US4802733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluorine-doped optical fibre and method of manufacturing such fibre
Assignee: Plasma Optical Fibre BV
•
Filing: 1985-12-30
•
Granted: 1989-02-07
•
Expires: 2005-12-30
Abstract
Abstract In an optical fiber based on silicon dioxide with fluorine doping which determines its refractive index profile, at least in the light transmitting core a substance is added that increases the thermal expansion coefficient. The added substance is uniformly distributed at least in the light transmitting core, and reduces the influence of the drawing force F Z (during drawing of the preform) on the Rayleigh scattering α R and the wavelength-independent "c term" losses. Even at high fluorine dopant concentrations, low Rayleigh scattering losses in the range of the material-intrinsic losses pure for silicon dioxide are achieved. The OH-contamination level is also further reduced, and cracks in the collapsed preforms are largely avoided.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter K. Bachmann
- 👤 Peter E. E. Geittner
- 👤 Dieter Leers
- 👤 Howard J. C. Wilson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 03:31
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/02; G02B6/036; G02B6/03616; G02B6/03622; G02B6/03627; C; C03; C03B; C03B37/00; C03B37/01; C03B37/012; C03B37/014; C03B37/01413; C03B37/018; C03B37/01807; C03B37/01815; C03B37/01823; C03B37/0183; C03C; C03C13/00; C03C13/04; C03C13/045; C03B2201/00; C03B2201/06; C03B2201/08; C03B2201/12; C03B2201/30; C03B2201/31; C03B2203/00; C03B2203/10; C03B2203/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
An optical fiber comprising: a light-transmitting core having a thermal expansion coefficient, said core consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a uniform concentration of fluorine and doped with a uniform concentration of a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the core; and a cladding surrounding the core, said cladding having a thermal expansion coefficient less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the core, said cladding consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a uniform concentration of fluorine, the concentration of fluorine in the cladding exceeding the concentration of fluorine in the core.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
An optical fiber comprising: a light-transmitting core having a thermal expansion coefficient, said core consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a uniform concentration of fluorine and doped with a uniform concentration of a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the core; and a cladding surrounding the core, said cladding having a thermal expansion coefficient less than the thermal expansion coefficient of the core, said cladding consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a uniform concentration of fluorine, the concentration of fluorine in the cladding exceeding the concentration of fluorine in the core.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the core is germanium dioxide and the cladding adjoins the core.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the core contains 0.3 to 3.0 mol% germanium dioxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the core contains 0.3 to 3.0 mol% germanium dioxide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
An optical fiber comprising a light-transmitting core having a thermal expansion coefficient, said core consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a nonuniform concentration of fluorine and doped with a uniform concentration of a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the core.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
An optical fiber comprising a light-transmitting core having a thermal expansion coefficient, said core consisting essentially of silicon dioxide doped with a nonuniform concentration of fluorine and doped with a uniform concentration of a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the core.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the core has a center, and the fluorine concentration increases with increasing distance from the center of the the core.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the fluorine concentration increases with the square of the distance from the center of the core.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient is germanium dioxide.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the core contains 0.3 to 3.0 mol% germanium dioxide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical fiber as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the core contains 0.3 to 3.0 mol% germanium dioxide.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, said method comprising the steps of: providing a cylindrical substrate; and depositing a plurality of glass layers on the substrate by reacting a gas mixture to form silicon dioxide and dopants, said glass layers forming an optical core and an optical cladding; characterized in that: during the deposition of the core glass layers the gas mixture consists essentially of a first reactant which forms silicon dioxide, a second reactant which forms fluorine, and a third reactant which forms a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass layers; during the deposition of the core layers, the third reactant is provided in a constant amount; and the second reactant is provided in a varying amount.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, said method comprising the steps of: providing a cylindrical substrate; and depositing a plurality of glass layers on the substrate by reacting a gas mixture to form silicon dioxide and dopants, said glass layers forming an optical core and an optical cladding; characterized in that: during the deposition of the core glass layers the gas mixture consists essentially of a first reactant which forms silicon dioxide, a second reactant which forms fluorine, and a third reactant which forms a material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass layers; during the deposition of the core layers, the third reactant is provided in a constant amount; and the second reactant is provided in a varying amount.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that: the substrate has a center; and the amount of second reactant increases with increasing distance of the layer being deposited from the center of the substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the third reactant is provided in an amount yielding a concentration of material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass layers of from 0.5 to 3.0 mol%.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the third reactant is provided in an amount yielding a concentration of material which increases the thermal expansion coefficient of the glass layers of from 0.5 to 3.0 mol%.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that during the deposition of the core layers, the second reactant is provided in a constant amount.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3607322A
Cited
US4062665A
Cited
US4206968A
Cited
US4372647A
Cited
US4425146A
Cited
US4367013A
Cited
CA1162948A
Cited
US4441788A
Cited
US4468413A
Cited
US4504114A
Cited
US4519826A
Cited
DE3318589A1
Cited
US4586943A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-02-07 | 1992-08-08 | 1993-02-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-02-07 | 1996-08-08 | 1997-02-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-02-07 | 2000-08-08 | 2001-02-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |