Method and apparatus for laser cutting transparent and semitransparent substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179374-B2
Application number	US-201414765074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

The present application is directed to a method and apparatus for processing a transparent or semitransparent material with a laser beam resulting in deterministic separation of a single sheet of the material into two or more pieces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of laser cutting transparent and semi-transparent substrates, comprising:
positioning at least one substrate on a work surface;
outputting multiple nanosecond pulsed laser signals from a pulsed laser system, each nanosecond pulsed laser signal having a power envelope;
adjusting at least one power profile within the power envelope of at least one nanosecond pulsed laser signal to form at least one nanosecond cutting signal, wherein a first pulse of the multiple pulsed nanosecond pulsed laser signal has a lower power than at least a second pulse of the multiple pulsed nanosecond pulsed laser signal;
directing the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to the at least one substrate;
forming multiple micro-fractures within the at least one substrate with the at least one nanosecond cutting signal, the multiple micro-fractures formed between a first surface and second surface of the at least one substrate wherein the power profile within the power envelope of the at least one nanosecond cutting signal is configured to be selectively adjusted to form individual micro-fractures, the multiple micro-fractures forming at least one cut line within the at least one substrate; and
separating the at least one substrate along at least one cut line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one substrate comprises a strengthened glass substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one substrate comprises a non-strengthened glass substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one substrate comprises a sapphire substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively moving at least one of the at least one substrate and the pulsed laser system thereby permitting the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to controllably traverse a surface of the at least one substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the pulsed laser system about at least one of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising rotating the pulsed laser system about at least one of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the at least one substrate positioned on the work surface about at least one of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising rotating the at least one substrate positioned on the work surface about at least one of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises forming one or more distal micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more distal micro-fractures formed proximal to a second surface of the at least one substrate, the second surface of the at least one substrate positioned proximal to the work surface.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprises forming one or more medial micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more medial micro-fractures formed centrally within the at least one substrate between the first and second surfaces of the at least one substrate.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises forming one or more proximal micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more proximal micro-fractures formed proximal to a first surface of the at least one substrate, the first surface of the at least one substrate positioned distally from the work surface.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprises:
forming one or more distal micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more distal micro-fractures formed proximal to a second surface of the at least one substrate, the second surface of the at least one substrate positioned proximal to the work surface;
forming one or more medial micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more medial micro-fractures formed centrally within the at least one substrate between the first and second surfaces of the at least one substrate; and
forming one or more proximal micro-fractures within the at least one substrate, the one or more proximal micro-fractures formed proximal to a first surface of the at least one substrate, the first surface of the at least one substrate positioned distally from the work surface.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising irradiating the at least one substrate with at least one nanosecond cutting signal having an elliptical polarization.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting a minor axis of the at least one elliptically-polarized nanosecond cutting signal to have a value of about zero.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting at least one of a minor axis and major axis of the at least one elliptically-polarized nanosecond cutting signal to have a value of about one.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting a polarization of the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to approximate a circularly polarized signal.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting a polarization of the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to approximate a linearly polarized signal.

19. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
adjusting a polarization of the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to approximate a linearly polarized cutting signal;
controllably moving at least one linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal across the at least one substrate wherein the direction of travel of the at least one linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal is orthogonal to the polarization of the at least one linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal; and
controllably adjusting the orientation of the linear polarization of the at least one linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal to maintain the polarization at an orthogonal angle to the cutting direction while moving the at least one linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal across the at least one substrate.

20. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
adjusting a polarization of the at least one nanosecond cutting signal to approximate a linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal;
controllably moving the linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal across the at least one substrate wherein the direction of travel of the linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal is parallel to the polarization of the linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal; and
controllably adjusting the orientation of the linear polarization of the linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal to maintain the polarization at a parallel angle to the linearly polarized cutting direction while moving the linearly polarized nanosecond cutting signal across the at least one substrate.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a breaking force to the at least one substrate to separate the at least one substrate along the at least one cut line.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the breaking force comprises creating a thermal stress in the at least one substrate proximate to the at least one cut line.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the breaking force comprises creating an internal stress in the at least one substrate proximate to the at least one cut line.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the breaking force comprises applying a mechanical force to the at least one substrate proximate to the at least one cut line.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving at least one of the pulsed laser system and the at least one substrate while irradiating the at least

Assignees

• Bovatsek James
• Patel Rajesh
• Newport Corp

Inventors

• Bovatsek James
• Patel Rajesh

Classifications

• C03B33/0222

  Scoring using a focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser · CPC title

• B23K26/40

  taking account of the properties of the material involved · CPC title

• B23K26/53 Primary

  for modifying or reforming the material inside the workpiece, e.g. for producing break initiation cracks · CPC title

• B23K2103/50

  Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials · CPC title

• B23K26/0057 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic