According to one embodiment, a method includes forming a structure by printing an ink, the ink including a glass-forming material, and heat treating the formed structure for converting the glass-forming material to glass. According to another embodiment, an ink composition includes a glass-forming material and a solvent.

A method of forming an optical element is provided. The method includes producing silica-based soot particles using chemical vapor deposition, the silica-based soot particles having an average particle size of between about 0.05 m and about 0.25 m. The method also includes forming a soot compact from the silica-based soot particles and doping the soot compact with a halogen in a closed system by contacting the silica-based soot compact with a halogen-containing gas in the closed system at a temperature of less than about 1200 C.

A glass including silica and titania is disclosed. An average hydroxyl concentration of a plurality segments of the glass is in a range from about 20 ppm to about 450 ppm, an average titania concentration of the plurality of segments is in a range from about 6 wt. % to about 12 wt. %, and each segment of the plurality of segments has a length of about 12.7 mm, a width of about 12.7 mm, and a height of about 7.62 mm. The hydroxyl concentration of each segment is measured using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in transmission, the refractive index is measured using an optical interferometer with a 633 nm operating wavelength and a resolution of 270 microns270 microns pixel size, and the average titania concentration is determined based upon the measured refractive index.

A continuous sol-gel process for producing silicate-containing glasses and glass ceramics is proposed, comprising the following steps: (a) continuously feeding a silicon tetraalkoxide, a silicon alkoxide with at least one non-alcoholic functional group and an alcohol into a first reactor (R1), and at least partially hydrolyzing by the addition of a mineral acid to obtain a first product stream (A); (b) continuously providing a second product stream (B) in a second reactor (R2) by feeding a metal alkoxide component or continuously mixing an alcohol and a metal alkoxide component; (c) continuously mixing product streams (A) and (B) in a third reactor (R3) for producing a presol to obtain a third product stream (C); (d) continuously adding water or a diluted acid to the product stream (C) to obtain a sol (gelation); (e) continuously filling the emerging sol into molds to obtain an aquagel; (f) drying the aquagels to obtain xerogels; (g) sintering the xerogels to obtain silicate-containing glasses and glass ceramics.

A glass composite for use in Extreme Ultra-Violet Lithography (EUVL) is provided. The glass composite includes a first silica-titania glass section. The glass composite further includes a second doped silica-titania glass section mechanically bonded to a surface of the first silica-titania glass section, wherein the second doped silica-titania glass section has a thickness of greater than about 1.0 inch.

A method for forming an optical fiber preform is provided. The method includes inserting a glass core cane into a glass sleeve such that the glass sleeve surrounds a portion of the glass core cane and such that there is a gap between the glass sleeve and the portion of the glass core cane surrounded by the glass sleeve. The method further includes depositing silica soot onto at least a portion of the glass core cane and at least a portion of the glass sleeve to form a silica soot preform, and flowing gas through the gap during processing of the silica soot preform.

In order to reduce the degree of relaxation after an optical substrate has been compacted, in particular after a longer period, substrates (51) or reflective optical elements (50), in particular for EUV lithography, with substrates (51) of this type, are proposed. These substrates (51), which have a surface region (511) with a reflective coating (54), are characterised in that, at least near to the surface region (511), the titanium-doped quartz glass has a proportion of SiOOSi bonds of at least 1*10.sup.16/cm.sup.3 and/or a proportion of SiSi bonds of at least 1*10.sup.16/cm.sup.3 or, along a notional line (513) perpendicular to the surface region (511), over a length (517) of 500 nm or more, a hydrogen content of more than 5?10.sup.18 molecules/cm.sup.3.

Annealing treatments for modified titania-silica glasses and the glasses produced by the annealing treatments. The annealing treatments include an isothermal hold that facilitates equalization of non-uniformities in fictive temperature caused by non-uniformities in modifier concentration in the glasses. The annealing treatments may also include heating the glass to a higher temperature following the isothermal hold and holding the glass at that temperature for several hours. Glasses produced by the annealing treatments exhibit high spatial uniformity of CTE, CTE slope, and fictive temperature, including in the presence of a spatially non-uniform concentration of modifier.

Provides is low scattering silica glass suitable as a material of an optical communication fiber. Silica glass has a fictive temperature of at least 1,000 C. and a void radius of at most 0.240 nm, as measured by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. A method for heat-treating silica glass is also provided, which comprises holding silica glass to be heat-treated in an atmosphere at a temperature of at least 1,200 C. and at most 2,000 C. under a pressure of at least 30 MPa, and cooling the silica glass at an average temperature-decreasing rate of at least 40 C./min during cooling within a temperature range of from 1,200 C. to 900 C. A method for heat-treating silica glass also comprises holding silica glass to be heat-treated in an atmosphere at a temperature of at least 1,200 C. and at most 2,000 C. under a pressure of at least 140 MPa, and cooling the silica glass in an atmosphere under a pressure of at least 140 MPa during cooling within a temperature range of from 1,200 C. to 900 C.

Annealing treatments for modified titania-silica glasses and the glasses produced by the annealing treatments. The annealing treatments include an isothermal hold that facilitates equalization of non-uniformities in fictive temperature caused by non-uniformities in modifier concentration in the glasses. The annealing treatments may also include heating the glass to a higher temperature following the isothermal hold and holding the glass at that temperature for several hours. Glasses produced by the annealing treatments exhibit high spatial uniformity of CTE, CTE slope, and fictive temperature, including in the presence of a spatially non-uniform concentration of modifier.