Laser-resistance sensitivity to substrate pit size of multilayer coatings

Nanosecond laser-resistance to dielectric multilayer coatings on substrate pits was examined with respect to the electric-field (E-field) enhancement and mechanical properties. The laser-induced damage sensitivity to the shape of the substrate pits has not been directly investigated through experiments, thus preventing clear understanding of the damage mechanism of substrate pits. We performed a systematic and comparative study to reveal the effects of the E-field distributions and localized stress concentration on the damage behaviour of coatings on substrates with pits. To obtain reliable results, substrate pits with different geometries were fabricated using a 520-nm femtosecond laser-processing platform. By using the finite element method, the E-field distribution and localized stress of the pitted region were well simulated. The 1064-nm damage morphologies of the coated pit were directly compared with simulated E-field intensity profiles and stress distributions. To enable further understanding, a simplified geometrical model was established, and the damage mechanism was introduced.