A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.

A deposition system for depositing a chemical vapor onto a workpiece is disclosed, including a deposition chamber having a plurality of components for performing chemical vapor deposition on the workpiece. The workpiece is held by a lathe that rotates the workpiece relative to chemical burners that deposit silica soot on the workpiece. The deposition system has a gas panel for regulating the flow of gases and vapors into the deposition chamber, and a computer for controlling operation of the gas panel and the components in the deposition chamber. Multiple sets of chemical burners are disposed longitudinally along the length of the workpiece. Each set of burners is separated from other sets, such that each set of burners deposit silica particles onto generally different portions of a workpiece. The respective portions include an overlap segment in which one or more burners from one burner set will deposit silica particles on the same portion of the workpiece as one or more burners from another set.

This burner for producing a fine glass particle deposited body is provided with a metallic gas-feed pipe that forms a burner body, and a cover for covering the gas-feed pipe, wherein: the gas-feed pipe and the cover are integrally formed; the gas-feed pipe has connected thereto a piping through which material gas, oxyhydrogen gas, and seal gas are supplied; and the cover covers, in the axial direction of the burner over a prescribed length and in a given constant outer diameter, the gas-feed pipe and a connection part of the piping connected to a lateral surface of the gas-feed pipe.

Provided are such a method of manufacturing a hollow synthetic quartz glass porous preform and method of manufacturing a synthetic quartz glass cylinder as described below: even a soot body having an outer diameter of more than 300 mm can be produced without significantly increasing a load on an apparatus, such as a centrifugal force generated during growth; even when manufactured at low-speed rotation, the soot body is free of any crack or rupture; and a target can be easily extracted. Specifically, provided is a method of manufacturing a hollow porous quartz glass preform by an OVD method, wherein the rotation peripheral speed of the soot body is controlled so as to be practically constant by fluctuating the rotation number of the soot body on the basis of a fluctuating outer diameter of the soot body during growth, and wherein a frequency factor γ calculated by the following equation is set so as to fall within the range of 0.13≤γ<1.0 in a range in which the outer diameter of the soot body is more than 250 mm: γ=S/(L.Math.N.sub.m), where S represents the moving speed (mm/min) of the burners, L represents the moving distance (mm) of the burners, and N.sub.m represents the lowest value (rpm) of the rotation number of the soot body, which is fluctuated.

An apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber preform includes: a holding part that rotatably holds a target with a center axis of the target as a rotation axis; a plurality of burner units that are arranged at mutually different positions in a circumferential direction of the target, forms flames for generating glass particles to be deposited on the target, and are capable of performing reciprocating movements along the target in a movable range between a first position on one end side of the target and a second position on the other end side of the target; and a control unit that controls the plurality of burner units so that speeds of return movements of the plurality of burner units that perform the reciprocating movements are different from each other.

A manufacturing apparatus for an optical fiber porous preform includes a reaction chamber configured to accommodate a starting material; at least one main burner provided in the reaction chamber, the at least one main burner being configured to be supplied with a gas containing at least a source gas and a flammable gas, such that particulates are to be generated from reaction of the source gas and the flammable gas and deposited on the starting material; at least one auxiliary burner configured to be directed toward an end portion of the starting material on which the particulates are to be deposited; and an airflow guide provided such that at least part of the airflow guide is located across the at least one auxiliary burner from the starting material.

A method of forming an optical fiber preform includes flowing a precursor stream through a burner toward a substrate, the precursor stream comprising a glass precursor gas and a carrier gas, the carrier gas having a kinematic viscosity at 2000 K of greater than 5 cm.sup.2/sec and a ratio of heat capacity to universal gas constant (C.sub.p/R) 2000 K of less than 4; flowing an inflammable gas through the burner; pyrogenically forming glass particles from the glass precursor gas, the pyrogenically forming comprising combusting the inflammable gas; flowing a shield gas through the burner, the shield gas flowing between the precursor stream and the inflammable gas, the shield gas having a kinematic viscosity at 2000 K of greater than 5 cm.sup.2/sec and a ratio of heat capacity to universal gas constant (C.sub.p/R) at 2000 K of less than 4; and depositing the glass particles onto the substrate.

Disclosed herein are methods for forming an optical fiber preform using organic silica and germania precursors. The method includes depositing soot composed of germanium dioxide and silica on a substrate, removing the substrate, conducting a dehydration step and one or more heating steps under an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form the preform. Also disclosed are optical fibers drawn from the preforms produced herein.

A gas branching apparatus that branches and supplies a gas to first to N-th supply targets, includes first to N-th pipes wherein the first to N-th pipes are each branched into first to N-th branch pipes on a downstream end side, and wherein the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are connected in common to the i-th supply target, and the i-th branch pipes of the respective first to N-th pipes are provided with valves, respectively, where i denotes each of integers of 1 to N.

A deposition system for depositing a chemical vapor onto a workpiece is disclosed, including a deposition chamber having a plurality of components for performing chemical vapor deposition on the workpiece. The workpiece is held by a lathe that rotates the workpiece relative to chemical burners that deposit silica soot on the workpiece. The deposition system has a gas panel for regulating the flow of gases and vapors into the deposition chamber, and a computer for controlling operation of the gas panel and the components in the deposition chamber. Multiple sets of chemical burners are disposed longitudinally along the length of the workpiece. Each set of burners is separated from other sets, such that each set of burners deposit silica particles onto generally different portions of a workpiece. The respective portions include an overlap segment in which one or more burners from one burner set will deposit silica particles on the same portion of the workpiece as one or more burners from another set.