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
Before sending the RFQ, check these against your drawing:
- 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, lapping, polishing, edge grinding, and multi-step drawings are the norm rather than the exception.
Application context
laser cutting fused silica shows up across ccd inspection equipment (CCD cover plates, reference grids, stage glass); semiconductor equipment (view ports, wafer carriers, plasma rings, chamber windows); medical diagnostics (flow cells, slides, microplate bottoms, cuvette windows). Background reading on the underlying material science: RP Photonics: fused silica.
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.
Engineers scoping this work usually also review fused silica material guide, CNC machining capability, laser glass cutting.
Common questions
What equipment runs the laser cutting work?
Picosecond and CO2 laser stations with vision registration.
Is there a minimum order for laser cutting fused silica?
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.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in August 2026.