Perforated mother sheet for partial edge chemical strengthening and method therefor

• US 9,944,554 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hong, Seung Jae, Feinstein, Casey J., Huang, Lili, Kang, Sunggu, Sung, Kuo-Hua, Zhong, John Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Tremesha S
• Application Number:
  US13/233,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20130068505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 174255, 174250, 174256, 174258, 174262
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

Methods for chemically strengthening the edges of glass sheets are provided. Voids can be formed in a mother sheet. The edges of these voids may correspond to a portion of the new edges that would normally be created during separation and free shaping of the mother sheet. The mother sheet can then be immersed in a chemical strengthener. The edges of the voids can be chemically strengthened in addition to the front and back sides of the mother sheet. After thin film processing and separation, each of the resulting individual sheets has been chemically strengthened on both sides and on a portion of its edges.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming one or more voids passing through a mother sheet of glass from a first surface of the mother sheet to a second surface of the mother sheet opposite the first surface;

processing the mother sheet to strengthen one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet, the processing of the mother sheet to strengthen the one or more edges includes at least chemically strengthening of the one or more edges using ion exchange; and

separating the mother sheet to form a plurality of individual sheets,

wherein at least one of the one or more voids are formed along an entire length of at least one edge of one or more of the plurality of individual sheets, and

wherein at least a portion of each of the individual sheets is a component for a touch sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the mother sheet after strengthening the one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet to form conductive traces on the mother sheet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising filling the one or more voids with a plug material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the one or more voids in the mother sheet includes shaping and locating the one or more voids to form the one or more edges.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the one or more voids in the mother sheet includes shaping and locating the one or more voids to create one or more tabs connecting the mother sheet to a plurality of pre-singulated sheets, the tabs configured for minimizing unstrengthened edges of the plurality of pre-singulated sheets after separation from the mother sheet, and

wherein separating the mother sheet to form the plurality of individual sheets includes separating the plurality of pre-singulated sheets from the mother sheet at the one or more tabs to form the plurality of individual sheets.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring a width of the tabs to minimally accommodate a plurality of conductive traces for testing the pre-singulated sheets prior to separation from the mother sheet.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising filling the one or more voids with a plug material prior to forming the conductive traces on the mother sheet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein strengthening the one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet comprises applying a global strengthening treatment to the mother sheet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the mother sheet to strengthen the one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet comprises applying a localized strengthening treatment to the mother sheet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the localized strengthening treatment includes applying an edge polish to the one or more edges of the one or more voids.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the localized strengthening treatment includes applying a chemical etch to the one or more edges of the one or more voids.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the localized strengthening treatment includes applying an acid polish to the one or more edges of the one or more voids.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the global strengthening treatment includes immersing the mother sheet into a chemical strengthener.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein separating the mother sheet to form the plurality of individual sheets includes separating along a path of separation that intersects at least one of the one or more voids.

15. A method comprising:

forming one or more voids in a mother sheet of glass;

processing the mother sheet using ion exchange to strengthen one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet;

filling the one or more voids with a plug material;

processing the mother sheet to form conductive traces on the mother sheet;

removing the plug material from the one or more voids; and

subsequent to removing the plug material, separating the mother sheet to form a plurality of individual sheets, wherein at least one entire edge length of at least one of the plurality of individual sheets forms an edge of at least one of the one or more voids;

wherein at least a portion of a perimeter of each of the plurality of individual sheets is chemically strengthened.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the one or more voids in the mother sheet includes shaping and locating the one or more voids to form the one or more edges.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein strengthening the one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet further comprises applying a localized strengthening treatment to the mother sheet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the localized strengthening treatment includes applying an edge polish to the one or more edges of the one or more voids.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the localized strengthening treatment includes applying a chemical etch to the one or more edges of the one or more voids.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein separating the mother sheet to form the plurality of individual sheets includes separating along a path of separation that intersects at least one of the one or more voids.

21. A method comprising:

forming one or more voids passing through a mother sheet of glass;

processing the mother sheet to strengthen one or more edges of the one or more voids in the mother sheet, the processing of the mother sheet to strengthen the one or more edges includes at least chemically strengthening of the one or more edges using ion exchange; and

separating the mother sheet to form a plurality of individual sheets, after processing the mother sheet,

wherein at least one side of the one or more voids are formed along an entire length of at least one side of at least one of the plurality of individual sheets,

wherein at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of at least one of the plurality of individual sheets is strengthened.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method comprises:

after chemical strengthening the one or more edges and before the separating, processing the mother sheet to form conductive traces on the mother sheet.