Various types of optical materials and devices used in special environments must satisfy durability and optical properties. In order to improve the durability of zinc sulfide multispectral (MS ZnS) substrates with transmission wavelengths from visible to infrared, Ge-Sb-Se-based chalcogenide glass was used as a sealing material to bond the MS ZnS substrates. Wetting tests of the Ge-Sb-Se-based chalcogenide glass were conducted to analyze flowability as a function of temperature, by considering the glass transition temperature (Tg) and softening temperature (Ts). In the wetting test, the viscous flow of the chalcogenide glass sample was analyzed according to the temperature. After placing the chalcogenide glass disk between MS ZnS substrates (20 × 30 mm), the sealing test was performed at a temperature of 485 °C for 60 min. Notably, it was found that the Ge-Sb-Se-based chalcogenide glass sealed the MS ZnS substrates well. After the MS ZnS substrates were sealed with chalcogenide glass, they showed a transmission of 55 % over 3~12 μm. The tensile strength of the sealed MS ZnS substrates with Ge-Sb-Se-based chalcogenide glass was analyzed by applying a maximum load of about 240 N, confirming its suitability as a sealing material in the far infrared range.

The recent development of electro-optic devices and anticorrosion media has led to the necessity to investigate infrared optical systems with solid-solid interfaces of materials that often have the characteristic of amorphousness. One of the most promising classes of materials for those purposes seems to be the chalcogenide glasses. Chalcogenide glasses, based on the Ge-Sb-Se system, have drawn a great deal of attention because of their use in preparing optical lenses and transparent fibers in the range of 3~12 um. In this study, amorphous Ge-Sb-Se chalcogenide for application in an infrared optical product design and manufacture was prepared by a standard melt-quenching technique. The results of the structural, optical and surface roughness analysis of high purity Ge-Sb-Se chalcogenide glasses are reported after various annealing processes.