Methods for laser cutting articles from ion exchanged glass substrates

Abstract

A method of cutting an article (172) from a chemically strengthened glass substrate (110) includes generating a pulsed laser beam (108) from a laser source (106). The pulsed laser beam (108) may have a pulse duration of less than about 1000 fs and an output wavelength such that the chemically strengthened glass substrate (110) is substantially transparent to the pulsed laser beam (108). The pulsed laser beam (108) may be focused to form a beam waist (109) that is positioned in the same horizontal plane as an inner tensile region (124) of the chemically strengthened glass substrate (110). The beam waist (109) may be translated in a first pass along a cut line (116), wherein the beam waist (109) traverses an edge (111) of the chemically strengthened glass substrate. The beam waist (113) may then be translated in a second pass along the cut line (116) such that a crack (119) propagates from the edge (113) along the cut line (116) ahead of the translated beam waist (109) during the second pass.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 237,726 filed on Aug. 28, 2009.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The present specification generally relates to methods for cutting an article from a glass substrate and, more specifically, to methods for laser cutting an article from a chemically strengthened glass substrate.[0004]2. Technical Background[0005]Thin chemically strengthened glass substrates have found wide-spread application in consumer electronics because of their excellent strength and damage resistance. For example, such glass substrates may be used as cover sheets for LCD and LED displays incorporated in mobile telephones, display devices such as televisions and computer monitors, and various other electronic devices. Such glass substrates used in consumer electronics devices may be formed by sectioning or separating a large glass substrate into a plurality of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Enables clean, controlled cutting of chemically strengthened glass substrates with improved edge strength and reduced debris, allowing for complex shapes and high-volume production without additional mechanical breaking steps.

Problems solved by technology

High surface compression and deep surface compressive layers are beneficial for scratch and damage resistance, but make it difficult to mechanically scribe the glass as in traditional scribe-and-bend processes.

Furthermore, if the stored elastic energy is sufficiently high, the glass will break in an explosive manner when the surface compression layer is penetrated.

In other instances, the release of the elastic energy may cause the break to deviate from a desired cut line, thereby damaging the glass substrate.

Additionally, the process of cutting or separating glass via laser ablation is relatively slow because the glass removal rate is very low.

Another issue with this technique is the poor edge finish quality, which is almost always left with weakening defects.

This type of process tends to generate a great deal of debris.

Scribe-and-bend and laser ablation processes may perform quite well in separation of non chemically strengthened glass in straight lines, but are limited in operations that involve cutting more complex shapes.

Furthermore, the challenge in cutting chemically strengthened glass can be much larger than for cutting other ordinary sheets of glass.

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