Lapping Quartz Glass – Quartz Glass (CTE 0.59 x 10^-6 /K, 260 nm – 2.5 um); Lapping to flatness 1 – 3 um. No minimum order; DFM review included with every RFQ.
We lap Quartz Glass daily, in thicknesses from 0.2 – 40 mm. The controlling numbers: flatness 1 – 3 um working tolerance, thickness +/-0.003 mm minimum features, and Ra 0.2 – 0.6 um matte off the machine. Where the drawing asks for more, downstream lapping and polishing take over.
Specifications at a glance
| 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 | Lapping |
| Working tolerance | flatness 1 – 3 um |
| Minimum feature | thickness +/-0.003 mm |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.2 – 0.6 um matte |
| Thickness window | 0.2 – 40 mm |
| Edge condition | not applicable |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
What the process holds
Lapping earns its place through restoring flatness and parallelism on plates and repairing bowed stock. Its boundary condition – lapped faces are translucent-matte; optical clarity requires a subsequent polish – is the first thing our DFM review checks.
Beyond this page, Quartz Glass routinely runs through cnc machining, laser cutting, dicing, drilling in our shop – most real parts combine two or three of these steps.
Getting the drawing right
The shop-floor rules that matter here:
- Material note: natural-quartz batches vary in metallic ppm, so semiconductor lots need certs per melt.
- Process boundary: lapped faces are translucent-matte; optical clarity requires a subsequent polish.
- 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.
Who orders this
The recurring buyers of lapping quartz glass: 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.
The fastest route to a quote is geometry: use the 3D builder below, draw a dimensioned 2D drawing from it, or open the site-wide custom glass machining 3D + 2D builder for fully custom parts.
Related reading on this site: CNC machining capability, JGS1 quartz glass, custom FTO glass.
Buyer questions, answered
What equipment runs the lapping work?
Cast-iron lap plates with boron carbide and alumina slurries.
Is there a minimum order for lapping quartz glass?
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.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in September 2026.