Abstract

Cesium lithium borate (CsLiB₆O₁₀, CLBO) crystal is an excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal for generating deep ultraviolet (DUV) laser. The DUV laser using CLBO crystal has a wide range of application such as semiconductor mask inspection and material processing. However, the UV-induced damage which will shorten the lifetime of CLBO crystal limits its application in comparatively high output power. In previous study, we have already found that water impurities inside the crystal is one of the reasons to cause the UV-induced degradation of the crystal [1], and we also found that Al-doped CLBO crystal has a high resistance to UV-induced degradation [2]. On the other hand, it has been reported that the optical damage resistance of NLO materials (e.g., LiNbO₃, KTiOPO₄) is strongly influenced by their electrical properties as well [3, 4]. Hence, it is worthwhile to study the correlation between the electrical characteristics and the UV-induced degradation of CLBO crystal.

© 2013 Japan Society of Applied Physics, Optical Society of America