Meaning
Amorphous silicon dioxide material produced through the flame hydrolysis of silicon-containing chemicals rather than the melting of natural quartz. High resistance to laser-induced damage and high purity are characteristics of synthetic fused silica. The glass provides a substrate for precision lenses and windows in deep ultraviolet applications.
Chemical Purity
Impurity levels for metals like iron or aluminum are often below one part per billion in this glass. Because synthetic fused silica is created from gas-phase precursors, the resulting material lacks the inclusions and bubbles found in lower grades of silica. This cleanliness prevents the absorption of high-energy photons that would otherwise lead to solarization and darkening.
High-purity precursors ensure that the ultraviolet transmission remains stable even after millions of laser pulses.
Optical Transmission
The range extends from ultraviolet to near infrared wavelengths.
Manufacturing Yield
Standardizing on a high-purity glass at the beginning of a project reduces the risk of batch-to-batch variation during full production. If an inferior grade is substituted after the pilot phase, the optical system might fail an endurance audit due to unexpected heating. Consistent data on the refractive index homogeneity of synthetic fused silica ensures that the final assembly meets the designed wavefront specifications.
