SAPPHIRE LAMINATES

• US 20130236699A1
• Filed: 03/02/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Prest, Christopher D., Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Memering, Dale N., Pakula, David A., Yan, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 10,052,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/157
• 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. A sapphire structure comprising:

a first sapphire sheet having a first sapphire plane type forming the major surface; and

a second sapphire sheet having a second sapphire plane type forming the major surface, the second sapphire sheet fused to the first sapphire sheet to form the sapphire structure.

2. The sapphire structure of claim 1, wherein the first sapphire sheet comprises a C-plane sheet.

3. The sapphire structure of claim 1, wherein the second sapphire sheet comprises an A-plane sheet.

4. The sapphire structure of claim 1, wherein at least one edge of the sapphire structure is parallel to a sapphire plane.

5. The sapphire structure of claim 1, wherein at least one edge of the sapphire structure comprises a first sheet edge oriented at a first angle with respect to the crystal planes and a second sheet edge oriented at a second angle with respect to the crystal planes.

6. The sapphire structure of claim 5, wherein at least one edge of the sapphire structure is oriented parallel to a C-plane.

7. The sapphire structure of claim 1, wherein the sapphire structure is less than 1 mm thick.

8. The sapphire structure of claim 1, comprising a chamfered edge, wherein the chamfered edge comprises one of a rounded chamfer or an angled chamfer.

9. A sapphire structure comprising:

a first sapphire sheet; and

a second sapphire sheet fused to the first sapphire sheet, the first and second sapphire sheets having a common sapphire plane type forming the major surface and wherein at least the matching edges of the two sheets have different crystallographic orientations.

10. The sapphire structure of claim 9, wherein the first and second sapphire sheets have one of a C-plane or A-plane oriented major surface.

11. The sapphire structure of claim 9, wherein the at least one edge of the sapphire structure is oriented parallel to at least one of a C-plane, an A-plane or an m-plane.

12. A glass assembly comprising:

a glass sheet; and

a sapphire sheet adhered to the glass sheet, wherein the assembly is less than or approximately equal to 1 mm thick.

13. The glass assembly of claim 12, wherein the sapphire sheet is adhered to a first side of the glass sheet, wherein the glass assembly further comprises a second sapphire sheet adhered to a second side of the glass sheet.

14. The glass assembly of claim 13, wherein the total thickness of the glass assembly is less than 1.5 mm thick.

15. The glass assembly of claim 13, wherein the sapphire sheet and the second sapphire sheet have a common sapphire plane type forming the major surface.

16. The glass assembly of claim 15, wherein the sapphire sheet and the second sapphire sheet have one of a C-plane or A-plane oriented major surface.

17. The glass assembly of claim 13, wherein matching edges of the sapphire sheet and the second sapphire sheet have different crystallographic orientations.

18. A method of manufacturing a glass assembly comprising:

lapping and polishing a first side of a sapphire sheet;

adhering the sapphire sheet to a glass sheet;

lapping and polishing a second side of the sapphire sheet; and

chemically strengthening the glass sheet.

19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 further comprising applying an oleophobic or ink mask coating on at least one of the glass or the sapphire sheets

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising polishing the glass sheet.