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GB1592234A - Sin2 coated optical fibre - Google Patents

Sin2 coated optical fibre Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1592234A
GB1592234A GB16255/78A GB1625578A GB1592234A GB 1592234 A GB1592234 A GB 1592234A GB 16255/78 A GB16255/78 A GB 16255/78A GB 1625578 A GB1625578 A GB 1625578A GB 1592234 A GB1592234 A GB 1592234A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
cladding
silicon nitride
silica
doped
fiber
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB16255/78A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Standard Electric Corp
Original Assignee
International Standard Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Standard Electric Corp filed Critical International Standard Electric Corp
Publication of GB1592234A publication Critical patent/GB1592234A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C25/00Surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags
    • C03C25/10Coating
    • C03C25/104Coating to obtain optical fibres
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/02Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
    • G02B6/02395Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Surface Treatment Of Glass Fibres Or Filaments (AREA)

Description

(54) SiN2 COATED OPTICAL FIBRE (71) We, INTERNATIONAL STAN DARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION a Corporation organised and existing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, of 320 Park Avenue, New York 22, State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to glass optical fibers, as used for communications equipment.
Glass optical communication fibers having initially high tensile strengths are found to fail over prolonged periods of stress, the failure mechanism involved being termed "fatigue resistance" failure. Surface imperfections develop along the outer perimeter of the glass to form micro-cracks which cause the fiber to break when subjected to tensile forces substantially lower than the original tensile strength rating of the fiber.
The crack formation fatigue failure mechanism is somehow related to induced OH reactions occurring with the glass when water molecules seep into microcracks existing along the glass outer surface. Overcoating the fiber with various plastics resins retards the fatigue failure formation to some extent, but over a sustained period of operation the plastics material becomes less resistant to water permeation, and, for some plastics, the material itself becomes a source of water.
U.S. Patent No. 3,485,666 teaches a method of forming silicon nitride coatings on the surface of semi-conductor materials to protect the materials from attack by moisture.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing glass optical fibres having improved fatigue resistance, which fibres have a doped silica core and a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, which includes the step of applying to the outer surface of the cladding a layer of a waterimpervious compound whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding, said water-impervious compound being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and the fluorides of calcium, magnesium and silicon which are solid under normal ambient conditions.
According to the present invention there is a method of manufacturing glass optical fibers having improved fatigue resistance, which includes the preparation of a preform consisting of a doped silica core with a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, drawing said preform down to give the core the diameter needed for the finished fiber, and applying to the outer surface of said cladding a layer of water - impervious layer of silicon nitride whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding.
According to the present invention there is an optical fiber having improved fatigue resistance, including a silica core material doped with a compound having a higher refraction index than the silica to provide a first index of refraction; a cladding layer of silica doped with a second compound having a lower refractive index than silica to provide a second index of refraction the second index of refraction being lower than the first index of refraction; and a silicon nitride layer on the outer surface of the cladding layer to provide a water impervious coating to said cladding layer.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a graphic representation of the time to failure for silica fibers as a function of the pH chemistry of the fiber surface; Figure 2 is a cross-section of an optical fiber having a silicon nitride coating according to the invention.
Figure 3 is a cross-section of the optical fiber of Figure 2 after being given an outer plastics jacket; Figure 4 is a cross-section of a fiber optic preform; and Figure 5 is a sectional view of the apparatus used to provide the silicon nitride coated fiber according to the invention.
Figure 1 shows the relationship between the effective tensile strength of silica fibers in terms of time to failure under applied stress (500 kg/MM2) as a function of the pH of the fiber surface in a saturated environmental enclosure. The data shows that the loss rate can be substantially reduced when the pH value approaches 0 and becomes negative in value. Point B is the failure time for a silica fiber in air having 50% relative humidity. Point A is the failure time for a silica fiber in water having a pH value equal to 7.0.
Point C is the failure time for a silica fiber under a condition of partial vacuum (2x10-2torr) in order to keep the concentration of water at a very low level. Point D shows the predicted failure time for silica fibers coated with silicon nitride in accordance with this invention. The extended time to failure is an indication that the tensile strength of the fiber under continuing applied stress can be substantially increased when the surface water is effectively eliminated.
Figure 2 shows a glass optical communications fiber 10 having a core l1 consisting essentially of doped silica and having a doped silica cladding 12. Also included on the doped silica optical fiber 10 is a layer of silicon nitride material 13. The purpose of the silicon nitride layer 13 is to keep the outer surface of the optical fiber 10 free of any contact with moisture. Silicon nitride is chosen since its properties are compatible with silica and since very thin layers of silicon nitride have been found to be effectively water impervious. The thickness of the silicon nitride layer 13 is adjusted so that the effective water permeation can be zero.
One mil thickness is satisfactory since only a few hundred angstroms are generally required to provide continuity between the silicon nitride molecules. For the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the silicon nitride thickness is approximately 1,000 angstroms.
Figure 3 shows the silicon nitride coated optical fiber 10 of Figure 2 containing a core 11, cladding 12, silicon nitride layer 13 and an outer plastics jacket 14. The purpose of the jacket 14 is to improve the overall strength properties of the fiber 10.
For manufacturing the glass optical fibers of Figures 2 and 3 a fiber optic preform is conveniently employed. The preform 15 shown in Figure 4 contains a core material 11' and a cladding material 12' which after drawing into an optical fiber form the optical fiber core and cladding (11, 12).
To provide the silicon nitride coating the fiber optic preform 15 of Figure 4 is heated and drawn into an optical fiber and the optical fiber is drawn through an inline silicon nitride coating apparatus so that the silicon nitride layer 13 of Figures 2 and 3 is applied to the optical fiber surface while the fiber is still hot from drawing so that water molecules are not able to condense on the hot fiber surface.
Figure 5 shows a fiber optic preform 15 positioned above a suitable heat source 16 wherein a portion of a drawn optical fiber 15' is drawn through a reaction tube 17. The reaction tube 17 for the purpose of this embodiment consists of a hermetically sealed device containing an inlet 18 for introducing the silicon nitride reagents and an exhaust 19. Surrounding the reaction tube 17 are RF exciting coils 22 to generate the RF plasma 20 as shown. The silicon nitride deposition by means of the RF plasma discharge 20 is preferred because of the water-tight continuous silicon nitride material generated. The silicon nitride coated fiber 10 is shewn issuing from the bottom of the reaction tube with the silicon nitride layer 13 as indicated.
Although the silicon nitride is shown as deposited from a reaction involving a radio frequency plasma 20 and silicon nitride 21 in molecular form, other methods of applying the silicon nitride coating 13 are equally effective. One method provides a reaction between the surface of the silica outer layer with a suitable nitrogen compound to form a very thin displacement of silicon nitride in situ on the silica surface.
