A method for adjusting an etchability of a first borosilicate glass by heating the first borosilicate glass; combining the first borosilicate glass with a second borosilicate glass to form a composite; and etching the composite with an etchant. A material having a protrusive phase and a recessive phase, where the protrusive phase protrudes from the recessive phase to form a plurality of nanoscale surface features, and where the protrusive phase and the recessive phase have the same composition.

A method for adjusting an etchability of a first borosilicate glass by heating the first borosilicate glass; combining the first borosilicate glass with a second borosilicate glass to form a composite; and etching the composite with an etchant. A material having a protrusive phase and a recessive phase, where the protrusive phase protrudes from the recessive phase to form a plurality of nanoscale surface features, and where the protrusive phase and the recessive phase have the same composition.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A low-temperature, high stability co-fired microwave dielectric composite of ceramic and glass, including 85-99 wt % microwave dielectric ceramic of formula [1-y-z[(1−x)Mg.sub.2SiO.sub.4−xCa.sub.2SiO.sub.4]−yCaTiO.sub.3−zCaZrO.sub.3, wherein 0.2≦x≦0.7,0.05≦y≦0.3 and 0.02≦z≦0.15], and 1 to 15 wt % with Li.sub.2O—BaO—SrO—CaO—B.sub.2O.sub.3—SiO.sub.2 glass respectively made at a low sintering temperature of ceramic for co-firing with Ag or Cu electrode, employing eutectic phase of ceramic oxides to reduce its melting temperature, a low melting-point glass material with high chemical stability as a sintering aid added to oxides and raw material powders of Li.sub.2O, BaO, SrO, CaO, B.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, obtained by combining and melting the ingredients in the temperature range between 1000 to 1300° C., quenching and crashing, and then adding it to the main ceramic oxides to form the final composition. This ceramic/glass composite material may be co-fired with an Ag and Cu electrode at 900° C.-970° C. for 0.5-4 hours in a protective atmosphere. After sintering, this dielectric material possesses efficacious microwave dielectric properties, dielectric constant between middle-K to low-K at 8.sup.−15, high quality factors, low dielectric loss, low temperature-capacitance coefficient and superior chemical stability suitable for manufacture of multilayer ceramic devices.

A glass fiber of the present invention includes as a glass composition, in terms of mass %, 45% to 70% of SiO.sub.2, 0% to 20% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 10% to 35% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, 88% to 98% of SiO.sub.2+Al.sub.2O.sub.3+B.sub.2O.sub.3, 0% to less than 0.7% of Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O, 0.1% to 12% of MgO+CaO, 0% to 3% of TiO.sub.2, and 0% to less than 0.8% of F.sub.2, and has a mass ratio CaO/MgO of 1.0 or less.

Enamel composition, in particular intended for covering a glass pane of a fireplace insert, comprising at least one glass frit, at least one pigment in a content varying from 40 to 65% of the total weight of the enamel, preferably from 45 to 60%, and optionally at least one vehicle or medium, characterized in that the glass frit comprises the following constituents, within the limits defined below, limits included, expressed as percentages by weight of the total weight of the frit: TABLE-US-00001 SiO.sub.2 45-65%  Al.sub.2O.sub.3 0-13% B.sub.2O.sub.3 23-55%  Na.sub.2O 0-10% K.sub.2O 0-10% Li.sub.2O  0-10%.

Enamel composition, in particular intended for covering a glass pane of a fireplace insert, comprising at least one glass frit, at least one pigment in a content varying from 40 to 65% of the total weight of the enamel, preferably from 45 to 60%, and optionally at least one vehicle or medium, characterized in that the glass frit comprises the following constituents, within the limits defined below, limits included, expressed as percentages by weight of the total weight of the frit: TABLE-US-00001 SiO.sub.2 45-65%  Al.sub.2O.sub.3 0-13% B.sub.2O.sub.3 23-55%  Na.sub.2O 0-10% K.sub.2O 0-10% Li.sub.2O  0-10%.

Annealing treatments for modified titania-silica glasses and the glasses produced by the annealing treatments. The annealing treatments include an isothermal hold that facilitates equalization of non-uniformities in fictive temperature caused by non-uniformities in modifier concentration in the glasses. The annealing treatments may also include heating the glass to a higher temperature following the isothermal hold and holding the glass at that temperature for several hours. Glasses produced by the annealing treatments exhibit high spatial uniformity of CTE, CTE slope, and fictive temperature, including in the presence of a spatially non-uniform concentration of modifier.

Annealing treatments for modified titania-silica glasses and the glasses produced by the annealing treatments. The annealing treatments include an isothermal hold that facilitates equalization of non-uniformities in fictive temperature caused by non-uniformities in modifier concentration in the glasses. The annealing treatments may also include heating the glass to a higher temperature following the isothermal hold and holding the glass at that temperature for several hours. Glasses produced by the annealing treatments exhibit high spatial uniformity of CTE, CTE slope, and fictive temperature, including in the presence of a spatially non-uniform concentration of modifier.