Advanced approaches to functional glasses

Two key technologies were reviewed to propose advanced approaches to functional glasses. The first is combinatorial glass research system. The combinatorial glass research system consists of an automatic batch preparation apparatus, two types of automatic apparatuses for melting of glass batches in crucibles and two types of apparatuses for evaluation of thermal stability, namely a DTA apparatus equipped with sample changer and a temperature gradient furnace. The combinatorial system was effective in searching for new glass forming systems and to speed up preparation of glass samples. The second technology is a new technique based on anodization of thin film aluminum. The anodic oxidation of sputtered aluminum film was applied to preparation of alumina nanostructures possessing nanopore arrays on glass surfaces. Oxides or metallic compounds could be introduced into nanopores using sol–gel technique or electro deposition technique. The introduction of TiO₂ by sol–gel process yielded high performance photo catalysts and the impregnation of Ni metal or Fe–Pt alloy into nanopores by electro deposition gave high density magnetic rod array of about 1 Tbit/in.². The new processes based on anodic oxidation of sputtered aluminum and titanium would be very effective to develop functional nanostructure layers on glass surfaces.