Methods of Improving Optical Contacting

Document #:

LIGO-T2200303-v1

Document type:

T - Technical notes

Abstract:

This project will attempt to improve the technique of optical contacting, which is the process of bonding polished, flat surfaces using Van der Waals dispersion forces. It will explore the efficacy of different preparation methods for creating a bond. There will be a focus on the use of heat and pressure to increase the strength of the bond between glass slides and silicon wafers. One of the main goals of the project is to find the best temperature for creating a strong bond. The quality of the bond can be assessed by measuring the shear strength, tensile strength, air gap, and mechanical quality. The eventual goal is to make optical contacting strong enough to be a viable method for conjoining pieces of high precision equipment, specifically for LIGO Voyager.

Files in Document:

• Jennifer_Hritz_SURF_final_report (Jennifer_Hritz_SURF_final_report_v1.1.pdf, 11.0 MB)

Other Files:

• LIGO SURF 2022 final presentation.pdf (3.2 MB)

Topics:

• Detector

Authors:

• Jennifer Hritz
• Rana Adhikari
• Koji Arai

Keywords:

SURF22

Notes and Changes:

Final presentation google slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Yti1n6YlktjmvmvfscLbjYCAoyGJQCxcKXPRgyEGb8M/edit?usp=sharing

Referenced by:

• LIGO-T2200355: Final reports from LIGO SURF program, Summer 2022