Other materials contemplated for forming the water impervious layer of this invention include certain fluorides of magnesium, calcium and silicon, which are solid: at normal ambient temperature and whose properties are compatible with those of the fibre's cladding. Other methods of application which may be used include vacuum evaporation as well as the use of a glow discharge. One method of generating silicon nitride coatings by a glow discharge is that disclosed within U.S. Patent No. 3,485,666 incorporated herein by reference.
Although the fluorides of magnesium, calcium and silicon are specially effective other water-tight impervious layers can be used providing that the materials chosen are electrically non-conductive. This requirement is important for example when the optical fibers are to be used in a secured area. This is particularly important when the optical communication is to occur in a military environment when detection by radio frequency devices such as radar is to be avoided.
The embodiment of this invention which has been specifically described is directed to water impervious silicon nitride coated fibers for use with optical communication fibers to improve the tensile strength of the fiber in environments containing relatively high concentrations of atmospheric water vapor. This is by way of example only since the coated fibers of this invention readily find application wherever high tensile strength glass fibers may be required.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibres having improved fatigue resistance, which fibres have a doped silica core and a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, which includes the step of applying to the outer surface of the cladding a layer of waterimpervious compound whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding, said water-impervious compound being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and the fluorides of calcium, magnesium and silicon which are solid under normal ambient conditions.
2. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibers having improved fatigue resistance which includes the preparation of a preform consisting of a doped silica core with a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, drawing said preform down to give the core the diameter needed for the finished fiber, and applying to the outer surface of said cladding a layer of a water-impervious layer of silicon nitride whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the silicon nitride is applied to the glass surface by the deposition of the silicon nitride on the outer cladding glass surface of the fiber immediately after drawing into a fiber.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the silicon nitride is applied to the outer cladding glass surface by the thermal dissociation of a silicon and a nitrogen compound in the presence of the glass fiber.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, modified in that the silicon and nitrogen compound comprises halides.
6. A method as claimed in claim 4, modified in that the silicon and nitrogen compound comprises hydrides.
7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the silicon and nitrogen compound is applied to the glass fiber surface by chemical vapor deposition.
8. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the deposition of the silicon and nitrogen compound is by an electrodeless glow discharge.
9. An optical fiber having improved fatigue resistance, which has a core of high purity silica material so doped as to have a first index of refraction with a doped silica cladding having a second index of refraction overlaying the core, a coating of silicon nitride material on the outer surface of said cladding and a layer of resin material on the outer surface of the silicon nitride layer.
10. An optical fiber having improved fatigue resistance, including a silica core material doped with a compound having a higher refraction index than the silica to provide a first index of refraction; a cladding layer of silica doped with a second compound having a lower refractive index than silica to provide a second index of refraction the second index of refraction being lower than the first index of refraction; and a silicon nitride layer on the outer surface of the cladding layer to provide a water impervious coating to said cladding layer.
11. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibers substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
12. An optical fiber made by the method of any one of claims 1 to 8, or 11.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. military environment when detection by radio frequency devices such as radar is to be avoided. The embodiment of this invention which has been specifically described is directed to water impervious silicon nitride coated fibers for use with optical communication fibers to improve the tensile strength of the fiber in environments containing relatively high concentrations of atmospheric water vapor. This is by way of example only since the coated fibers of this invention readily find application wherever high tensile strength glass fibers may be required. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibres having improved fatigue resistance, which fibres have a doped silica core and a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, which includes the step of applying to the outer surface of the cladding a layer of waterimpervious compound whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding, said water-impervious compound being selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride and the fluorides of calcium, magnesium and silicon which are solid under normal ambient conditions.
2. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibers having improved fatigue resistance which includes the preparation of a preform consisting of a doped silica core with a doped silica cladding, the core and the cladding being differently doped, drawing said preform down to give the core the diameter needed for the finished fiber, and applying to the outer surface of said cladding a layer of a water-impervious layer of silicon nitride whose properties are compatible with those of the doped silica cladding.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the silicon nitride is applied to the glass surface by the deposition of the silicon nitride on the outer cladding glass surface of the fiber immediately after drawing into a fiber.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the silicon nitride is applied to the outer cladding glass surface by the thermal dissociation of a silicon and a nitrogen compound in the presence of the glass fiber.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4, modified in that the silicon and nitrogen compound comprises halides.
6. A method as claimed in claim 4, modified in that the silicon and nitrogen compound comprises hydrides.
7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the silicon and nitrogen compound is applied to the glass fiber surface by chemical vapor deposition.
8. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the deposition of the silicon and nitrogen compound is by an electrodeless glow discharge.
9. An optical fiber having improved fatigue resistance, which has a core of high purity silica material so doped as to have a first index of refraction with a doped silica cladding having a second index of refraction overlaying the core, a coating of silicon nitride material on the outer surface of said cladding and a layer of resin material on the outer surface of the silicon nitride layer.
10. An optical fiber having improved fatigue resistance, including a silica core material doped with a compound having a higher refraction index than the silica to provide a first index of refraction; a cladding layer of silica doped with a second compound having a lower refractive index than silica to provide a second index of refraction the second index of refraction being lower than the first index of refraction; and a silicon nitride layer on the outer surface of the cladding layer to provide a water impervious coating to said cladding layer.
11. A method of manufacturing glass optical fibers substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
12. An optical fiber made by the method of any one of claims 1 to 8, or 11.
GB16255/78A 1977-04-29 1978-04-25 Sin2 coated optical fibre Expired GB1592234A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US79242977A 1977-04-29 1977-04-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1592234A true GB1592234A (en) 1981-07-01

