US 12,318,869 B2
Method of structuring a glass element and structured glass element produced thereby
Andreas Ortner, Gau-Algesheim (DE); Fabian Wagner, Mainz (DE); Markus Heiss-Chouquet, Bischofsheim (DE); Annika Hörberg, Mainz (DE); Michael Drisch, Mainz (DE); Vanessa Glässer, Mainz (DE); Lukas Walter, Oestrich-Winkel (DE); Andreas Koglbauer, Trebur (DE); Lars Müller, Wiesbaden (DE); David Sohr, Mainz (DE); Bernd Hoppe, Ingelheim (DE); and Michael Kluge, Offenbach am Main (DE)
Assigned to SCHOTT AG, Mainz (DE)
Filed by SCHOTT AG, Mainz (DE)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/546,724.
Claims priority of application No. 20212702 (EP), filed on Dec. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0176494 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. C03B 33/02 (2006.01); B23K 26/0622 (2014.01); B23K 26/362 (2014.01); B23K 103/00 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 26/362 (2013.01) [B23K 26/0622 (2015.10); C03B 33/0222 (2013.01); B23K 2103/54 (2018.08)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of structuring a glass element having a first side face and a second side face, comprising:
producing a filament-shaped flaw in the glass element, the filament-shaped flaw extending transversely to first and second side faces of the glass element, wherein the step of producing the filament-shaped flaw comprises:
directing a pulsed laser beam onto the first side face of the glass element, the glass element being transparent for the pulsed laser beam,
focusing, using focusing optics, the pulsed laser beam to form a focus line in the glass element such that the pulsed laser beam has an intensity within the focus line that is sufficient to produce the filament-shaped flaw, and
adjusting the focus line so that the filament-shaped flaw ends within the glass element;
etching to remove glass in the filament-shaped flaw to form a wall extending from the first side face towards the second side face, the wall having a boundary line that is tapered at a vertex between the wall and the first side face with a taper angle with respect to a perpendicular of the first side face; and
adjusting the taper angle by controlling a feature of the focus line, the feature being selected from a group consisting of a position of the focus line, a length of the focus line between the first and second side faces, an intensity distribution of the focus line, and any combinations thereof, wherein the etching step further comprises selecting a feature of an etching bath to adjust the taper angle, wherein the feature is selected from a group consisting of a molarity of the etching bath, a viscosity of the etching bath, an etch time, and any combinations thereof.