Method for producing a component from a substrate, and component

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a component (1) from a substrate (2) made of brittle material, wherein the component (1) is separated from the substrate (2) in a separating step. For this purpose, an opening (4) is first produced in the substrate (2) along a contour (3) of the component (1) in a contouring step, as a result of which circumferential edge surfaces (5) of the component (1) are produced. Furthermore, a connection segment (6) is formed on at least one edge surface (5), which connection segment interrupts the opening (4) in sections and forms a predetermined breaking point. In addition, a material weakening (8) following the contour (3) is introduced into the connection segment (6) in the contouring step. The invention further relates to a component (1) made of brittle material, wherein the component (1) has a plurality of edge surfaces (5) which circumferentially delimit the component (1). At least one of the edge surfaces (5) contains at least one breaking surface.

Description

[0001] Applicant:

[0002] LPKF Laser & Electronics SE

[0003] Osteriede 7

[0004] 30827 Garbsen

[0005] Our reference: LPK-241-PCT July 22, 2025

[0006] Method for manufacturing a component from a substrate as well as component

[0007] The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a component from a substrate made of brittle material, wherein the component is separated from the substrate in a separation step. For this purpose, a perforation is first created in the substrate along a contour of the component in a contouring step, thereby creating at least one circumferential edge surface of the component. In addition, at least one connecting segment is formed on at least one edge surface, which interrupts the perforation section by section and forms a predetermined breaking point. Additionally, a material weakening following the contour is introduced into the connecting segment in the contouring step.

[0008] The invention further relates to a component made of brittle material, wherein the component has several edge surfaces that circumferentially define the component. At least one of the edge surfaces includes at least one fracture surface.

[0009] In applications of glass microstructuring, specifically through modification and subsequent etching of the glass, the resulting microstructured components are often simultaneously separated from a larger substrate, such as a wafer or panel. Similarly, larger areas are frequently extracted from the substrate to form windows.

[0010] One approach to separating the components from the substrate is full cutting, in which the cut-out component falls into the etching bath and is collected, for example, in a sieve. Another approach to creating windows is to completely dissolve the material to be removed in the etching bath. However, these approaches have disadvantages. There is a risk of contamination with the separated components, especially when using hydrofluoric acid. The components must be cleaned very thoroughly, and the hydrofluoric acid neutralized, which can take up to 24 hours. When creating windows, dissolving larger quantities of material takes several hours to days and can alter the composition of the etching bath. The consumption of the etching solution leads to fluctuations in the etching rate, necessitating frequent replacement of the etching solution, which incurs high costs.

[0011] Another approach is to cut the wafer or panel after the microstructuring etching process, for example by laser ablation, glass cutting, or sawing. However, this approach has the disadvantage that the cutting methods used generate dirt, which can also adhere to the components and cause mechanical damage and cracks in the material.

[0012] An alternative approach also involves providing connection points or predetermined breaking points, through which the components remain fixed in the substrate during etching and can be easily broken after etching.

[0013] In this context, DE 10 2017 106 372 A1 describes a method for precisely separating workpieces from a substrate along defined external and / or internal contours. This is achieved through the controlled relative movement of a laser beam and the workpiece along a predetermined machining contour. During this movement, laser pulses are emitted at specific spatial and / or temporal intervals. The parameters of these pulses are set such that the workpiece is locally modified within its volume. After this modification, the workpiece undergoes an etching treatment. During this etching process, the modifications are removed, creating one or more precisely defined material weakenings that serve as predetermined breaking points. Additionally, the combination of laser radiation and etching creates at least one separating cut surface in the workpiece, forming the desired external and / or internal contour.This process takes place in a continuous step during the ongoing relative movement of the laser and workpiece. The power and / or focus of the laser radiation are varied to introduce modifications for material weakening and the cut surface. This method enables the precise and efficient fabrication of microstructures and components from glass or other materials, minimizes contamination risks, and reduces the need for complex cleaning and neutralization processes after processing. WO 2015 / 018 425 A1 also describes the removal of sections with areas ranging from 5 to 3000 cm². 2The process involves creating sections from a substrate, particularly glass, with a thickness of 0.1 to 10 mm, where the sections are initially only partially separated from the substrate. For this purpose, recesses are created along the desired outer contour of the sections to be separated. These recesses extend completely through the substrate in the direction of its thickness and are interrupted in sections by rib-like residual connections that continue to link the sections to the substrate. These recesses are produced by laser-induced selective etching. As already explained, laser-induced selective etching essentially comprises two process steps. In the first step, the substrate material is modified by laser radiation, whereby no material is removed, but only its structure is altered. This modification can occur both on the surface and within the substrate. In the second step, the modified material is selectively etched.To avoid the need for post-processing of the individual sections, laser-induced selective etching can introduce an edge geometry deviating from the surrounding sharp edge, such as a radius, chamfer, groove, and / or rebate, even during the incomplete separation process. The actual separation of the individual sections, i.e., the severing of the remaining web-like connections, is then achieved through mechanical breaking. For this purpose, the remaining web-like connection has a reduced thickness and / or width compared to the thickness of the substrate, specifically less than 50 pm. This weakening of the material creates a predetermined breaking point. Furthermore, the predetermined breaking point can be formed by multiple microchannels or material stresses, which are also introduced into the substrate using laser-induced selective etching.

