Laser cut glass sheets for electrically controllable optically active structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024198458-A1
Application number	US-202318542442-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2023
Priority date	Dec 16, 2022
Publication date	Jun 20, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multilayer glass panel may be cut using a laser cutting technique. In some examples, the technique involves directing a laser beam into to panel to form a separation line. The separation line includes a plurality of spaced-apart defect columns extending at least partially through a first glass substrate but not through a second glass substrate. The plurality of spaced-apart defect columns each include a plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws. The example method can also involve separating a portion of the first glass substrate from the second glass substrate along the separation line to thereby configure the multilayer panel with a shelf defined by a portion of the second glass substrate extending outwardly from the separation line.

First claim

1 . A method of laser cutting a multilayer glass panel, the method comprising:
directing a laser beam into a multilayer panel that comprises a first glass substrate joined to a second glass substrate, wherein directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel comprises forming a separation line comprising a plurality of spaced-apart defect columns extending at least partially through the first glass substrate but not through the second glass substrate, each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns comprising a plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws; and separating a portion of the first glass substrate from the second glass substrate along the separation line to thereby configure the multilayer panel with a shelf defined by a portion of the second glass substrate extending outwardly from the separation line.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns has a width within a range from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a distance separating each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns from an adjacent one of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns is within a range from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the distance separating each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns from the adjacent one of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns is substantially constant across a length of the separation line.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the distance separating each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns from the adjacent one of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns varies across a length of the separation line.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns have a combined width along the length of the separation line; the multilayer panel defines regions devoid of laser-induced defects between the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns, the regions devoid of laser-induced defects having a combined width along the length of the separation line; and a ratio of the combined width of the regions devoid of laser-induced defects divided by the combined width of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns is within a range from 5:1 to 1:5.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws has a width within a range from 0.0005 mm to 0.0025 mm; and a distance separating each of the plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws from an adjacent one of the plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws is within a range from 0.001 mm to 0.01 mm.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel comprises generating an induced absorption within the first glass substrate that produces each of the plurality of spaced-apart filamentation flaws.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel comprises directing a pulsed laser beam at the multilayer panel.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first glass substrate has an inner face and an outer face; the second glass substrate has an inner face and an outer face; the inner face of the first glass substrate is joined to the inner face of the second glass substrate; and directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel comprises directing the laser beam through the outer face of the first glass substrate toward the inner face of the second glass substrate.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first glass substrate has an inner face and an outer face; the second glass substrate has an inner face and an outer face; the inner face of the first glass substrate carries a first electrically conductive layer; the inner face of the second glass substrate carries a second electrically conductive layer; and an electrically controllable optically active material is positioned between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the separation line comprising the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns extending at least partially through the first glass substrate but not through the second glass substrate comprises electrically deactivating regions of the second electrically conductive layer aligned with each of the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns while maintaining electrical conductivity of the second electrically conductive layer in regions between the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising, attaching an electrode to the shelf defined by the portion of the second glass substrate extending outwardly from the separation line.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the multilayer panel comprises a sealant bounding the electrically controllable optically active material, the sealant joining the inner face of the first glass substrate to the inner face of the second glass substrate.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrically controllable optically active material is a liquid crystal material.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the separation line comprising the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns extending at least partially through the first glass substrate but not through the second glass substrate comprises forming the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns having a length extending through an entire thickness of the first glass substrate and to a depth less than 0.5 mm below the inner face of the second glass substrate.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel and forming the separation line comprising the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns, directing a second laser beam across the separation line to form a plurality of secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws extending partially but not fully through a thickness of the first glass substrate.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first glass substrate has an inner face and an outer face, and the secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws extend to a depth less than 0.8 mm above the inner face of the first glass substrate.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel and forming the separation line comprising the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns comprises forming regions of the first glass substrate devoid of laser-induced defects between the plurality of spaced-apart defect columns; and directing the second laser beam across the separation line to form the plurality of secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws comprises forming the secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws over both the spaced-apart defect columns and the regions of the first glass substrate devoid of laser-induced defects.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a distance separating each of the plurality of secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws from an adjacent one of the plurality of secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws is less than 1.0 mm.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of secondary spaced-apart filamentation flaws extend across an entire length of the separation line.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel comprises directing the laser beam into the multilayer panel from a first thickness direction and on a first lengthwise or widthwise side of the multilayer panel, and further comprising:
directing the las

Assignees

• Cardinal Ig Co

Inventors

• Demiglio Andrew
• Kintzi Nathan
• Bassen Hannes
• Moalem Anas

Classifications

• B23K26/40

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

• B23K2103/54

  Glass · CPC title

• B23K26/57

  the laser beam entering a face of the workpiece from which it is transmitted through the workpiece material to work on a different workpiece face, e.g. for effecting removal, fusion splicing, modifying or reforming · CPC title

• B23K26/55

  for creating voids inside the workpiece, e.g. for forming flow passages or flow patterns · CPC title

• B23K2103/166

  Multilayered materials · CPC title