Method for structuring a flat substrate composed of glass-type material, and optical component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328010-B2
Application number	US-201214238564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2012
Priority date	Aug 12, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The invention is a method for structuring a flat substrate composed of glass material in the course of a viscous flow process. The glass flat substrate is joined to a surface of a flat substrate, which is preferably a semiconductor flat substrate, having at least one depression bounded by a circumferential edge located in the surface. In the course of a subsequent tempering process, glass material is changed to a viscous free-flowing state in which at least proportions of the free-flowing glass material of the flat substrate flow over the circumferential edge into the depression in the flat substrate. The invention is also characterized in that a flat substrate is provided of which the at least one depression has at least one wetting surface that is countersunk with respect to the surface of the flat substrate and is at least partly bounded by a line-type edge which, at the same time, is an edge of a trench structure provided within the depression and countersunk with respect to the wetting surface and/or is determined by a discontinuous change in a wetting property for the free-flowing glass material that can be assigned to the wetting surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for structuring a flat substrate comprising a glass material during a viscous flow process in which a glass flat substrate is joined to a surface of another flat substrate which has at least one depression bounded by a circumferential edge located in the surface and during a subsequent tempering process in which the glass material is changed to a viscous free-flowing state in which at least proportions of the free-flowing glass material of the glass flat substrate flows over the circumferential edge into the depression in the other flat substrate, comprising:
providing the other flat substrate so that in at least one depression at least one wetting surface is present that is countersunk with respect to the surface of the other flat substrate and is at least partly bounded by another edge which, at the same time, is an edge of a trench provided within the depression and countersunk with respect to the wetting surface;
carrying out the tempering process so that the free-flowing glass material of the glass flat substrate is brought into contact with the wetting surface so that a wetting front forms along the another edge; and
ending the tempering process after the formation of a surface of the glass material, which extends between the wetting front and the circumferential edge without contact with the other flat substrate and that encloses a cavity within a sub-region of the depression.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
joining of the glass flat substrate to the surface of the other flat substrate by an anodic bonding or a direct bonding.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the glass flat substrate closes off the at least one depression to form a closed cavity trapping gas and joining the glass flat substrate takes place in the presence of a gas atmosphere at a predeterminable process pressure so that directly after joining of the glass flat substrate within the cavity gas from the gas atmosphere is enclosed.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
during tempering a controlled change in the process pressure is used to influence a shape of the surface of the glass material extending between the wetting front and the circumferential edge without contact with the other flat substrate.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
during the controlled change of the process pressure of the surface of the glass material, a concave surface is produced by reducing the process pressure and a convex surface is produced by increasing the process pressure.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
the tempering process is interrupted at least once, so that open access to the at least one cavity is created; and
thereafter the tempering process is continued.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:
the tempering process is interrupted at least once more while the at least one open access is closed, and
thereafter the tempering process is then continued.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
after completion of the tempering process, the glass flat substrate is separated from the other flat substrate to obtain a structured surface of the glass flat substrate; and
the structured surface of the glass flat substrate is a replica mould.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
after completion of the tempering process, the glass flat substrate is separated completely or in sub-regions from the other flat substrate and a structured surface of the glass flat substrate is obtained; and
at least the surface of the glass material, extending between the wetting front or originally between the wetting front and the circumferential edge without contact with the other flat substrate, is an optical surface of an optical element.

10. The method according to any claim 1 , wherein:
the other flat substrate comprises a glass material having a melting temperature higher than a melting temperature of the glass flat substrate.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
a semiconductor substrate or a ceramic substrate is the another flat substrate.

12. A method for structuring a flat substrate comprising a glass material during a viscous flow process in which the glass flat substrate is joined to a surface of another flat substrate which has at least one depression bounded by a circumferential edge located in the surface during a subsequent tempering process in which the glass material is changed to a viscous free-flowing state in which at least proportions of the free-flowing glass material of the glass flat substrate flows over the circumferential edge into the depression in the other flat substrate, comprising:
providing the other flat substrate so in at least one depression at least one wetting surface is present that is countersunk with respect to the surface of the other flat substrate and is at least partly bounded by another edge which is determined by a discontinuous change in a wetting property of the wetting surface for the free-flowing glass material wherein the wetting property of the wetting surface is selected so that surface modification occurs during wetting of the wetting surface with the free-flowing glass material having a dynamically spreading wetting front which spreads faster than on a surface which is not modified;
carrying out the tempering process so that the free-flowing glass material of the glass flat substrate contacts the wetting surface with a wetting front forming along the another edge; and
ending the tempering process after the formation of a surface of the glass material, with the formed surface extending between the wetting front and the circumferential edge without contact with the other flat substrate which encloses a cavity within a sub-region of the depression.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
joining of the glass flat substrate to the surface of the other flat substrate by an anodic bonding or a direct bonding.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
the glass flat substrate closes off the at least one depression to form a closed cavity trapping gas and joining the glass flat substrate takes place in the presence of a gas atmosphere at a predeterminable process pressure so that directly after joining of the glass flat substrate within the cavity gas from the gas atmosphere is enclosed.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein:
during tempering a controlled change in the process pressure is used to influence a shape of the surface of the glass material extending between the wetting front and the circumferential edge without contact with the other flat substrate.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein:
during the controlled change of the process pressure of the surface of the glass material, a concave surface is produced by reducing the process pressure and a convex surface is produced by increasing the process pressure.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein:
the tempering process is interrupted at least once, so that open access to the at least one cavity is created; and
thereafter the tempering process is continued.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein:
the tempering process is interrupted at least once more while the at least one open access is closed, and
thereafter the tempering process is then continued.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein:
after completion of the tempering process, the glass flat substrate is separated from the other flat substrate to obtain a structured surface of the glass flat substrate; and
the structure

Assignees

• Marenco Norman
• Quenzer Hans-Joachim
• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Marenco Norman
• Quenzer Hans-Joachim

Classifications

• C03B23/02 Primary

  Re-forming glass sheets · CPC title

• G02B6/4206

  Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/4214

  the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C03B40/02

  by lubrication; Use of materials as release or lubricating compositions · CPC title

• G02B6/43

  Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections · CPC title