Patent Description:
Patent Document <NUM> sets forth "A method of fabricating an optical fiber base material. includes a dehydration step, in which a porous glass base material <NUM>, 1A (porous soot body) is subjected to dehydration treatment by supplying a dehydrant that includes an inert gas into a core tube <NUM>, 11A, and a sintering step, in which the porous glass base material <NUM>, 1A which has been subject to dehydration treatment is sintered" (paragraph [<NUM>]), and "using argon gas as an inert gas mixed with the dehydrant, before raising the temperature of the porous glass base material <NUM>, 1A in the dehydration step, cause a gas having a higher thermal conductivity than that of argon gas (hereinafter, this is abbreviated as a "high thermal conductivity gas") to remain within the porous glass base material <NUM>, 1A" (paragraph [<NUM>]). Patent Documents <NUM> and <NUM> disclose methods that comprise dehydrating an optical fiber porous base material with a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon in a quart core tube, after the dehydrating, at least partially ventilating the quartz core tube by causing helium to distribute with the quartz core tube, and after the ventilating, transparently vitrifying the optical fiber porous base material while causing the helium to distribute within the quartz core tube. Patent Documents <NUM> to <NUM> also disclose corresponding apparatuses, with patent Document <NUM> disclosing the use of a plurality of heating apparatuses for dehydrating and vitrifying the base material.

In a first aspect of the present invention, provided is a method of fabricating for fabricating an optical fiber glass base material according to claim <NUM>. In particular, the fabrication method comprises a first step for dehydrating an optical fiber porous base material while causing a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon to distribute within a quartz core tube that accommodates the optical fiber porous base material. The fabrication method comprises a second step for, after the first step, at least partially ventilating within the quartz core tube by causing a gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube. The fabrication method comprises a third step for, after the second step, transparently vitrifying the optical fiber porous base material while causing the gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube.

In the second step, an integrated flow rate V2 of the gas having helium as a main component which is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube satisfies the following [Formula <NUM>] with respect to the volume V1 of the quartz core tube.

The gas in the second step may be pure helium gas.

The gas that includes at least a halogen or argon in the first step may be a gas having a halogen as a main component or a gas mixture of noble gas and halogen gas.

The gas having a halogen as a main component may be a gas that includes at least one of chlorine and fluorine as a main component, and a gas mixture of noble gas and halogen gas may be a gas mixture that includes at least one of chlorine gas and fluorine gas, and at least one of helium gas and argon gas.

In the first step, from among a total flow rate of gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube, a noble gas flow rate U1 and a halogen flow rate U2 may satisfy the following [Formula <NUM>].

In the first step, the optical fiber porous base material may be dehydrated while causing the optical fiber porous base material to move along an extension direction of the optical fiber porous base material within the quartz core tube.

In the third step, the optical fiber porous base material may be gradually transparently vitrified from a downward end of the optical fiber porous base material by heating the optical fiber porous base material while causing the optical fiber porous base material to move downward along an extension direction of the optical fiber porous base material within the quartz core tube.

In the third step, downward movement of the optical fiber porous base material may be started along the extension direction after the temperature inside the quartz core tube has reached <NUM>-<NUM>.

In the first step, the optical fiber porous base material may be dehydrated while causing the optical fiber porous base material to move downward along the extension direction within the quartz core tube. In the second step, within the quartz core tube may be at least partially ventilated while raising the optical fiber porous base material which was moved downward in the first step so that it is possible to gradually transparently vitrify the optical fiber porous base material from the downward end by starting downward movement of the optical fiber porous base material along the extension direction in the subsequent third step.

In the first step, the optical fiber porous base material may be dehydrated by heating over the entirety of the optical fiber porous base material.

In the first step, heating may be performed over the entirety of the optical fiber porous base material using a plurality of heating apparatuses disposed lined up along the extension direction of the optical fiber porous base material, around the quartz core tube.

