GLASS WELDING METHOD AND GLASS LAYER FIXING METHOD

• US 20120247153A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 65/43
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/54 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0006 taking account of the properties of the material involved B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/18 using absorbing layers on the workpiece, e.g. for marking or protecting purposes
• 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 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: H01J 9/261 the vessel being for a flat panel display for flat discharge lamps H01J9/268

Abstract

When melting a glass layer 3 by irradiation with laser light L1 along a region to be fused R, the glass layer 3 is irradiated with the laser light L1 having a first heat input along the region to be fused R, so as to gasify a binder and melt a glass frit 2, and the heat input is switched when the melting ratio of the glass layer 3 in a direction intersecting an advancing direction of the laser light L1 exceeds a predetermined value, so as to irradiate the glass layer 3 with the laser light L1 having a second heat input smaller than the first heat input along the region to be fused R, thereby gasifying the binder and melting the glass fit 2, thus fixing the glass layer 3 to a glass member 4.

Claims

1. A glass fusing method for manufacturing a glass fusing structure by fusing first and second glass members to each other, the method comprising the steps of

arranging a glass layer containing a binder, a laser-light-absorbing material, and a glass powder on the first glass member along a region to be fused;

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light having a first heat input, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, and, while switching from the first heat input to a second heat input smaller than the first heat input when the melting ratio of the glass layer in a direction intersecting an advancing direction of the first laser light exceeds a predetermined value, irradiating the glass layer with the first laser light having the second heat input along the region to be fused, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member; and

superposing the second glass member on the first glass member having the glass layer fixed thereto with the glass layer interposed therebetween and irradiating the glass layer with the second laser light along the region to be fused, so as to fuse the first and second glass members to each other.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first heat input to the second heat input is effected by lowering the irradiation power of the first laser light.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first heat input to the second heat input is effected by raising the advancing speed of the first laser light with respect to the glass layer.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first heat input to the second heat input is effected after a lapse of a predetermined time from the beginning of the irradiation with the first laser light.

5. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first heat input to the second heat input is effected when the intensity of thermal radiation light emitted from the glass layer rises to a predetermined value.

6. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching from the first heat input to the second heat input is effected when the intensity of reflected light of the first laser light reflected by the glass layer drops to a predetermined value.

7. A glass fixing method for manufacturing a glass-layer-fixed member by fixing a glass layer to a first glass member, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging a glass layer containing a binder, a laser-light-absorbing material, and a glass powder on the first glass member along a region to be fused; and

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light having a first heat input, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, and, while switching from the first heat input to a second heat input smaller than the first heat input when the melting ratio of the glass layer in a direction intersecting an advancing direction of the first laser light exceeds a predetermined value, irradiating the glass layer with the first laser light having the second heat input along the region to be fused, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member.