Germanium doped silica forming feedstock and method

• US 6,376,010 B1
• Filed: 06/16/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Blackwell, Jeffery Lynn, Moore, Lisa Anne, Truesdale, Carlton Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Margaret G.
• Application Number:
  US09/098,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 528/33, 264/1.29, 264/1.24, 385/141, 385/142, 385/143, 653/99, 653/85, 654/13, 654/14, 654/23, 654/35, 427/163.2
• US Class Current: 427/163.2
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1415 Reactant delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/31 doped with germanium
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/20 Specific substances in specified ports, e.g. all gas flows specified
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/32 Non-halide
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/36 Fuel or oxidant details, e.g. flow rate, flow rate ratio, fuel additives
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/38 Fuel combinations or non-standard fuels, e.g. H2+CH4, ethane
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/81 Constructional details of the feed line, e.g. heating, insulation, material, manifolds, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/85 with vapour generated from liquid glass precursors, e.g. directly by heating the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01413 Reactant delivery systems C03B37/01807 takes precedence; devices therefor in general B01D1/00, B01J4/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2201/31 containing germanium
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2203/40 Gas-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/06 with more than 90% silica by weight, e.g. quartz C03C3/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03611 Highest index adjacent to central axis region, e.g. annular core, coaxial ring, centreline depression affecting waveguiding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0365 arranged - - +

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a silica forming feedstock and a method of making optical waveguides and optical waveguide preforms. The feedstock for use in the manufacturing of germanium doped silica glass products includes a siloxane and a germanium dopant component such as germanium alkoxide. The invention further relates to the manufacturing of optical waveguides and optical waveguide preforms using a fluid feedstock which includes a siloxane and germanium dopant component, preferably germanium alkoxide.

Claims

1. A method of making a low loss optical waveguide preform comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a fluid feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a germanium alkoxide;

(b) delivering said fluid feedstock to a conversion site;

(c) converting said delivered fluid feedstock into GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot;

(d) depositing said GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot on a deposition surface; and

(e) forming said deposited GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot into an optical waveguide preform.

2. A method of making a low loss optical waveguide preform as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of delivering and converting further comprise delivering the fluid feedstock to a flame and converting said delivered fluid feedstock into GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot with said flame.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a germanium alkoxide further comprises the step of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium alkoxide.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium alkoxide further comprises the step of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium ethoxide.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium ethoxide further comprises the step of mixing liquid octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane with liquid germanium ethoxide.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of delivering said fluid feedstock further comprises the step of vaporizing said fluid feedstock.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of forming said deposited GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot into an optical waveguide preform further comprises the step of cladding said GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot with SiO₂.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of cladding said GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot with SiO₂ further comprises the steps of providing a fluid feedstock comprised of a siloxane, delivering said fluid siloxane feedstock to a conversion site, and converting said delivered fluid siloxane feedstock into SiO₂ soot.

25. A method of making a low loss optical waveguide perform as claimed in claim 1 further comprising selecting the siloxane and the germanium alkoxide such that the preform can be drawn into an optical fiber with an attenuation of less than 0.23 dB/km at 1550 nm and drawing the preform into the fiber.

9. A method of making a low loss optical waveguide fiber comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a fluid feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a germanium alkoxide;

(b) delivering said fluid feedstock to a conversion site;

(c) converting said delivered fluid feedstock into GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot;

(d) depositing said GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot on a deposition surface;

(e) forming said deposited GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot into an optical waveguide preform; and

(f) drawing said optical waveguide preform into a fiber.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the steps of delivering and converting further comprise selecting the siloxane and the germanium alkoxide such that the preform can be drawn into a low loss optical fiber with an attenuation of less than 0.25 dB/km at 1550 nm and delivering the fluid feedstock to conversion site flame and converting said delivered fluid feedstock into GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot with said conversion site flame, the step of forming said deposited GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot into an optical waveguide preform further comprise consolidating said deposited GeO₂ doped SiO₂ soot, and drawing said optical waveguide preform into the low loss optical waveguide fiber having the attenuation of less than 0.25 dB/km at 1550 nm.

11. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock comprised of a siloxane and an amount of germanium alkoxide sufficient to form a core having a refractive index appropriate for guiding light.

12. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 11 comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and a germanium alkoxide.

13. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 11 comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium ethoxide.

14. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 11 comprised of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and germanium methoxide.

15. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock consisting essentially of a siloxane and an amount of germanium alkoxide sufficient to form a core having a refractive index appropriate for guiding light.

16. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 15 consisting essentially of a siloxane and germanium ethoxide.

17. A silica forming feedstock as claimed in claim 15 consisting essentially of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and a germanium alkoxide.

18. An optical waveguide silica feedstock consisting of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and an amount of germanium ethoxide sufficient to form a core having a refractive index appropriate for guiding light.

19. A germanium doped silica glass optical fiber formed by the conversion of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and an amount of germanium ethoxide sufficient to form a core having a refractive index appropriate for guiding light.

26. A germanium doped silica glass optical waveguide as claimed in claim 19 having an attenuation of less than 0.23 dB/km at 1550 nm.

20. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a bimetallic organogermyl.

21. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 20 comprised of a siloxane and digermane.

22. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock as claimed in claim 20 comprised of a siloxane and digermoxane.

23. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a germanium alkylalkoxide.

24. A silica glass optical waveguide forming feedstock comprised of a siloxane and a germanium alkyl.