Abstract: A mixed quartz powder contains quartz powder and two or more types of doping element in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 mass %. The aforementioned doped elements include a first dope element selected from the group consisting of N, C and F, and a second dope element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, the lanthanides and the actinides. The “quartz powder” is a powder of crystalline quartz or it is a powder of glassy SiO2 particles. It is made form natural occurring quartz or it is fabricated synthetically. The “quartz powder” may be doped. The compounding ratio of the total amount (M1) of the aforementioned first elements and the total amount (M2) of the aforementioned second elements as the ratio of the number of atoms (M1)/(M2) is preferably from 0.1 to 20. Al as well as the aforementioned doped elements is preferably included in a mixed quartz powder of this invention.

Abstract: A known SiO2 slurry for the production of quartz glass contains a dispersion liquid and amorphous SiO2 particles with particle sizes to a maximum of 500 ?m, wherein the largest volume fraction is composed of SiO2 particles with particle sizes in the range 1 ?m-60 ?m, as well as SiO2 nanoparticles with particle sizes less than 100 nm in the range 0.2-15% volume by weight (of the entire solids content). In order to prepare such a slurry for use, and to optimize the flow behavior of such a slurry with regard to later processing by dressing or pouring the slurry mass, and with regard to later drying and sintering without cracks, the invention suggests a slurry with SiO2 particles with a multimodal distribution of particle sizes, with a first maximum of the sizes distribution in the range 1 ?m-3 ?m and a second maximum in the range 5 ?m-50 ?m, and a solids content (percentage by weight of the SiO2 particles and the SiO2 nanoparticles together) in the range 83%-90%.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical filter material made of doped quartz glass, which at a low dopant concentration exhibits spectral transmission as high as possible of at least 80% cm?1 for operating radiation of 254 nm, transmission as low as possible in the wave range below approximately 250 nm, and an edge wavelength ?c within the wave range of 230 to 250 nm. It was found that this aim is achieved by doping comprising a gallium compound, which in the wave range below 250 nm has a maximum of an absorption band and thus determines the edge wave range ?c.

Abstract: In a known drawing method for producing cylinder-shaped components from quartz glass, a quartz glass strand (10) is drawn in the direction of a drawing axis (12) from a deformation region of a quartz glass mass (9) and pieces having a cutting length (S) are separated therefrom. The cylinder-shaped components are produced from the pieces. In order to provide a simple drawing method for producing quartz glass components, wherein the effects of geometric disruptions, in particular variations in diameter and material rejects, are reduced, the separation of the quartz glass strand (10) is carried out at a separating position (T), wherein the distance of the separating position from the deformation region (9) is set in a way such that a disruption of the quartz glass strand geometry created by the separation lies in an end region of the component to be produced or between two neighboring components during a subsequent separation.

Abstract: In a known method for producing a tube of quartz glass by elongating a hollow cylinder of quartz glass having an outer diameter AD, said cylinder is continuously supplied to a heating zone with a vertically oriented heating tube having an inner diameter d, with the proviso that the diameter ratio d/AD is set to a value ranging from 1.02 to 1.7. The hollow cylinder is softened therein zonewise, and a tubular strand is drawn off from the softened region and shortened to obtain the tube. Starting therefrom, in order to optimize the dimensional stability of the quartz glass tube obtained, it is suggested according to the invention that the heating zone should have a length L which is set such that the ratio L/d is smaller than 0.9.

Abstract: In a known melting crucible for use in a crucible drawing method, it is provided that the interior face of the crucible wall facing a crucible interior space is covered at least partially with a protective layer made of a noble metal. The known melting crucible does have good corrosion resistance with respect to the quartz glass melt, but the material costs are high because of the expensive coating metals. In order to provide a melting crucible for use in a crucible drawing method for quartz glass that exhibits good corrosion resistance at low material costs, it is proposed that the protective layer (2) be composed of a gas-tight, oxidic material that is not subject to a phase transition in the temperature range of 20° C. to 1800° C., and that the crucible interior space (17) have a gas space (17) above the quartz glass mass (27) to be held, and that the protective layer (2) be provided exclusively on the surface of the melting crucible interior face adjacent to the gas space (17).

Abstract: In a known method for producing a dimensionally stable semi-finished product for use in producing fibers from synthetic quartz glass, an SiO2 soot layer is applied to the outer wall of a quartz glass inner cylinder and is subjected to a sintering treatment, wherein a sintering zone moves through the SiO2 soot layer from the outside to the inside. In order to achieve dimensionally accurate and low-deformation production as well as high cost efficiency based on said known method, it is proposed that the sintering treatment be interrupted before the sintering zone reaches the outer wall of the inner cylinder so that an intermediate layer made of synthetic quartz glass containing pores remains at the inner cylinder outer wall. The semi-finished product obtained in such a way is elongated into the optical component, wherein the intermediate layer sinters completely into transparent quartz glass.

