Vacuum IG window unit with edge seal at least partially diffused at temper and completed via microwave curing, and corresponding method of making the same

A method of making a seal of a thermally insulating glass panel, the method comprising:

• thermally tempering a glass substrate with edge seal material thereon;
• providing additional edge seal material on said substrate following said
• tempering, so that ha additional edge seal material contacts the edge seal material provided or deposited on the glass substrate prior to said tempering;
• providing a plurality of spacers between the tempered glass substrate and another glass substrate;
• forming a seal located at least partially between the substrates by heating at least the additional edge seal material using at least microwave energy comprising a wavelength(s) of from 1-10 mm so that the additional edge seal material fuses with or bonds to the edge seal material deposited on the glass substrate prior to said tempering;
• and
• wherein at least some of said edge seal material is doped with a dopant to that the edge seal material is more absorbing of microwave energy from 1-10 mm so that more microwave energy is absorbed by the edge seal material and less by the glass substrate to that the glass substrate can retain more temper strength.

A method of making a seal for a thermally insulated panel, the method comprising:

• heating a first glass substrate with base seal material thereon to a temperature of from about 600-700 degrees C.;
• following said heating, applying additional seal material and using microwave energy to re-heat the base seal material and heat the additional seal material in order to form a seal at least partially locates between the first substrate and a second substrate;
• and
• wherein at least some of said seal material is doped so that the seal material is more absorbing of microwave energy so that more microwave energy is absorbed by the seal material and less by the glass substrate so that the glass substrate can retain more temper strength.

A method of making a thermally insulating unit, the method comprising:

• providing first and second substrates with a plurality of spacers therebetween;
• forming a hermetic peripheral or edge seal at least partially between the first and second substrates using at least microwave energy;
• and
• wherein said seal is doped with silicon carbide so that the seal is more absorbing of microwave energy.

A method of making an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the method comprising:

• providing first and second glass substrates, at least one of said glass substrates being tempered;
• depositing edge seal material on at least one of the glass substrates;
• forming at least part of an edge seal at least partially between the first and second glass substrates by at least using microwave energy comprising wavelength(s) from 2-8 mm directed toward at least part of the edge seal material, wherein the seal material is doped with a material so that the seal material is more absorbing of microwave energy from 2-8 mm;
• and
• wherein at least one spacer is provided between the glass substrate for spacing the substrates from one another.

A method of making an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the method comprising:

• providing first and second glass substrates;
• depositing edge seal material on at one of the glass substrates;
• forming at least part of an edge seal at least partially between the first and second glass substrates by at least using microwave energy directed toward at least part of the edge seal material, and
• wherein the seal material is doped with at least a carbide material so that the seal material is more absorbing of microwave energy from at least 2-8 mm.