Dehydroxylation of UV fused silica slides via laser irradiation

Further advances have been made in the development and understanding of an ultraviolet (UV) laser treatment of fused silica glass. Hydroxyl groups present on the surface can be removed by the treatment. The surface hydroxyl groups affect the surface adhesion and performance of silica in catalysis, chromatography, photonics and microelectronics. This work shows that dehydroxylation via laser irradiation is a thermal process. An analysis technique using mass spectrometry has been developed to elucidate and avoid the effect of hydrocarbon contamination, allowing systematic measurements of dehydroxylation to be performed.