Abstract: Provided is a doped quartz glass member for plasma etching, which is used in a plasma etching process and is free from any problematic fluoride accumulation during use. The quartz glass member for plasma etching is used as a jig for semiconductor production in a plasma etching process, and includes at least two or more kinds of metal elements in a total amount of 0.01 wt % or more to less than 0.1 wt %, in which the metal elements are formed of at least one kind of a first metal element selected from metal elements belonging to Group 3B of the periodic table and at least one kind of a second metal element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, lanthanoids, and actinoids.

Abstract: The invention starts from a known component of quartz glass for use in semiconductor manufacture, which component at least in a near-surface region shows a co-doping of a first dopant and of a second oxidic dopant, said second dopant containing one or more rare-earth metals in a concentration of 0.1-3% by wt. each (based on the total mass of SiO2 and dopant). Starting from this, to provide a quartz glass component for use in semiconductor manufacture in an environment with etching action, which component is distinguished by both high purity and high resistance to dry etching and avoids known drawbacks caused by co-doping with aluminum oxide, it is suggested according to the invention that the first dopant should be nitrogen and that the mean content of metastable hydroxyl groups of the quartz glass is less than 30 wtppm.

Abstract: This method for drawing a quartz glass optical component shortens the pulling process and minimizes loss of material. An end face of a quartz glass hollow cylinder forms a tapered end portion to an attachment piece of quartz glass having a bore. The inner bore of the hollow cylinder and the bore of the attachment piece are at least temporarily interconnected fluidically as a passage bore. A cleaning fluid is passed through the inner bore of the hollow cylinder and the passage bore. A core rod of quartz glass, which rests on a contact surface of the attachment piece, is inserted into the inner bore of the hollow cylinder, and the hollow cylinder is continuously supplied to a heating zone, heated therein so as to form a drawing bulb, and the component is continuously drawn therefrom.

Abstract: In a known method for producing quartz glass that is doped with nitrogen, an SiO2 base product is prepared in the form of SiO2 grains or in the form of a porous semi-finished product produced from the SiO2 grains and the SiO2 base product is processed into the quartz glass with the nitrogen chemically bound therein in a hot process in an atmosphere containing a reaction gas containing nitrogen. From this starting point, a method is provided for achieving nitrogen doping in quartz glass with as high a fraction of chemically bound nitrogen as possible. This object is achieved according to the invention in that a nitrogen oxide is used as the nitrogen-containing reaction gas, and that a SiO2 base product is used that in the hot process has a concentration of oxygen deficient defects of at least 2×1015 cm?3, wherein the SiO2 base product comprises SiO2 particles having an average particle size in the range of 200 nm to 300 ?m (D50 value).

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to improve a generally known method for producing quartz glass doped with fluorine, wherein SiO2 particles are formed in the presence of fluorine by means of a plasma deposition process, deposited in layers on an outer envelope of a cylindrical quartz glass substrate body rotating about its longitudinal axis, and vitrified to form a layer of quartz glass with a fluorine content of at least 1.5 wt. %, in such a way that a quartz glass semifinished product with a high fluorine content, characterised by a high basic transmission in the UV wavelength range, is obtained. To this end, the substrate body has at least one reservoir layer of quartz glass at least in the region of the outer envelope thereof, having a minimum hydroxyl group content of 200 wt. ppm and/or a minimum hydrogen content of 1×1017 molecules/cm3, and the substrate body is either fully or partially removed following the deposition of the quartz glass layer doped with fluorine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a quartz glass blank for an optical component for transmitting radiation of a wavelength of 15 nm and shorter, the blank consisting of highly pure quartz glass, doped with titanium and/or fluorine, which is distinguished by an extremely high homogeneity. The homogeneity relates to the following features: a) micro-inhomogeneities caused by a local variance of the TiO2 distribution (<0.05% TiO2, averaged over a volume element of (5 ?m)3 in relation to the mean value of the TiO2 content), b) an absolute maximum inhomogeneity in the thermal expansion coefficient ?? in the main functional direction (<5 ppb/K), c) a radial variance of the thermal expansion coefficient over the usable surface of the quartz glass blank of not more than 0.4 ppb/(K.cm); d) a maximum stress birefringence (SDB) at 633 nm in the main functional direction of 2 nm/cm with a specific progression; and e) a specific progression of the ??, averaged according to (b) on the optical surface.

