SAPPHIRE WINDOW & FLAT STOCK PRODUCTS

Other than diamond windows, sapphire windows and sapphire flat stock can outperform all other optical, and in many cases nonoptical, materials. A sapphire window exhibits exceptional performance in a number of applications that require extreme mechanical, optical, thermal and chemical robustness.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website RuiQi Optics.

Square Sapphire Glass Windows

Why are sapphire windows such high performers?

• Sapphire windows and flat stock are incredibly hard, strong and wear resistant:
  A sapphire window can be exposed to extreme abradants such as sand and particulates with minimal effect on the clarity of the window. This makes sapphire windows the ideal material for a variety of applications such as: Aerospace windows, downhole and drilling vision systems, inspection windows, watch crystals and gun sights.
• Sapphire windows can take pressure like no other clear material, making sapphire windows the go-to transparent material for high-pressure vessels, deep sea windows and sight glasses. Combined with the exceptional thermal and chemical performance of sapphire, a sapphire window is the ideal transparency for pressurized in-process, deep sea and equipment sensors.
• Sapphire flats and wear parts are used in applications in which wear is a problem. Systems like canning machines, slide plates, V-blocks, flat bearings and pushers utilize sapphire flats and blocks to extend the lifetime of the equipment and reduce downtime.

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Sapphire windows transmit light from below 190nm to over 5 microns:

• A sapphire optical window is the ideal window material for many UV and IR applications because it can transmit so far into the UV and IR bands. With its thermal and chemical robustness, a sapphire window can be exposed to extreme plasmas and temperatures, far greater than any other material, and continue to transmit high powered UV, visible and IR for years with no degradation. These properties make it an ideal material for UV/VIS/IR sensors, IR surveillance and recon and broad band inspection equipment (especially when abradants are involved).
• Sapphire windows are the ideal material for pyrometry. They transmit a wide range of wavelengths while safely isolating hot zones up to C from external room temperature observation; making sapphire windows the ideal sight window for furnaces and high temperature processing equipment.
• Medical and dental tools that require UV sterilization and curing and IR thermal processing are typical applications where sapphire windows and transparent tools excel.

Round Sapphire Glass Windows

Sapphire is highly robust at extreme temperatures:

• A supported sapphire window can be taken to C with no change to its shape and minimal reduction to mechanical performance. Sapphire windows are the perfect material for high temperature combustion chambers, gas processing and lamp shields.
• Sapphire flats are ideal for furniture, boats and standoffs in high temperature furnace systems. Sapphire flats remain flat and dimensionally "perfect" up to C. Because of sapphire's extreme chemical resistance many materials will not stick to sapphire in spite of high temperatures.
• Sapphire windows and flats maintain the highest temperature rating of all optical materials in both oxidizing and inert atmospheres.
• Sapphire windows can withstand considerably higher temperatures than the closest runner up material, fused silica, with zero degradation. Fused silica will degrade and devitrify over time at temperatures almost half the maximum operating temperature of sapphire.

And finally, Sapphire windows and sapphire flats are incredibly chemical and plasma resistant:

• Due to the extreme chemical resistance of sapphire tubes and rods at high temperatures, a sapphire tube is the ideal choice for plasma chambers and sapphire lamp applications.
• Only hot caustic salts can etch sapphire rods and sapphire tubes. All other solvents, acids and caustics have no effect on sapphire, including molten metals. This property allows for safe, chemically pure chemical handling and processing.
• Sapphire rods and tubes are so chemically and bio-inert, they are the perfect materials for medical, pharmaceutical, semiconductor and other applications where maintaining purity and health is critical.

Rayotek has been fabricating micro to large sapphire windows, sight glasses and flats for over 25 years. Although sapphire is often more costly than glass and other transparent materials, its exceptional properties can ultimately save money and reduce critical down time, often eliminating the need for PM periodic replacements.

