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US 5,634,955 AGranted
Process of making channel waveguides in gel-silica
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsF. G. Araujo, T. Chia, L. L. Hench
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Optical waveguides are produced in laser densified Type VI porous gel-silica. A CO.sub.2 laser directly scans the substrate having a pore size of about 30 angstroms. Tracks having a width of about 50 microns are produced.
Claims7
An improved process for making waveguide channels in gel-silica wherein a focused laser beam scans across a surface of a substrate, wherein the improvement comprises:
- providing a gel-silica substrate wherein a pore radius is about 15 to about 40 angstroms;
- providing a pulsed CO.sub.2 laser having a focused beam spot diameter of about 50 to 150 microns;
- and
- scanning said spot across said surface of said substrate at a speed of about 1 to about 3 cm./s. to deliver about 0.5 W to about 1.5 W to said surface of said substrate to density same and produce a density of about 1 to about 2.5 g/cc.
1 more element
An improved process for making waveguide channels in a gel-silica substrate wherein a laser beam scans across said substrate, the improvement comprising:
- a) providing a gel-silica substrate having pores of radii from about 15 to about 40 angstroms and
- b) scanning a laser spot across said substrate to densify same and produce a density of about 1 to about 2.5 g/cc therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.