Electronic device having selectively strengthened glass

• US 10,676,393 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Douglas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frost, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US15/660,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• 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: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/001 in liquid phase, e.g. molten salts, solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/003 under application of an electrical potential difference
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/005 to introduce in the glass such metals or metallic ions as Ag, Cu
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed therein generally pertain to selectively strengthening glass. More particularly, techniques are described for selectively strengthening cover glass, which tends to be thin, for electronic devices, namely, portable electronic devices.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display positioned within the housing; and

a cover glass attached to the housing and defining;

an outward facing surface having;

a first amount of chemical strengthening; and

a first compressive layer extending along the outward facing surface and having a first peak compressive stress; and

an inward facing surface having;

a second amount of chemical strengthening that is less than the first amount of chemical strengthening and greater than zero; and

a second compressive layer extending along the inward facing surface and having a second peak compressive stress about equal to the first peak compressive stress.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first compressive layer has a first depth; and

the second compressive layer has a second depth less than the first depth.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cover glass has a thickness less than about 3 mm.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first compressive layer has a first total accumulated compressive stress; and

the second compressive layer has a second total accumulated compressive stress that is less than the first total accumulated compressive stress.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the cover glass defines a side surface along a side of the inward facing surface;

the second compressive layer extends along the inward facing surface and the side surface; and

the first compressive layer has a first depth greater than a second depth of the second compressive layer.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the cover glass defines a side surface along a side of the outward facing surface;

the first compressive layer extends along the outward facing surface and the side surface; and

the first compressive layer has a first depth greater than a second depth of the second compressive layer.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the cover glass defines a side surface along a side of the outward facing surface; and

an entirety of the inward facing surface is chemically strengthened to a lesser extent than the outward facing surface and the side surface.

8. An electronic device housing comprising:

a selectively chemically strengthened cover glass having;

an outward facing surface having a first level of chemical strengthening and a first peak compressive stress; and

an inward facing surface having;

an inner portion having a second level of chemical strengthening that is greater than zero and less than the first level of chemical strengthening and having a second peak compressive stress that is about equal to the first peak compressive stress; and

a peripheral portion surrounding the inner portion and having the second level of chemical strengthening.

9. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein a first width of the peripheral portion is less than a second width of the inner portion of the inward facing surface.

10. The electronic device housing of claim 8, wherein a first compressive layer of the outward facing surface is deeper than a second compressive layer of the inner portion of the inward facing surface.

11. The electronic device housing of claim 10, wherein the first compressive layer is deeper than a compressive layer of the peripheral portion of the inward facing surface.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing; and

a cover glass coupled to the housing, defining an outward facing surface and an inward facing surface, and comprising;

a first ion-exchanged region along the outward facing surface and having;

a first compressive layer depth; and

a first peak compressive stress; and

a second ion-exchanged region along the inward facing surface and having;

a second compressive layer depth less than the first compressive layer depth; and

a second peak compressive stress about equal to the first peak compressive stress.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the cover glass defines a side surface along a side of the outward facing surface; and

the first ion-exchanged region extends along the outward facing surface and the side surface.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the cover glass defines a side surface along a side of the inward facing surface; and

the second ion-exchanged region extends along the inward facing surface and the side surface.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein each of the first ion-exchanged region and the second ion-exchanged region comprises potassium ions.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the cover glass comprises an aluminosilicate glass.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the cover glass has a thickness less than about 1 mm.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a display; and

the cover glass is positioned over the display.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is a tablet computing device.