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Structure, physical and chemical properties of near-surface layers of optical materials modified by treatment in hydrogen plasma

The present paper aims to investigate the structure and properties of the near-surface layers of optical materials modified by treatment in hydrogen plasma (H-plasma). For this the quartz and soda-lime glasses, lithium niobate (LN) as delivered and LN after proton exchange were used. The structure and properties of the near-surface layers of optical materials were investigated by IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, atomic force microscopy, mode spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and wet chemical etching. During the treatment in H-plasma the hydrogen penetrated into the near-surface layers and caused increasing the number of defects in the structure of materials. Changes of the shape and intensity of the absorption peaks of OH–-groups and the θ/2θ- curves recorded from the LN samples processed in H-plasma were inconsequent, probably due to the thin modified layer. For the first time, a huge volume “swelling” (above 10 %) of the near-surface layers of LN and soda-lime glass after the processing in H-plasma was revealed. Also for the first time, the formation of thin strained layers on the surface of the LN after treatment in H-plasma was shown; the density reduction of the near-surface layers of the LN modified in H-plasma was described; the features of blistering and flaking were found on the surface of LN and soda-lime glass after their treatment for a long time (120–150 min). For the first time, the multilayer structure of the near-surface region of the LN was detected after treatment in H-plasma. In this paper we proposed the model of changes the structure and properties of LN after the treatment in H-plasma. The model explains the experimental results obtained in this study and previously published studies of other research groups. Due to the high concentration in the near-surface layers of optical materials after the H-plasma treatment, hydrogen predominantly forms pores and bubbles. Presumably the compounds of the Li2O–Nb2O5 system with a low Li content formed in the near-surface region of LN after the treatment in H-plasma. Modification of near-surface layers of optical materials in hydrogen plasma could be used to form elements of integrated-optical circuits, particularly the diffraction gratings.