Method of manufacture of a capillary for a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsHendrik Sabert, Paulus Antonius Andreas Teunissen
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a capillary usable as part of a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The method includes obtaining a capillary having capillary wall including a first wall thickness; and chemically etching the capillary wall to reduce the wall thickness of the capillary wall. During performance of the etching, a control parameter is locally varied along the length of the capillary, the control parameter relating to reactivity of an etchant used in the etching, so as to control the etched wall thickness of the capillary wall along the capillary length. Also disclosed is a capillary manufactured by such a method and various devices including such a capillary.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a capillary usable as part of a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, the method comprising:
- obtaining a capillary having a capillary wall with a wall thickness;
- chemically etching the capillary wall to reduce the wall thickness of the capillary wall;
- and
- during performance of the etching, locally varying a control parameter along the length of the capillary, the control parameter relating to reactivity of an etchant used in the etching, so as to control the etched wall thickness of the capillary wall along the capillary length.
A method of manufacturing a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, the method comprising:
- manufacturing a plurality of capillaries around a hollow core to form a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber assembly;
- and
- introducing an etchant into the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber assembly to chemically etch the capillary walls and reduce their wall thickness, the etching being performed in repeated cycles of low reactivity of the etchant and higher reactivity of the etchant.
A method of manufacturing a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, the method comprising:
- manufacturing a plurality of capillaries around a hollow core to form a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber assembly;
- sealing at least one end of each of the plurality of capillaries;
- and
- introducing an etchant into the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber assembly to chemically etch the capillary walls and reduce their wall thickness, the etching being performed with only a single etchant path through the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber assembly and no etchant admitted into the capillaries.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.