Glass welding method and glass layer fixing method

• US 9,236,213 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• 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:
  US13/511,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 65 335- 336, 65 43- 44, 156/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/54 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0006 taking account of the properties of the material involved B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/18 using absorbing layers on the workpiece, e.g. for marking or protecting purposes
• 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: 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

Abstract

At the time of temporary firing for fixing a glass layer 3 to a glass member 4, the glass layer 3 is irradiated with laser light L2 through the glass member 4 from the glass member 4 side. This fully heats a part of the glass layer 3 on the glass member 4 side and thus can improve the adhesion of the glass layer 3 to the glass member 4. Further, even when irradiated with the laser light L2 at such a laser power as to melt both edge parts of the glass layer 3, the part of the glass layer 3 on the side opposite from the glass member 4 (i.e., the part of the glass layer 3 fused to the other glass member) is prevented from being crystallized by excess heat input, whereby the fusing state of the glass layer 3 with respect to the other glass member can be made uniform.

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 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 melt the glass layer, 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 glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light through the first glass member from the first glass member side.

2. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light while the glass layer is located on the upper side of the first glass member in a vertical direction.

3. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation region of the first laser light has first regions respectively overlapping both edge parts in a width direction of the glass layer and a second region overlapping a center part between the edge parts and is moved along the region to be fused such that the first regions precede the second region.

4. A glass fusing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of irradiating a part of the glass layer arranged on the first glass member with third laser light before the step of fixing the glass layer to the first glass member, so as to melt a part of the glass layer, thereby forming a laser-light-absorbing part in the glass layer;

wherein the step of fixing the glass layer to the first glass member irradiates the glass layer with the first laser light while relatively moving the irradiation region of the first laser light along the region to be fused from the laser-light-absorbing part acting as an irradiation start position.

5. 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 layer, thereby fixing the glass layer to the first glass member;

wherein the glass layer is irradiated with the first laser light through the first glass member from the first glass member side.