Glass welding method and glass layer fixing method

• US 9,227,871 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• 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): FRANKLIN, JODI COHEN
• Application Number:
  US13/511,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 65/43, 65/36, 156/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 23/245 Hollow glass sheets
• 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

Abstract

A glass layer 3 is irradiated with laser light L1 for temporary firing, so that a main portion 32 of the glass layer 3 excluding a one portion 31 thereof and extending like a ring open at the one portion 31 is molten and fixed to a glass member 4. As a consequence, the one portion 31 of the glass layer 3 in which the glass frit 2 is not molten exists between one end 32a and the other end 32b of the glass layer 3 fixed to the glass member 4. Superposing a glass member 5 on the glass member 4 with the glass layer 3 interposed therebetween in this state and irradiating the one portion 31 and main portion 32 of the glass layer 3 with second laser light L2, so as to fuse the glass members 4, 5 to each other, can prevent leaks from occurring in the glass layer 3, thereby making it possible to manufacture a glass fusing structure 1 which requires hermetic fusing.

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 laser-light-absorbing material and a glass powder on the first glass member along a region to be fused extending like a closed ring;

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 a main portion of the glass layer extending like a ring open at a one portion of the glass layer, thereby fixing the main portion of the glass layer to the first glass member; and

superposing the second glass member on the first glass member having the main portion of 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.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the region to be fused has a linear part;

and

wherein one and the other ends of the main portion of the glass layer oppose each other in the linear part through the one portion of the glass layer.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer further contains a binder and is irradiated with the first laser light such as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder in the main portion of the glass layer and gasify the binder without melting the glass powder in the one portion of the glass layer.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 3, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light such that the first laser light has an irradiation power lower in the one portion of the glass layer than in the main portion of the glass layer.

5. A glass fusing method according to claim 3, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light such that the first laser light has a moving speed higher in the one portion of the glass layer than in the main portion of the glass layer.

6. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer further contains a binder;

wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light such that the main portion of the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light so as to gasify the binder and melt the glass powder without irradiating the one portion of the glass layer with the first laser light; and

wherein the glass layer is irradiated with third laser light so as to gasify the binder in the one portion of the glass layer after irradiating the glass layer with the first laser light but before irradiating the glass layer with the second laser light.

7. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the second laser light while relatively moving the irradiation region of the second laser light along the region to be fused such that the second laser light has an irradiation power higher in the one portion of the glass layer than in the main portion of the glass layer.

8. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the second laser light while relatively moving the irradiation region of the second laser light along the region to be fused such that the second laser light has a moving speed lower in the one portion of the glass layer than in the main portion of the glass layer.

9. 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 on the first glass member along a region to be fused extending like a closed ring; 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 a main portion of the glass layer extending like a ring open at a one portion of the glass layer, thereby fixing the main portion of the glass layer to the first glass member.