High-Performance Interconnect Technologies with Proven Sealing Performance in Glass Hermetic Connectors

Sunkye has been at the forefront of developing connectors with both glass-to-metal seals and glass-ceramic seals, which offer exceptional sealing performance in harsh environments.

Glass is an excellent electrical insulator with low thermal conductivity, making it highly resistant to high operational pressures and temperatures. However, due to its rigidity and brittleness, glass is often paired with metal or ceramic materials to create a more secure seal. These designs result in connectors that are highly reliable, durable, and resistant to environmental factors such as temperature variations, humidity, and corrosion.

How do glass-to-metal sealed connectors compare to glass-ceramic sealed connectors?

Both glass-to-metal and glass-ceramic sealed connectors share several performance similarities:

• High reliability: Both provide stable performance under harsh environmental conditions.

• Effective air-tightness:They prevent moisture, dust, and other contaminants from entering, ensuring long-term reliability.

• Excellent electrical insulation:Both seals maintain signal transmission quality and stability.

• Wide applications: They are utilized across high-demand sectors such as aerospace, military, medical devices, communications, and industrial automation.

Despite their shared qualities, these two seal types differ significantly in material composition, packaging processes, and performance characteristics.

Key Differences:

• Material Composition:

Glass-to-metal seals use materials like borosilicate glass and metals such as nickel alloys, stainless steel, or titanium.

Glass-ceramic seals combine glass with ceramic materials, such as alumina ceramics or aluminum nitride ceramics.

• Temperature Resistance:

Glass-to-metal seals are effective within moderate temperature ranges but may struggle in extreme high-temperature environments.

Glass-ceramic seals offer superior temperature resistance and remain stable in extreme high-temperature conditions.

• Mechanical Strength:

The strength of glass-to-metal seals relies on the metal component, which may provide flexibility but can be prone to mechanical damage.

Glass-ceramic seals have higher mechanical strength due to the ceramic, although ceramics can be more brittle and vulnerable to mechanical shock.

• Chemical Resistance:

Glass-to-metal seals may have limitations in corrosive chemical environments.

Glass-ceramic seals offer better chemical resistance, making them ideal for environments with corrosive substances.

• Signal Transmission:

Glass-to-metal seals are suitable for a broad range of electrical and optical signal transmissions but may face limitations in high-frequency applications.

Glass-ceramic seals have superior dielectric properties, making them better suited for high-frequency and high-performance signal transmission.

Connector Applications:

Sunkye MIL-DTL-83513 Micro-D R04J glass-to-metal sealing connectors:

These connectors are ideal for high-pressure and low-leakage applications, commonly used in aerospace. They feature Kovar alloy shells that chemically bond with the glass insulator, ensuring maximum hermeticity.

Sunkye glass-ceramic sealing connectors:

Designed for extreme environments, these connectors are used in shipboard, downhole, and underwater applications, where conditions exceed 200°C and 130MPa, with high shock, vibration, downhole fluids, and confined spaces.