Abstract:
The invention includes methods of making lithography photomask blanks. The invention also includes lithography photomask blanks and preforms for producing lithography photomask. The method of making a lithography photomask blank includes providing a soot deposition surface, producing SiO2 soot particles and projecting the SiO2 soot particles toward the soot deposition surface. The method includes successively depositing layers of the SiO2 soot particle on the deposition surface to form a coherent SiO2 porous glass preform body comprised of successive layers of the SiO2 soot particles and dehydrating the coherent SiO2 glass preform body to remove OH from the preform body. The SiO2 is exposed to and reacted with a fluorine containing compound and consolidated into a nonporous silicon oxyfluoride glass body with parallel layers of striae. The method further includes forming the consolidated silicon oxyfluoride glass body into a photomask blank having a planar surface with the orientation of the striae layer parallel to the photomask blank planar surface.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing an optical fiber base material, comprising forming a soot body by spray-depositing fine glass particles, which are synthesized by a burner (2), onto an outer circumferential surface of a starting member (3), which is prepared by fusing a dummy rod to both end portions of a core base material, while moving the starting member (3) reciprocatingly in the axial direction thereof relatively with respect to the burner, characterized in that gauge marks (11, 12) are set in positions which are a predetermined distance away from interfaces of the core base material and dummy rod toward the dummy rod, the relative reciprocating movement of the starting member being made by reversing the direction of the relative movement at instants at which the burner (2) reaches turning points (15, 16) existing in end portions distant from the gauge marks (11, 12), a raw glass material being fed from a raw material supply unit (5) only when the burner (2) is positioned between the gauge marks (11, 12).
Abstract:
Core soot material (62) is deposited via a stream (55) onto a target (34). At least one additional layer (64) is deposited on the core material (62). A cladding layer (65) is deposited on the previous layer (64). Then this item is dehydrated, sintered and formed into a plurality of fibers.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber preform, using an outside vapor deposition (OVD) process, in which deposition and sintering processes can be continuously carried out in an OVD apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus includes a vertically-extending carriage, and a sintering unit installed at the upper end of the carriage, and adapted to sinter a clad deposited on a circular target rod. The sintering unit is a hydrogen/oxygen flame burner or a furnace using a heating source that doesn’t generate H 2 O or hydroxyl groups (OH) during a heating operation thereof. The manufacturing method includes a deposition step of depositing a clad on the circular target rod while reciprocating a deposition burner, and a sintering step of sintering the clad while reciprocating the sintering unit in a state in which the circular target rod deposited with the clad extends through the sintering unit.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method of producing quartz glass bodies by depositing SiO2 particles on the cylindrical generated surface of a cylindrical carrier rotating about its longitudinal axis, an elongate porous preform being produced. The SiO2 particles are formed in a plurality of precipitating burners which are disposed in at least one row extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the carrier, the row of burners being moved at a predetermined translation speed in a reciprocating manner between turning points at which their direction of movement is reversed, and the resultant preform being sintered. According to the invention, the basic value of the surface temperature of the preform in the process of forming is maintained at between 1050 DEG C and 1350 DEG C, the average peripheral speed of the preform is maintained at between 8 m/min and 15 m/min, and the average translation speed of the burner row is maintained at between 300 mm/min and 800 mm/min.
Abstract:
Processes for the manufacture of a hollow cylindrical porous body of synthetic vitreous silica soot by outside vapour deposition on a mandrel are described, in which the temperature of the mandrel is controlled to be substantially constant throughout the deposition process. In preferred embodiments, the mandrel is composed of metal or metal alloy. Hollow ingots of pure or doped synthetic vitreous silica glass manufactured by such processes are also described.
Abstract:
The methods and apparatus make substantially water-free fused silica preforms or glass by removing water as a reaction product, from the atmosphere, removing water from the transport process, or combinations thereof. Substantially water-free soot, preforms or glass are achieved by using a hydrogen-free fuel, such as carbon monoxide, in the deposition process. Alternatively, a soot producing burner has parameters that enable operation on a substantially hydrogen-free fuel. End burners, which minimize water production, are also described. Such water-free methods are useful in depositing fluorine-doped soot efficiently. Glassy barrier layer methods and apparatus are also described for minimizing dopant migration, especially fluorine and laser and induction methods and apparatus for forming the barrier layer. A chlorine, fluorine and silica precursor, such as chlorofluorosilane, may be used. One embodiment is directed to combustion enhancing additives to the substantially hydrogen-free fuels. The methods and apparatus are useful for producing photomask substrates and optical fiber preforms.
Abstract:
An apparatus (10) for producing a glass soot in a flame (51) and depositing the soot onto a bait rod (52) includes a first burner (12) having a droplet-emitting first region (14), a gas-emitting second region (16) surrounding the first region, and a gas-emitting third region (18) surrounding the second region. The first region emits a glass-forming mixture (20) from a source (21), the second region emits an inert gas (22) from a source (23), and the third region emits a combination of oxygen and a combustible gas from a source (25). A conversion area (26) has a first section (27) proximate the first burner and a second section (29) distal from the first burner. At least one secondary burner (28 and 30) has a fourth (32) region emitting oxygen from a source (36) and fifth (34) region emitting a combustible gas from a source (38) into a flame (31) communicating with the second section (29) of the conversion area.
Abstract:
In plasma deposition processes for producing an optical preform according to the POD method, a cladding glass layer composed of fluorine-doped quartz glass is produced by means of a plasma torch on a cylindrical substrate body composed of quartz glass, said substrate body rotating about the longitudinal axis thereof. In this case, the plasma torch performs a reversing relative movement between two turning points (A; B) along the substrate body. In order, proceeding therefrom, to achieve a high fluorine doping in conjunction with a dopant distribution that is as uniform as possible axially, the invention proposes that a heat element has a heating effect on the region of one turning point (A; B) when the plasma torch is situated in the region of the other turning point (B; A).