[0014] DE 10 2021 116 398 A1 also discloses a method for separating elements from a substrate, particularly one made of glass, by initially only partially separating the elements from the substrate through the formation of recesses along their outer contour. At most 50, but preferably one to three, webs extending over the entire thickness of the substrate remain between the elements and the remaining substrate. The recesses are formed by laser-induced selective etching, whereby the areas of the substrate forming the recesses are modified by laser radiation and the modified areas are subsequently etched. The final separation of the elements from the substrate is achieved by mechanically breaking the remaining webs, with a connection point between the webs and the elements forming a predetermined breaking point.To prevent defects such as small material protrusions or shell-like indentations and / or cuts along the contour of the elements, the predetermined breaking point is structured to control the stress distribution and thus the crack propagation. Methods such as mechanical scoring or laser-based techniques like ablation, stealth dicing, laser-based thermal cutting, or filamentation are used to create these pre-damages along the desired predetermined breaking point. In filamentation, a chain of through-holes, typically with a submicron diameter, or filament-shaped defects (which can also be through-holes), are created at predetermined intervals along the predetermined breaking point using a focused ultrashort pulse laser. Further design guidelines are described below.The elements separated from the substrate exhibit distinct surface areas due to the separation process, namely a fracture surface and an etched surface on their edge faces. The respective fracture surface, and thus also the ridges, should have a width of at least 20 µm and / or at least 0.5% of the largest lateral dimension of the elements, where the largest lateral dimension of the element is at least 1 mm and at most 100 mm. Furthermore, the sum of the surface area(s) of the etched surface(s) should constitute a proportion of at least 90% of the total edge surface area, with the fracture surface area comprising a maximum of 10%. The fracture surfaces, and thus the ridges, should extend along positions on the edge surface that are at least 2 / 3 of the maximum distance from the center of the upper and / or lower side faces of the elements.Furthermore, a fracture surface would either terminate at a corner of the element, or the distance from the edge of the fracture surface to a corner of the element would be less than the width of the fracture surface. Additionally, the mutual spacing of the webs, and thus the fracture surfaces, should be at least 20 pm, but at least half the thickness of the substrate.

[0015] However, the aforementioned methods still suffer from the disadvantage that the separation of the components from the substrate, as well as the design of the recesses and predetermined breaking points, are not sufficiently tailored to the microstructures inherent in the component. Particularly in cases of inadequate tailoring, undesirable component breakouts can occur during the formation of the webs and / or misfractions during the mechanical separation of the components, leading to defects in the components.

[0016] Against this background, the invention aims to provide a method of the type mentioned above in which the forming of the openings and connecting segments to be created for separating the components can be better adapted and / or aligned with the microstructures to be provided in the component, thereby ensuring both a high retention capacity, largely without breakage of the components during forming, and at the same time the separation of the components with the least possible force and without the formation of defects. Furthermore, the invention aims to provide a component of the type mentioned above which exhibits, at least to a large extent, no defects resulting from being separated from a substrate.

[0017] This problem is solved by a method according to the features of claim 1 and a component according to the features of claim 14. Further embodiment of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0018] According to the invention, a method is provided for producing at least one component, particularly a planar component, from a substrate made of brittle material, especially glass. In a preferred embodiment, the material is at least partially transparent to a laser beam. Equally preferred, several components are produced from the substrate. The at least one component can also be a removable element, particularly a planar element such as a window, within the component itself. The component itself can, in turn, form a substrate.

[0019] According to the invention, in at least one contouring step, and in particular by including at least one process parameter of the contouring step, a perforation is formed along a contour of the component to be formed, in particular at least one perforation following the contour, in particular a linear perforation in the substrate, thereby forming at least one circumferential edge surface of the component that delimits the component towards the perforation, preferably several circumferential edge surfaces of the component. When forming several edge surfaces, these preferably extend at least partially in a straight line, with a corner of the component being formed at a transition between two successive edge surfaces. However, such a corner could also be rounded, so that an edge surface in the area of ​​the corner could thus also be partially curved.

