An improved method and an improved apparatus are provided for producing a thin glass ribbon, which provide borders at the edges of the ribbon. The edges formed are of high mechanical quality and a formation of new secondary borders after the severing or at least the thickness of such secondary borders is reduced compared to the original borders. The method includes drawing the thin glass ribbon from a molten glass or from a preform, severing the borders, and cooling the resulting glass ribbon. The severing is effected at a location along the moving direction of the thin glass ribbon and at a time at which during the cooling of the thin glass ribbon the viscosity of the glass is in a range from 10.sup.7 dPa.Math.s to 10.sup.11 dPa.Math.s, so that the edges of the thin glass ribbon newly produced by the severing of the borders are rounded off.

There is provided a method of producing a vacuum sealed component including a sealing layer formed by heating glass powder, an inner side of the sealing layer including a closed space with specific air pressure that is lower than atmospheric pressure. The method includes a binder removal process of decomposing an organic binder by heating paste including the glass power and an organic binder; and a vacuum sintering process of forming the closed space by melting, at a temperature that is higher than a processing temperature of the binder removal process, the glass powder in a decompressed space with the specific air pressure that is lower than the atmospheric pressure. After the binder removal process and prior to the vacuum sintering process, an amount of residual carbon in a residue of the paste is less than or equal to 100 ppm by weight.

A method includes heating a glass preform having a plurality of glass layers and drawing the glass preform in a distal direction to form a drawn glass sheet extending distally from the glass preform and having the plurality of glass layers. The drawn glass sheet is thinner than the glass preform. The drawn glass sheet can be rolled onto a collection spool. At least a portion of a glass layer can be removed from the drawn glass sheet. An exemplary glass sheet includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer adjacent to the first glass layer, and a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm. An exemplary ion exchanged glass sheet includes a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm and a surface layer that is under a compressive stress and extends into an interior of the glass sheet to a depth of layer.

A method includes heating a glass preform having a plurality of glass layers and drawing the glass preform in a distal direction to form a drawn glass sheet extending distally from the glass preform and having the plurality of glass layers. The drawn glass sheet is thinner than the glass preform. The drawn glass sheet can be rolled onto a collection spool. At least a portion of a glass layer can be removed from the drawn glass sheet. An exemplary glass sheet includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer adjacent to the first glass layer, and a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm. An exemplary ion exchanged glass sheet includes a thickness of at most about 0.1 mm and a surface layer that is under a compressive stress and extends into an interior of the glass sheet to a depth of layer.

A strengthened cover glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article as well as processes and systems for making the strengthened glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article is provided for use in consumer electronic devices. The process comprises cooling the cover glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened cover glass sheets for use in or on consumer electronic products.

A strengthened cover glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article as well as processes and systems for making the strengthened glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article is provided for use in consumer electronic devices. The process comprises cooling the cover glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened cover glass sheets for use in or on consumer electronic products.

A strengthened cover glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article as well as processes and systems for making the strengthened glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article is provided for use in consumer electronic devices. The process comprises cooling the cover glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened cover glass sheets for use in or on consumer electronic products.

A strengthened cover glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article as well as processes and systems for making the strengthened glass or glass-ceramic sheet or article is provided for use in consumer electronic devices. The process comprises cooling the cover glass sheet by non-contact thermal conduction for sufficiently long to fix a surface compression and central tension of the sheet. The process results in thermally strengthened cover glass sheets for use in or on consumer electronic products.