In the third step, the optical fiber porous base material may be transparently vitrified by using one or more of the plurality of heating apparatuses to further raise the temperature inside the quartz core tube which was subject to temperature-raising in the first step.

In the first step, the temperature inside the quartz core tube may be raised to <NUM>-<NUM>. In the third step, the temperature inside the quartz core tube which was subject to the temperature-raising in the first step may be further raised to <NUM>-<NUM>.

In the first step, the optical fiber porous base material may be dehydrated by raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube to <NUM>-<NUM>.

In the third step, the optical fiber porous base material may be transparently vitrified by raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube to <NUM>-<NUM>.

There is described an apparatus for fabricating an optical fiber base material. The apparatus may comprise a quartz core tube having a volume V1 which can accommodate an optical fiber porous base material. The apparatus may comprise a heating apparatus disposed around the quartz core tube. The apparatus may perform a first step for dehydrating the optical fiber porous base material by the heating apparatus while a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube which is accommodating the optical fiber porous base material. The apparatus may perform a second step for, after the first step, at least partially ventilating within the quartz core tube by causing a gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube. The apparatus may perform a third step for, after the second step, transparently vitrifying the optical fiber porous base material by the heating apparatus while causing the gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube.

The apparatus may further comprise a movement mechanism for causing the optical fiber porous base material, which is inserted from an opening at one end of the quartz core tube, to move along the longitudinal direction of the quartz core tube.

In the second step, an integrated flow rate V2 of the gas having helium as a main component which is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube may satisfy the following [Formula <NUM>] with respect to the volume V1 of the quartz core tube.

In the second step, inside the quartz core tube may be at least partially ventilated by causing the pure helium gas to distribute within the quartz core tube.

The present invention is described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, there is no limitation to all combinations of features described in the embodiments being essential to a means for solving the invention.

<FIG> is a view that illustrates an outline of a sintering apparatus used in a first embodiment in the present invention. (A) indicates a situation of an example of a first step, in which dehydration is performed while causing movement downward from an upper portion. (B) indicates a situation of an example of a second step which is subsequent to the step in (A) and in which internal gas is ventilated. Note that, at the same time as when the second step is started, an optical fiber porous base material (hereinafter may be simply referred to as a porous base material) <NUM> is raised to a position necessary for when a third step is started. (C) indicates a situation of an example of a third step which is subsequent to the step in (B) and in which the porous base material <NUM> is transparently vitrified while causing the porous base material <NUM> to move downward.

A sintering apparatus used in a first embodiment is an apparatus for fabricating an optical fiber base material, and is provided with a quartz core tube <NUM> and a heating apparatus <NUM>. The quartz core tube <NUM> has a volume V1 that can accommodate the porous base material <NUM>. The heating apparatus <NUM> is disposed around the quartz core tube <NUM>.

The sintering apparatus may be further provided with a movement mechanism for causing the porous base material <NUM>, which is inserted from an opening at one end of the quartz core tube <NUM>, to move along the longitudinal direction of the quartz core tube <NUM>. By a shaft <NUM> connected to the movement mechanism, the porous base material <NUM> is inserted along the longitudinal direction of the quartz core tube <NUM> from the opening at the upper portion of the quartz core tube <NUM>.

The sintering apparatus performs the first step to thereby dehydrate the porous base material <NUM> by the heating apparatus <NUM> while causing gas that includes at least a halogen or argon to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM> that accommodates the porous base material <NUM>. The first step may dehydrate the porous base material <NUM> while causing the porous base material <NUM> to move within the quartz core tube <NUM>, along the extension direction of the porous base material <NUM>. The first step may dehydrate the porous base material <NUM> by raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> to <NUM>-<NUM>.

