METHOD OF MAKING A CARBON COATED OPTICAL FIBER

摘要

A process for manufacturing an optical fiber includes the steps of heating and drawing material from a hot optical fiber preform; exposing the hot optical fiber to a compound containing carbon for depositing a carbon coating on the moving optical fiber; measuring an electrical property of the carbon coating; and in response to the measured electrical property, changing a parameter of the process for controlling a characteristic of the carbon coating on the moving optical fiber. Featured within the manufacturing method is a method for measuring the thickness of the carbon coating on the moving optical fiber. From the measured thickness of the carbon coating, a control signal is generated for changing one or more of the process parameters for depositing the carbon coating on the optical fiber from a precursor gas. The coated optical fiber continuously moves through the process without any physical contact. No interruption of the production process occurs.