[0020] According to the invention, at least one connecting segment, e.g., at least one connecting web, is formed on at least one edge surface, which interrupts the at least one opening section by section. A common connecting surface of a respective connecting segment and the component forms a portion of an edge surface. In other words, a respective edge surface via which the component is connected to a connecting segment partially includes a common connecting surface of a respective connecting segment and the component. This at least one connecting surface also forms a predetermined breaking point along which the component can be separated, in particular, from the substrate. By forming the opening and the at least one connecting segment for each component, a substrate frame is also formed from and / or in the substrate, to which a respective component is connected via the at least one connecting segment.

[0021] Because at least one connecting segment is formed on at least one edge surface, there are numerous design possibilities regarding the number and arrangement of the connecting segments on the component's edge surfaces. It is conceivable that only one or more connecting segments, or in particular several connecting segments, are formed on only one or more than one edge surface, or in particular several edge surfaces. In a design with more than one connecting segment, or in particular several connecting segments, on more than one edge surface, the number of connecting segments per edge surface can also be the same or at least partially different.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the invention, in the contouring step, and in particular by including at least one process parameter of the contouring step, a material weakening following the contour of the component to be formed is introduced into each connecting segment. This material weakening is preferably linear and can therefore only comprise a small part of the connecting segment. This is the case, for example, if the connecting segment has a comparatively large extent transverse to the contour of the component, i.e., in particular, a greater width compared to the material weakening to be introduced. Alternatively, however, the material weakening can also be formed over the entire connecting segment, particularly if the connecting segment itself has a more linear design.The width of a connecting segment can be at most 500 pm, preferably at most 100 pm, and most preferably at most 50 pm.

[0023] Furthermore, according to the invention, the material weakening is introduced such that, after the contouring step, the proportion of the respective at least one connecting surface on the edge surface comprising the respective at least one connecting surface is 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35%, and particularly preferably 25% to 30%. This embodiment thus refers to the proportion of - only - one or more than one, in particular cumulative, connecting surface, for example, several, in particular cumulative, connecting surfaces on the one, in particular specific, edge surface comprising this connecting surface or surfaces.

[0024] On the other hand, the material weakening is introduced in such a way that, after the contouring step, the aforementioned proportion in the range of 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35%, and particularly preferably 25% to 30%, is a proportion of a total connecting surface encompassing all connecting surfaces to a total connecting edge surface, which includes all edge surfaces that have a connecting surface. In this embodiment, the proportion thus refers to the totality of all connecting surfaces relative to the totality of edge surfaces that contain a connecting surface.

[0025] Following the contouring step, in particular the forming of the opening and the creation of the at least one connecting segment, the component is then separated from the substrate in at least one separation step, preferably by mechanical breaking along a respective connecting surface which forms a predetermined breaking point. The at least one contouring step and / or the at least one separation step are preferably part of a separation process carried out within the framework of the inventive method for separating the at least one component from the substrate.

[0026] The aforementioned design of the proportion of the respective connecting surface or surfaces to the edge surface encompassing these connecting surface or surfaces, or the proportion of the total connecting surface to the total connecting edge surface, makes it extremely advantageous to ensure that, in particular, the opening to be formed and a respective connecting segment with material weakening are aligned with microstructures to be provided in the component, and that a respective component can be separated from the substrate with the least possible force and without the formation of defects.

[0027] Within the scope of the invention, and in particular the method according to the invention, it is generally provided that the previously described component, taking into account at least one process parameter of the contouring step, is formed by shaping the length, number, and / or material weakening of the connecting segments in the contouring step and is thus formed after the contouring step. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that in the contouring step, the at least one connecting segment, in particular the connecting segment or connecting segments, is formed with a necessary extent or total extent extending along the contour of the component, such that the component is formed taking into account the material weakening to be formed and / or already formed.The extension here refers in particular to a length, and the total extension in particular to the total length of a respective connecting segment or of all connecting segments in the direction of the contour of the component. The flexible design of the extension, in particular the length of the at least one connecting segment, advantageously allows the connecting segment or connecting segments to be adapted to the requirements of the component, especially with regard to its edge lengths, and thus, particularly taking into account the material weakening that also needs to be formed, always to provide the component according to the invention.

