Quill-free additive manufacturing of fused silica glass

Abstract

Additive manufacturing of high-quality macroscopic fused silica glass structures, with deposition rates of up to 1.2 mm3/s, is presented. Three co-axial nozzles were used to avoid the so-called quill effect. Homogeneous, crack-free, multilayer, as well as free-standing objects were printed using cluster-free sub-µm powders delivered to a CO2 laser-induced melt pool. Structures with an overhang of up to 45° were possible to print. Laser post-processing was used to improve the surface roughness and transparency. This system can be suitable for fabrication of advanced optical elements and devices, such as waveguides or fiber preforms.