SAPPHIRE REFERENCE TABLE Synthetic sapphire is a single crystal form of corundum, aka, pure single crystal aluminum oxide, A12O3.  The combination of its unique properties make sapphire a preferred material for extreme mechanical, chemical & optical applications. Unlike glass, sapphire cannot be molded.  Sapphire can be grown into near net shapes such as tubes and rod, then ground and polished if necessary. Industries Served Applications Aerospace Windows, ball bearings, sensors Medical Dental tool tips, endoscopy, camera lens cover Oil & Gas Sight window without housing, gauges, diffusion plates Military Windows, viewports, sensors, range finders Research Containment tubes, cuvettes, lenses Semiconductor Plasma tubes, lamps, lasers Common Grades Description & Common Applications There are numerous sapphire growth methods & grades. Generally, the higher the grade the better the transmission in the UV and IR, and the less light scatter and lattice distortion.  The best grades, in particular, UV grade will not solarize. Verneuil Original & simplest growth method, lowest cost, excellent for mechanical applications & situations where optical clarity is not critical. Good for lower quality watch crystals & observation ports EFG (Stepanov) Edge defined growth method (to be exact, Edge-Defined Film-Fed Growth) for near net growth of tubes & large sheets. Better quality than Verneuil, but not  as pure & defect free as Kyropoulos or CZ. Excellent for most window applications including scanner windows & viewports and lower cost than Kyropoulos & HEM Kyropoulos & CZ Excellent optical properties, ideal method for most optical applications except long exposure high UV & extreme power threshold requirements. Also preferred for high purity applications like semiconductor, LED fabrication & high purity chemistry HEM The best quality sapphire, but difficult to acquire & considerably more costly compared to other grades. Quality compared to Kyropoulos usually not significant enough to justify cost for most applications. Best for extreme power & UV applications & for when zero fluorescence &/or high power threshold is required Orientation Definition & Common Applications    C-Axis Also known as the "optical axis". The only orientation that has almost zero birefringence for signals parallel to the C-axis. Used for optimal optical, mechanical, thermal & electrical performance.  In a rod or tube the typical C-axis orientation is along its length, in a window perpendicular to the face. Random Parts are manufactured with no tracking of the crystal orientation.  Lower cost &  great for applications where orientation will not impact performance Other  90 Degree (to C-axis), M-Plane, A-Plane, R-Plane Click for Orientation Definitions & Drawing Properties Important Properties of Sapphire Thermal, physical/mechanical, optical, electrical & chemical Click for Sapphire Properties Data Sheet Transmission & Other Curves Definition The overall transmission of sapphire is determined by purity. All quality sapphire materials transmit about the same in the visible wavelengths while higher purity creates better transmission in the UV and IR.  For all optical materials, including sapphire, the thinner the material the deeper it transmits into the UV and IR Click for Sapphire Optical & Thermal Properties Graph Click for Transparent Materials Transmissions Curves Graph Surface Finish Description      Polished Clear. Has little to no distortion & light scattering (depending on level of polishing). Ideal for optical applications, high purity semiconductor, chemical & vacuum processing Fine Ground Frosted.  Ground surface roughness can be fine tuned for diffuser & low stiction applications. Tends to have micro-cracks that can trap water, gas & other impurities As Grown Clear but not mechanically polished. Some optical distortion due to growth process but no micro cracks. Excellent for high vacuum systems such as plasma chambers & chemical processing where purity is critical but optical clarity is not Click for Surface Finish Photos Surface Quality Definition & Rating The scratch-dig rating of surface quality is a qualitative rating based on comparing the actual surface to a scratch-dig standard. Pass or fail is somewhat subjective without clear dimensions to measure 80-50 Commercial quality such as car windshield and commercial windows 60-40 Good polish, good for commercial lenses and optics. Good for optics where light scatter is not a problem 40-20 Superior polish, good for higher performance optics and lower powered lasers. Reduced light scatter over 60-40 20-10 High Precision polish, extreme optics & good laser power threshold for medium powered lasers. Very little light scatter  10-5 Highest surface quality, highest laser power threshold and lowest vulnerability to solarization. Exceptional optics with near-zero light scatter Click for Quality Scratch-Dig Definitions Why Sapphire? One of the hardest materials available Superior IR & UV transmission compared to other optical materials Highly scratch & abradant resistant Highly chemical resistant Maximum temperature rating of almost C Excellent dielectric & loss tangent performance Why Rayotek? Onsite engineers & master optician 25+ years of expertise in sapphire & exotic materials manufacturing ISO : Certified ITAR Registered State-of-the-art manufacturing equipment & measurement capabilities Cost saving overseas sourcing (for non-ITAR applications only) US Manufacturing at Rayotek's  30,000 SqFt facility +  partnerships in the U.S., China, Europe & Russia Sapphire Services Annealing  Bonding/Fusing  Coating  Fire Polishing Grinding Laser Engraving Machining Screen Printing

Optical windows have many types of uses. Industry, research institutes and laboratories, for example, use optical windows to conduct tests, carry out measurements, inspections, and for applications in the field of spectroscopy. Optical windows make it possible to separate two different environments while letting light through. Designed to work in all areas of the spectrum (UV-VIS-IR), a window can be manufactured from several materials.

The choice of material depends on factors such as transmission, hardness, density, refractive index, coefficient of thermal expansion and chemical resistance. In this context, sapphire is a material of choice for the design of high-performance windows.

Optical sapphire (corundum family), also known as synthetic sapphire, is distinguished by high-performance mechanical, thermal and optical characteristics. Sapphire, which is aluminum oxide in its purest form (no porosity or grain limit), is theoretically dense.