[0028] Particularly in connection with the aforementioned further development, but also in general, it proves advantageous if, during the contouring step, a respective connecting segment is formed with an extent extending along the contour of the component, in particular a length, between 0.2 mm and 1 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 1 mm, most preferably between 0.8 mm and 1 mm, and most preferably between 0.9 mm and 1 mm. Within this range or these ranges, there is an essentially optimal balance between high holding power, largely without breakage of the components during the forming of the opening, the connecting segments and / or the structures or microstructures, whereby the separation of the components with the least possible force and without the formation of defects can also be ensured.

[0029] Another promising embodiment of the invention is based on the fact that, in the contouring step, several connecting segments are formed that interrupt the opening, thereby creating several sections of the opening separated by the connecting segments. Further developing this, a number of connecting segments are formed, the respective extent of which, in particular, their respective length, does not exceed a predetermined maximum extent, in particular a maximum length, of the connecting segments. The cumulative extents of the connecting segments across all connecting segments correspond to the total extent, in particular the total length.The execution of multiple sections of the perforation, and the associated formation of several connecting segments, which are also limited to a maximum extent, results in a perforation-like pattern along at least one edge surface. This creates multiple connecting surfaces and thus predetermined breaking points, which means that when the component is separated, several small surfaces are broken instead of fewer or a single, comparatively large surface. As a result, any surface crack that occurs during breaking along the predetermined breaking points is always guided back to the contour of the component and / or the course of at least one edge surface, thus producing a component essentially without defects. The maximum extent can be, in particular, 1 mm.

[0030] In general, but particularly in connection with the foregoing embodiment, one embodiment of the invention further provides that a number of connecting segments of 2 to 90, preferably 5 to 20, particularly preferably 7 to 16, most preferably 8 to 14, and most preferably 9 to 12 are formed in the contouring step. The given number of connecting segments represents a good compromise between the holding capacity, which must be adapted in particular to the design of the component to be manufactured and / or, in particular, to its edge surfaces, and the breaking force necessary to separate the component from the substrate.

[0031] Regarding the breaking force required in the separation step for removing a respective component, one embodiment of the invention provides that the removal is carried out with a breaking force between 0.2 and 6 N, preferably between 0.5 and 2 N. The range within which the breaking force can thus lie is advantageously designed such that complete removal of the component, even components with differing designs, is ensured, while at the same time excessive breaking of the components during their removal from the substrate is avoided. Such excessive breaking could adversely lead to defects, such as chipping of the component.

[0032] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that, in the contouring step, each connecting segment is formed with a ratio of the height of the connecting surface (running in the direction of the substrate thickness) to the thickness of the substrate, ranging from 30% to 90%. This ratio allows for a high degree of design flexibility in determining the proportion of the respective connecting surface(s) to the edge surface comprising these connecting surface(s), or the proportion of the total connecting surface to the total edge surface of the connection. Furthermore, a further development of the invention proves highly advantageous if, in the contouring step, a connecting segment to be formed adjacent to and / or neighboring a corner of the component that forms a transition between any two edge surfaces is always formed at a distance from this corner.This prevents material from accumulating at the respective corner and thus avoids the risk of the corner breaking off when the component is cut out.

[0033] Furthermore, one embodiment of the invention proves advantageous if, during the contouring step, the material weakening is introduced into the substrate from only one or both surfaces, particularly from a respective connecting segment. By choosing whether the material weakening is introduced from one or both surfaces, different requirements, especially for separating the component from the substrate, can be better met. For example, one-sided material weakening may be suitable for thinner substrates, while two-sided material weakening is advantageous for thicker substrates. Introducing the material weakening from both surfaces can also help to minimize internal stresses in the substrate, which could, for example, lead to cracks or unwanted fractures during the separation process.

[0034] It should also be briefly explained that it would be fundamentally possible to shape the perforation and / or the material weakening of a respective connecting segment by directly abrasive processes such as sandblasting, ultrasonic drilling and / or cutting, water jet drilling and / or cutting and / or laser ablation.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one contouring step comprises forming the opening and / or introducing the respective material weakening by creating multiple modifications in the substrate material without ablation using a laser beam, followed by, in particular, selective, preferably wet-chemical etching of the substrate to remove the at least one modification. The etch rate of the modifications is significantly higher than the etch rate of the unmodified material. The use of a laser beam to modify the material allows not only for extremely precise formation of the opening and thus of the at least one connecting segment, including the material weakening, but also for the creation of structures and / or microstructures with small dimensions in the component.These structures and / or microstructures can be formed in the component using the same method – introducing modifications and subsequent etching. The perforation, at least one connecting segment including its material weakening, and the structures and / or microstructures can thus be formed together in a single process sequence, particularly during the contouring step of the separation process. Since only modifications are initially introduced into the material without ablation using a laser beam and then selectively etched, thermal and / or mechanical stresses in the substrate and / or component can also be avoided, thereby preventing damage.

