Method of structuring a glass element and structured glass element produced thereby

A method of structuring a glass element having a first side face and a second side face, comprising:

• producing a filament-shaped flaw in the glass element, the filament-shaped flaw extending transversely to first and second side faces of the glass element, wherein the step of producing the filament-shaped flaw comprises:
• directing a pulsed laser beam onto the first side face of the glass element, the glass element being transparent for the pulsed laser beam,
• focusing, using focusing optics, the pulsed laser beam to form a focus line in the glass element such that the pulsed laser beam has an intensity within the focus line that is sufficient to produce the filament-shaped flaw, and
• adjusting the focus line so that the filament-shaped flaw ends within the glass element;
• etching to remove glass in the filament-shaped flaw to form a wall extending from the first side face towards the second side face, the wall having a boundary line that is tapered at a vertex between the wall and the first side face with a taper angle with respect to a perpendicular of the first side face;
• and
• adjusting the taper angle by controlling a feature of the focus line, the feature being selected from a group consisting of a position of the focus line, a length of the focus line between the first and second side faces, an intensity distribution of the focus line, and any combinations thereof.