of optical components submitted to high laser fluences is degraded under organic contaminant environment.
The molecular background of the Ligne d'Integration Laser (LIL), prototype of the future Laser Megajoule, might reduce
the laser damage threshold of exposed fused silica surfaces. This paper reports the interaction effects between pure
model contaminant deposits and a pulsed 1064 nm laser radiation on the coming out of mirror damage. The experimental
setup allowed us to condense nanolayers of model contaminants on optics, the deposit impacts were then investigated by
Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) tests in Rasterscan mode. In order to highlight physical processes emphasizing
the emergence of optics damage, we characterized the irradiated deposit using interferometric microscopy analysis and
spectrophotometric analysis. The challenge was to determine physical and phenomenological processes occurring during
the irradiation of a pure contaminant deposit with a 1064 nm pulsed laser and to study the impact of this model
contaminant on the LIDT of dielectric SiO2/HfO2 mirrors.
For high-tech industries, such as semiconductor or optical ones, controls must be done not only on airborne particle contaminants in cleanroom and associated controlled environments but also on surface particle contamination. Optical components are leading technologies for particle contamination control with atomic scale resolution over large areas. The aim is to enhance production reliability on miniaturized systems. Finding a correlation between such airborne and surface particle contaminations is the challenge we have to meet. This paper presents a methodology in order to answer this specific question. For, the latter depends on the cleanroom activity, operating personnel, cleanroom lay-out and equipment for example. Theoretically, we can calculate the surface particle contamination based on deposition velocities and deposition rates of airborne particle contamination defined in ISO 14644-1 for very simple cases. The reality is much more complex and the whole methodology presented here is based on experimental complementary measurements. The characterization of particle surface contamination is done mainly by light microscopy measurements and by optical particle counters...Complementary chemical data are obtained thanks to electronic microscopy with X-ray spectroscopy.
In the midst of the Mega Joule Laser project, a study of the impact of organic contamination on optical surfaces has been launched. Last year, we presented results on intentionally contaminated optics by outgassing products of a typical material of the LIL (Ligne d'Integration Laser, the prototype laser line of the future LMJ). A small quantity of organic contamination deposited on high reflective mirrors decreased their R/1 laser induced damage threshold. As the LIDT R/1 test procedure may "condition" the optical component, further raster scan tests have been implemented on new intentionally contaminated samples to assess the test procedure impact on the LIDT results for different contaminations. The aim of this work is double: -First, the impact of organic contamination deposited on optical surfaces by outgassing will be evaluated by laser induced damage threshold measurement, after a laser shot at nominal fluence ; -The second objective is to evaluate the real effects of "conditioning", notably towards organic contamination deposited on optics.
This paper presents recent studies of the propagation of high-power laser beams like Laser Integration Line (LIL) and Laser Megajoule (LMJ) beams when interactions occur with environmental pollution particles. The studies are mainly achieved with the CEA-DAM MIRO beam propagation code. The highest intensifications in the downstream propagation are obtained for phase objects such as dielectric particles rather than for amplitude objects such as metallic particles. Dramatic amplifications of Kerr nonlinear effects both inside the component and at its rear-surface can occur depending on the particle size.
One of the major issues met in the operating of high power lasers concerns the cleanliness of laser components. In this context, in order to assess laser-induced damage in presence of metallic particulate contamination, we study the behaviour of aluminum on a silica substrate. Model samples containing calibrated aluminum square dots of 50 x 50 μ2 have been deposited by photolithography on a silica substrate. The sample was irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm with different fluences and also different numbers of shots on each dot. Then the initial aluminum dot zone and the surrounding silica were analyzed using Nomarski microscopy, profilometry and photothermal microscopy. Laser fluence is revealed to be a very important parameter for the behaviour of aluminum dots. For example, it is possible to find a fluence of irradiation where aluminum dots are blown off the substrate and only small modifications occur to silica. In this case, increasing the number of shots doesn't significantly affect the silica surface.
The Ligne d’Integration Laser (LIL) is a prototype installation at scale 1 of one of the 30 lasers of future Laser Mega Joule. It is intended to validate technological choices made for LMJ and to prepare its exploitation. The facility will contain nearly 10.000 optics and over 4000 m2 of mirrors. Cleanliness will be an essential matter in the facility since contamination of optics can reduce their laser damage threshold. Hence, airborne molecular contamination (AMC) has been sampled near optics in strategic places of the LIL. These samplings have shown high levels of organic compounds, notably in the amplifying section, which is expected to be the most sensitive part in the LIL. Suspecting a local source of contamination, outgassing tests of typical materials constituting the amplifying section had been carried out. Among them, one sealing material has been identified as a source of organic contamination near the optics. Effects of this pollution have been investigated by a measurement of laser damage threshold after intentional contamination of optics. This work shows the complexity of the outgassing contamination issue, since several steps are necessary to evaluate the effects of this contamination on optical surfaces: air samplings, identification of sources, outgassing tests, intentional contamination of optics and finally measurement of laser damage threshold.
To obtain better understanding of particulate contamination, chromium dots (50 x 50 μm2) were deposited on a silica substrate by photolithography. The aim in using this sample is to observe the mechanism of damage initiation that can be attributed to surface contamination of micro-metric size. A Nd:YAG laser irradiated the sample at 1064 nm for different fluences and also different numbers of shots. Several methods were used to characterise the laser effects on the chromium dots and the silica substrate: "Nomarski", "atomic force" and photothermal microscope observations.
The laser fluence is found to be the most important parameter for the behaviour of the chromium dots. At low fluence (<1 J/cm2), they become cracked (fractured). At medium fluence (around 1 J/cm2) chromium fusion is reached and chromium oxide appears. Finally at higher fluence (3 J/cm2), although chromium dots are blown off the substrate and small damage to silica occurs on the first shot, the subsequent shots do not lead to a dramatic increase in the damage.
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