Abstract: To optimize an optical component of synthetic quartz glass, in the case of which a quartz glass blank is subjected to a multistage annealing treatment, with respect to compaction and central birefringence, the present invention suggests a method comprising the following steps: (a) a first treatment phase during which the quartz glass blank is treated in an upper temperature range between 1130° C. and 1240° C., (b) cooling the quartz glass blank at a first-higher-mean cooling rate to a quenching temperature below 1100° C., a fictive temperature with a high mean value of 1100° C. or more being reached in the quartz glass, (c) a second treatment phase which comprises cooling of the quartz glass blank at a second-lower-mean cooling rate, and in which the quartz glass blank is treated in a lower temperature range between 950° C. and 1100° C. such that a fictive temperature is reached in the quartz glass with a low mean value which is at least 50° C.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a material which shows low absorption for UV radiation having a wavelength below 250 nm, low birefringence, high chemical resistance and high radiation resistance and which is therefore particularly usable for making optical components for microlithography. According to the invention the material consists of synthetically produced quartz crystallites which form a polycrystalline structure and have a mean grain size in the range between 500 nm and 30 ?m. The method according to the invention for making a blank from the material comprises providing granules consisting of synthetically produced quartz crystals having a mean grain size in the range between 500 nm and 30 ?m, and sintering the granules to obtain a blank of polycrystalline quartz.

Abstract: In a known method for coating a crucible for use at a high working temperature in a crucible drawing method for quartz glass, a base body wall of tungsten has applied thereto a protective layer containing a coating metal consisting of the group selected from iridium, rhenium, osmium and ruthenium. Starting therefrom, to provide a method for producing such a component exhibiting high corrosion resistance to the quartz glass melt at low material costs, it is suggested according to the invention that the protective layer should be produced from a layer material which contains tungsten and the coating metal, and in which the amount of the coating metal should be dimensioned such that it exceeds the limit amount of a coating metal-rich phase boundary of a solid mixture phase of tungsten and the coating metal, with the solid mixture phase being thermodynamically stable at the working temperature, by not more than 25 at. % (based on the total amount of tungsten and the coating metal in the layer material).

Abstract: A silica crucible is made in a mold cavity of the type in which ambient atmosphere can be drawn through silica grain in the cavity. In one embodiment, a silica grain layer is formed in the mold cavity and gas, which may comprise helium, nitrogen, hydrogen, or a mixture thereof, is introduced into the mold cavity. The silica grain layer is heated while substantially no ambient atmosphere is drawn through the silica grain. Thereafter, at least a portion of the silica grain layer is fused while drawing ambient atmosphere through the silica grain. The gas displaces air in the mold cavity thereby reducing nitrogen oxides and ozone.

Abstract: A mixed quartz powder contains quartz powder and two or more types of doping element in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 mass %. The aforementioned doped elements include a first dope element selected from the group consisting of N, C and F, and a second dope element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, the lanthanides and the actinides. The “quartz powder” is a powder of crystalline quartz or it is a powder of glassy SiO2 particles. It is made form natural occurring quartz or it is fabricated synthetically. The “quartz powder” may be doped. The compounding ratio of the total amount (M1) of the aforementioned first elements and the total amount (M2) of the aforementioned second elements as the ratio of the number of atoms (M1)/(M2) is preferably from 0.1 to 20. Al as well as the aforementioned doped elements is preferably included in a mixed quartz powder of this invention.

Abstract: In a known method for producing a component with a layer of transparent quartz glass, comprising: applying particles of synthetically produced quartz glass to a base body made of quartz glass and sintering the particles so as to form the quartz glass layer. Starting therefrom, in order to permit a comparatively inexpensive and reproducible production of a component with at least one layer of transparent quartz glass that is distinguished by ultrahigh purity and the absence of bubbles, it is suggested according to the invention that at least part of the SiO2 particles should be present in the form of cylindrical fragments of quartz glass fibers having a mean diameter ranging from 0.1 mm to 3 mm and a mean length ranging from 0.5 mm to 20 mm.

Abstract: Methods for producing a quartz glass component with reflector layer are known in which a reflector layer composed of quartz glass acting as a diffuse reflector is produced on at least part of the surface of a substrate body composed of quartz glass. In order, taking this as a departure point, to specify a method which enables cost-effective and reproducible production of uniform SiO2 reflector layers on quartz glass components, it is proposed according to the invention that the reflector layer is produced by thermal spraying by means of SiO2 particles being fed to an energy carrier, being incipiently melted or melted by means of said energy carrier and being deposited on the substrate body. In the case of a quartz glass component obtained according to the method, the SiO2 reflector layer is formed as a layer which is produced by thermal spraying and has an opaque effect and which is distinguished by freedom from cracks and uniformity.