Rare earth metal-doped quartz glass and method for producing the same

US10336645B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• HERAEUS QUARZGLAS GMBH & CO. KG · DE

Inventors

• Hardy Baierl · Artern, DE
• Stephan Grimm · Jena, DE
• Kay Schuster · Hanau, DE
• Jan Dellith · Jena, DE
• Andreas Langner · Alzenau, DE
• Gerhard Schoetz · Aschaffenburg, DE
• Walter Lehmann · Leipzig, DE
• Thomas Kayser · Leipzig, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 27, 2017
• Grant date: Jul 2, 2019
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/17
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for producing rare earth metal-doped quartz glass includes the steps of (a) providing a blank of the rare earth metal-doped quartz glass, and (b) homogenizing the blank by softening the blank zone by zone in a heating zone and by twisting the softened zone along a rotation axis. Some rare earth metals, however, show a discoloration of the quartz glass, which hints at an unforeseeable and undesired change in the chemical composition or possibly at an inhomogeneous distribution of the dopants. To avoid this drawback and to provide a modified method which ensures the production of rare earth metal-doped quartz glass with reproducible properties, during homogenization according to method step (b), the blank is softened under the action of an oxidizingly acting or a neutral plasma.