公开(公告)号：JP2000095538A

公开(公告)日：2000-04-04

申请号：JP23908099

申请日：1999-08-26

Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC

Inventor： FLEMING JR JAMES WILLIAM

IPC: C03B8/02 ,  C03B29/02 ,  C03B37/012 ,  C03B37/014 ,  C03B37/016 ,  C03C15/02 ,  C03C23/00

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To greatly improve the smoothness of heat resistant dielectric objects and more particularly silica sol-gel objects by a relatively simple treatment by treating these objects with plasma fire balls in such a manner that their roughness is lowered without largely removing the surfaces. SOLUTION: The dielectric objects, such as quartz over-cladding tubes and silica core rods, are heated by using the plasma fire balls, by which the smoothness of the objects is improved. The roughness of the over-cladding tubes measured by RA may be lowered by at least twice. Generally, the roughness is lowered down to RA below about 1 microinch of the silica objects. A gas supplying source 17 supplies the gas used for plasma discharge to a mantle 11 where the plasma fire balls 12 are excited by an RF coil 19 and an RF generator 14. The fire balls 12 are included in a torch 10 and the center 16 of the fire balls 12 exists at the center of the RF coil. When the heat resistant dielectric object 20 is a cylindrical optical fiber, this object is installed in a race 21 capable of rotating the same during the treatment.

公开(公告)号：JP2001019459A

公开(公告)日：2001-01-23

申请号：JP2000151545

申请日：2000-05-23

Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC

Inventor： FLEMING JR JAMES WILLIAM ,  ZYDZIK GEORGE JOHN

IPC: G02B6/00 ,  C03B23/207 ,  C03B37/012 ,  C03B37/027

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a more efficient production method by reducing the shutdown time and idle time of a process for producing an optical fiber and to provide a method for producing a refractory dielectric material such as an optical fiber made of silica. SOLUTION: A first slender refractory dielectric body having one end face and a second slender refractory dielectric body having one end face are prepared. These bodies are disposed so that the respective end faces are faced to each other and these end faces faced to each other are heated by an isothermal plasma torch to reduce the viscosity of the end faces, for example, to liquefy the end faces. At least one of the bodies is then moved until the end faces are joined to each other. The joined body is made into a preform for a silica-based optical fiber.

公开(公告)号：JPH11255530A

公开(公告)日：1999-09-21

申请号：JP27384898

申请日：1998-09-28

Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC

Inventor： FLEMING JR JAMES WILLIAM ,  PAFCHEK ROBERT M

IPC: G02B6/00 ,  B01J19/08 ,  C03B20/00 ,  C03B29/02 ,  C03B37/012 ,  C03B37/014 ,  C03C23/00 ,  C03C25/62

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce both a surface impurity and a bulk impurity approximately without removing the surface of a refractory dielectric substance. SOLUTION: A refractory dielectric substance is heated by a plasma fire ball 12 under conditions capable of not causing the removal of a considerable amount of the surface part of a refractory dielectric substance 20 and sufficiently reducing both a surface impurity and a bulk impurity. Isothermal oxygen or an oxygen-containing plasma is used. At least 30% of a chlorine impurity at least 10 μm in depth can be reduced while simultaneously removing a hydroxyl group impurity. Consequently the concentration of an impurity to be a cause of a defect in the drawing treatment of a fiber from a preform can be reduced without requiring the removal of a considerable amount of the preform from the surface.

公开(公告)号：JPH1095630A

公开(公告)日：1998-04-14

申请号：JP12199797

申请日：1997-05-13

Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC

Inventor： FLEMING JR JAMES WILLIAM

IPC: G02B6/00 ,  C03B23/043 ,  C03B23/045 ,  C03B37/027 ,  C03B37/029

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an excellent method for producing an optical fiber by which the optical fiber is prevented from being stained and damaged and from being subjected to unsuitable temperature change. SOLUTION: An optical fiber preform 9 having a major axis is supplied, attached to a rotating mount 10 so that the major axis may be arranged in the vertical direction and rotated around the major axis. A plasma torch 11 is arranged in the vicinity of the preform to target the preform, and the preform is heated by the plasma torch reciprocally moving in the drawing region 12 and in the direction parallel to the major axis. The preform is drawn from the drawing region 12 by a drawing device 14 to form a fiber 15 in the method for producing the optical fiber.