The manufacturing process of quartz glass is highly distinctive and fundamentally different from that of conventional glass products. The production of quartz glass presents several significant challenges, including an extremely high melting temperature, high melt viscosity, and considerable difficulty in bubble removal. Quartz glass is composed of a single crystalline component, and cannot incorporate fluxing agents. Furthermore, to achieve superior performance characteristics, it must exhibit exceptionally high purity, with total impurity content below 100 ppm. Melting of quartz glass must therefore be conducted under vacuum or hydrogen atmosphere to prevent contamination and ensure material integrity.

Quartz glass is frequently utilized in the manufacture of semiconductor industrial equipment, with operating temperatures ranging from 1,000 to 1,300 degrees Celsius. In such conditions, the loss of transparency is due to the adhesion of impurities. The crystallization of quartz occurs at 275 degrees Celsius. When quartz glass is exposed to a rapid decrease in temperature from a high to a low temperature, the surface becomes opaque. The crystallized part of the material exhibits distinct interphase expansion coefficients when compared to the quartz glass itself, at both high and low temperatures. Under conditions of rapid cooling, an opaque peeling may occur, and in more severe cases, cracking may also be observed.

In order to extend the lifespan of quartz products, it is essential to address the factors that can lead to the loss of transparency. The sources of pollution that cause loss of transparency include alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, sweat, saliva, oil stains, dust, etc. In order to prevent these pollution sources from adhering to the quartz surface, it is essential to carry out cleaning work before high-temperature operations. This should be done in addition to avoiding direct handling of the quartz with empty hands.

Optical quartz glass boasts excellent transmission performance in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared spectral regions (185 ~ 3,500 nm). It also has unique advantages such as high-temperature resistance, thermal shock resistance, extremely small thermal expansion coefficient, stable chemical properties and radiation resistance. It is a widely used optical material for optical precision devices in harsh environments. Its use is extensive, with applications in fields as diverse as space technology, detection systems, spectral instruments and optical communication.

Optical quartz glass is a material of choice for the manufacture of optical precision devices. The manufacturing process for optical quartz glass devices typically involves various processing steps, including cutting, grinding and polishing. Processing technology has a direct impact on the quality of the surface and interface of optical devices. Surface quality (including surface defects, roughness, and thickness of the damage layer) is a key factor in determining the performance of optical devices. Using an optical microscope and AFM, the microscopic structure of the surface and the thickness of the damaged layer of optical quartz glass after processing are examined. The study also explores the formation mechanism of surface defects and subsurface damage.