Method of making optical waveguides
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorRobert D. DeLuca
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of making low loss glass optical waveguides, wherein at least one coating of glass soot is deposited by the flame hydrolysis process on a starting member. The soot coating is heated to its consolidation temperature in an atmosphere containing helium and an amount of chlorine that is effective to substantially remove the water from the glass soot while the soot is being consolidated to form a dense glass layer. The starting member is removed unless it is to form a part of the optical waveguide. The resultant structure, including the dense glass body, is then drawn into a waveguide fiber.
Claims18
In the method of forming a glass article comprising the steps of
- depositing on a starting member a coating of flame hydrolysis-produced glass soot to form a soot preform,
- consolidating said soot preform to form a dense glass layer free from particle boundaries, and
- forming said dense glass layer into a desired shape, said consolidation step being characterized in that it comprises
- heating said soot preform to a temperature within the consolidation temperature range for a time sufficient to cause said soot particles to fuse and form a dense glass layer, and simultaneously
- subjecting said soot preform to a stream of a substantially dry, hydrogen-free, chlorine containing atmosphere that is substantially free from contaminants that would adversely affect the optical properties of said glass article, said chlorine permeating the interstices of said soot preform during the consolidation thereof and replacing hydroxyl ions by chlorine ions, thereby resulting in a glass article that is substantially water-free.
In the method of forming a glass optical waveguide fiber comprising the steps of
- depositing on a cylindrically shaped starting member a coating of flame hydrolysis-produced glass soot to form a soot preform,
- consolidating said soot preform to form a dense glass layer free from particle boundaries,
- heating the structure so formed to the drawing temperature of the materials thereof, and
- drawing the heated structure to reduce the cross-sectional area thereof, thereby forming an optical waveguide fiber having a solid cross-section,
- said consolidation step being characterized in that it comprises
- heating said soot preform to a temperature within the consolidation temperature range for a time sufficient to cause said soot particles to fuse and form a dense glass layer, and simultaneously
- subjecting said soot preform to a stream of a substantially dry, hydrogen-free chlorine containing atmosphere that is substantially free from contaminants that would increase the light absorption of said waveguide fiber, said chlorine permeating the interstices of said soot preform during the consolidation thereof and replacing hydroxyl ions by chlorine ions, thereby resulting in a glass waveguide fiber that is substantially water-free.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.