Method of making vacuum insulated panel with optimized laser beam size

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel comprising a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer;

• wherein the method comprises:
• providing first seal material for the first seal layer in a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates;
• laser heating, using a laser beam, the first seal material in order to form the first seal layer;
• wherein said laser heating comprises using the laser beam, so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates to fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer, in a manner so that the first seal layer has a density from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm3, wherein the first seal layer comprises from about 40-70 wt. % tellurium oxide and from about 12-40 wt. % vanadium oxide;
• and
• after forming the first seal layer, evacuating the gap to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel comprising a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer;

• wherein the method comprises:
• providing first seal material for the first seal layer in a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates;
• laser heating, using a laser beam, the first seal material in order to form the first seal layer;
• wherein said laser heating comprises using the laser beam, having a size of from about 2-15 mm, so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates to fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer, in a manner so that the first seal layer has a density from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm3;
• wherein the seal further comprises a second seal layer located between at least the first seal material and the laser, wherein the second seal layer comprises bismuth oxide and boron oxide, and where the second seal layer comprises from about 1-40 mol % bismuth and from about 3-40 mol % boron on an elemental basis, and wherein the second seal layer comprises at least two times more boron than bismuth on an elemental basis in terms of mol %;
• and
• after forming the first seal layer, evacuating the gap to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel comprising a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer;

• wherein the method comprises:
• providing first seal material for the first seal layer in a location at least partially between at least the first and second glass substrates;
• laser heating, using a laser beam, the first seal material in order to form the first seal layer;
• wherein said laser heating comprises using the laser beam, having a size of from about 2-15 mm, so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates to fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer;
• wherein the seal comprises second and third seal layers comprising bismuth oxide and/or boron oxide, and wherein the first seal layer is at least partially located between at least the second and third seal layers;
• and
• after forming the first seal layer, evacuating the gap to a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.