Optimization of technology of diode laser mirror processing to maximize the threshold of catastrophic optical degradation

In this paper, optimization works on the technology of passivation and optical coatings of laser diode facets are described. The main goal is to increase the optical power at which the catastrophic optical mirror damage occurs. The coatings and passivation processes have been done in an ion source-aided electron-beam evaporator. The essence of passivation was to remove native oxides and produce a native thin nitride layer with simultaneous saturation of the dangling atomic bonds. The procedure has been realized with the help of nitrogen or forming gas (N-2 + H-2) beam. As a result, we present sets of technological parameters allowing to increase the catastrophic optical mirror damage threshold of diode lasers.