[0036] In a promising embodiment of the invention, it is further envisaged that the modifications forming the perforation and / or the material weakening belong to at least two, preferably exactly two, types that differ, in particular, in their geometric design, or exclusively to one type of modification, wherein the modifications formed for the perforation and a respective material weakening are formed exclusively of one type with a different focus position of the laser forming the modifications. The modifications of different types, which have a particularly conical and / or double-conical design, can differ in their opening angles. For example, when using at least two types of modifications, a first type could have a full opening angle in a range of 40° to 80° and / or the full opening angle is preferably 60°.The half-opening angle of the first type of modification is thus in the range of 20° to 40° and / or the half-opening angle is preferably 30°. A second type of modification can also have a full opening angle in the range of 1° to 20° and / or the full opening angle is preferably 14°. The half-opening angle of the second type of modification is thus in the range of 0.5° to 10° and / or the half-opening angle is preferably 7°. The first type of modification would preferably be used to form the material weakening in a respective connection segment, and the second type of modification would be used to form the opening in the substrate material. If, however, only one type of modification is used for forming the opening and the material weakening of a respective connection segment, it is preferably the aforementioned second type of modification.If only one type of modification is used, the geometric design can be altered by varying other process parameters, such as the focus position of the laser forming the modifications within the substrate. The second type of modification would also be preferably used to form structures and / or microstructures within the component.Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the following process parameters is included in the contouring step: a change resulting from etching, in particular a reduction in the thickness of the unmodified part of the substrate; a thickness reduced by etching of the unmodified part of the substrate; an opening angle, in particular a full or half angle, of the at least one modification designed to introduce the material weakening; a center-to-center distance of the modifications designed to form the opening; and / or a distance between laser pulses of the laser beam for forming the modifications of the opening to be formed and / or formed. By considering at least one, preferably all, of these process parameters, the proportion in the contouring step can be adjusted with extreme precision.

[0037] The invention further develops the concept of reducing the thickness of the substrate, particularly the unmodified portion, and / or reducing the thickness of the substrate, particularly the unmodified portion, through etching by determining the etching duration. This etching duration depends, among other things, on the thickness of the substrate, the substrate material, and / or the etching process used, in particular the etching medium used.

[0038] Furthermore, in a further development of the invention, the etching duration is determined by the time required to form at least one target dimension, for example, a diameter of a structure to be formed in the component, by means of etching. Based on the known and / or determined etching duration, the contouring step can then be designed such that the aforementioned portion is formed during the contouring step.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the invention, a component is also provided which is manufactured in particular according to the method described above. Here, the component, which is particularly planar and made of brittle material, especially glass, has several edge surfaces that circumferentially define the component, wherein at least one of the edge surfaces includes at least one fracture surface.

[0040] A fracture surface can be the surface directly resulting from the separation by breaking from the substrate and thus overlap at least partially, or even partially or completely, with the connection surface of the component and the connecting segment. However, it is also conceivable that the fracture surface is a fracture projection surface projected onto the edge surface by the fracture surface and always overlaps completely with the connection surface. According to the invention, the proportion of the edge surface encompassing the respective fracture surface to the edge surface comprising that fracture surface, or the proportion of the total fracture surface encompassing all fracture surfaces to the total fracture edge surface, which includes all edge surfaces exhibiting a fracture surface, is 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35%, and particularly preferably 25% to 30%.This allows the component to be provided in such a highly advantageous manner that it has largely or completely no defects resulting from being cut out of a substrate.

[0041] The invention allows for various embodiments. To further illustrate its basic principle, some of these are shown in the drawing and described below. The drawing shows in

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a component formed in the substrate after the contouring step of the separation process;

[0043] Fig. 2 shows a section through a connecting segment with an edge surface containing a connecting surface;

[0044] Fig. 3 shows a top view of an edge surface of a component containing a fracture surface;

[0045] Fig. 4 shows a substrate with a multitude of components formed in the substrate after the contouring step of the separation process;

[0046] Fig. 5 Modifications of the first kind introduced into the substrate to form the material weakening;

[0047] Fig. 6 shows modifications of the second kind introduced into the substrate to form the opening;

[0048] Fig. 7 Modifications of the second kind introduced into the substrate to form structures;

[0049] Fig. 8 shows a second-type modification introduced into the substrate with its opening angle;

[0050] Fig. 9 shows a modification of the first kind introduced into the substrate with its opening angle;

[0051] Fig. 10 shows several process windows of the fraction and breaking strength in the diagram; Figure 1 shows component 1, which in the illustration has only undergone parts of the process steps for manufacturing component 1, so that component 1 is still connected to the substrate frame 19 of substrate 2 and thus has not yet been separated from substrate 2. More precisely, component 1 and substrate 2 are in a state after the contouring step of the separation process used to remove the component. In Figure 1, substrate 2 is shown in a section, and in Figure 4, it is shown completely, with a plurality of components 1, each after the contouring step. Substrate 2, and thus component 1, consists of a brittle material, specifically glass.

