Germanium element

Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors silicon and tin. Pure germanium is a semiconductor with an appearance similar to elemental silicon.

Germanium and optics

The notable properties of germania (GeO2) are its high index of refraction and its low optical dispersion. These make it especially useful for wide-angle camera lenses, microscopy, and the core part of optical fibers.It has replaced titania as the dopant for silica fiber, eliminating the subsequent heat treatment that made the fibers brittle. At the end of 2002, the fiber optics industry consumed 60% of the annual germanium use in the United States, but this is less than 10% of worldwide consumption. GeSbTe is a phase change material used for its optic properties, such as that used in rewritable DVDs.

Because germanium is transparent in the infrared wavelengths, it is an important infrared optical material that can be readily cut and polished into lenses and windows. It is especially used as the front optic in thermal imaging cameras working in the 8 to 14 micron range for passive thermal imaging and for hot-spot detection in military, mobile night vision, and fire fighting applications. It is used in infrared spectroscopes and other optical equipment that require extremely sensitive infrared detectors.It has a very high refractive index (4.0) and must be coated with anti-reflection agents. Particularly, a very hard special antireflection coating of diamond-like carbon (DLC), refractive index 2.0, is a good match and produces a diamond-hard surface that can withstand much environmental abuse.

Germanium Windows/Ge wafers

Germanium Windows are available with three anti-reflection coating options, 3 - 5μm for mid-infrared applications, 3 - 12μm for broadband multispectral applications, and 8 - 12μm for thermal imaging applications.

Due to its high index of refraction, an anti-reflection coating is recommended on these ge windows for sufficient transmission. Germanium is subject to thermal runaway, meaning that the transmission decreases as temperature increases. As such, these germanium windows should be used at temperatures below 100°C. High density (5.33 g/cm³) of germanium should be considered when designing for weight-sensitive systems. The Knoop Hardness of germanium (780) is approximately twice that of magnesium fluoride, making it ideal for infrared applications requiring rugged optics.

Picture show of our diameter 60mm thickness 5mm Windows/Ge wafers

Property of Germanium

Besides, VY also supply wide range of IR material such as Silicon, ZnSe, ZnS, etc. Welcome to contact us for further imformation.