Glass welding method and glass layer fixing method

• US 9,016,091 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): DEHGHAN, QUEENIE S
• Application Number:
  US13/511,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 65/43, 65/592.1, 65/592.2
• US Class Current: 65/43
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0869 Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/211 with interposition of special material to facilitate connection of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/244 Overlap seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/324 involving non-metallic parts
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0025 by a laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 27/06 Joining glass to glass by processes other than fusing fusing C03B23/20; units for use as elements for closing wall or like openings and comprising two or more parallel glass panes in spaced relationship, the panes being permanently secured together E06B3/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/261 the vessel being for a flat panel display for flat discharge lamps H01J9/268
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/268 the vessel being flat
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/40 Closing vessels

Abstract

A glass layer 3 is irradiated with laser light L2 for temporary firing in order to gasify a binder and melt the glass layer 3, thereby fixing the glass layer 3 to a glass member 4. Here, an irradiation region of the laser light L2 has regions A1, A2 arranged along an extending direction of a region to be fused R and is moved along the region to be fused R such that the region A1 precedes the region A2. The region A2 irradiates the glass layer 3 before the glass layer 3 molten by irradiation with the region A1 solidifies. This makes the glass layer 3 take a longer time to solidify, whereby the binder gasified by irradiation with the region A1 of the laser light L2 is more likely to escape from the glass layer 3.

Claims

1. A glass fusing method for manufacturing a glass fusing structure by fusing first and second glass members to each other, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging a glass layer containing a binder, a laser-light-absorbing material, and a glass powder with a predetermined width on the first glass member along an extending region to be fused;

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member; and

superposing the second glass member on the first glass member having the glass layer fixed thereto with the glass layer interposed therebetween and irradiating the glass layer with second laser light, so as to fuse the first and second glass members to each other;

wherein the irradiation region of the first laser light has first and second regions arranged along the extending direction of the region to be fused and is moved along the region to be fused such that the first region precedes the second region; and

wherein the second region irradiates the glass layer before the glass layer molten by irradiation with the first region solidifies,

the irradiation region of the first laser light, when an area of the glass layer is irradiated, is relatively moved along the region to be fused such that a time from the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point until end of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light is longer than a time from start of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light until the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the first laser light has an intensity higher in the first region than in the second region.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second regions are joined to each other.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second regions are separated from each other.

5. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the first laser light irradiates the glass layer through the first glass member from the first glass member side.

6. A glass layer fixing method for manufacturing a glass-layer-fixed member by fixing a glass layer to a first glass member, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging the glass layer containing a binder, a laser-light-absorbing material, and a glass powder with a predetermined width on the first glass member along an extending region to be fused; and

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused, so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member;

wherein the irradiation region of the first laser light has first and second regions arranged along the extending direction of the region to be fused and is moved along the region to be fused such that the first region precedes the second region; and

wherein the second region irradiates the glass layer before the glass layer molten by irradiation with the first region solidifies,

the irradiation region of the first laser light, when an area of the glass layer is irradiated, is relatively moved along the region to be fused such that a time from the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point until end of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light is longer than a time from start of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light until the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point.

7. A glass layer fixing method for manufacturing a glass-layer-fixed member by fixing a glass layer to a first glass member, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging the glass layer containing a laser-light-absorbing material and a glass powder with a predetermined width on the first glass member along an extending region to be fused; and

irradiating the glass layer with first laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused, so as to melt the glass powder, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member;

wherein the irradiation region of the first laser light has first and second regions arranged along the extending direction of the region to be fused and is moved along the region to be fused such that the first region precedes the second region; and

wherein the second region irradiates the glass layer before the glass layer molten by irradiation with the first region solidifies,

the irradiation region of the first laser light, when an area of the glass layer is irradiated, is relatively moved along the region to be fused such that a time from the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point until end of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light is longer than a time from start of the irradiation of the area with the first laser light until the area reaching a temperature equal to or greater than melting point.