US2009000700A1PendingUtilityA1

Treatment method for optically transmissive body

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Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 29, 2007Filed: Jun 29, 2007Published: Jan 1, 2009
Est. expiryJun 29, 2027(~0.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Patrick K. HoganRalph KorensteinJohn S. Mccloy
G02B 1/12C04B 2235/726C23C 14/185C04B 35/6455C04B 41/4529C04B 41/009C04B 2111/805G02B 1/10C04B 41/91C04B 41/53C04B 35/547C04B 41/4521C04B 41/0072
35
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Claims

Abstract

A method of treating a transmissive body of zinc sulfide or zinc selenide includes placing a non-platinum metal layer, such as a layer of cobalt, silver, or iron on a surface of the transmissive body, and improving the optical properties of the transmissive body by subjecting the body and the layer to an elevated temperature and elevated pressure. The zinc sulfide or zinc selenide may be chemical vapor deposited material. The non-platinum metal of the layer may be such that a Gibbs free energy of formation of a most stable sulfide (or selenide) of the non-platinum metal is more negative than a Gibbs free energy of formation of a most stable zinc sulfide (or zinc selenide) configuration that is thermodynamically capable of reacting with the non-platinum metal. With this condition the non-platinum metal preferentially chemically bonds with free sulfur (or free selenium) in preference to zinc sulfide (or zinc selenium).

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of treating a transmissive body of zinc sulfide or zinc selenide, the method comprising:
 placing a non-platinum metal layer on at least one surface of the transmissive body; and   improving optical properties of the transmissive body by heating the metal layer and the transmissive body, wherein the heating is performed at an elevated temperature above normal ambient temperature and at an elevated pressure above normal ambient pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmissive body includes zinc sulfide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the heating includes removing free sulfur from the zinc sulfide. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the removing includes chemically bonding the free sulfur and the non-platinum metal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising, after the heating, removing the layer, including at least some of the non-platinum metal and the free sulfur chemically bonded during the chemically bonding. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the chemically bonding includes chemically bonding at least in part within non-platinum metal layer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the chemically bonding includes chemically bonding at least in part at an interface between the transmissive body and the non-platinum metal layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal layer is such that a Gibbs free energy of formation of a most stable sulfide or selenide of the non-platinum metal is more negative than a Gibbs free energy of formation of a most stable zinc sulfide or zinc selenide configuration that is thermodynamically capable of reacting with the non-platinum metal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal layer includes one or more of cobalt, silver, and iron. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal includes cobalt. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal includes silver. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal includes iron. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-platinum metal has a low vapor pressure, such that there is no appreciable material loss during heat treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmissive body is made of zinc sulfide, and wherein the heating includes separating free sulfur from the zinc sulfide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated temperature is a temperature from 700 degrees C. to 1050 degrees C. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elevated pressure is a pressure from 2000 to 80,000 psi. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing the layer after the heating. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmissive body is formed by chemical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the layer is a foil. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the placing the layer includes sputtering the non-platinum metal layer onto the at least one surface of the transmissive body. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmissive body includes zinc selenide.

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