Glass sealing with transparent materials having transient absorption properties

• US 10,011,525 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Logunov, Stephan Lvovich, Quesada, Mark Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Stephen C
• Application Number:
  US15/584,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20170233289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1635 at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1638 focusing the laser beam on the interface
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/06 Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing fusing C03B23/20; units for use as elements for closing wall or like openings and comprising two or more parallel glass panes in spaced relationship, the panes being permanently secured together E06B3/66
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/247 containing fluorine and phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 4/085 for ultraviolet absorbing glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 8/24 Fusion seal compositions being frit compositions having non-frit additions, i.e. for use as seals between dissimilar materials, e.g. glass and metal; Glass solders
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/023 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02348 treatment by exposure to UV light
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/483 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0216 using an intermediate compound, e.g. a glue or solder
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

Transparent glass-to-glass hermetic seals are formed by providing a low melting temperature sealing glass along a sealing interface between two glass substrates and irradiating the interface with laser radiation. Absorption by the sealing glass and induced transient absorption by the glass substrates along the sealing interface causes localized heating and melting of both the sealing glass layer and the substrate materials, which results in the formation of a glass-to-glass weld. Due to the transient absorption by the substrate material, the sealed region is transparent upon cooling.

Claims

1. A sealed device comprising:

a non-frit, low T_g glass sealing layer formed over a surface of a first substrate; and

a device protected between the first substrate and a second substrate,

wherein the glass sealing layer is in contact with the second substrate, and

wherein the device is hermetically sealed between the first and second substrates as a function of a composition of impurities in the first or second substrates and as a function of a composition of the glass sealing layer through a local heating of the glass sealing layer with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the glass sealing layer comprises:

20-100 mol % SnO;

0-50 mol % SnF₂; and

0-30 mol % P₂O₅ or B₂O₃.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the impurities in the first or second substrates are selected from the group consisting of As, Fe, Ga, K, Mn, Na, P, Sb, Ti, Zn, Sn and combinations thereof.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates have different lateral dimensions, different CTEs, different thicknesses, or combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second substrates is a glass substrate.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the other of the first and second substrates is a ceramic substrate or a metal substrate.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second substrates is a glass substrate having (a) an absorption of laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength that is less than 15% at room temperature and (b) an induced transient absorption of the laser radiation that is greater than 15% at a sealing temperature greater than 400°

C.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined wavelength is chosen from UV wavelengths.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the glass sealing layer ranges from about 100 nm to 10 microns.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the glass sealing layer is optically transparent.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the glass sealing layer is free of fillers.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, a quantum dot, and combinations thereof.

13. A sealed device comprising:

a glass film formed over a surface of a first substrate; and

a device protected between the first substrate and a second substrate,

wherein the glass film is in contact with the second substrate,

wherein the device is hermetically sealed between the first and second substrates, and

wherein at least one of the first and second substrates is a glass substrate having (a) an absorption of laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength that is less than 15% at room temperature and (b) an induced transient absorption of the laser radiation that is greater than 15% at a sealing temperature greater than 400°

C.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the glass film comprises a non-frit, low T_g glass.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the glass film comprises:

20-100 mol % SnO;

0-50 mol % SnF₂; and

0-30 mol % P₂O₅ or B₂O₃.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the glass film is optically transparent.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the glass film is free of fillers.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein a thickness of the glass film ranges from about 100 nm to 10 microns.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein one of the first and second substrates is a ceramic substrate or a metal substrate.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, a quantum dot, and combinations thereof.