As a specific example, the first step is started after the porous base material <NUM> is inserted into the quartz core tube <NUM> and after the opening at the upper portion of the quartz core tube <NUM> is closed. At the same time as the first step is started, the sintering apparatus makes a pure halogen gas or a gas mixture that includes a noble gas and a halogen gas flow from a gas inlet port <NUM> into the quartz core tube <NUM>. In order to keep the pressure inside the quartz core tube <NUM> constant, the sintering apparatus also discharges a certain amount of gas per unit time from a gas discharging port <NUM>. From the first step through the third step, in order to keep the pressure inside the quartz core tube <NUM> constant, the sintering apparatus continues to discharge a certain amount of gas per unit time from the gas discharging port <NUM>.

At the same time as starting the first step, the sintering apparatus also starts raising the temperature in accordance with the heating apparatus <NUM>, and heats the quartz core tube <NUM>. At this point, making the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> be <NUM>-<NUM> is desirable to dehydrate the porous base material <NUM>. In the first step, by the movement mechanism described above, the porous base material <NUM> is caused to move downward from the upper portion of the quartz core tube <NUM>.

The pure halogen gas described above is an example of a gas having a halogen as a main component. In addition, the pure halogen gas and the gas mixture that includes a noble gas and a halogen gas are each an example of a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon.

In addition, a gas having a halogen as a main component may be a gas that includes at least one of chlorine and fluorine as a main component. A gas that includes at least one of chlorine and fluorine as a main component is desirable in dehydration treatment. In addition, a gas mixture of noble gas and halogen gas may be a gas mixture that includes at least one of chlorine gas and fluorine gas, and at least one of helium gas and argon gas.

In the first step, from among the total flow rate of gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM>, a flow rate U1 for the noble gas and a flow rate U2 for halogen satisfy the following [Formula <NUM>].

In other words, for the sintering apparatus, in the first step, it is assumed that <NUM>-<NUM>% of the total amount of gas caused to flow into the quartz core tube <NUM> is halogen.

As described above, in the first step, the sintering apparatus causes a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM>. In other words, the sintering apparatus does not cause only pure helium gas to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM> in the first step. As a result, in comparison to a case of using only pure helium gas, the sintering apparatus, in the first step, can reduce the usage amount of helium gas which is more expensive than a gas that includes another element, and can reduce the cost of fabricating the optical fiber base material.

In the first step, in a case of causing a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon, for example argon gas, halogen gas, or a gas mixture that includes helium gas and these gases to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM>, these gases remain within the porous base material when the first step ends. These elements have low thermal conductivity in comparison to helium.

Here, as a transparent vitrification step which is performed after the dehydration step, in order to promote transparent vitrification, causing the porous base material to be transparently vitrified while causing a gas having helium, which has higher thermal conductivity than other elements, as a main component to distribute within a quartz core tube is known. However, in a case where transparent vitrification is started in a state where a gas that includes an element with a relatively low thermal conductivity remains within the porous base material, a region of the porous base material that is transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step is more likely to become opaque due to the gas remaining. This is because helium gas does not sufficiently distribute near this region in the duration from when the transparent vitrification step is started and until this region is vitrified.

In contrast to this, the sintering apparatus used in the present embodiment performs the second step after the first step described above to thereby cause a gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM> and at least partially ventilate within the quartz core tube <NUM>. The gas having helium gas as a main component may be pure helium gas. In addition, the second step may at least partially ventilate within the quartz core tube <NUM> while raising the porous base material <NUM> which was moved downward in the first step.

In addition, in the second step, an integrated flow rate V2 of the gas having helium as the main component which is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM> may satisfy the following [Formula <NUM>] with respect to the volume V1 of the quartz core tube <NUM>.

In other words, in the second step, the sintering apparatus may switch half or more of a fluid which is filled within the quartz core tube <NUM> at the time when the first step ends with a gas having helium as the main component.

