DD153677A1 - METHOD FOR CHANGING THE BREAKING INDEX OF THIN GLASS LAYERS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for changing the refractive index of thin glass layers by implantation of ions. Possible fields of application of the method are the production of optical waveguides of any shape, optical connections, optical couplers and lenses as well as components of the integrated optics (filters, switches and the like). The object of the invention is to provide a method with which it is possible to achieve very high refractive index changes in thin layers of glasses, wherein any forms of the refractive index gradient should be possible and the amorphous structure of the glass is maintained Production of very high changes in the Brechumgsindex found in thin glass layers, which is characterized in that ions of metalloids (eg carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) are implanted in the glass surface, then irradiation with ionizing radiation (eg Roentgen or Gamma radiation), which leads to atomic metalloid atoms, which subsequently undergo compounds (for example carbides, nitrides, phosphides or oxicarbides, oxinitrides, oxiphosphides) having a high refractive index by a thermal treatment. In this case, any refractive index profile can be adjusted by selecting the implantation conditions. The thermal treatment takes place far below the crystallization temperature of the glass. With the method, it is possible to achieve changes in the refractive index to about 20%.

Description

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Field of application of the invention

The invention relates to a method for changing the refractive index of thin glass layers by implantation of ions. Possible fields of application of the method are the production of optical waveguides of any shape, optical connections, optical couplers and lenses as well as components of the integrated optics (filters, switches and the like).

Characteristic of the known technical solutions

The production of optical components and components of integrated optics based on ion implantation has a large number of advantages over other methods (miniaturization, exact specification of doping depth and doping quantity, low attenuation values, etc.). The different procedures have already been described in the literature [Proceed. IEEE 66 (1978) 744]. In all of these methods of ion implantation, the refractive index of the near-surface layers of the glass increases by density changes in the area of nuclear energy loss. It turns out, however, that only refractive index changes of 1 % are generally achieved. Under special conditions, changes of up to 8 .. "9 % are possible.

Object of the invention

The aim of the invention is to provide glasses with a higher refractive index and thus to enable a further optimization of optical components.

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V / esen the invention

The invention has for its object to provide a method with which it is possible to achieve very high changes in the refractive index in thin layers of glasses, wherein any forms of the refractive index gradient should be possible and the amorphous structure of the glass is maintained

 There has been found a method of producing very high refractive index changes in thin glass layers characterized by implanting ions of the metalloids (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and the like) into the glass surface followed by irradiation with ionizing radiation (for example X-ray or gamma radiation), which leads to atomic metalloid atoms, which are subsequently treated by thermal treatment. Compounds (for example, carbides, nitrides, phosphides or oxicarbides, oxynitrides, oxiphosphides) with high refractive index. In this case, any desired refractive index profile can be set by selecting the implantation conditions. The thermal treatment takes place far below the crystallization temperature of the glass

 With the procedure is. It is possible to change the refractive index to about. 20%.

embodiments

The invention will be explained in more detail by the following embodiments, but the invention is not limited to these examples.

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Example T;

A silica glass disk with a refractive index of 1.45852 is converted to an energy of nitrogen ions with nitrogen ions

-10 ρ

50 keV and a dose of 1 x 10 4 ions / cm implanted. Subsequently, a gamma irradiation with a dose of 1Cr rd. The following annealing (at 600 ⁰ C for 20 min) leads to a refractive index of 1.66184 · This means a change in the refractive index by 13.94%. The refractive index change profile is approximately Gaussian. The highest refractive index change is measured at a distance from the surface that is identical to the average projected coverage of the nitrogen ions under the given experimental conditions. In this case, about at a depth of 0.124 / um.

Example 2:

A glass plate, as in Example 1, with nitrogen ions of an energy of 100 keV and a dose

17 2

of 1 x 10 'ions / cm implanted. This is followed by X-ray irradiation at a dose of 10 ° C. and thermal treatment at 700 ^° C. for 10 minutes. It achieves a refractive index of 1.67435, which is 14.8 % higher than that of the starting glass.

Example 3 *

A glass plate, as in example 1, is treated with nitrogen ions of an energy of 50 keV and a dose of

<j Q ρ

Implanted 1 × 10 4 ions / cm. There was then a gamma irradiation of 10 rd and. a thermal treatment at 800 ⁰ C for 35 min. The achieved refractive index of 1.7325 is 18.78 % higher than that of the starting glass.

Claims (1)

-4- 22 4 6 85 invention claim Method for changing the refractive index in thin glass by ion implantation, characterized in that the glass is implanted with metalloid ions, which are not forming ethers, is irradiated with ionizing radiation and subjected to a thermal treatment below the softening temperature or the crystallization temperature.