Mechanisms and Peculiarities of Electric Field Imprinting in Glasses

Abstract

We studied structuring of a soda-lime glass surface via electric field imprinting followed by chemical etching. The glasses were poled using anodic electrodes presenting patterned glassy carbon plate or chromium film deposited on the glass and structured with lithographic technique. The poling resulted in a modification of glass composition and structure in poled region, in a deepening of the poled region because of the glass relaxation and in a difference in chemical durability of the poled and unpoled region. To fetch out the influence of the atmosphere on the studied process a part of the chromium structure was covered with 200 nm thick titania layer. We characterized the glass surface relief formed after poling and after chemical etching with NH4F:8H2O acidic polishing agent. Peculiarities reflecting the behavior of electric field distribution under the deepenings of the pressed electrodes and in the vicinity of the edges of deposited electrodes, atmospheric species inflow in unprotected glass near the edges, atmospheric electric discharge near the electrodes and elastic stresses induced by poling have been revealed.