Quick answer: Fused Silica for Scientific Instruments covers Fused Silica (CTE 0.55 x 10^-6 /K, 185 nm – 2.5 um). Prototypes ship in 5-10 working days.
What fused silica for scientific instruments actually buys from a glass shop: reference flats, cells, prism mounts, stage inserts. The requirement underneath is custom one-off and small-batch precision parts. Fused Silica is the fit here because it offers near-zero thermal expansion.
The numbers
| Material | Fused Silica (JGS1 (UV), JGS2 (standard), JGS3 (IR)) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 0.55 x 10^-6 /K |
| Service temperature | 1,100 C continuous |
| Transmission range | 185 nm – 2.5 um |
| Density | 2.20 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | 500 kg/mm2 |
| Refractive index | 1.458 @ 587 nm |
| Stock thickness | 0.10 – 50 mm |
| Maximum blank size | 450 x 450 mm |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
DFM notes from the shop floor
Three items decide most of the cost and lead time on this work:
- Material note: its hardness and brittleness demand diamond tooling and controlled feeds.
- 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.
The full rules live in our tolerance design guide and holes and edges design guide.
Manufacturing capability
One material, many routes: on Fused Silica we also quote etching, ultrasonic machining, sandblasting, dicing, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Application context
fused silica for scientific instruments shows up across microfluidic devices (chips, manifolds, via plates, bonded stacks); mems devices (cap wafers, TGV substrates, motion-sensor lids); aerospace optics (sensor windows, star-tracker flats, radiation-tolerant ports). Background reading on the underlying material science: RP Photonics: fused silica.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D + 2D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D + 2D builder to start from a blank canvas.
For adjacent specifications, see fused silica wafer applications, CNC machining capability, 4 inch Borofloat wafers.
Common questions
Is there a minimum order for fused silica for scientific instruments?
No. Single prototypes are accepted, and pricing steps down at 10, 100 and 1,000 pieces.
How fast can prototypes ship?
Machined prototypes ship in 5 – 10 working days. Coated or bonded parts add 1 – 2 weeks depending on queue slots.
What files do you need for a quote?
A dimensioned PDF plus DXF or STEP geometry. If only a sketch exists, our drawing review service formalizes it before quoting.
Do parts ship with inspection data?
Dimensional reports, surface certificates and material certs per melt are available; specify the level on the RFQ.
What tolerances are achievable on Fused Silica parts?
Ground features hold +/-0.01 mm and lapped thickness reaches +/-0.003 mm. Its hardness and brittleness demand diamond tooling and controlled feeds.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in September 2026.