Abstract

The cost of optical fiber is significantly dependent on the rate of deposition of optically active material. An rf plasma technique having a glass deposition rate of greater than three times that obtained in similar processes (2.5 g/min) was recently reported.¹_’² The technique uses an rf plasma operated at atmospheric pressure and centered in the substrate tube so that an annulus of cm separates the visible fireball from the tube wall.

© 1981 Optical Society of America