New route for sol-gel high-refractive-index ZrO2 coating

Abstract

A new sol-gel route for zirconia coating is now reported. Zirconia coatings consisting of zirconia particles were prepared from inorganic precursor (ZrOCl28H2O) by a simple alcothermal process instead of the complicated hydrothermal method published by others. The coatings were applied by dip method. The zirconia coating structures and optical properties were investigated. The dependencies of coating thickness and refractive index on heat temperature were studied. It is noted that the abrasion resistance of coating is rapidly increased as cured temperature. The laser induced damage thresholds of zirconia coatings were range of 4 - 5 J/cm2, for 1 ns pulse width and 1064 nm wavelength. The relevant chemistry is discussed.