Method of treating the surface of a soda lime silica glass substrate, surface-treated glass substrate, and device incorporating the same

• US 8,541,792 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomsen, Scott V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sengdara, Vongsavanh
• Application Number:
  US12/923,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20120091475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/E21.214, 257/E33.053, 257/E33.06, 438/30, 438/758, 204/192.11, 359/885
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/245 by deposition from the vapour phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/31 Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/08 Oxides C23C14/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3442 using an ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133302 Rigid substrates, e.g. inorganic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133337 Layers preventing ion diffusion, e.g. by ion absorption
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/09 inorganic glass

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to methods of treating the surface of a soda lime silica glass substrate, e.g., a soda lime silica alkali ion glass substrate, and the resulting surface-treated glass articles. More particularly, certain example embodiments of this invention relate to methods of removing a top surface portion of a glass substrate using ion sources. During or after removal of this portion, the glass may then be coated with another layer, to be used as a capping layer. In certain example embodiments, the glass substrate coated with a capping layer may be used as a color filter and/or TFT substrate in an electronic device. In other example embodiments, the glass substrate with the capping layer thereon may be used in a variety of display devices.

Claims

1. A method of making a display device, the method comprising:

ion beam milling substantially an entire surface of a glass substrate using at least a first ion source, so as to reduce the thickness of the glass substrate by at least about 100 Angstroms, wherein the glass substrate comprises from about 67-75% SiO₂, about 6-20% Na₂O, and about 5-15% CaO;

forming a coated article by depositing only a single layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide directly on and contacting the ion beam milled surface of the glass substrate via ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD), during or following said ion beam milling, wherein said IBAD uses at least one sputtering target and at least a second ion source; and

making a TFT substrate for the display device by employing the coated article as a base of the TFT substrate, so that the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide is located between TFTs and the glass substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide, is deposited from an Al and Si inclusive target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide, has a thickness of from about 200 to 300 Angstroms.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide, has an index of refraction of no greater than about 1.55.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide, has an optical extinction coefficient k of about 0.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion beam milling reduces the thickness of the glass substrate by from about 150 to 250 Angstroms.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide is substantially the same as the thickness by which the glass substrate was reduced as a result of said ion beam milling.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide, is greater than the thickness by which the glass substrate was reduced as a result said ion beam milling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the IBAD involves argon ions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate is a soda lime silica low iron glass substrate.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a color filter substrate; and

disposing a layer of liquid crystal material between the color filter substrate and the TFT substrate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said milling is performed in an Ar and O₂ inclusive gaeous environment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion beam milling and the deposition of the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide result in at least about 90% of alkali and alkaline ions, and sulfates, carbonates being prevented from migrating from the glass substrate into any functional layers of the device as compared to a situation where the glass substrate is not ion beam milled and where the layer is not deposited.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said ion beam milling and the deposition of the layer comprising aluminum silicon oxide result in at least about 95% of alkali and alkaline ions, and sulfates, carbonates in the glass substrate being prevented from migrating from the glass substrate into any functional layers of the device.