As a specific example, the second step is started after the first step completes. At the same time as starting the second step, the sintering apparatus supplies pure helium gas into the quartz core tube <NUM> from the gas inlet port <NUM>, and performs gas ventilation inside the quartz core tube <NUM>. At the same time as starting the second step, the sintering apparatus also raises, by the movement mechanism, the porous base material <NUM> to a position necessary for the time when the subsequent third step is started. After raising the porous base material <NUM> to this position, the sintering apparatus may stop the movement mechanism for a certain amount of time, or may start the third step directly after this raising and start causing the porous base material <NUM> to move by the movement mechanism.

In a duration from the start of the second step and until the third step starts, the sintering apparatus makes the integrated flow rate V2, that is, the total volume V2, of pure helium gas caused to flow into the quartz core tube <NUM> to be <NUM> times or more the internal volume V1 of the quartz core tube <NUM>, as indicated by the abovementioned [Formula <NUM>]. This is desirable in order to make a region of the porous base material <NUM>, which is vitrified at the initial period after the start of the third step, be transparent.

After the second step, the sintering apparatus also performs the third step to thereby transparently vitrify the porous base material <NUM> by the heating apparatus <NUM> while causing gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM>. The third step may transparently vitrify the porous base material <NUM> by further raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM>, for which the temperature was raised in the first step, to <NUM>-<NUM>.

The third step may also gradually transparently vitrify the porous base material <NUM> from the downward end thereof by heating the porous base material <NUM> while causing the porous base material <NUM> to move downward within the quartz core tube <NUM>, along the extension direction of the porous base material <NUM>. As described above, as an example, in the second step, within the quartz core tube <NUM> is at least partially ventilated while raising the porous base material <NUM> moved downward in the first step to a position necessary when the third sintering step is started. In this manner, by raising the porous base material <NUM>, which was caused to move downward in the first step, to this position in the second step, in the third step which is subsequent to the second step, it is possible to gradually transparently vitrify the porous base material <NUM> from the downward end thereof by starting downward movement of the porous base material <NUM> along the extension direction of the porous base material <NUM>.

As a specific example, the sintering apparatus starts temperature-raising by the heating apparatus <NUM> at the same time as when the third step is started. Making the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> in the third step be <NUM>-<NUM> is desirable for transparently vitrifying the porous base material <NUM>. In the third step, using pure helium gas is desirable for transparent vitrification of the entire length of the porous base material <NUM>.

In the third step, the sintering apparatus causes gradual transparent vitrification to gradually progress from the vertically downward end of the porous base material <NUM> by, in accordance with the movement mechanism, causing the porous base material <NUM> to move downward in the quartz core tube <NUM> from the position for when the third step is started. Note that, in the third step, it is desirable for the sintering apparatus to start downward movement of the porous base material <NUM> along the extension direction of the porous base material <NUM> after the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> has reached <NUM>-<NUM>.

In this manner, by virtue of the sintering apparatus used in the present embodiment, before starting a transparent vitrification step for the porous base material <NUM>, for example before raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> to approximately <NUM>-<NUM>, a gas having pure helium as a main component is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube <NUM>, and within the quartz core tube <NUM> is at least partially ventilated. By at least partially ventilating within the quartz core tube <NUM> with this gas, the sintering apparatus can, before starting the transparent vitrification step, facilitate removal of gas which has low thermal conductivity and which remains in the porous base material <NUM>. As a result thereof, the sintering apparatus, in the transparent vitrification step, can prevent a region of the porous base material <NUM>, which is to be transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step, from become opaque. Accordingly, by virtue of the sintering apparatus, it is possible to obtain an optical fiber glass base material that has been sufficiently transparently vitrified.

<FIG> is a view that illustrates an outline of a sintering apparatus used in a second embodiment in the present invention. (A) indicates a situation of an example of a first step, in which dehydration treatment is performed while causing the porous base material <NUM> to move up and down. (B) indicates a situation of an example of a second step which is subsequent to the step in (A) and in which internal gas is ventilated. (C) indicates a situation of an example of a third step which is subsequent to the step in (B) and in which the porous base material <NUM> is transparently vitrified while causing the porous base material <NUM> to move downward.

