Laser welding transparent glass sheets using low melting glass or thin absorbing films

• US 10,069,104 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Dabich, II, Leonard Charles, Logunov, Stephan Lvovich, Quesada, Mark Alejandro, Streltsov, Alexander Mikhailovich
• Primary Examiner(s): Menz, Laura
• Application Number:
  US15/655,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20180138445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/206 Laser sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/40 Symmetrical or sandwich layers, e.g. ABA, ABCBA, ABCCBA
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/20 Inorganic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0825 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0831 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0843 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/206 Organic displays, e.g. OLED
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/06 characterised by the heating method
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/04 Interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 23/203 Uniting glass sheets C03B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2204/00 Glasses, glazes or enamels with special properties
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2207/00 Compositions specially applicable for the manufacture of vitreous enamels
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/32 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0025 by a laser beam
• 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 27/08 with the aid of intervening metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/12 Silica-free oxide glass compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/14 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/16 : containing phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/23 : containing halogen and at least one oxide, e.g. oxide of boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/247 : containing fluorine and phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 4/0071 : for laserable 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: H10K 2102/00 : Constructional details relating to the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 : Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/50 : Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques

Abstract

A method of sealing a workpiece comprising forming an inorganic film over a surface of a first substrate, arranging a workpiece to be protected between the first substrate and a second substrate wherein the inorganic film is in contact with the second substrate; and sealing the workpiece between the first and second substrates as a function of the composition of impurities in the first or second substrates and as a function of the composition of the inorganic film by locally heating the inorganic film with a predetermined laser radiation wavelength. The inorganic film, the first substrate, or the second substrate can be transmissive at approximately 420 nm to approximately 750 nm.

Claims

1. A bonding method comprising:

forming an inorganic film over a surface of a first substrate;

positioning a second substrate in contact with the inorganic film; and

locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength to form a weld region comprising a bond between the first and second substrates and extending from a first depth in the first substrate to a second depth in the second substrate,

wherein the inorganic film comprises at least one inorganic film element and wherein one or both of the first and second substrates comprises at least one inorganic substrate element; and

wherein a first inorganic film element concentration of the first or second substrate in the weld region is higher than a second inorganic film element concentration of the first or second substrate outside the weld region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging workpiece between the first and second substrates prior to locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bond between the first and second substrates is formed as a function of the composition of impurities in the first or second substrates and as a function of the composition of the inorganic film through the local heating of the inorganic film with laser radiation having the predetermined wavelength.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second inorganic film over a surface of the second substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic film element is chosen from F, P, Sn, B, Bi, Zn, Ti, W, Ce, Nb, Pb, Fe, Va, Cr, Mn, Mg, Ge, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic film element concentration is at least about 5 mol % higher than the second inorganic film element concentration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a first substrate element concentration of the weld region is higher than a second substrate element concentration of the inorganic film outside the weld region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one inorganic substrate element is chosen from Al, B, Si, Na, Li, K, Mg, Ca, Ba, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first substrate element concentration is at least about 30 mol % higher than the second substrate element concentration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic film has the following composition:

20-100 mol % SnO;

0-50 mol % SnF₂; and

0-30 mol % P₂O₅ or B₂O₃.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic film has the following composition:

10-80 mol % B₂O₃;

5-60 mol % Bi₂O₃; and

0-70 mol % ZnO.

12. A bonding method comprising:

forming an inorganic film over a surface of a first substrate;

positioning a second substrate in contact with the inorganic film; and

locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength to form a weld region comprising a bond between the first and second substrates and extending from a first depth in the first substrate to a second depth in the second substrate,

wherein the inorganic film comprises at least one inorganic film element and wherein one or both of the first and second substrates comprises at least one inorganic substrate element; and

wherein a first substrate element concentration of the weld region is higher than a second substrate element concentration of the inorganic film outside the weld region.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising arranging a workpiece between the first and second substrates prior to locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation.

14. A bonding method comprising:

forming an inorganic film over a surface of a first substrate;

positioning a second substrate in contact with the inorganic film; and

locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength to form a stress region comprising a bond between the first and second substrates and extending from a first depth in the first substrate to a second depth in the second substrate,

wherein a first stress in the stress region is greater than a second stress outside of the stress region.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising arranging workpiece between the first and second substrates prior to locally heating the inorganic film with laser radiation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the bond between the first and second substrates is formed as a function of the composition of impurities in the first or second substrates and as a function of the composition of the inorganic film through the local heating of the inorganic film with laser radiation having the predetermined wavelength.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a second inorganic film over a surface of the second substrate.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first stress ranges from greater than about 1 MPa to about 25 MPa.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a ratio of the first stress to the second stress ranges from about 1.1:

1 to about 25;

1.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the stress region has a thickness ranging from about 20 microns to about 500 microns.

21. A sealed device comprising:

an inorganic film formed over a surface of a first substrate;

a second substrate in contact with the inorganic film; and

a stress region comprising a bond formed between the first and second substrates and extending from a first depth in the first substrate to a second depth in the second substrate,

wherein a first stress in the stress region is greater than a second stress outside of the stress region.

22. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the inorganic film, and optionally at least one of the first or second substrates is transmissive at wavelengths ranging from about 420 nm to about 750 nm.

23. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or second substrates comprises a glass, glass-ceramic, ceramic, polymer, or metal.

24. The sealed device of claim 21, further comprising a second inorganic film formed over a surface of the second substrate.

25. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the inorganic film has a thickness ranging from about 0.1 microns to about 10 microns.

26. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the inorganic film has the following composition:

20-100 mol % SnO;

0-50 mol % SnF₂; and

0-30 mol % P₂O₅ or B₂O₃.

27. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the inorganic film has the following composition:

10-80 mol % B₂O₃;

5-60 mol % Bi₂O₃; and

0-70 mol % ZnO.

28. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the stress region has a thickness ranging from about 20 microns to about 500 microns.

29. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein the first stress ranges from greater than about 1 MPa to about 25 MPa.

30. The sealed device of claim 21, wherein a ratio of the first stress to the second stress ranges from about 1.1:

1 to about 25;

1.