Crucial dependence of excimer laser toughness of “wet” silica on excess oxygen

Creation of point defects by ArF (6.4 eV) and F2 laser (7.9 eV) irradiation in synthetic “wet” silica glass thermally loaded with interstitial O2 molecules was studied by optical absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance and infrared absorption. The presence of excess oxygen caused a significant increase of laser-induced ultraviolet (UV) absorption, which was 4 times (7.9 eV-irradiation) and > 20 times stronger (ArF irradiation) as compared to O2-free samples. The spectral shape of photoinduced absorption nearly completely coincided with the spectral shape of oxygen dangling bonds (NBOHC) in 3 to 6.5 eV regions. The contribution of Si dangling bonds (E' centers) was less than few % and was not dependent on oxygen content. Peroxy radical defects were not detected. The photoinduced NBOHCs thermally decayed at 400...500 C. However, a subsequent brief 7.9 eV irradiation restored their concentration up to 70%. This sensitization can be in part attributed to generation of interstitial Cl2 and HCl. These data show that oxygen stoichiometry is an important factor for maximizing laser toughness of wet silica.