Glass substrate forming mold and production method for glass substrate

• US 6,539,750 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuyama, Fujio, Tokunaga, Tomokazu, Onoda, Minoru, Hibino, Kunio, Takagi, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): VINCENT, SEAN E
• Application Number:
  US09/719,695
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 65/64, 65/90, 651/03, 651/06, 652/75, 653/05, 653/18, 653/22, 653/55, 653/741, 653/741.1, 653/741.3
• US Class Current: 65/64
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 11/082 having profiled, patterned or microstructured surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 11/088 Flat discs
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 11/12 Cooling, heating, or insulating the plunger, the mould, or the glass-pressing machine; cooling or heating of the glass in the mouldC03B9/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2215/41 Profiled surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2215/44 Flat, parallel-faced disc or plate products
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2215/46 Lenses, e.g. bi-convex
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2215/65 Means for releasing gas trapped between glass and press die

Abstract

A glass material (4) is placed in a forming die including a pair of upper and lower dies (1, 2) and a control member (3) for controlling the space between the upper and the lower die, and then heated, softened, and molded by pressure into a glass substrate in the shape of a parallel plate. The amount of thermal contraction of the control member is smaller than that of the glass material. Therefore, the glass substrate is released from the die when cooled after molding. The present invention can provide a glass substrate that is excellent in smoothness and form accuracy of the surface, and that is suitable for recording media such as magnetic disks that are inexpensive and suitable for mass production.

Claims

1. A glass substrate forming die for manufacturing a glass substrate in a shape of a parallel plate, comprising:

a pair of upper and lower dies, and

a control member for controlling a space between the upper and lower dies,

wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the control member is smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material used for the glass substrate.

2. The glass substrate forming die according to claim 1, wherein a relationship between an outer diameter X and a thickness Y of the glass substrate satisfies X>

40 Y.

3. The glass substrate forming die according to claim 1, wherein the control member controls the space between the upper and lower dies to be 1 mm or less.

4. The glass substrate forming die according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper and lower dies is provided with a concavity in the central portion thereof.

5. The glass substrate forming die according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of concavities are provided.

6. A method for manufacturing a glass substrate comprising:

placing a glass material in a forming die including a pair of upper and lower dies and a control member for controlling a space between the upper and lower dies;

molding the glass material into a glass substrate in a shape of a parallel plate by pressure,

wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the control member is smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass material, and the glass material comes into point-contact with the forming die when placed therein, and as a contact portion between the glass material and the forming die is increased by pressure molding, the glass material is transformed continuously so as to prevent air from entering the contact portion.

7. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 6, wherein a vertical cross section of the glass material is circular or elliptical.

12. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 6, wherein a relationship between an outer diameter X and a thickness Y of the glass substrate satisfies X>

40 Y.

13. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 6, wherein the control member controls a space between the upper and lower dies to be 1 mm or less.

14. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the upper and lower dies is provided with a concavity in a central portion thereof.

15. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of concavities are provided.

8. A method for manufacturing a glass substrate comprising:

a first step of placing a glass material in a forming die including a pair of upper and lower dies and a control member for controlling a space between the upper and lower dies;

a second step of heating and softening the glass material;

a third step of molding the glass material into a glass substrate in a shape of a parallel plate by pressure;

a fourth step of cooling the glass substrate; and

a fifth step of taking out the glass substrate,

wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the control member is smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass material.

9. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 8, wherein application of pressure is continued until a temperature of the glass substrate reaches at least a glass transition temperature in the fourth step.

10. A method for manufacturing a glass substrate comprising:

a first step of placing a glass material on a saucer;

a second step of heating and softening the glass material;

a third step of placing the glass material, which rests on the saucer, in a forming die including a pair of upper and lower dies and a control member for controlling a space between the upper and lower dies;

a fourth step of molding the glass material into a glass substrate in a shape of a parallel plate by pressure;

a fifth step of cooling the glass substrate; and

a sixth step of taking out the glass substrate,

wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the control member is smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass material.

11. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 10, wherein application of pressure is continued until a temperature of the glass substrate reaches at least a glass transition temperature in the fifth step.

16. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 11, wherein the glass material comes into point-contact with the forming die when placed therein, and as a contact portion between the glass substrate and the forming die is increased by pressure molding, the glass substrate is transformed continuously so as to prevent air from entering the contact portion.

17. The method for manufacturing a glass substrate according to claim 11, wherein a vertical cross section of the glass material is circular or elliptical.