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6664770 
Book/Book Chapter 
Fotoform products and their use in display technologies 
Cahen, Y 
1981 
Electronic Displays '81 Conference Proceedings 
93-7 vol.1 
INSPEC:1833115 
Fotoform glass is an aluminosilicate photosensitive glass which, when exposed to UV light undergoes oxydo-reduction reactions forming traces of metal sites. During a further heat treatment these sites act as crystallization centers for the growth of a crystalline phase. When the exposure is done through a mask the heat treatment gives a three dimensional opaque crystallized pattern with different physical properties than the surrounding glass, and in the case of Fotoform the rate of dissolution of the opal phase in dilute hydrofluoric acid is 10 to 20 times faster than the starting glass. Chemical etching eliminates the opal phase and give the final part. This unique combination of a material and an associated process has led to applications, especially in the field of display.