Method for Fabricating Thin Sheets of Glass

• US 20090324939A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhong, John Z., Hotelling, Steve Porter, Chang, Shih Chang, Feinstein, Casey J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,673,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/337
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/241 Methods
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/242 for plate glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 15/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by etching etching or surface-brightening compositions, in general C09K13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 19/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by mechanical means sand-blasting, grinding, or polishing glass B24
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0274 Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/266 of base or substrate

Abstract

Fabrication of thin sheets of glass or other substrate material for use in devices such as touch sensor panels is disclosed. A pair of thick glass sheets, typically with thicknesses of 0.5 mm or greater each, may each be patterned with thin film on a surface, sealed together to form a sandwich with the patterned surfaces facing each other and spaced apart by removable spacers, either or both thinned on their outside surfaces to thicknesses of less than 0.5 mm each, and separated into two thin glass sheets. A single thick glass sheet, typically with a thickness of 0.5 mm or greater, may be patterned, covered with a protective layer over the pattern, thinned on its outside surface to a thickness of less than 0.5 mm, and the protective layer removed. This thinness of less than 0.5 mm may be accomplished using standard LCD equipment, despite the equipment having a sheet minimum thickness requirement of 0.5 mm.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating thin sheets of glass, comprising:

providing a first sheet of glass having a first thickness;

providing a second sheet of glass having a second thickness;

joining the first and second sheets of glass together;

thinning at least one of the first and second thicknesses; and

separating the first and second sheets of glass from each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second thicknesses is 0.5 mm or greater prior to the thinning.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

patterning a first layer of thin film on a surface of the first sheet of glass; and

patterning a second layer of thin film on a surface of the second sheet of glass.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the joining comprises joining the first and second sheets of glass together with the surfaces having the patterned first and second layers of thin film facing each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the joining comprises sealing the edges of the first and second sheets of glass together.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the joining comprises inserting a spacer between the first and second sheets of glass to provide space therebetween.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thinning comprises thinning the at least one of the first and second thicknesses to less than 0.5 mm.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the thinning comprises thinning the at least one of the first and second thicknesses on the surfaces of the respective at least one of the first and second sheets of glass opposite the surfaces having the patterned first and second layers of thin film.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the thinning comprises at least one of chemical etching and mechanical polishing.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a third layer of thin film on a surface of the first sheet of glass; and

forming a fourth layer of thin film on a surface of the second sheet of glass,

wherein the third and fourth layers of thin film are formed after the thinning.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating comprises unsealing sealed-together edges of the first and second sheets of glass.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating comprises removing spacers forming space between the first and second sheets of glass.

13. A method for fabricating a thin sheet of glass comprising:

providing a sheet of glass having a first thickness of at least 0.5 mm;

applying a protective layer of material having a second thickness to a surface of the sheet of glass;

thinning the first thickness to less than 0.5 mm; and

removing the protective layer of material from the surface of the sheet of glass.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

thinning the second thickness to less than 0.5 mm.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thinning of the first and second thicknesses occur concurrently.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the protective layer of material comprises a laminate.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the thinning comprises thinning the surface of the sheet of glass opposite the surface having the protective layer applied thereon.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the removing comprising at least one of chemical etching and mechanical polishing.

19. A thin glass sheet for a touch sensor panel, comprising:

a glass substrate having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm; and

a pattern of thin film formed on a surface of the glass substrate.

20. The thin glass sheet of claim 19, further comprising:

a coating of thin film formed on a surface of the glass substrate opposite the patterned surface.

21. The thin glass sheet of claim 19, the thin glass sheet formed within a touch sensor panel.

22. The thin glass sheet of claim 21, the touch sensor panel incorporated within a computing system.

23. A mobile telephone including a touch sensor panel containing a patterned thin sheet of glass having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm.

24. A digital media player including a touch sensor panel containing a patterned thin sheet of glass having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm.