Methods of cutting a laminate strengthened glass substrate

• US 9,212,081 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Peng, Gaozhu, Li, Xinghua, Zhang, Rui
• Primary Examiner(s): FLORES SANCHEZ, OMAR
• Application Number:
  US13/800,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20140138420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 225/2, 225/5, 225/94, 225/96, 219/121.75, 219/121.67, 219/121.85, 219/121.72, 219/121.69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: C03B 33/07 Cutting armoured, multi-layered, coated or laminated, glass products
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/076 Laminated glass comprising interlayers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/093 using two or more focussed radiation beams
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/0955 using a focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/087 containing calcium oxide, e.g. common sheet or container glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/089 containing boron
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/091 containing aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/093 containing zinc or zirconium
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/57 Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening

Abstract

Methods of cutting laminate strengthened glass substrates are disclosed. A method is disclosed which includes providing a laminate strengthened glass substrate having a glass core layer with first and second surface portions, and at least one glass cladding layer fused to the first surface portion or the second surface portion of the glass core layer. The glass core layer has a core coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than a cladding coefficient of thermal expansion. The method further includes forming an edge defect on the laminate strengthened glass substrate, heating first and second regions of the laminate strengthened glass substrate on the at least one glass cladding layer. The first and second regions are offset from first and second sides of a desired line of separation, respectively. The method further includes propagating a crack imitated at the edge defect between the first and second regions.

Claims

1. A method of cutting a laminate strengthened glass substrate, the method comprising:

providing a laminate strengthened glass substrate comprising;

a glass core layer having a first surface portion and a second surface portion opposite the first surface portion;

at least one glass cladding layer fused to the first surface portion or the second surface portion of the glass core layer, wherein the glass core layer has an average core coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_core, and the at least one glass cladding layer has an average cladding coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_cladding which is less than the average core coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_core;

forming an edge defect at an edge of the laminate strengthened glass substrate;

heating a first region of the laminate strengthened glass substrate on the at least one glass cladding layer, wherein the first region is offset from a first side of a desired line of separation;

heating a second region of the laminate strengthened glass substrate on the at least one glass cladding layer, wherein the second region is offset from a second side of the desired line of separation, and the second region is simultaneously heated with the first region; and

propagating a crack along the desired line of separation between the first and second regions of the laminate strengthened glass substrate, wherein the crack is initiated at the edge defect.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a cooling jet at the edge defect.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising shielding the desired line of separation during the heating the first and second regions of the laminate strengthened glass substrate to prevent thermal energy from being applied to a surface of the laminate strengthened glass substrate along the desired line of separation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the laminate strengthened glass substrate in the first and second regions is greater than a temperature of the laminate strengthened glass substrate along the desired line of separation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the laminate strengthened glass substrate in the first and second regions is less than a strain point of the glass core layer and is less than a strain point of the at least one glass cladding layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first region is heated by scanning one or more laser beams back and forth along a first laser scan line on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the second region is heated by scanning the one or more laser beams back and forth along a second laser scan line on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first region is heated by advancing a first laser beam spot on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the second region is heated by advancing a second laser beam spot on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first region is heated by applying a first elongated laser beam spot on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer along an entire length of the laminate strengthened glass substrate; and

the second region is heated by a second elongated laser beam spot on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer along the entire length of the laminate strengthened glass substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the laminate strengthened glass substrate is configured as a laminate glass tube.

10. A method of cutting a laminate strengthened glass substrate, the method comprising:

providing a laminate strengthened glass substrate comprising;

a glass core layer having a first surface portion and a second surface portion opposite the first surface portion;

at least one glass cladding layer fused to the first surface portion or the second surface portion of the glass core layer, wherein the glass core layer has an average core coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_core, and the at least one glass cladding layer has an average cladding coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_cladding which is less than the average core coefficient of thermal expansion CTE_core;

forming a first reduced central tension zone extending along a desired line of separation, wherein the first reduced central tension zone is offset from a first side of the desired line of separation, and the first reduced central tension zone has a reduced tension CT₁ that is less than a center tension CT₂ along the desired line of separation;

forming a second reduced central tension zone extending along the desired line of separation, the second reduced central tension zone is offset from a second side of the desired line of separation, and the second reduced central tension zone has the reduced center tension CT₁ that is less than the center tension CT₂ along the desired line of separation; and

propagating a crack along the desired line of separation between the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising forming an edge defect at an edge of the laminate strengthened glass substrate prior to forming the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying a cooling jet at the edge defect following forming the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising shielding the desired line of separation prior to forming the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone are formed by scanning one or more laser beams back and forth along a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the shielding the desired line of separation comprises preventing the one or more laser beams from being incident on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer along the desired line of separation.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the second reduced central tension zone is formed simultaneously with the first reduced central tension zone.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first reduced central tension zone and the second reduced central tension zone are formed by heating a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first reduced central tension zone is formed by a first laser scan line on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer;

the second reduced central tension zone is formed by a second laser scan laser line on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the first laser scan line and the second laser scan laser line are formed by scanning one or more laser beams back and forth along an entire length of the laminate strengthened glass substrate.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first reduced central tension zone is formed by advancing a first laser beam spot on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the second reduced central tension zone is formed by advancing a second laser beam spot on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first reduced central tension zone is formed by applying a first elongated laser beam spot along an entire length of the first reduced central tension zone on a surface of the at least one glass cladding layer; and

the second reduced central tension zone is formed by applying a second elongated laser beam spot along the entire length of the second reduced central tension zone on the surface of the at least one glass cladding layer.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the center tension CT₂ along the desired line of separation is less than a native center tension CT₀ present within the laminate strengthened glass substrate outside of the first reduced central tension zone, the second reduced central tension zone, and the desired line of separation.