Break resistant and shock resistant sapphire plate

• US 9,750,150 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Beckmann, Rudolf, Nolker, Sabine
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMPLE, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US14/453,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/115 Translucent or transparent products
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5031 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/081 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/403 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/513 using plasma jets
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/20 Aluminium oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 Absolute thicknesses specified

Abstract

A break resistant sapphire plate and a corresponding production process. The sapphire plate may include a planar sapphire substrate, and at least one shock absorbing layer arranged on a surface of the substrate. The shock absorbing layer may have a thickness of between 0.1% to 10% of the thickness of the substrate. The production process for producing the sapphire plate may include providing a planar sapphire substrate, and coating at least one surface of the substrate with a shock absorbing layer. The shock absorbing layer may include a layer thickness between 0.1% to 10% of the thickness of the substrate.

Claims

1. A sapphire plate, comprising:

a planar sapphire substrate; and

at least one shock absorbing layer selectively adhered to portions of a surface of the planar sapphire substrate, wherein the shock absorbing layer has;

a layer thickness between 0.1% to 10% of a thickness of the substrate; and

at least 50 wt.-% of amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

2. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing layer thickness is one of:

0.5% to 5%, 0.8% to 3%, 1% to 2%, or 1.2% to 1.5% of the thickness of the substrate.

3. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the sapphire substrate is one of:

200 μ

m to 2 mm, 300 μ

m to 1.5 mm, 500 μ

m to 1 mm or 600 μ

m to 800 μ

m.

4. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing layer thickness is one of at least:

1 μ

m, 1.5 μ

m, 2 μ

m, 3 μ

m, 4 μ

m or 5 μ

m.

5. The sapphire plate of claim 1, further comprising a connection positioned between the sapphire substrate and the shock absorbing layer, perpendicular to an axis of the sapphire substrate, wherein the connection has a smaller tensile strength than at least one of the sapphire substrate or the shock absorbing layer.

6. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the coated surface of the sapphire substrate substantially coincides with the crystalline A axis of sapphire.

7. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing layer consists of aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

8. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing layer comprises at least one of:

0 to 5 wt.-% of carbon, 0 to 10 wt.-% of hydrogen, and 0 to 5 wt.-% of nitrogen.

9. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the coated surface of the sapphire substrate substantially coincides with the crystalline C axis of sapphire.

10. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing layer is substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in a visible wavelength.

11. The sapphire plate of claim 1, wherein the sapphire substrate includes a first thermal expansion coefficient, and the shock absorbing layer includes a second thermal expansion coefficient, distinct from the first thermal expansion coefficient of the sapphire substrate.

12. A sapphire composite, comprising:

a sapphire component exhibiting a first tensile strength; and

a layer having a thickness of 0.1% to 10% of a thickness of the sapphire component and exhibiting a second tensile strength and coupled to the sapphire component along an interface defined between the sapphire component and the layer, wherein;

a tensile strength of the composite at the interface is less than the first and second tensile strengths; and

the layer has at least 50 wt.-% of amorphous aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

13. The sapphire composite of claim 12, wherein the layer is configured to distribute force received at the layer away from the sapphire component.

14. The sapphire composite of claim 12, wherein:

the sapphire component has a first hardness; and

the layer has a second hardness that differs from the first hardness.

15. The sapphire composite of claim 12, wherein the layer is coupled to the sapphire component via at least one of:

a sputtering process; and

a plasma-assisted CVD process.

16. A sapphire composite, comprising:

a sapphire structure;

a layer adhered directly to the sapphire structure and having at least 50 wt.-% of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and a thickness between 0.1% to 10% of a thickness of the substrate;

and an array of connections positioned along an interface between the sapphire structure and the layer, wherein the layer is affixed to the sapphire structure at the array of connections.

17. The sapphire composite of claim 16, wherein each of the array of connections defines a localized region of the layer that is affixed to the sapphire structure.

18. The sapphire composite of claim 16, wherein the layer is configured to deform.

19. The sapphire composite of claim 16, wherein the layer is separable from the sapphire structure in response to an impact force.

20. The sapphire composite of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the layer is at least 1% of a thickness of the sapphire substrate.