An innovative method for preparation of sol–gel HfO2 films with high laser-induced damage threshold after high-temperature annealing

In this study, HfO 2 films were prepared using the sol–gel method with HfCl 4 as a precursor, HNO 3 as a hydrolysis inhibitor and polyethylene glycol as an additive. Investigations were then made into the properties and laser damage characteristics of the films after annealing at different temperatures. The prepared films have high transmittance, low absorption and high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT). Specifically, the LIDT of the film was as high as 31.6 J/cm 2 after annealing at 353 K, and it gradually dropped to 21.7 J/cm 2 after annealing at 573 K, indicating its strong resistance to high temperature. This study reported a novel method for preparing sol–gel HfO 2 films with high LIDT and pinpointed the potential application of the films under high-temperature conditions.