Electrochromic Glass Separation Using Laser Filamentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for cutting glass substrates for electrochromic devices result in significant waste and are challenging when dealing with strengthened or tempered glass, as cutting these types often leads to damage and requires additional treatments like polishing to ensure edge strength and safety.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the formation of a filament pattern within the substrate using laser filamentation, followed by thermal treatment, allows for precise separation of glass substrates without chipping the edges, enabling the use of thermally semi-tempered glass and reducing the need for additional edge treatments like grinding or polishing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional cutting methods are used to separate glass substrates, then the separation process is simple, but significant glass waste is generated and additional edge treatments are required
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is divided into multiple stages: first creating a filament pattern within the glass substrate, then applying thermal treatment to separate the substrate along the filament lines. This segmentation allows precise cutting with minimal waste while maintaining edge integrity without additional treatments.
Solution Approach 2:
The filament pattern is formed within the glass substrate before the actual separation process. This preliminary action creates internal stress lines that guide the subsequent thermal separation, enabling precise cutting paths that minimize waste and eliminate the need for edge treatments.
2Reliability
If wider gaps are used between electrochromic stacks to prevent damage during separation, then the success rate of separation improves, but the waste of mother glass increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A filament pattern is formed within the glass substrate before separation, creating internal guidance lines that direct the thermal separation process. This preliminary action enables precise cutting along desired paths with minimal gaps between stacks, significantly reducing mother glass waste while maintaining high separation success rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The method changes the physical state and stress distribution within the glass by forming filaments and applying thermal treatment. This parameter change allows separation along precise paths with minimal gaps between electrochromic stacks, reducing waste while ensuring reliable separation.
3Strength
If strengthened or tempered glass is used for electrochromic devices, then edge strength and safety are improved, but cutting these glasses becomes difficult and often results in failure
Solution Approach 1:
The filament pattern is formed within the strengthened or tempered glass substrate before separation. This preliminary action creates internal stress lines that guide the thermal separation process, enabling successful cutting of strengthened or tempered glass without causing damage or failure, while maintaining the edge strength benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The method uses thermal treatment to change the temperature and stress state of the strengthened or tempered glass during separation. This parameter change allows the glass to be separated along the filament pattern without causing failure, maintaining edge strength while enabling manufacturing.
4Strength
If additional edge treatments like polishing are applied to cut glass edges, then safety and edge strength are improved, but the manufacturing process time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The filament pattern is formed within the glass substrate before separation, creating internal guidance lines that enable precise thermal separation. This preliminary action produces clean edges during the separation process itself, eliminating the need for additional polishing or edge treatments and reducing manufacturing cycle time.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal separation process along the filament pattern self-generates clean, strong edges during separation. The process serves its own edge preparation function, eliminating the need for separate polishing or edge treatment steps and reducing overall manufacturing time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient separation of glass substrates into complex shapes with high edge strength, minimizing waste and eliminating the need for further edge treatments, while allowing the use of thermally semi-tempered glass, which is difficult to cut in traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
forming a filament pattern within the substrate, wherein the filament extends within the substrate in a direction substantially parallel to the thickness of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
applying a thermal treatment to the substrate to separate a portion of the substrate from the remaining portion along the filament pattern
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrochromic structure (100) can include a substrate (101) and an electrochromic residue (104) disposed on the substrate. The electrochromic structure can include an electrochromic stack (110) on the substrate. A process can be used to separate the structure. The process can include forming a filament (102) in the substrate and applying a thermal treatment the substrate. Forming a filament can be performed by applying a pulse of laser energy to the substrate. In a particular embodiment, a filament pattern including a plurality of filaments can be formed in the substrate. The substrate can include mineral glass, sapphire, aluminum oxynitride, spinel, or a transparent polymer.