Glass welding method

• US 9,073,778 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JODI COHEN
• Application Number:
  US13/509,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120234048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 65/43, 156/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/57 the laser beam entering a face of the workpiece from which it is transmitted through the workpiece material to work on a different workpiece face, e.g. for effecting removal, fusion splicing, modifying or reforming
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 23/245 Hollow glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/076 Laminated glass comprising interlayers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 33/091 using at least one focussed radiation beam, e.g. laser beam C03B33/0955 takes precedence
• 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: Y02P 40/57 Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

Abstract

Glass layers 3 are molten by irradiation with laser light L, so as to generate a temperature difference in a part along regions to be fused R in each of glass substrates 40, 50 so that main faces 40a, 50a on the glass layer 3 side have a temperature higher than that on main faces 40b, 50b on the opposite side of the glass layers 3. Thereafter, the molten glass layers 3 solidify, and cooling generates a stress in the glass substrates 40, 50. Here, since initial fractures 8 are formed in the glass substrate 50 so as to overlap the glass layers 3, fractures grow in the thickness direction of the glass substrates 40, 50 through the glass layers 3 from the initial fractures 8 acting as a start point.

Claims

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

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

forming an initial fracture in at least the second glass substrate in the first and second glass substrates such that the initial fracture overlaps the glass layer when seen in a thickness direction of the first and second glass substrates; and

irradiating the glass layer with laser light such that at least a part of the initial fracture is included in the laser light while relatively moving an irradiation region of the laser light along the region to be fused, so as to pass the glass layer and the first and second glass substrates through a heating stage and a cooling stage by the irradiation of the glass layer with laser light, thereby fusing and cleaving the first and second glass substrates along the region to be fused;

wherein in the heating stage the glass layer is molten and a temperature difference is generated in a part along the region to be fused in each of the first and second glass substrates so that a main face on the glass layer side has a temperature higher than that on a main face on the opposite side of the glass layer in each of the first and second glass substrates; and

wherein in the cooling stage the molten glass layer is solidified and by a stress occurring during cooling a fracture is grown in a thickness direction of the first and second glass substrates through the glass layer from the initial fracture acting as a start point, and

wherein in the cooling stage, the fracture grows beyond a border between the first and second glass substrates and the glass layer.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the laser light through the second glass substrate from the second glass substrate side.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the initial fracture is formed on the main face on the opposite side of the glass layer in the second glass substrate.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the laser light such that a peak value of a beam profile in a width direction of the glass layer substantially coincides with the initial fracture.

5. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein when the region to be fused has a corner, the glass layer has an intersection at the corner.