DEVELOPMENT OF ALL SAPPHIRE RAMAN CELLS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS INVESTIGATION IS TO PRODUCE A TECHNIQUE FOR JOINING A SAPPHIRE WINDOW OF OPTICAL QUALITY TO A BODY, ALSO COMPOSED OF SAPPHIRE, BY A BONDING PROCESS SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO FOREIGN MATERIALS ARE INCLUDED IN THE JOINT. THE IDEAL RESULTING PROCESS WILL PRODUCE A SINGLE CRYSTAL JOINT THAT WILL NOT DEGRADE AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO 1300 DEG C TEMPERATURES IN CONCERT WITH LEAD VAPOR. THE METHOD CHOSEN TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE IS TO HOT PRESS THE SAPPHIRE SURFACES TOGETHER WITH AND WITHOUT A SMALL QUANTITY OF VARY LOW VAPOR PRESSURE MATERIALS SUCH AS COLLOIDAL AL(2)O(3), MGO, THO(2) OR A SOL-GEL MADE OF THESE MATERIALS. THE PROCESS WILL BE DESIGNED SUCH THAT THIS MATERIAL ENTERS INTO SOLID SOLUTION IN THE ALUMINA AND CATALYSES THE FORMATION OF A SINGLE CRYSTAL ACROSS THE JOINT. THE PROCESS IS CARRIED OUT IN A DRY HYDROGEN ATMOSPHERE IN THE TEMPERATURE REGION OF 1400 - 1800 DEG C.