Composites made from single crystal substances
AssigneeOnyx Optics, Inc.
InventorHelmuth E. Meissner
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method for forming, and constructs of, bonded composites of single crystal materials. The method comprises the steps of optically contacting the surfaces of the single crystal materials selected to form an assembly, bonding the surfaces by gradually heating the assembly to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to diffusion bond the surfaces, and cooling the bonded assembly at a rate which avoids thermal shock and allows the removal of stress by annealing. No bonding agents are necessary. Moreover, since the bonding temperature does not have to reach the substances' melting or fusing temperature, minimal distortion and displacement of the surfaces results.
Claims9
A device having optical homogeneity, prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
- (a) optically contacting surfaces of first and second single crystal materials to form an assembly;
- (b) bonding said optically contacted surfaces of step (a), by gradually heating said surfaces to a temperature below the fusion temperature of said surfaces, but at a temperature and for a time sufficient to diffusion bond said surfaces of said first and second materials;
- and
- (c) cooling the bonded structure of step (b) at a rate which allows the removal of stress by annealing, wherein a bonding agent or bonding film is not present between said bonded first and second single crystal materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.