A method and apparatus for splitting non-metallic substrates includes a laser for generating a laser beam. An integrated cracking device receives the laser beam and directs the laser beam onto a non-metallic substrate to define the heat affected zone and quench the substrate at a quenching region contained within the heat affected zone. This integrated cracking device includes a housing and optics fitted within the housing for receiving and directing the laser beam onto the substrate. A quenching nozzle is mounted on the housing for quenching the substrate at a quenching region defined within the heat affected zone.

Method and apparatus for separating non-metallic materials

A method for separating a thin glass sheet, such as a glass film along a predefined cutting line provides the cutting line immediately has a temperature of greater than 250 K below the transformation point Tg of the glass of the thin sheet of glass, including the input of energy along the cutting line using a laser beam which acts such that a separation of the thin glass sheet occurs

Method for cutting thin glass with special edge formation

A method for separating individual optoelectronic devices, such as LEDs, from a wafer includes directing a laser beam (256) having a width toward a major surface of the semiconductor wafer. The laser beam has an image with a first portion of a first energy per unit width and a second portion of a second energy per unit width less than the first energy. The laser beam image (266) cuts into the first major surface of the semiconductor wafer to produce individual devices.

Laser separated die with tapered sidewalls for improved light extraction

Small sheet glass plates (2) of this type with a predetermined geometrical structure are conventionally produced by being cut out of a larger sheet glass plate (1). The small sheet glass plates (2) that have been separated in this way, together with a jointing cement, in particular a solder frame (3) consisting of glass solder are then attached to other components, for example to be used in 'electronic packaging'. In order to improve handling during the production and the jointing of the small sheet glass plates (2), the invention provides a larger sheet glass plate (2) which is patterned on both sides using a screen-printing or stencil-printing process and preferably using laser beam treatment along desired predetermined breaking points (5). Said larger glass plate can then be separated into smaller, patterned plates, i.e. the small sheet glass plates (2), whose shape is geometrically determined, by a simple, preferably mechanical breaking process. A separation by an abrasive cutting-off process can also be carried out, if the larger sheet glass plate (2) is positioned on a supporting material.

Method for producing small, sheet glass plates and larger sheet glass plates as semi-finished products for producing the former

The cutting of these rectangular plates with predetermined edge lengths is typically effected by means of a laser, which is displaced along the cutting lines, in conjunction with a trailing cooling spot for inducing a thermomechanical stress that is greater than the breaking strength of the glass, and by means of a mechanically induced initial crack at the beginning of the cutting line. When the flat glass plate (1) is in an initial position, a number of parallel first cutting lines (1-3) are made. Afterwards, the flat glass plate (1) that is cut up in such a manner is rotated 90°, and the partial plates (2-5) are moved apart by virtue of the fact that a displaceable table segment of a cutting table is assigned to each partial plate. In this position, several parallel second cuts (4-9) are then made that are perpendicular to the first cuts, whereby, on each partial plate, an initial crack is induced on the leading edge. This enables the cutting up process to be effected in a working action with exact optimal placement of the initial crack on the plate edges.

Method and device for cutting a flat glass plate into a number of rectangular plates

The method involves a relative motion of the workpiece material (1) and a symmetric heat radiation spot (3) along a separation line (2), with subsequent cooling of the heated separation line section. The heat radiation spot has a higher radiation intensity on its edge zone and a maximum temperature at its back end. The spot with higher heat radiation on a V or U shaped curve (4) has a maximum temperature which is below the melting point of the workpiece material at the vertex (16). The apparatus includes a heat radiation source, particularly a laser, and an optical system for producing a radiation spot with the required characteristics. It further includes means for producing a relative motion of the workpiece and the heat radiation spot, as well as means for subsequent cooling the radiated separation line.

Heinz-Georg Geissler

Papers

Process and apparatus for splitting flat pieces of brittle material, particularly of glass