Liquid Lens Cavity Glaze Formation via Glass Frit Sintering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Isothermal glass pressing is limited to small glass articles with simple geometries due to high mold complexity and pressing force, making it difficult to produce large or complex shaped articles with smooth surfaces suitable for applications like liquid lenses.
Innovation Solution
A method involving depositing glass frit on the sidewalls of cavities in a shaped article, heating it to a firing temperature to form a glaze with a surface roughness of less than 200 nm, enabling the production of large shaped articles with smooth cavities and liquid lenses by transforming rough surfaces into glazed ones with improved smoothness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If isothermal glass pressing is used to manufacture glass articles, then the glass surface quality is maintained, but the article size and geometric complexity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cavity surfaces are pre-coated with a release agent before glass pressing to prevent sticking, enabling complex geometries to be released without damage. This preliminary preparation allows the glass to be pressed into complex shapes while maintaining surface quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A release agent serves as an intermediary substance between the mold cavity and the glass material, preventing direct adhesion. This mediator layer allows complex geometric features to be formed and released without compromising surface quality or requiring excessive pressing force.
2Manufacturing precision
If isothermal glass pressing is used to manufacture glass articles, then the glass surface quality is maintained, but the pressing force required increases for complex geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cavity surfaces are pre-coated with a release agent before glass pressing to reduce friction and adhesion forces. This preliminary preparation reduces the pressing force required to form complex geometries while maintaining surface quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A release agent serves as an intermediary substance between the mold cavity and the glass material, reducing direct contact forces. This mediator layer decreases the pressing force required to form complex shapes while preventing sticking.
3Manufacturing precision
If glass frit is deposited and sintered to form a glaze on cavity sidewalls, then the sidewall surface roughness is reduced, but an additional processing step is required
Solution Approach 1:
The glaze formation process is combined with the cavity formation process by depositing glass frit directly onto the cavity sidewalls during or after molding. The subsequent sintering step transforms this deposited material into a smooth glaze layer, integrating surface treatment into the manufacturing flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface roughness is reduced by changing the physical state of the deposited glass frit through sintering. Heating to sintering temperature transforms the frit into a smooth glaze layer, achieving surface refinement through thermal parameter change rather than mechanical polishing.
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 allows for the production of large shaped articles and liquid lenses with smooth cavities, enhancing their surface quality and enabling their use in electrowetting applications by reducing sidewall roughness and enabling large-scale production.
Implementation Method 1
The glass frit is heated to a firing temperature above a glass transition temperature of the glass frit to sinter the glass frit into a glaze
Implementation Method 2
The glass frit is heated to a firing temperature above a glass transition temperature of the glass frit to sinter the glass frit into a glaze disposed on the sidewalls of the plurality of cavities
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes depositing a glass frit on sidewalls of a plurality of cavities of a shaped article formed from a glass material, a glass ceramic material, or a combination thereof. The glass frit is heated to a firing temperature above a glass transition temperature of the glass frit to sinter the glass frit into a glaze disposed on the sidewalls of the plurality of cavities.