Glass manufacturing – Processes – Fusion bonding of glass to a formed part
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-10
2001-04-17
Vincent, Sean (Department: 1731)
Glass manufacturing
Processes
Fusion bonding of glass to a formed part
C065S054000, C065S055000, C065S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216492
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container such as, for example, an epitaxy profiled tube or epitaxy bell jar. In particular, the present invention teaches methods of providing a closed-ring flange of transparent quartz glass on either an inner or outer surface of a portion of a vitreous quartz pipe or container.
2. The Relevant Technology
Quartz glass system components are used in a multitude of processing systems, including epitaxy and semiconductor processing. As exemplified by product literature such as Heraeus Quarzschmelze GmbH's
Heraeus
-
Quartz, Quartz Glass Products for Epitaxy
(PHL-B50E, E 3C 0.89/N Ku), which disclosure is incorporated herein by specific reference, pipes and containers for epitaxy, including profiled tubes and bell jars, having ring-shaped flanges made of transparent quartz glass are conventional. Pipes and containers of these types are generally manufactured from vitreous quartz. Depending on the desired application, the pipes and containers may be formed from either transparent or opaque quartz glass or may contain portions formed from one, and other portions formed from the other, of these materials. In some applications, these pipes and containers may be employed for treating electronic components at high temperatures in controlled atmospheres.
The openings of such pipes and containers are typically equipped with conventional connectors comprising flanges to thereby provide means for effecting a gas-tight seal between the pipe or container and the corresponding supply and connecting components of the processing system. Although the pipes and containers typically have a circular cross-section, it is also known to use pipes and containers having square, rectangular, hexagonal, elliptical, D-shaped, or other cross-section geometries, which also are equipped with connecting flanges. The flanges are usually cut out of transparent quartz glass plates and are then welded to the opening of the pipe or container. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. S55-52906, published Jan. 26, 1983, discloses depositing a transparent quartz glass flange over the axial face of an opaque quartz glass flange surrounding the opening of a quartz glass core pipe or bell jar. In this manner, an improved gas seal was achieved compared to the opaque quarts glass flange without the addition of the transparent quartz glass flange.
With respect to cutting flanges from transparent quartz glass plates, it will be appreciated that a certain amount of unavoidable scrap material peripheral to the cut-out portion must be expected. In addition, the central opening cut-out portion of the flange typically cannot be reused and, thus, represents wasted material as well. The cut-out flange usually must also be ground at least on the outer circumference surface corresponding to the outer diameter of the flange. Formation of the central opening of the flange is particularly difficult in the case of curved openings. Sawing plates are usually not suitable for cutting along the inner curvature and, thus, the openings must be formed by drilling or grinding processes. The cutting and grinding processes necessary to produce cut-out flanges require diamond-tipped saw blades and grinding disks which are not only expensive to obtain initially but generally have short service lives.
Based on the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to furnish methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container which minimize material waste.
It would be a further advancement in the art to furnish methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container which eliminate the need for cutting and grinding process steps.
Such methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container are disclosed and claimed herein.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to furnish improved methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide such methods and apparatus which minimize material waste and which eliminate the need for cutting and grinding process steps.
It is a further object of the present invention to furnish improved methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container which eliminates the need to separately cut and prepare connectors for variously-sized pipes and containers. Rather, according to the present method, the material to prepare the connectors need only be provided in continuous cast sections of strip or rod-shaped material which can easily be cut to correspond to variously-sized pipes and containers.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a vitreous quartz pipe or container having a connector including a flange formed from at least one strip or rod-shaped piece of transparent quartz glass which is wound circumferentially around either an inner or outer surface of a portion of the pipe or container and secured to the pipe or container to thereby form a closed-ring flange. The portion of the pipe or container having the attached flange may be an open end of the pipe or container or may be a wall portion where a connector for mounting to fixtures or other fittings may be desired. The cross-sectional shape, i.e., dimensional thickness, of the at least one quartz glass strip or rod-shaped piece thus corresponds to the cross-section dimensions, i.e., the radial depth of the flange extending radially from the surface of the pipe or container and the axial length of the flange extending axially along the surface of the pipe or container. The flange is preferably of a uniform radial depth and axial length which will fittingly engage conforming connectors on other system components. This type of strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass can be made via a conventional pulling technique such that a strip or rod having the appropriate uniform cross-sectional shape is obtained. The prepared strips or rod-shaped pieces are then easily cut with a saw device to appropriate lengths.
According to a preferred method of the present invention, a small portion of a strip or rod-shaped piece of transparent quartz glass is made pliable with the direct application of heat. As the portion of the strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass becomes pliable, the strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass is made to conform to the curvature of the underlying inner or outer pipe or container surface. At the same time, heat is applied to the pipe or container surface and the facing underside of the strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass and light pressure forms a secure weld between the pipe or container surface and the strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass.
The strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass is preferably equal in length to a single or multiple circumference of the surface of the pipe or container which is being contacted. In addition, the strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass preferably has ends which are shaped to fittingly align with each other such that a smooth, essentially seamless, joint having a cross-sectional shape identical to that of the remainder of the strip or rod-shaped piece is formed at the point where the ends are radially aligned with each other. An example of a suitable end shape would be a tapered wedge shape wherein each end forms a tapered wedge which can be aligned and fitted to the other end to ther
Breidenbach Poul E.
Herzog Heinz
Leber Helmut
Pottker Jurgen
Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH
Vincent Sean
Workman & Nydegger & Seeley
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