Laser mirror and method of fabrication

Claim 1

A method for fabricating a fluid cooled laser mirror, including a heat exchanger defining a plurality of fluid conducting passageways therethrough, which comprises the steps of: a. providing a substrate comprising a carbon member; b. depositing onto said substrate a transitional layer comprising carbon and tungsten carbide, said transitional layer varying in composition from substantially totally carbon in contact with said substrate to substantially totally tungsten carbide remote from said substrate, said substrate and transitional layer defining a substructure; c. depositing onto said substructure a first layer of low melting point metal; d. applying to said first layer a coating of photoresist material; e. overlaying onto said coating a photographic mask having a predetermined pattern cut therein to define selected masked and unmasked portions of said coating; f. exposing said unmasked portions of said coating to light to harden said unmasked portions of said coating; g. chemically removing said unmasked portions of said coating and that portion of said first layer underlying said unmasked portion of said coating; h. chemically removing said masked portion of said coating to provide a first intermediate structure comprising said substructure having thereon distinct areas of said low melting point metal configured in said predetermined pattern; i. vapor depositing on said first intermediate structure a tungsten-containing second layer covering said low melting point metal pattern to a predetermined thickness; j. removing said low melting point metal to provide a second intermediate structure comprising said first intermediate structure with said second layer applied and defining a plurality of passageways therethrough in said predetermined pattern; and k. applying a mirrored surface to said second layer.

Claim 2

A method for fabricating a fluid cooled laser mirror, including a heat exchanger defining a plurality of fluid conducting passageways therethrough, which comprises the steps of: a. providing a substrate comprising a carbon member; b. depositing onto said substrate a transitional layer comprising carbon and tungsten carbide, said transitional layer varying in composition from substantially totally carbon in contact with said substrate to substantially totally tungsten carbide remote from said substrate, said substrate and transitional layer defining a substructure; c. depositing onto said substructure a first layer of low melting point metal; d. applying to said first layer a coating of photoresist material; e. overlaying onto said coating a photographic mask having a predetermined pattern cut therein to define selected masked and unmasked portions of said coating; f. exposing said unmasked portions of said coating to light to harden said unmasked portions of said coating; g. chemically removing said unmasked portions of said coating and that portion of said first layer underlying said unmasked portion of said coating; h. chemically removing said masked portion of said coating to provide a first intermediate structure comprising said substructure having thereon distinct areas of said low melting point metal configured in said predetermined pattern; i. vapor depositing on said first intermediate structure a tungsten-containing second layer covering said low melting point metal pattern to a predetermined thickness; j. removing said low melting point metal to provide a second intermediate structure comprising said first intermediate structure with said second layer applied and defining a plurality of passageways therethrough in said predetermined pattern; and k. applying a mirrored surface to said second layer.