Methods of cutting glass using a laser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938180-B2
Application number	US-201313836717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Jun 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A method of cutting a glass article includes translating a laser beam relative to a first surface of the glass article. The laser beam includes a beam waist having a center. The center of the beam waist of the laser beam is positioned at or below a second surface of the glass article. The laser beam creates a plurality of defects along a score line in the glass article such that the plurality of defects extends a distance into the glass article, and at least some individual defects of the plurality of defects are non-orthogonal to the first surface of the glass article and are biased in a direction of translation of the laser beam. Glass articles having edge defects are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of scoring a glass article comprising:
translating a laser beam relative to a first surface of the glass article, the laser beam comprising a beam waist having a center, wherein:
the center of the beam waist of the laser beam is positioned at or below a second surface of the glass article such that the laser beam passes through a thickness of the glass article;
the laser beam operates at a wavelength from 350 nanometers to 619 nanometers and has a pulse duration from about 1 nanosecond to about 50 nanoseconds;
the laser beam creates a plurality of defects in the form of voids or cracks along a score line in the glass article such that the plurality of defects extends a distance into the glass article from the second surface; and
at least some individual defects of the plurality of defects are non-orthogonal to the first surface of the glass article and are biased in a direction of translation of the laser beam
wherein the glass article is an ion-exchanged glass article having a first strengthened surface layer and a second strengthened surface layer under a compressive stress and extending from a surface of the ion-exchanged glass article to a depth of layer, and a central region between the first strengthened surface layer and the second strengthened surface layer that is under tensile stress, and the plurality of defects extends a distance greater than the depth of layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam is oriented orthogonally to the first surface of the glass article.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam is translated relative to the glass article at a speed S greater than about 20 millimeters per second.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser beam is translated relative to the glass article at a speed S greater than about 200 millimeters per second.

5. The method of claim l , wherein the central region has a tensile stress between about 20 and about 30 megapascals, and the plurality of defects extends through about half of the thickness of the ion-exchanged glass article.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the central region has a tensile stress greater than about 40 megapascals, and a majority of a length of the plurality of defects is within the first or second strengthened layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of defects creates a crack that propagates within the glass article such that the glass article separates along the score line into one or more separated glass articles.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising finishing one or more edges of the one or more separated glass articles such that the one or more edges have a surface roughness below about 100 μm root mean squared.

9. A method of separating an ion-exchanged glass article comprising:
translating a laser beam relative to a first surface of the ion-exchanged glass article, the laser beam comprising a beam waist having a center, wherein:
the ion-exchanged glass article comprises a first strengthened surface layer and a second strengthened surface layer under a compressive stress and extending from a surface of the ion-exchanged glass article to a depth of layer, and a central region between the first strengthened surface layer and the second strengthened surface layer that is under tensile stress;
the center of the beam waist of the laser beam is positioned at or below a second surface of the ion-exchanged glass article such that the laser beam passes through a thickness of the ion-exchanged glass article;
the laser beam operates at a wavelength from 350 nanometers to 619 nanometers and has a pulse duration from about 1 nanosecond to about 50 nanoseconds;
the laser beam ablates the second surface of the ion-exchanged glass article to create a plurality of defects in the form of voids or cracks that extend from ablated regions on the second surface of the ion-exchanged glass article;
the plurality of defects defines one or more score lines along the ion-exchanged glass article;
at least some individual defects of the plurality of defects are non-orthogonal to the first surface of the ion-exchanged glass article and are biased in a direction of translation of the laser beam;
at least a portion of the plurality of defects extends a distance greater than the depth of layer of the ion-exchanged glass article; and
the plurality of defects creates a crack that propagates within the ion-exchanged glass article such that the ion-exchanged glass article separates along the one or more score lines.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the crack does not propagate ahead of the laser beam in a direction of translation of the laser beam.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein individual defects of the plurality of defects are discrete with respect to one another prior to separation of the ion-exchanged glass article.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of defects extends into the distance of the glass article without changing a vertical position of the beam waist.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Abramov Anatoli Anatolyevich
• Zhou Naiyue

Classifications

• Y10T428/24471

  Crackled, crazed or slit · CPC title

• B65G2249/04

  Arrangements of vacuum systems or suction cups · CPC title

• B23K26/359

  by providing a line or line pattern, e.g. a dotted break initiation line · CPC title

• B23K26/364

  for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove · CPC title

• B23K2103/54

  Glass · CPC title