Transmittance properties and TEM observation of metal doped glass by field-assisted ion exchange

Metal (silver or copper) ions were doped into borosilicate glass using an electric field- assisted ion exchange method. The optical transmittance of the metal doped glass was measured to determine why the doped glass exhibited an excellent laser micro-machinability. The doped metal ions were found to have enhanced the optical absorption of the glass, especially in the ultraviolet range. This in turn facilitated the efficient absorption of incident laser irradiation, and hence improved laser machinability of the glass. The metal doped glass also exhibited some absorption in the visible range, leading to a slight yellow-brown coloration. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations indicated that the metal ions had penetrated the glass and therein formed nanometer-sized (~6 nm) fine particles. In an attempt to control the optical characteristics in the ultraviolet-visible range, metal doped glass was heat-treated following the ion exchange doping step. In the case of silver-doped glass with heat treatment at 723 K, silver nanoparticles aggregated locally yielding an inhomogeneous structure. The heat-treated samples had a high optical absorption in the ultraviolet range.