[0052] In the contouring step of the separation process, as explained in particular in Figure 1, and taking into account at least one process parameter of the contouring step, the opening 4 in the substrate 2 following the contour 3 of the component 1 is formed, and thereby also several circumferential edge surfaces 5 of the component 1 that delimit the component 1 towards the opening 4 are formed. In this embodiment of the process, several connecting segments 6, which interrupt the opening 4 section by section, were also formed on one of the edge surfaces 5, and thereby also several sections 10 of the opening 4, spaced apart by the connecting segments 6, were formed.

[0053] The edge surface 5, shown at the top in Figure 1, via which the component 1 is connected to the connecting segments 6, includes a common connecting surface 7 of the connecting segments 6 and the component 1, with each connecting surface 7 forming a predetermined breaking point. Along these predetermined breaking points, the component 1 is separated from the substrate 2 in the separation step of the separation process by mechanical breaking along the respective predetermined breaking point.

[0054] However, forming the opening 4, which is divided into sections 10, is regularly not sufficient to separate the component 1 from the substrate 1 with the least possible force and without creating defects on the component 1.Since a high holding power for the component 1 is also necessary to prevent, in particular, the component 1 from breaking out spontaneously during the separation step, especially during the forming and / or after the forming of the opening 4, in the contouring step, in addition to the opening 4, the material weakening 8 following the contour 3 of the component 1 is introduced into a respective connection segment 6 in such a way that, in this embodiment of the method, the proportion A of the respective cumulative connection surfaces 6 to the edge surface 5 encompassing the respective connection surfaces 6 is 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35% and particularly preferably 25% to 30%.

[0055] It should be mentioned in this context that the opening 4 and the connecting segments 6 are formed together in the contouring step, whereby the material weakening 8 and the sections 10 and thus the extension 9 of the respective connecting segments 6 mutually influence each other.

[0056] The connecting segments 6 are thus formed with a necessary overall extent and length along the contour 3 of the component 1, such that, taking into account the material weakening 8, the aforementioned portion A is formed. The connecting segments 6 are formed in such a number that the cumulative extents 9 of the connecting segments 6 correspond to the total extent, and the respective extent 9, which is of equal height, does not exceed a predetermined maximum extent. The number of connecting segments 6 is generally 2 to 90, preferably 5 to 20, particularly preferably 7 to 16, most preferably 8 to 14, and most preferably 9 to 12. In this embodiment of the method, as shown in particular in Figure 1, 8 connecting segments are formed.

[0057] In this embodiment of the method, the connecting segments 6 are also equidistant from one another, with the connecting segments 6 to be formed adjacent to and / or neighboring the corners 13 of the component 1 being formed at a distance from these corners 13. After the contouring step, the respective connecting segments 6 have a dimension 9, here a length in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 1 mm, particularly preferably 0.8 mm to 1 mm, and most preferably 0.9 mm to 1 mm.

[0058] Figure 2 also shows a section through a connecting segment 6 of the substrate 2 depicted in Figure 1, in which a further section of the edge surface 5 and the connecting surface 7, which is encompassed by the edge surface 5, is shown. Figure 2 further shows that the material weakening 8 was introduced into the substrate 2 from both surfaces 14 during the contouring step, with the height 12 of the connecting surface 7 extending in the direction of the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 relative to the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 and / or the respective connecting segment 6 being formed in the range of 30% to 90%.

[0059] As previously explained, each connecting surface 7 forms a predetermined breaking point along which the component 1, shown, for example, in Figure 1, is separated from the substrate 2. During the separation step of the separation process, the connecting surface 7 of Figure 2 becomes the fracture surface 18 shown in Figure 3. The proportion A of the cumulative fracture surfaces 18 formed on the edge surface 5, which encompasses the fracture surfaces 18, is therefore also 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35%, and particularly preferably 25% to 30%.

[0060] In this embodiment of the method, the opening 4 is formed and the respective material weakening 8 is introduced by creating several modifications 15, 16, particularly those shown in Figures 5 to 7, in the substrate 2 material using a laser beam without ablation, followed by wet chemical etching of the substrate 2 to remove the modifications 15, 16. This results in a very specific structuring on the edge surfaces 5, but not on the connecting surfaces 7 and / or the fracture surfaces 18. This structuring is essentially formed as a so-called earthworm structure.

