Corning Incorporated
Laser system and method forming a high purity fused silica glass sheet with micro-crenellations

Abstract:

A system and method for sintering a thin, high purity fused silica glass sheet having a thickness of 500 .mu.m or less, includes a step of rastering a beam of a laser across a sheet of high purity fused silica soot; wherein a pattern of the rastering includes tightly spacing target locations on the sheet such that the laser sinters the soot and simultaneously forms tiny notches on a first major surface of the sheet when viewed in cross-section, wherein the tiny notches are crenellated such that at least some of the notches have generally flat bottom surfaces and at least some respective adjoining caps have generally plateau top surfaces offset from the bottom surfaces by steeply-angled sidewalls.