Photonics

Supplying advanced high purity gases and mixtures

For the photonics industry, Air Liquide is a one-stop shop capable of supplying a wide range of gases – helium, hydrogen, ultra high purity ammonia (UHP ammonia) – and air gases, as well as related equipment such as wet chemical dispenser units, gas cabinets and distribution systems.

Fiber optics

The first step in manufacturing fiber optics is producing preform, a silica glass rod. Hydrogen, oxygen and helium are all used to consolidate the preform, which is then melted in a furnace and drawn into fiber optics at a rate of 1,500 to 2,000m per minute. Helium is then used to cool the drawn fiber efficiently. We supply these gases at ultra high purities to support fiber optics manufacturers.

LED

Material used for white and blue LEDs needs one nitrogen atom. This is where UHP ammonia steps in during the deposition phase of production. In liquid form at room temperature, ammonia must be heated to be used in gaseous phase. To allow our customers to use larger volumes of this gas, we have developed an induction-based heating solution to vaporize UHP ammonia more efficiently.

Air Liquide provides a comprehensive gas solution, including equipment and installations, for the production of LED.