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GB16255/78A Expired GB1592234A (en) 1977-04-29 1978-04-25 Sin2 coated optical fibre

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Country Link
AU (1) AU3539878A (en)
DE (1) DE2818036A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2389147A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1592234A (en)
NL (1) NL7804449A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2138167A (en) * 1981-03-24 1984-10-17 Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche Connector for optic fibre laser radiation conveying device
GB2151369A (en) * 1983-10-24 1985-07-17 British Telecomm Optical fibres
EP0177206A1 (en) * 1984-09-29 1986-04-09 Stc Plc Optical fibres

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4249925A (en) * 1978-05-12 1981-02-10 Fujitsu Limited Method of manufacturing an optical fiber
US4319803A (en) * 1978-11-24 1982-03-16 Hewlett-Packard Company Optical fiber coating
US4306897A (en) * 1980-04-16 1981-12-22 International Telephone And Telegraph Corporation Method of fabricating fatigue resistant optical fibers
DE3035879A1 (en) * 1980-09-23 1982-04-29 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Core and sheath glass optical fibre of lead glass - of specified size is made simply and cheaply and has required damping, coupling and strength
ZA833150B (en) * 1982-05-28 1984-01-25 Int Standard Electric Corp Coating an optical fibre
US4696543A (en) * 1984-05-22 1987-09-29 Standard Telephone And Cables, Plc Optical fiber cable having a low permeability to hydrogen
GB2159290B (en) * 1984-05-22 1987-11-18 Stc Plc Cables containing amorphous metals

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2138167A (en) * 1981-03-24 1984-10-17 Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche Connector for optic fibre laser radiation conveying device
GB2151369A (en) * 1983-10-24 1985-07-17 British Telecomm Optical fibres
EP0177206A1 (en) * 1984-09-29 1986-04-09 Stc Plc Optical fibres
AU574225B2 (en) * 1984-09-29 1988-06-30 Northern Telecom Limited Optical fibre surface modification
AU584009B2 (en) * 1984-09-29 1989-05-11 Stc Plc Optical fibres
US4911742A (en) * 1984-09-29 1990-03-27 Stc, Plc Method of manufacturing optical fibers
US5102438A (en) * 1984-09-29 1992-04-07 Stc, Plc Method of manufacturing silicon optical fiber having a compressive surface layer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL7804449A (en) 1978-10-31
FR2389147A1 (en) 1978-11-24
DE2818036A1 (en) 1978-11-09
AU3539878A (en) 1979-11-01

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