人造藍寶石簡介

人造藍寶石簡介

藍寶石為三氧化二鋁單晶的通稱，顏色清澈透明，若摻入不同的金屬離子，則晶體會顯出不同的顏色，如摻入鉻離子為鮮紅色，即為俗稱的紅寶石，若慘入鐵離子則為藍色。人造藍寶石開發以久，於1902年時，法國科學家Auguste Verneuil所發明的火焰法(Verneuil process, flame fusion)為最早的人造藍寶石長晶法，迄今仍為人造首飾珠寶與小型光窗等工件的主要長晶法。

隨著對材料尺寸需求的加大與晶體內缺陷密度的要求提高，可生長高品質之大型藍寶石單晶的長晶法陸續被應用與發明，如柴式提拉法(Czochralski process)、凱式泡生法(Kyropoulos Method)、導模法(EFG, Edge Defined, Film-Fed Growth)、熱交換法(Heat exchange method)等各種不同的長晶法。在應用上，因藍寶石具備高融點、抗腐蝕、高硬度、抗磨耗與電絕緣等特性，目前工業主要應用為特殊環境的光學視窗、機械軸承零件、軍工材料等。在高科技電子零件則可用於藍白光LEDs、RFICs與藍光雷射元件之基板材料。近年來也陸續出現應用於生物醫療等特殊應用。

藍寶石晶體的運用

藍寶石是一種奇異之晶體材料，它同時具有良好之物理與化學性質，故藍寶石晶體具備多方面之特殊運用，早年它大量用於光電、光窗、手錶與珠寶，依照其不同特性如下之應用：

半導體：應用於高亮度LED、SOS、超導體之基板與III-IV半導體承載板。
機械性：具有高硬度及機械強度，應用於耐磨耗之機械組件上如軸承、培林、手機、手錶上之耐磨視窗、收銀機掃描器視窗。
熱穩定性：具有耐高溫且上具有高強度，常運用於高溫高壓處之視窗與機械組件。
電性：良好的絕緣姓與介電損失，可用於高頻微波元件之基板與視窗、抗高壓電之端子。
光學：由深紫外線到中紅外線均有良好的穿透率，可運用於各種波段軍事上之光窗、飛彈光罩與光學組件。
化學：藍寶石耐化學腐蝕性、對人體組織之相容，故可作為人工骨骼器件，內視鏡透鏡，高精密化學分析儀器之容器。

Sapphire tube

Sapphire tube

Sapphire has good transmission in the spectral range 170nm to 5300nm, and the transmission in infrared almost not change with temperature. The working temperature is up to 1900 degree, this property make it possible to make spectral analysis in high pressure cavity using sapphire window.

Sapphire rod

Sapphire Rod

Sapphire rod is frequently used in medics, fine mechanic, precision measurement and testing, as well as laser technology for its anticorrosive property, abrasive resistance and the stability of thermal conductivity. Typical applications include measurement rod for precision measurement instrument, laser rod, laser range finder, laser control and guide.

The shape contains rod, rod with contact terminal (single side, double side), rod with step, rod with cone, etc.

Sapphire Window

Sapphire Window

Optical quality Sapphire Windows are designed for more demanding optical applications where image quality and birefringence effects are important.

IR sapphire windows are an economical choice for a variety of optical, mechanical and electronic applications. Optical sapphire has no colouration and with a selection of grades of sapphire transmission ranging from 170nm to 5 microns and sapphire crystal is extremely hard and scratch resistant useful for the visible and IR spectrum. It has excellent thermal conductivity at low temperatures allowing sapphire to be used in many diverse fields requiring thermal conduction and heat radiation. Sapphire has high dielectric constant and is resistant to common chemical acids and alkaline.

Metalized sapphire window

Metalized sapphire window

Metalized sapphire windows are created by applying thin layers of chrome, nickel and gold around the edge of a sapphire window. This metalized edge creates a surface that can be soldered or bonded directly into your opto-mechanical assembly allowing you to create a hermetic seal. Hermetically sealed optics is used in a variety of applications ranging from infrared imaging systems to medical devices.