Fabrication methods of doped silica glass and optical fiber preform by

Abstract

Manufacturing method of doped silica glass suitable for optical fiber wherein quartz powder or SiO.sub.2 glass fine particles are exposed to a gas for producing the doped silica glass containing SiCl.sub.4, a gaseous additive and water vapor (H.sub.2 O) to add the dopant to the glass body, and then the resulting glass body is fused at a high temperature, thereby producing a transparent doped silica glass in which the production of the glass particles, the addition of the dopant, and the vitrification of the glass body are carried out by separate steps under respective suitable conditions. The manufacturing speed is remarkably increased because of the separate steps. The content of the dopant is not limited, but can be adjusted with any desired amount by changing the reaction time of dissolution. Dopant components like PbO.sub.2, SnO.sub.2, ZnO which were typically not added to the glass body can now be added thereto. Also, a method of manufacturing an optical fiber preform is disclosed wherein the doped silica glass is deposited and fused on a starting material which is inclined by an angle within a range of 5.degree.-90.degree. with respect to a blow-off direction of the flow of the doped silica glass to form a transparent doped silica glass body having a uniform outer diameter and a uniform boundary surface at a high synthesizing speed. This latter method aids mass production of optical fibers at low cost.