Corning Incorporated

Nanoprecision Products, Inc.

William Robert Powell

Dean Veral Neubauer

John David Helfinstine

Daniel J Liebner

John L Martin

Nicholas Francis Borrelli

Charlene Marie Smith

Douglas Clippinger Allan

Thomas P Seward

Thomas Dale Ketcham

Dell Joseph St Julien

Ronald Leroy Stewart

Michael K Barnoski

Suresh Thakordas Gulati

Steven Michael Milillo

King-Fu Hii

Steven F Hoysan

Donald Keck

R Ryan Vallance

Daniel Jay Liebner

Axial tension is applied to an optical fiber that had been scored at the intended cleave location, wherein the axial tension is applied in a time-varying manner to maintain the stress intensity factor for crack on the fiber within an acceptable level to produce a stable crack growth at a reasonable rate to cleave the fiber without requiring polishing of the end surface. Careful control of the applied tension force with time acts to control the velocity of the propagating crack by maintaining substantially constant stress intensity factor. The applied axial tension force is reduced with time and/or crack growth (as crack propagates). As a result, the strain energy in the fiber material is released by formation of a single plane with an optical quality surface without requiring polishing. A substantially flat optical surface of enhanced optical quality is formed at the cleaved end of the optical fiber.

Deterministic cleave of optical fiber

Methods for reducing stress on an isopipe during manufacture of a drawn glass sheet are disclosed including a method comprising providing an isopipe having a root, heating the isopipe to a predetermined temperature, maintaining the isopipe at the predetermined temperature for a period of time sufficient to relieve at least a portion of a tensile stress on the isopipe root, coupling the isopipe to a down-comer, and then providing glass to the isopipe. Also disclosed is a method comprising heating an isopipe such that the temperature difference between the weir and the root of the isopipe, after heating and prior to coupling, is less than about 100&#xb0; C. A method comprising application of a compressive force to the ends of an isopipe root during heating is also disclosed.

Process to preserve isopipe during coupling

Isopipes for use in making sheet glass by a fusion process are provided which exhibit reduced sag. The isopipes are composed of a zircon refractory which has a mean creep rate (MCR) at 1180&#xb0; C. and 250 psi and a 95 percent confidence band (CB) for said mean creep rate such that the CB to MCR ratio is less than 0.5, the MCR and the CB both being determined using a power law model. The zircon refractory can contain titania (TiO) at a concentration greater than 0.2 wt % and less than 0.4 wt %. A concentration of titania in this range causes the zircon refractory to exhibit a lower mean creep rate than zircon refractories previously used to make isopipes. In addition, the variation in mean creep rate is also reduced which reduces the chances that the zircon refractory of a particular isopipe will have an abnormally high creep rate and thus exhibit unacceptable sag prematurely.

Sag control of isopipes used in making sheet glass by the fusion process

Isopipes for use in making sheet glass by a fusion process are provided which exhibit reduced sag. The isopipes are composed of a zircon refractory which has a mean creep rate (MCR) at 1180&#xb0; C. and 250 psi and a 95 percent confidence band (CB) for said mean creep rate such that the CB to MCR ratio is less than 0.5, the MCR and the CB both being determined using a power law model. The zircon refractory can contain titania (TiO) at a concentration greater than 0.2 wt. % and less than 0.4 wt. %. A concentration of titania in this range causes the zircon refractory to exhibit a lower mean creep rate than zircon refractories previously used to make isopipes. In addition, the variation in mean creep rate is also reduced which reduces the chances that the zircon refractory of a particular isopipe will have an abnormally high creep rate and thus exhibit unacceptable sag prematurely.

The invention relates to fused silica having low compaction under high energy irradiation, particularly adaptable for use in photolithography applications.

Method for determining laser-induced compaction in fused silica

A fused silica glass which exhibits low compaction when exposed to high intensity excimer radiation, also exhibits low optical path distortion after exposure to a high intensity radiation dose. Also disclosed is a method for improving the select ratio of fused silica glass for photolithography, by predicting the optical path distortion of the glass under use by determining the intrinsic densification of the glass at a given number of pulses and fluence per pulse. Mathematical modeling methods are also disclosed for use in producing a fused silica stepper lens having low compaction under high intensity excimer radiation; and for determining optical path distortion caused by high energy radiation in fused silica glass.

Method pre-compaction of fused silica

Fuel cell designs incorporating non-planar inorganic electrolyte membranes offer improved mechanical and thermal shock resistance for mobile power generation systems, e.g., for high temperature fuel cell applications using liquid fuel (diesel and gasoline) and air for automobile power plants and other power systems requiring only intermittent high-temperature fuel cell operation.

Flexible inorganic electrolyte fuel cell design

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Horseheads, NY, United States of America

William Robert Powell