In the sintering apparatus used in the second embodiment, which has a configuration differing to that of the sintering apparatus according to the first embodiment, a heating apparatus <NUM> and a heating apparatus <NUM> are disposed around the quartz core tube <NUM>. The other configurations of the sintering apparatus used in the second embodiment are similar to the configurations of the sintering apparatus used in the first embodiment, and thus the same reference numbers are applied to corresponding configurations, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

The first step performed in the sintering apparatus used in the second embodiment is dehydrating the porous base material <NUM> by heating over the entirety of the porous base material <NUM>. The first step may heat over the entirety of the porous base material <NUM> by using a plurality of heating apparatuses, for example the heating apparatus <NUM> and the heating apparatus <NUM>, which are disposed lined up along the extension direction of the porous base material <NUM> around the quartz core tube <NUM>. In this case, the third step may transparently vitrify the porous base material <NUM> by further raising the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM>, for which the temperature was raised by the first step, by using one or more of the plurality of heating apparatuses, for example only the heating apparatus <NUM>.

As a specific example, the sintering apparatus used in the second embodiment starts temperature-raising by the heating apparatus <NUM> and the heating apparatus <NUM> at the same time as the first step is started, and heats the quartz core tube <NUM>. At this point, making the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> be <NUM>-<NUM> is desirable to dehydrate the porous base material <NUM>. By using the plurality of heating apparatuses <NUM> and <NUM> in this manner, it is possible to shorten the amount of time until the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM> is raised to this temperature range. In the first step, the porous base material <NUM> may be caused to move, by the movement mechanism, toward the lower portion from the upper portion of quartz core tube <NUM> or toward the upper portion from the lower portion of the quartz core tube <NUM>. Other treatment details in the first step are similar to those in the first step according to the first embodiment, and thus duplicate description is omitted. The same applies in the subsequent second step and third step.

At the same time as starting the second step, the sintering apparatus may start raising the porous base material <NUM> to the position necessary for when the third step is started, and, at this time, may stop heating of the quartz core tube <NUM> by the heating apparatus <NUM>. In this case, during the first step to the second step, the sintering apparatus may maintain heating of the quartz core tube <NUM> by the heating apparatus <NUM> to maintain the temperature inside the quartz core tube <NUM>.

The sintering apparatus starts temperature-raising by the heating apparatus <NUM> at the same time as when the third step is started. At this time, the sintering apparatus may stop heating the quartz core tube <NUM> by the heating apparatus <NUM> throughout the third step.

Note that, as illustrated in <FIG>, in the second embodiment, description was given for an example in which the heating apparatus <NUM> is disposed directly above the heating apparatus <NUM>, but even if the heating apparatus <NUM> is disposed directly below the heating apparatus <NUM>, the effect of the invention would not be impaired. In addition, a plurality of heating apparatuses may be installed directly above the heating apparatus <NUM>, or a plurality of heating apparatuses may be installed directly below the heating apparatus <NUM>.

By giving examples and comparative examples, description is given below in further detail regarding a method of fabricating the optical fiber base material according to the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to these, and various aspects are possible.

In a first step, the component ratio of a gas caused to distribute within a quartz core tube was <NUM>% argon + <NUM>% chlorine, the quartz core tube was heated so that the temperature inside became <NUM>-<NUM>, and dehydration was performed while causing an optical fiber porous base material to move downward from an upper portion in the quartz core tube.

In a second step, the temperature inside the quartz core tube was maintained at <NUM>-<NUM>, and ventilation of internal gas was performed by causing gas with the same component ratio as the gas caused to distribute in the first step to distribute within the quartz core tube. The total volume of the gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube was made to be equivalent to <NUM>% of the internal volume of the quartz core tube. Note that, at the same time the second step was started, the porous base material was raised to a position necessary at the time the third step was started.

