Abstract:
An illustrative embodiment of the invention is directed to method and apparatus for manufacturing microchannel devices. Typically, the individual glass tubes in a hexagonal bundle are sealed on one end to individual hangers from which they are suspended vertically in a furnace. A vacuum is drawn within the furnace so that the inner surfaces of the tubes, exposed to atmospheric pressure, will not collapse during heating and drawing. At temperature, the bundle is drawn and elongates under the controlled forces applied through a modified Atwood''s machine to reduce the bundle cross section by a ratio of about 50 to 1. The elongated bundle is cut into lengths as it is drawn, and these individual lengths are stacked together within a tube of glass that has a higher melting point than the glass in the drawn lengths. The channels are once more sealed and the assemblies are subjected to a secondary fusion process prior to slicing into thin discs. The annular glass rings are removed from the discs and the microstructures are placed in a molten wax bath in order to fill the channels with wax before grinding and polishing. After grinding and polishing, the wax is removed.
Abstract:
An illustrative embodiment of the invention shown a method and apparatus for joining a crystalline magnesium fluoride faceplate to the envelope of a photomultiplier tube. The bialkali photocathode deposited on the faceplate is protected from the chemically incompatible silver chloride sealing compound by a preglazed glass frit that acts as a barrier between the photocathode and the seal.
Abstract:
The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract or subcontract thereunder with the Department of the Army. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is directed to method and apparatus for manufacturing microchannel devices. Typically, individual glass tubes are suspended vertically in a furnace. A vacuum is drawn within the furnace so that the inner surfaces of the tubes, exposed to atmospheric pressure, will not collapse during heating and drawing. At temperature, the bundle is drawn in order to elongate and reduce the bundle cross section by a ratio of about 50 to 1. The elongated bundle is cut into lengths that are stacked together within a tube of glass that has a higher melting point than the glass in the drawn lengths. The channels are once more sealed and the adjacent hexagonal lengths are subjected to a secondary fusion process prior to slicing into thin discs. To prevent the inner lengths from cracking during cooling, the inner surface of the tube is treated with a fusion inhibiting compound (e.g., boron nitride).