[0061] The modifications 15, 16 shown in Figures 5 to 7, which form the opening 4 and / or the material weakening 8, belong to two distinct types of modifications 15, 16. The first type of modification 15, which has a conical shape, is used, as shown in Figure 5, to form the material weakening 8 in a respective connecting segment 6, and the second type of modification 16, which has a double-conical shape, is used, as shown in Figure 6, to form the opening 4 and / or its sections 10 into the material of the substrate 2. As can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the modifications 15, 16 of the first and second types are applied overlapping into the substrate 2, so that the opening 4 and the material weakening 8 have a predetermined width after etching.

[0062] The modifications 15, 16 are introduced into the substrate 2 with a center-to-center distance M, which also corresponds to the distance between laser pulses of the laser beam used to form the modifications 15, 16. This is shown by way of example in Figure 6. In this embodiment of the method, the second type of modification 16 is also used to form the structures 17 shown in Figure 7 and also in Figure 1. In the representation of Figure 7, these are formed as microstructures in the form of through holes.

[0063] Modifications 15 and 16 of the two types also differ in their opening angles a. Modification 15 of the first type has a full opening angle a in a range of 40° to 80°, which in this specific embodiment of the method is 60°. Modification 16 of the second type, on the other hand, has a full opening angle a in a range of 1° to 20°. In this specific embodiment of the method, the full opening angle a is 14°. This is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 for clarity.

[0064] Both the full opening angle a of the modification 15 designed to introduce the material weakening 8 and the center distance of the modifications 16 designed to form the opening 4 represent a process parameter of the contouring step to be taken into account when forming the portion A.

[0065] In addition to these, the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 shown in Figure 2 is also such a process parameter to be considered, where the thickness 11 is the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 reduced by etching. Furthermore, such a process parameter to be considered can also be the change in the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 resulting from etching, which is accordingly the difference between the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 before the contouring step and the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 after the contouring step.

[0066] The reduction in the thickness 11 of the substrate 2 and / or the reduction in thickness 11 of the substrate 2 due to etching is determined by the duration of the etching during the contouring step. The duration of the etching is further determined by the time required to form at least one target dimension, for example, a diameter, of the structures 17 to be formed in the component 1 and shown in particular in Figure 1, by means of etching.

[0067] To separate the component in the separation step of the separation process, which follows the contouring step of the separation process described above, by mechanical breaking along the predetermined breaking points, it is necessary to apply a breaking force F to the component. The breaking force F is plotted on the ordinate axis of the diagram in Figure 10, with the component A also plotted on the abscissa axis. The diagram schematically shows three process windows PF1, PF2, and PF3, with process window PF2 representing the optimal process window and being determined by the component A according to the invention of 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35%, and particularly preferably 25% to 30%, as well as the

[0068] The breaking force F is set in the range of 0.2 to 6 N, preferably from 0.5 to 2 N. The breaking force F is the necessary breaking force F with which the component 1 is optimally removed. In contrast, process window PF1 describes a component A that is too small, so that the component 1 or components 1 detach from the substrate 2 during the contouring step, primarily due to gravity and / or their own weight, resulting in a breaking force F of zero. In process window PF3, the component A is also regularly too high, so that the removal must be carried out with such a high required breaking force F that defects occur in the removed component.

[0069] Applicant:

