Bonding technologies adapted to glass and glass-ceramics

Objective

Development of “adapted“ bonding technologies for glass and glass-ceramics using water based silicate solutions or no additives at all (“Direct Bonding“) by applying suitable surface activation processes before assembly in a vacuum environment.

 

Pre-conditions

• Materials with a high SiO₂ content
• Surfaces highly plane (or otherwise conform),
• flatness at least λ /10 PV* 
• Extremely smooth (polished) surfaces, roughness < 1 nm RMS*

* λ:        wavelength (632 nm)
   PV:      peak-to-valley
   RMS:   root-mean-square

 

Bond characteristics

• Full transparency (bonding area is "invisible”)
  
• No uncontrolled creep/drift under mechanical load
  
• No outgassing at elevated temperatures
  
• No stress from thermal mismatch (for identical materials)
  
• Assembly of individual parts “accurate to gage blocks“

 

Applications

• UV, VIS and IR optics (transmission and reflection)
  
• Laser applications  
  
• Space applications
  
• Lithography and precision engineering applications