Systems and methods are described for forming continuous curved laser filaments in transparent materials. The filaments are preferably curved and C-shaped. Filaments may employ other curved profiles (shapes). A burst of ultrafast laser pulses is focused such that a beam waist is formed external to the material being processed without forming an external plasma channel, while a sufficient energy density is formed within an extended region within the material to support the formation of a continuous filament, without causing optical breakdown within the material. Filaments formed according to this method may exhibit lengths in the range of 100 μm-10 mm. An aberrated optical focusing element is employed to produce an external beam waist while producing distributed focusing of the incident beam within the material. Optical monitoring of the filaments may be employed to provide feedback to facilitate active control of the process.

Systems and methods are described for forming continuous curved laser filaments in transparent materials. The filaments are preferably curved and C-shaped. Filaments may employ other curved profiles (shapes). A burst of ultrafast laser pulses is focused such that a beam waist is formed external to the material being processed without forming an external plasma channel, while a sufficient energy density is formed within an extended region within the material to support the formation of a continuous filament, without causing optical breakdown within the material. Filaments formed according to this method may exhibit lengths in the range of 100 μm-10 mm. An aberrated optical focusing element is employed to produce an external beam waist while producing distributed focusing of the incident beam within the material. Optical monitoring of the filaments may be employed to provide feedback to facilitate active control of the process.

A method of laser processing a transparent workpiece includes directing a pulsed laser beam into the transparent workpiece. The pulsed laser beam includes pulse bursts having 2 sub-pulses per pulse burst or more, each pulse burst of the pulsed laser beam has a burst duration T.sub.bd of 380 ns or greater; and the pulsed laser beam forms a pulsed laser beam focal line in the transparent workpiece, the pulsed laser beam focal line inducing absorption in the transparent workpiece, the induced absorption producing a defect in the transparent workpiece. The pulsed laser beam focal line includes a wavelength λ, a spot size w.sub.o, and a Rayleigh range Z.sub.R that is greater than

[00001]$F_D\frac{\pi w_o^2}{\lambda },$

where F.sub.D is a dimensionless divergence factor comprising a value of 10 or greater.

A method of forming a plurality of defects within a substrate with a laser beam focal line using a laser beam, each defect of the plurality of defects being a damage track within the substrate with a diameter of about 10 microns or less, the plurality of defects forming a contour line on the substrate. The substrate having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite from the first surface. The method further includes exerting (i) a first force on the first surface of the substrate at a location that is adjacent to the contour line and (ii) a second force on the second surface of the substrate at a location that is on the contour line. Additionally, the method includes breaking the substrate along the contour line and into a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion.

The present application discloses a cutting method and a cutting machine table for cutting a substrate, where the cutting method includes following steps: cutting a large substrate to be cut to obtain a finished substrate falling on a second cutting machine table; after the cutting, driving the second cutting machine table according to a preset parameter to enable a driving-away height difference to be formed between the second cutting machine table and the first cutting machine table; driving the second cutting machine table away from the first cutting machine table; and resetting the second cutting machine table to an initial state.

Apparatus for manufacturing glass including a forming body configured to form a glass ribbon and a glass scoring apparatus positioned below the forming body. The glass scoring apparatus includes a frame, a cross-member assembly and a movable scoring unit coupled thereto. At least four drive assemblies are mounted on the frame, each drive assembly including a threaded shaft, a drive motor coupled to the threaded shaft and configured to rotate the threaded shaft, and a ball nut assembly engaged with threads of the threaded shaft and coupled to the cross-member assembly such that rotation of the threaded shafts by the drive motors causes the cross-member assembly to vertically rise or lower. Multiple scoring devices are provided to enable bidirectional scoring of the glass ribbon.

Apparatus for manufacturing glass including a forming body configured to form a glass ribbon and a glass scoring apparatus positioned below the forming body. The glass scoring apparatus includes a frame, a cross-member assembly and a movable scoring unit coupled thereto. At least four drive assemblies are mounted on the frame, each drive assembly including a threaded shaft, a drive motor coupled to the threaded shaft and configured to rotate the threaded shaft, and a ball nut assembly engaged with threads of the threaded shaft and coupled to the cross-member assembly such that rotation of the threaded shafts by the drive motors causes the cross-member assembly to vertically rise or lower. Multiple scoring devices are provided to enable bidirectional scoring of the glass ribbon.

A method is disclosed for dividing a composite material 10 including a brittle material layer 1 and a resin layer 2 that are laminated together, the method includes: a resin removing step of applying laser light L1 oscillated from a CO.sub.2 laser light source 20 to the resin layer along a planned division line DL of the composite material, so that a processed groove 24 is formed along the planned division line; and a brittle material removing step of applying, after the resin removing step, laser light L2 oscillated from an ultrashort pulsed laser light source 30 to the brittle material layer along the planned division line, so that processed marks 11 are formed along the planned division line. The processed marks formed in the brittle material removing step open on the resin layer side and do not penetrate through the brittle material layer.

Methods and apparatus provide for: supporting a source glass sheet of 0.3 millimeters (mm) or less in thickness; scoring the glass sheet at an initiation line using a mechanical scoring device; applying a carbon monoxide (CO) laser beam to the glass sheet starting at the initiation line and continuously moving the laser beam relative to the glass sheet along a cutting line to elevate a temperature of the glass sheet to provide stress at the cutting line sufficient to cut the glass; and separating waste glass from the glass sheet to obtain a desired shape.

Methods and apparatus provide for: supporting a source glass sheet of 0.3 millimeters (mm) or less in thickness; scoring the glass sheet at an initiation line using a mechanical scoring device; applying a carbon monoxide (CO) laser beam to the glass sheet starting at the initiation line and continuously moving the laser beam relative to the glass sheet along a cutting line to elevate a temperature of the glass sheet to provide stress at the cutting line sufficient to cut the glass; and separating waste glass from the glass sheet to obtain a desired shape.