In the third step, while causing pure helium gas made up of <NUM>% helium to distribute within the quartz core tube, the temperature inside the quartz core tube was raised to <NUM>-<NUM>, the porous base material was caused to move gradually downward, and transparent vitrification was performed from the vertically downward end of the porous base material.

As a result, it was confirmed that there was an opaque portion in a region of the porous base material that was to be transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step, in other words the vertically downward end of the porous base material.

In a first step, the component ratio of a gas caused to distribute within a quartz core tube was <NUM>% argon + <NUM>% chlorine, the quartz core tube was heated so that the temperature inside became <NUM>-<NUM>, and dehydration was performed while causing a porous base material to move downward from an upper portion in the quartz core tube.

In a second step, the temperature inside the quartz core tube was maintained at <NUM>-<NUM>, and ventilation of internal gas was performed by causing pure helium gas made up of <NUM>% helium to distribute within the quartz core tube. The total volume of the pure helium gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube was made to be equivalent to <NUM>% of the internal volume of the quartz core tube. Note that, at the same time the second step was started, the porous base material was raised to a position necessary at the time the third step was started.

As a result, it was confirmed that a region of the porous base material which was to be transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step, in other words the vertically downward end of the porous base material, was also transparent.

In a first step, the component ratio of a gas caused to distribute within a quartz core tube was <NUM>% chlorine, the quartz core tube was heated so that the temperature inside became <NUM>-<NUM>, and dehydration was performed while causing an optical fiber porous base material to move downward from an upper portion in the quartz core tube.

In a first step, the component ratio of a gas caused to distribute within a quartz core tube was <NUM>% helium + <NUM>% chlorine, the quartz core tube was heated so that the temperature inside became <NUM>-<NUM>, and dehydration was performed while causing a porous base material to move downward from an upper portion in the quartz core tube.

Gas conditions and results of transparent vitrification for the above-described examples and comparative examples are summarized in Table <NUM>.

The following are found from the above table. The comparative example <NUM>, as a result of ventilating by causing a gas mixture of <NUM>% argon + <NUM>% chlorine to distribute within the quartz core tube in the second step, has an opaque portion in a region of the porous base material which is to be transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step. Accordingly, from a comparison between comparative example <NUM> and examples <NUM>-<NUM>, it was found that it is desirable for the components of the gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube in the second step to be only pure helium.

In addition, comparative examples <NUM> and <NUM> had an opaque portion in a region of the porous base material to be transparently vitrified at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step, as a result of making the total volume V2 of pure helium gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube be <NUM>-<NUM>% which is less than <NUM>% of the internal volume V1 of the quartz core tube. Accordingly, from a comparison between comparative examples <NUM> and <NUM> and examples <NUM>-<NUM>, it was found that it is desirable for the total volume V2 of pure helium gas caused to distribute within the quartz core tube in the second step be greater than or equal to <NUM> times the internal volume V1 of the quartz core tube <NUM>.

In this manner, the ventilation conditions in the second step are found to be very important in order to prevent a region which is heated at the beginning of the transparent vitrification step from becoming opaque.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the technical scope of the invention is not limited to the above described embodiments. It is apparent to persons skilled in the art that various alterations and improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments.

Claim 1:
A fabrication method for fabricating an optical fiber glass base material, the method comprising:
dehydrating an optical fiber porous base material (<NUM>) while causing a gas that includes at least a halogen or argon to distribute within a quartz core tube (<NUM>) that accommodates the optical fiber porous base material (<NUM>);
after the dehydrating, partially ventilating within the quartz core tube by causing a gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube (<NUM>); and
after the partially ventilating, transparently vitrifying the optical fiber porous base material (<NUM>) while causing the gas having helium as a main component to distribute within the quartz core tube (<NUM>), characterized in that
in the partially ventilating, an integrated flow rate V2 of the gas having helium as a main component which is caused to distribute within the quartz core tube (<NUM>) satisfies the following [Formula <NUM>] with respect to the volume V1 of the quartz core tube (<NUM>), <MAT>