Targeted chemical strengthening of glass articles
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsVictor LUZZATO, Tyler A. MARSHALL, Christopher C. BARTLOW, Dale N. MEMERING
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Abstract
Components of an electronic device, such as glass articles, are susceptible to breakage, especially in regions where machining a glass article has created flaws. Chemical strengthening can be performed to create deeper compression layers at regions of a glass article that have been machined, include and/or are adjacent to an edge feature, have greater surface roughness, and/or have more or deeper cracks.
Claims20
A glass article for an electronic device, the glass article comprising:
- a first region having a first surface roughness, wherein the first region defines a first compression layer having a first depth;
- and
- a second region having a second surface roughness less than the first surface roughness, wherein the second region defines a second compression layer having a second depth less than the first depth.
A method of strengthening a glass article for an electronic device, the method comprising:
- applying a mask to a glass article having a first region and a second region, wherein the first region includes an edge and the mask covers the second region;
- forming a first compression layer in the first region by chemically strengthening the first region;
- removing the mask;
- and
- forming a second compression layer in the second region by chemically strengthening the second region, wherein the first compression layer has a first depth and the second compression layer has a second depth less than the first depth.
A glass article for an electronic device, the glass article comprising:
- a first region, wherein the first region defines a first compression layer having a first depth;
- and
- a second region, wherein the second region defines a second compression layer having a second depth less than the first depth,
- wherein the glass article has a uniform thickness across the first region and the second region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.