Quick answer: Polishing Quartz Glass covers Quartz Glass (CTE 0.59 x 10^-6 /K, 260 nm – 2.5 um); Polishing to flatness to lambda/4 per 25 mm. Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
polishing quartz glass is a materials problem before it is a machining problem. Quartz Glass has fused from natural quartz crystal and a Knoop hardness of 500 kg/mm2, so the polishing recipe – feeds, coolant, tooling – differs from what works on ordinary float glass. The line runs pitch and polyurethane pad polishers with cerium oxide slurry and holds flatness to lambda/4 per 25 mm.
Key parameters
| Material | Quartz Glass (GE214-equivalent, semiconductor grade) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 0.59 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 1,050 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 260 nm – 2.5 um |
| Density | 2.20 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 500 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.459 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.20 – 60 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 450 mm diameter |
| Process | Polishing |
| Working tolerance | flatness to lambda/4 per 25 mm |
| Minimum feature | Ra below 1 nm |
| Surface finish | scratch-dig 40/20 to 20/10 |
| Thickness window | 0.2 – 50 mm |
| Edge condition | polished bevels available |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
Specification advice
Three items decide most of the cost and lead time on this work:
- Material note: natural-quartz batches vary in metallic ppm, so semiconductor lots need certs per melt.
- Process boundary: steep aspect parts and deep pockets polish unevenly; those faces are specified as fine-ground.
- Over-specification is the quiet budget killer: a 20/10 scratch-dig face costs roughly three times an 80/50 face, so grade each surface individually.
For the complete framework, see the tolerance design guide and the holes and edges design guide.
Manufacturing capability
The core strength of Polishing is optical-grade faces with certified scratch-dig and interferometer-verified flatness. The honest limit: steep aspect parts and deep pockets polish unevenly; those faces are specified as fine-ground. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Quartz Glass we also quote edge grinding, etching, drilling, cnc machining, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Typical applications
polishing quartz glass shows up across semiconductor equipment (view ports, wafer carriers, plasma rings, chamber windows); laboratory instruments (cuvettes, sight glasses, stir-cell windows). Background reading on the underlying material science: ScienceDirect: quartz glass.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D builder to start from a blank canvas.
For adjacent specifications, see high-purity quartz guide, perforated quartz plates, machining tolerance guide.
Frequently asked questions
What tolerances are achievable on Quartz Glass parts?
Ground features hold +/-0.01 mm and lapped thickness reaches +/-0.003 mm. Natural-quartz batches vary in metallic ppm, so semiconductor lots need certs per melt.
What thickness range do you stock for Quartz Glass?
Standard stock spans 0.20 – 60 mm, with blanks up to 450 mm diameter. Other formats are sourced per order.
How does Quartz Glass behave under heat?
CTE is 0.59 x 10^-6 /K and continuous service reaches 1,050 C continuous, which is what drives its use where fused from natural quartz crystal matters.
What accuracy does polishing hold?
Flatness to lambda/4 per 25 mm with minimum features of Ra below 1 nm. Steep aspect parts and deep pockets polish unevenly; those faces are specified as fine-ground.
What equipment runs the polishing work?
Pitch and polyurethane pad polishers with cerium oxide slurry.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in July 2026.