This birefringent material is known for its hardness (Mohs 9 &#; Knoop ) It is one of the hardest materials after diamond. Highly scratch-resistant, sapphire provides consistent optical clarity even in abrasive conditions. It also has a high chemical inertness (inert to common alkalis and acids, insoluble in water) essential for optical applications, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical fields (maintaining the purity of surrounding substances).

Sapphire can be used up to °C. This maximum temperature rating makes it an ideal material for optical windows for high-temperature combustion chambers or furnace systems. Optical sapphire, with a density of 3.95 &#; 4.03, also has excellent resistance to pressure and thermal shock. Sapphire windows are recommended for harsh environments: high pressure, vacuum, corrosive atmospheres, high temperatures, etc.

Finally, sapphire has a good transmission from UV (200nm) to infrared (4.5 μm) without the addition of any treatment (anti-reflection, filter). Sapphire windows can be used for experiments or research requiring the use of a visible and/or infrared (near/medium) camera.

The manufacture of sapphire windows requires special tools due to the hardness of the material. Machining of sapphire is possible thanks to the use of ultrasonic technology (shape reproduction process by abrasion). This expertise is essential for designing and manufacturing sapphire windows that are highly resistant and have excellent transparency. The manufacturing time, which can range from a few hours to several days, depends on the complexity of the optical part.

With a long experience and international reputation in the machining of sapphire, SOREM has had the opportunity to design and manufacture many sapphire windows for various applications.

For example, SOREM designed and manufactured two custom-made sapphire windows for MBDA, one of the world leaders in missiles and missile systems. These optical windows, which were intended to observe the operation of an engine within a test vein, had to meet high criteria of resistance and performance.

For more information, please visit Plano Convex Cylindrical Lens.

SOREM also made a custom-made sapphire window for an experiment conducted by a PhD student from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et d&#;Aérotechnique (ENSMA). This optical window, which had to withstand pressure of 40 bar, displayed a high mechanical resistance to vibrations.

Optical windows have many types of uses. Industry, research institutes and laboratories, for example, use optical windows to conduct tests, carry out measurements, inspections, and for applications in the field of spectroscopy. Optical windows make it possible to separate two different environments while letting light through. Designed to work in all areas of the spectrum (UV-VIS-IR), a window can be manufactured from several materials.

The choice of material depends on factors such as transmission, hardness, density, refractive index, coefficient of thermal expansion and chemical resistance. In this context, sapphire is a material of choice for the design of high-performance windows.

Optical sapphire (corundum family), also known as synthetic sapphire, is distinguished by high-performance mechanical, thermal and optical characteristics. Sapphire, which is aluminum oxide in its purest form (no porosity or grain limit), is theoretically dense.

This birefringent material is known for its hardness (Mohs 9 &#; Knoop ) It is one of the hardest materials after diamond. Highly scratch-resistant, sapphire provides consistent optical clarity even in abrasive conditions. It also has a high chemical inertness (inert to common alkalis and acids, insoluble in water) essential for optical applications, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical fields (maintaining the purity of surrounding substances).

Sapphire can be used up to °C. This maximum temperature rating makes it an ideal material for optical windows for high-temperature combustion chambers or furnace systems. Optical sapphire, with a density of 3.95 &#; 4.03, also has excellent resistance to pressure and thermal shock. Sapphire windows are recommended for harsh environments: high pressure, vacuum, corrosive atmospheres, high temperatures, etc.

Finally, sapphire has a good transmission from UV (200nm) to infrared (4.5 μm) without the addition of any treatment (anti-reflection, filter). Sapphire windows can be used for experiments or research requiring the use of a visible and/or infrared (near/medium) camera.

The manufacture of sapphire windows requires special tools due to the hardness of the material. Machining of sapphire is possible thanks to the use of ultrasonic technology (shape reproduction process by abrasion). This expertise is essential for designing and manufacturing sapphire windows that are highly resistant and have excellent transparency. The manufacturing time, which can range from a few hours to several days, depends on the complexity of the optical part.

With a long experience and international reputation in the machining of sapphire, SOREM has had the opportunity to design and manufacture many sapphire windows for various applications.

For example, SOREM designed and manufactured two custom-made sapphire windows for MBDA, one of the world leaders in missiles and missile systems. These optical windows, which were intended to observe the operation of an engine within a test vein, had to meet high criteria of resistance and performance.

SOREM also made a custom-made sapphire window for an experiment conducted by a PhD student from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et d&#;Aérotechnique (ENSMA). This optical window, which had to withstand pressure of 40 bar, displayed a high mechanical resistance to vibrations.