Providing a solid body to be split into a number of layers of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a first detachment plane (8) along which a first layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, providing a receiving layer for holding the layer of solid material on the solid body, applying heat to the receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the first layer of solid material from the solid body, then providing a second receiving layer for holding another layer of solid material on the solid body reduced by the first layer of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a second detachment plane (9) along which a second layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, applying heat to the second receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the second detachment plane, which crack separates the second layer of solid material from the solid body.

A method of fabricating plates of super-hard material and cutting techniques suitable for such a method. A method of fabricating a plate (14) of super-hard material, the method comprising: providing a substrate (4) have a lateral dimension of at least 40 mm; growing a layer of super-hard material on the substrate (4) using a chemical vapor deposition process; and slicing one or more plates (14) of super-hard material from the substrate using a collimated cutting beam (8), the or each plate of super-hard material (14) having a lateral dimension of at least 40 mm, wherein the collimated cutting beam (8) is collimated with a half angle divergence of no more than 5 degrees.

A silicon wafer forming method includes: a block ingot forming step of cutting a silicon ingot to form block ingots; a planarizing step of grinding an end face of the block ingot to planarize the end face; a separation layer forming step of applying a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through silicon to the block ingot, with a focal point of the laser beam positioned in the inside of the block ingot at a depth from the end face of the block ingot corresponding to the thickness of the wafer to be formed, to form a separation layer; and a wafer forming step of separating the silicon wafer to be formed from the separation layer.

The invention relates to a method for separating solid-body slices (1) from a donor substrate (2). The method comprises the following steps: providing a donor substrate (2), producing at least one modification (10) within the donor substrate (2) by means of at least one LASER beam (12), wherein the LASER beam (12) penetrates the donor substrate (2) via a planar surface (16) of the donor substrate (2), wherein the LASER beam (12) is inclined with respect to the planar surface (16) of the donor substrate (2) such that it penetrates the donor substrate at an angle of not equal to 0? or 180? relative to the longitudinal axis of the donor substrate, wherein the LASER beam (12) is focused in order to produce the modification (10) in the donor substrate (2) and the solid-body slice (1) detaches from the donor substrate (2) as a result of the modifications (10) produced or a stress-inducing layer (14) is produced or arranged on the planar surface (16) of the donor substrate (2) and mechanical stresses are produced in the donor substrate (2) by a thermal treatment of the stress-inducing layer (14), wherein the mechanical stresses produce a crack (20) for separating a solid-body layer (1), which crack propagates along the modifications (10).

Methods of separating a glass web that is moving at a glass web velocity. The method includes exposing a separation path on the glass web to at least one laser beam spot that moves with a laser beam spot velocity vector that is equal to a glass web velocity vector in a conveyance direction. The method also includes creating a defect on the separation path while the separation path is under thermal stress from the laser beam spot, whereupon the glass web spontaneously separates along the separation path in response to the defect. In further examples, a glass web separation apparatus includes a first reflector that rotates such that a laser beam spot repeatedly passes along a separation path and a second reflector that rotates such that the laser beam spot moves in a conveyance direction of the glass web.

A method for producing layers of solid material is contemplated. The production method may include the following: Providing a solid body to be split into a number of layers of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a first detachment plane (8) along which a first layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, providing a receiving layer for holding the layer of solid material on the solid body, applying heat to the receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the first layer of solid material from the solid body, then providing a second receiving layer for holding another layer of solid material on the solid body reduced by the first layer of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a second detachment plane (9) along which a second layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, applying heat to the second receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the second detachment plane, which crack separates the second layer of solid material from the solid body.

A glass plate separating apparatus, as one example, includes: a trigger device that forms a start point flaw in a first main surface of a glass ribbon on a division-planned line; a pair of holding members disposed at the first main surface side of the glass ribbon; and a heater disposed at a second main surface side of the glass ribbon. The pair of holding members, each of which extends parallel to the division-planned line, is brought into contact with the glass ribbon at both sides of the division-planned line while being lowered together with the glass ribbon. The heater extends along the division-planned line, and is brought into contact with and pressed onto the glass ribbon on the division-planned line while being lowered together with the glass ribbon.

A wafer is produced from a compound single crystal ingot having end surface. A separation plane is formed by setting the focal point of a laser beam inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the end surface. The depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced. The laser beam is applied to the end surface to form a modified layer parallel to the end surface and cracks extending from the modified layer, thus forming the separation plane. The ingot has first atoms having a larger atomic weight and second atoms having a smaller atomic weight, and the end surface of the ingot is set as a polar plane where the second atoms are arranged in forming the separation plane. After producing the wafer from the ingot, the first end surface is ground to be flattened.

A method for separating a solid-body layer from a donor substrate includes providing a donor substrate having a planar surface, a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the planar surface, and a peripheral surface, and producing modifications within the donor substrate using at least one LASER beam. The at least one LASER beam penetrates the donor substrate via the peripheral surface at an angle not equal to 90? relative to the longitudinal axis of the donor substrate. The method further includes producing a stress-inducing polymer layer on the planar surface of the donor substrate, and producing mechanical stresses in the donor substrate by a thermal treatment of the stress-inducing polymer layer. The mechanical stresses produce a crack for separating the solid-body layer, and wherein the crack propagates along the modifications.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of at least one three-dimensional layer of solid material, in particular for usage as wafer, and/or at least one tree-dimensional solid body. The inventive method preferably comprises the following steps: providing a work piece for removing of layers of solid material and/or the solid bodies, wherein the work piece comprises at least one exposed surface, generating defects inside the work piece, wherein the defects define at least one crack directing layer, wherein the crack directing layer describes at least one three-dimensional contour; attaching or generating a receiving layer at the exposed surface of work piece by forming a composite structure, thermal treating of the receiving layer for generating stresses inside the work piece, wherein the stresses are causing a crack propagation inside the work piece, wherein a layer of solid material or a three-dimensional solid body is separated along the crack directing layer due to the crack propagation, wherein a surface of the layer of solid material or a surface of the solid body corresponds to the three-dimensional contour of the crack directing layer.