MATE1000

OPTICAL MATERIALS
Structure and Fabrication of Glass

Professor Graham Schaffer

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Fabrication of Optical Fibres

Parabolic refractory index across the fibre cross-section can be

produced by varying composition
Low index of refraction at surface, photons travel fast
Opposite in the fibre core
Result: No loss of pulse quality and transmission speed
How can we make it ?
Cheaply as well and kilometres long!
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What is glass?

What is a glass?
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Crystallisation vs Amorphisation
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What is glass?
Non-crystalline silicates containing other oxides
CaO, Na2O, K2O, Al2O3, B2O3, GeO2

Properties can be manipulated by altering composition and

processing

Source of silica ?

Advantages:
Optical Transparent & Ease of Fabrication
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Structure of glass
SiO44- tetrahedral units (network former)

Oxide additives break the regularity (network modifiers)

Break primary bonds - lower glass transition temperature,
melting point and viscosity (analogy: cross-links in
polymers)

Example (KNO3 surface treatment puts

surface in compression and closes flaws)
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Structure of glass
Basic Unit: Glass is amorphous
SiO44- tetrahedron Amorphous structure
occurs by oxide additives (network
Si 4+ modifiers) (Na+,Mg2+,Ca2+, Al3+)
O2- Additives:
interfere with formation of
crystalline structure.
Quartz is crystalline
Na+
SiO2 (network):
Si4+
O2-

(soda glass)
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Heat Treating Glass

Annealing:
- removes internal stress caused by uneven cooling
Tempering:
- puts surface of glass part into compression
- suppresses growth of cracks from surface scratches
- sequence:
before cooling surface cooling further cooled
cooler compression
hot hot tension
cooler compression
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Optical signal transmission

Input Electrical-Optical
signal Encoder Converter

Optical fibres
Repeater

Optical-Electrical Ouput
Encoder
Converter signal
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Optical Fibres
Requirements:
Cheap
Efficient transmission (fast, no loss of signal quality)
long (kilometres)
cladding
thin (5-100m)

core

Core: High-purity silica glass, relatively flaw free

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Requirements:
Photons travelling longer distances must have a higher
speed at the edges to avoid broadening of the signal
Graded refractory index within the glass core

cladding

core
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Refractory index of silica glass changes with composition (ie

presence of other constituents)
Controlled additions of B2O5, GeO2 etc.
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Fabrication of Optical Fibres

Production of graded silica glass fibres:
Controlled gas mixture of chlorides, oxygen and He are
carried through a quartz tube
Layer of soot with the desired composition is deposited
within the tube
Successive layers can be deposited
End result: Hollow tube with graded refractory index
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Production of graded index in the fibres

PCl3 P2O5
BCl3 B2O3 etc.

How do we make it massive ??

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Fabrication of Optical Fibres

Final Processing step is a tempered drawing operation which
seals the fibre
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Windows
Composition: soda-lime-silicate glass (15wt%Na2O-
10wt%CaO-70wt%SiO2, remainder may be Al2O3, B2O3 etc)

How are windows made ??

Float process
effective down to 1mm thickness, overall flatness good
Production causes some waviness on one side.
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Float Process

Invented by A.
Pilkington 1959

N2 + H2
1100oC
600oC
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Coated glass
Thin layers of Au, Cu or Ag
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What is this ?
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Computer Screens (Flat Panel Displays)

Requirements:
transparency
flatness/straightness
surface roughness
rigidity
must be thin (<0.5 mm)
chemically resistant up to T300C

Alkali-earth-aluminoborosilicate glass

Fabrication method:
Fusion Draw Process
extremely good thickness control
no further finishing requirement
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Fusion Draw Process

http://www.corning.com/displaytechnologies/ww/en/discovery_center/fusion.aspx