Light-weight strengthened, low-emittance vacuum insulated glass (VIG) windows

A vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) window, comprising:

• a first glass pane having a first body formed from a first glass material and having first opposite surfaces and a first outer edge;
• a second glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass pane at a first distance and having a second body formed from a second glass material and having second opposite surfaces and a second outer edge;
• a first edge seal formed around at least respective portions of the first and second outer edges so as to define a first sealed interior region between the first and second glass panes, wherein the first scaled interior region has a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere;
• a first plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed in one of the first surfaces of the first glass pane and consisting of the first glass material from the first body portion, and
• a first optical coating formed over both the first plurality of glass-bump spacers and the first surface in which the first plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed, wherein
• the first glass pane comprises an ion-exchanged glass material,
• the optical coating comprises a polymer layer or a dielectric layer, and
• the first plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the second glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart first distance.