Microstructure-related properties at 193 nm of MgF^2 and GdF3 films deposited by a resistive-heating boat

MgF2 and GdF3 materials, used for a single-layer coating at 193 nm, are deposited by a resistive-heating boat at specific substrate temperatures. Optical characteristics (transmittance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical loss) and microstructures (morphology and crystalline structure) are investigated and discussed. Furthermore, MgF2 is used as a low-index material, and GdF3 is used as a high-index material for multilayer coatings. Reflectance, stress, and the laserinduced damage threshold (LIDT) are studied. It is shown that MgF2 and GdF3 thin films, deposited on the substrate at a temperature of 300 °C, obtain good quality thin films with high transmittance and little optical loss at 193 nm. For multilayer coatings, the stress mainly comes from MgF2, and the absorption comes from GdF3. Among those coatings, the sixteen-layer design, sub/(1.4L 0.6H)^8/air, shows the largest LIDT.