[0070] LPKF Laser & Electronics SE

[0071] Osteriede 7 30827 Garbsen

[0072] Our reference: LPK-241-PCT July 22, 2025

[0073] REFERENCE MARK EN LIST

[0074] 1 component 16 modification

[0075] 2 Substrate 17 Structure

[0076] 3 Contour 18 Fracture surface

[0077] 4 Opening 19 Substrate frame

[0078] 5 edge surfaces a opening angle

[0079] 6 Connecting segment A share

[0080] 7 Connection area F Breaking force

[0081] 8 Material weakening M Center distance

[0082] 9. Expansion of PF1 Process Window

[0083] Section PF2 Process Window 10

[0084] 11 Thickness PF3 Process Window

[0085] 12 Height

[0086] 13 Corner

[0087] 14 Surface

[0088] 15 modifications

Claims

Applicant: LPKF Laser & Electronics SE Osteriede 7 30827 Garbsen Our reference: LPK-241-PCT July 22, 2025 PATENT CLAIM E 1. A method for producing at least one component (1) from a substrate (2) made of brittle material, wherein in at least one contouring step along a contour (3) to be formed of the component (1) a perforation (4) in the substrate (2) and thereby at least one circumferential edge surface (5) bounding the component (1) is formed, and at least one connecting segment (6) is formed on at least one edge surface (5) which interrupts the at least one perforation (4) section by section, wherein a common connecting surface (7) of a respective connecting segment (6) and of the component (1) forms a portion (A) of an edge surface (5), and in addition, a material weakening (8) following the contour (3) to be formed of the component (1) is introduced into a respective connecting segment (6) such that the portion (A) of the respective at least one connecting surface (6) of that edge surface (5)which includes at least one connecting surface (6) or the proportion (A) of a total connecting surface comprising all connecting surfaces (5) in a total connecting edge surface, which includes all edge surfaces (5) that have a connecting surface (6), is 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35% and particularly preferably 25% to 30%, and the component (1) is separated from the substrate (2) in at least one separation step following the contouring step along a respective connecting surface (7) forming a predetermined breaking point.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one connecting segment (6) is formed with a necessary extension (9) or total extension extending along the contour (3) of the component (1), such that the portion (A) is formed taking into account the material weakening (8) to be formed and / or formed.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the contouring step several connecting segments (6) interrupting the opening (4) are formed- det and thereby several sections (10) of the opening (4) spaced apart by the connecting segments (6) are formed, whereby a number of connecting segments (6) are formed, the respective extent (9) of which does not exceed a predetermined maximum extent and the cumulative extents (9) of the connecting segments (6) over the number of connecting segments (6) correspond to the total extent.

4. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective connecting segment (6) is formed with an extension (9) extending along the contour (3) of the component (1) in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm, preferably from 0.5 mm to 1 mm, particularly preferably from 0.8 mm to 1 mm, and most preferably from 0.9 mm to 1 mm.

5. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a number of connecting segments (6) of 2 to 90, preferably 5 to 20, particularly preferably 7 to 16, most preferably 8 to 14 and most preferably 9 to 12 is formed.

6. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the removal of a respective component (1) is carried out with a breaking force (F) necessary for removal in the range of 0.2 to 6 N, preferably from 0.5 to 2 N.

7. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective connecting segment (6) is formed with a ratio of the height (12) of the connecting surface (7) extending in the direction of the thickness (11) of the substrate (2) to the thickness (11) of the substrate (2) in the range of 30% to 90%.

8. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a connecting segment (6) to be formed adjacent and / or neighboring to a corner (13) of the component (1) forming a transition between each of two edge surfaces (7) is always formed at a distance from this corner (13).

9. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material weakening (8) is introduced into the substrate (2) only from one of the surfaces (14) or from both surfaces (14) of the substrate (2).

10. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one contouring step comprises forming the opening (4) and / or introducing the respective material weakening (8) by forming at least one modification (15, 16) in the material of the substrate (2) without ablation using a laser beam and subsequently etching the substrate (2) while removing the at least one modification (15, 16).

11. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the modifications (15, 16) forming the perforation (4) and / or the material weakening (8) belong to at least two different types or exclusively to one type, wherein the modifications (16) formed for the perforation (4) and a respective material weakening (8) are formed exclusively of one type with each having a different focus position of the laser beam forming the modifications (16).

12. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the following process parameters to be taken into account is included in the contouring step: • a change in the thickness (11) of the substrate (2) resulting from etching, • a reduced thickness (11) of the substrate due to etching, • an opening angle (a), in particular a full or half opening angle of the at least one modification (15, 16) designed to introduce the material weakening (8), • a center distance (M) of the modifications (15, 16) formed to create the opening (4) and / or a distance of laser pulses of the laser beam to form the modifications (15, 16) of the opening (4) to be formed and / or formed.

13. Method according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a reduction of the thickness (11) of the substrate and / or the thickness (11) of the substrate reduced by etching is determined by a duration of etching and / or the duration of etching by a necessary duration for forming at least one target dimension, for example a diameter of a structure (17) to be formed in the component (1) by means of etching.

14. Component (1), in particular manufactured according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the component (1) made of brittle material has several edge surfaces (5) that circumferentially delimit the component (1) and wherein at least one of the edge surfaces- chen (5) includes at least one fracture surface (18), characterized in that a proportion (A) of the respective at least one fracture surface (18) on the edge surface (5) comprising the respective at least one fracture surface (18) or the proportion (A) of a total fracture surface comprising all fracture surfaces (18) on a total fracture edge surface comprising all edge surfaces (5) having a fracture surface (18) is 10% to 40%, preferably 15% to 35% and particularly preferably 25% to 30%.

Images