US Patent 7927705 Low loss visible-IR transmitting glass-aluminum oxynitride composites and process

This invention pertains to a composite of AlON and a germanate glass, and to a process for bonding AlON to the glass. The composite includes AlON and glass bonded together and having transmission in the visible and mid-infrared wavelength region. The process includes the step of heating them together above the softening temperature of the glass, the composite having excellent, i.e., typically in excess of about 60%, transmission in the 0.4-5 wavelength region.