Method of strengthening glass plate

• US 8,245,535 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Vacuum Coating Technologies Co., Ltd., Avct Optical Electronic Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Applied Vacuum Coating Technologies Co., Ltd., Avct Optical Electronic Co., Ltd
• Inventors: Weng, Chien-Min, Chu, Tzu-Wen, Huang, Chiao-Ning, Wang, Fu-Jen, Chou, Shih-Liang, Lee, I-Wen, Cheng, Ching-Hsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRING, LISA L
• Application Number:
  US12/575,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110056244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 65/301.4
• US Class Current: 65/30.14
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/006 by plasma or corona discharge

Abstract

A method of strengthening glass plate is provided. A plasma treating process is performed on a glass plate so that a surface pore variation of the glass plate after the plasma treating process is reduced relative to the surface pore variation of the glass plate before the plasma treating process, wherein the surface pore variation is a variation degree of surface pores in different unit areas of the glass plate. In the mean time, a melted network crosslinking structure is formed on the surface of the glass plate. Based on the above-mentioned mechanisms, the glass plate is strengthened. The plasma treating process is conducive to strengthen the glass plate whether the plasma treating process is performed before or after the conventional chemical strengthening process.

Claims

1. A method of strengthening a glass plate, the method comprising:

performing a plasma treating process on both surfaces of a glass plate so that a plasma of the plasma treatment directly contacts the surfaces of the glass plate and a surface pore variation of the glass plate after the plasma treating process is reduced relative to the surface pore variation of the glass plate before the plasma treating process, wherein the surface pore variation comprises a variation of an average size of pores in different unit areas of the surface, a variation of an average density of pores in different unit areas of the surface, a variation of an average depth of pores in different unit areas of the surface, or a variation of a relief of pores in different unit areas of the surface; and

after the plasma treating process, performing a chemical strengthening process on both surfaces of the glass plate to form a strengthened thin layer, and

performing a post-plasma treating process on both surfaces of the glass plate after the chemical strengthening process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the glass plate have a network crosslinking structure after performing the plasma treating process to enhance the strength of the glass plate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma treating process is performed under a low pressure lower than 10 mtorr.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the low pressure is 0.5 mtorr to 3 mtorr.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plasma gas of the plasma treating process comprises air, Ar gas, N₂ gas, He gas, O₂ gas, H₂ gas, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a flow rate of the plasma gas is substantially 10 sccm to 200 sccm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a power of the plasma treating process is substantially 500 W to 2,000 W.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the glass plate is substantially 0.2 mm to 5.0 mm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of performing the chemical strengthening process comprises submerging the glass plate in a chemical solution under a process temperature.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the process temperature is substantially 300°

C. to 500°

C.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the chemical solution comprises potassium nitrate, or a mixed chemical mainly consisting of potassium nitrate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a material of the glass plate comprises soda-lime glass, boro-silicate glass, or alumino-silicate glass.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the strengthened thin layer is an ion exchanged layer, wherein a thickness of the strengthened thin layer is substantially 5 μ

m to 100 μ

m.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the post-plasma treating process is performed under the same conditions as the plasma treating process.