PROCESS FOR PRODUCING OPTICAL FIBER AND ITS PREFORM

摘要

The present invention relates to an optical fiber preform fabricating method that makes it possible to implement a reduction in iron impurities at a low cost. The optical fiber preform fabricating method comprises a glass synthesis step for forming a glass region constituting at least a part of the core area of the optical fiber. The glass synthesis step includes a deposition step of depositing glass particles containing the Al-element inside the glass pipe by means of chemical vapor deposition, and a consolidation step of obtaining a transparent glass body from the glass soot body thus obtained. In other words, the deposition step synthesizes glass particles on the inside wall of a glass pipe by feeding raw material gas, in which the content ratio (O/Al) of the O-element and Al-element is 20 or less, into the glass pipe. Furthermore, the consolidation step obtains a transparent glass body from the glass soot body by heating the glass soot body. The transparent glass body that is formed in the consolidation step constitutes part of the core region.