Laser Cutting Fused Silica – Fused Silica (CTE 0.55 x 10^-6 /K, 185 nm – 2.5 um); Laser Cutting to +/-0.02 mm contour. No minimum order; DFM review included with every RFQ.
The combination of Fused Silica and Laser Cutting comes up constantly in RFQs for a reason – the material offers deep-uv transmission, and Laser Cutting is the right way to get accurate geometry into it. Expect +/-0.02 mm contour and sealed edge, chip-free.
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 |
| Process | Laser Cutting |
| Working tolerance | +/-0.02 mm contour |
| Minimum feature | 0.10 mm hole diameter |
| Surface finish | sealed edge, chip-free |
| Thickness window | 0.03 – 6 mm |
| Edge condition | filamentation edge, optional post-polish |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
DFM notes from the shop floor
The shop-floor rules that matter here:
- Material note: its hardness and brittleness demand diamond tooling and controlled feeds.
- Process boundary: aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work.
- 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
The core strength of Laser Cutting is chip-free free-form contours and dense hole arrays in thin and ultra-thin glass. The honest limit: aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work. Both belong on the drawing before quoting, not after.
One material, many routes: on Fused Silica we also quote double-side polishing, edge grinding, cnc machining, grinding, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Application context
The recurring buyers of laser cutting fused silica: mems devices (cap wafers, TGV substrates, motion-sensor lids); laboratory instruments (cuvettes, sight glasses, stir-cell windows); ccd inspection equipment (CCD cover plates, reference grids, stage glass). Background reading on the underlying material science: RP Photonics: fused silica.
The fastest route to a quote is geometry: use the 3D configurator below, or the site-wide custom glass machining 3D builder for fully custom parts.
Engineers scoping this work usually also review laser glass cutting, CNC machining capability, microfluidic glass applications.
Common questions
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.
What thickness range do you stock for Fused Silica?
Standard stock spans 0.10 – 50 mm, with blanks up to 450 x 450 mm. Other formats are sourced per order.
How does Fused Silica behave under heat?
CTE is 0.55 x 10^-6 /K and continuous service reaches 1,100 C continuous, which is what drives its use where near-zero thermal expansion matters.
What accuracy does laser cutting hold?
+/-0.02 mm contour with minimum features of 0.10 mm hole diameter. Aspect ratio in a single pass tops out near 10:1; thicker sections shift to coring or ultrasonic work.
What equipment runs the laser cutting work?
Picosecond and CO2 laser stations with vision registration.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in July 2026.