Relations between subsurface damage depth and surface roughness of grinded fused silica.

Relationships between subsurface damage (SSD) depth and peak to valley surface roughness (Rt) have been widely studied and present a major interest for an easy assessment of the SSD depth. We look at the relation between SSD depth and other surface roughness parameters using the Abbott-Firestone curve on a large campaign of grinding tests (with different abrasive grain size, grinding speed and grinding mode). The results reveal that Abbott-Firestone parameters are better for an assessment of SSD depth and that relationships between SSD depth and surface roughness are not universal but depend on the grinding process.

Subsurface damage measurement of ground fused silica parts by HF etching techniques.

Detection and measurement of subsurface damage of ground optical surfaces are of major concern in the assessment of high damage thresholds fused silica optics for high power laser applications. We herein detail a new principle of SSD measurement based on the utilization of HF acid etching. We also review and compare different subsurface damage (SSD) characterization techniques applied to ground and fine ground fused silica samples. We demonstrate good concordance between the different measurements.