Sapphire laminates

• US 10,052,848 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Prest, Christopher D., Memering, Dale N., Pakula, David A., Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Yan, Vincent, Huey, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Z. Jim
• Application Number:
  US13/783,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20130236699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,998 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10045 with at least one intermediate layer consisting of a glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10119 having a composition deviating from the basic composition of soda-lime glass, e.g. borosilicate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10733 containing epoxy
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 18/00 Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/00 Layered products characterised by the relation between layers; Layered products characterised by the relative orientation of features between layers, or by the relative values of a measurable parameter between layers, i.e. products comprising layers having different physical, chemical or physicochemical properties; Layered products characterised by the interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/022 Mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/03 with respect to the orientation of features direction of fibres or filaments B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/002 comprising natural stone or artificial stone
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/00 Joining pieces of glass to pieces of other inorganic material; Joining glass to glass other than by fusing C03C17/00 takes precedence; layered structures comprising at least one glass sheet B32B17/00; wired glass C03B; joining glass to ceramics C04
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/76 Crystal structural characteristics, e.g. symmetry
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/787 Oriented grains
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/343 Alumina or aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/52 Pre-treatment of the joining surfaces, e.g. cleaning, machining
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/704 of one or more of the ceramic layers or articles
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/115 Translucent or transparent products
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 37/001 directly with other burned ceramic articles
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 37/008 by means of an interlayer consisting of an organic adhesive, e.g. phenol resin or pitch
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 37/047 by means of an interlayer consisting of an organic adhesive, e.g. phenol resin or pitch
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/20 : Aluminium oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 33/06 : Joining of crystals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin

Abstract

Various sapphire and laminate structures are discussed herein. One embodiment may take the form of a sapphire structure having a first sapphire sheet with a first sapphire plane type forming the major surface and a second sapphire sheet having a second different sapphire plane type forming the major surface. The first and second sapphire sheets are fused together to form the sapphire structure.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a height, a width greater than the height, and a length greater than the width; and

a cover glass, comprising;

a first sapphire sheet that is a single crystal structure having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, each surrounded by four minor surfaces, including two first minor surfaces parallel to the length of the housing and two second minor surfaces parallel to a width of the housing, the first sapphire sheet configured to receive a touch input; and

a second sapphire sheet that is a single crystal structure having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, each surrounded by four additional minor surfaces, including two third minor surfaces parallel to the length of the housing and two fourth minor surfaces parallel to a width of the housing, the second sapphire sheet configured to couple to the housing; and

an adhesive in direct contact with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet and bonding the first sapphire sheet to the second sapphire sheet, wherein;

the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet has a first sapphire crystallographic plane orientation and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet has a second sapphire crystallographic plane orientation that differs from the first sapphire crystallographic plane orientation

the two first minor surfaces and the two second minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet are coplanar with the two third minor surfaces and the two fourth minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet, respectively; and

a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two first minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is different from a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two third minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover glass is less than 1 mm thick.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover glass comprises a chamfered edge, the chamfered edge comprises one of a rounded chamfer or an angled chamfer.

4. An electronic device comprising:

a cover having a height, a width greater than the height, and a length greater than the width and comprising a sapphire structure, the sapphire structure comprising;

a first sapphire sheet that is a single sapphire crystal, the first sapphire sheet having a first major surface defining a user input surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface;

a second sapphire sheet that is a single sapphire crystal having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, the second sapphire sheet joined to the first sapphire sheet along a bonding interface that is parallel with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, the second sapphire sheet configured for engagement with a separate component of the electronic device along the fourth major surface; and

an adhesive directly contacting the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, wherein;

the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet have a common sapphire crystallographic plane orientation;

the first and second sapphire sheets each have four minor surfaces;

each of the minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is coplanar with a corresponding one of the minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet; and

at least one of the minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet and at least one of the minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet are parallel to the length of the cover and have different sapphire crystallographic plane orientations.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the cover comprises at least one of:

a cover glass;

a back plate;

or

a lens for a camera.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a cover glass having a height, a width orthogonal to the height, and a length orthogonal to the width, the cover glass comprising;

a first sapphire sheet that is a single crystal and including a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, and four minor surfaces surrounding the first and second major surfaces and including two first minor surfaces parallel to the length of the cover glass and two second minor surfaces parallel to a width of the cover glass, the first sapphire sheet positioned at an exterior of the electronic device;

a second sapphire sheet that is a single crystal and including a third major surface, a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, and four additional minor surfaces surrounding the third and fourth major surfaces and including two third minor surfaces parallel to the length of the cover glass and two fourth minor surfaces parallel to the width of the cover glass; and

an adhesive in direct contact with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, wherein;

the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet have a common sapphire crystallographic plane orientation;

the two first minor surfaces and the two second minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet are coplanar with the two third minor surfaces and the two fourth minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet, respectively; and

a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two first minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is different from a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two third minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface; and

the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface; and

the fourth major surface of the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising an oleophobic coating on at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising an ink coating on at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the adhesive includes an index of refraction approximately equal to an index of refraction of at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.