Method and apparatus for separating non-metallic materials
AssigneeApplied Photonics, Inc.
InventorsBrian Hoekstra, Roger Flannigan, Daniel Wegerif
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for splitting non-metallic substrates includes a laser for generating a laser beam. An integrated cracking devices receives the laser beam and directs the laser beam onto a non-metallic substrate to define the heat affected zone and quench the substrate at a quenching region contained within the heat affected zone. This integrated cracking device includes a housing and optics fitted within the housing for receiving and directing the laser beam onto the substrate. A quenching nozzle is mounted on the housing for quenching the substrate at a quenching region defined within the heat affected zone.
Claims20
A method for splitting non-metallic substrates comprising the steps of:
- initiating a microcrack within the substrate;
- scribing the substrate with a laser beam at a heat affected zone that is imparted onto the substrate by the laser;
- quenching the microcrack at a quenching region that is within the heat affected zone by passing fluid from a quenching nozzle onto the substrate;
- applying a force onto the substrate at a location behind the quenching region to break the substrate while maintaining residual forces below a critical breaking force in front of the quenching region;
- and
- maintaining residual forces below a critical breaking force in front of the quenching region.
A method for splitting non-metallic substrates comprising the steps of:
- initiating a microcrack within the substrate;
- scribing the substrate with a laser beam via an integrated cracking device that directs the laser beam onto a heat affected zone that is imparted onto the substrate by the laser beam;
- quenching the microcrack at a quenching region that is within the heat affected zone from a quenching nozzle that is integral with the integrated cracking device;
- applying a force onto the substrate at a location behind the quenching region to break the substrate;
- and
- maintaining residual forces below a critical breaking force in front of the quenching region.
A method for splitting non-metallic substrates comprising the steps of:
- generating a laser beam;
- directing the laser beam onto a non-metallic substrate using an integrated cracking device having a quenching nozzle and optics that receive and direct the laser beam onto the substrate;
- quenching the substrate from the quenching nozzle;
- and
- maintaining residual forces below a critical breaking force in front of the quenching region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.