Densification Of Fused Silica Under 193-Nm Excitation

The experimental fact that fused silica undergoes densification upon prolonged exposure to high-energy radiation is well documented. About 25 years ago, Primak and Kampwirth reported extensive densification results in Si02 obtained with neutron, electron, and y-ray exposures. More recently, results from experiments with pulsed deep-ultraviolet exposures have been reported. This paper reports on experimental results and analysis of the densification of Corning HPFS materials under 193nm exposure.