A glass article includes a glass core layer and a glass cladding layer adjacent to the core layer. An average coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the core layer is greater than an average CTE of the cladding layer. An effective 10.sup.9.9 P temperature of the glass article is at most about 750 C.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

The invention locally deforms a flat surface of a substrate made of glass or a glass ceramic by applying heat exclusively within a locally limited region via the flat surface by laser radiation, a gas flame, infrared radiation, microwaves or a plasma discharge directed towards the flat surface of the substrate to soften the substrate at least on the flat surface within the locally limited region; applies a force acting on the softened flat surface within the locally limited region which deforms the softened surface of the substrate within the locally limited region; cools the substrate to obtain a set deformed surface within the locally limited region; and applies heat exclusively within the locally limited region via the flat surface of the substrate to produce a temperature and viscosity gradient inside the substrate laterally and orthogonal to the flat surface within the locally limited region.

The invention locally deforms a flat surface of a substrate made of glass or a glass ceramic by applying heat exclusively within a locally limited region via the flat surface by laser radiation, a gas flame, infrared radiation, microwaves or a plasma discharge directed towards the flat surface of the substrate to soften the substrate at least on the flat surface within the locally limited region; applies a force acting on the softened flat surface within the locally limited region which deforms the softened surface of the substrate within the locally limited region; cools the substrate to obtain a set deformed surface within the locally limited region; and applies heat exclusively within the locally limited region via the flat surface of the substrate to produce a temperature and viscosity gradient inside the substrate laterally and orthogonal to the flat surface within the locally limited region.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

A method for repairing surface smoothness of heat-bent glass includes: providing a fluid which is transparent and solid at room temperature on an inner side of a heat-bent clear glass used for manufacturing a screen protector of an electronic device; by utilizing a mold having a pattern corresponding to the surface smoothness of a screen of the electronic device, pressing the inner side of the heat-bent clear glass and at the same time processing the fluid on the inner side of the heat-bent clear glass through a molding process so that the fluid fill a curved and uneven surface of the inner side of the heat-bent clear glass; and curing the fluid so that the inner surface of the heat-bent clear glass has a curvature and smoothness that match the curvature and smoothness of the screen of the electronic device.

The present invention is directed to a method for making infrared transmitting graded index optical elements by selecting at least two different infrared-transmitting materials, each with a different refractive index, having similar thermo-viscous behavior; assembling the infrared-transmitting materials into a stack comprising one or more layers of each infrared-transmitting material resulting in the stack having a graded index profile; and forming the stack into a desired shape. Also disclosed is the related optical element made by this method.

A multi-well glass-containing structure, and system and method to manufacture the structure are provided. The structure can be a glass plate having a well defined by a rim at a top of the plate to define a well opening, a well bottom at a bottom of the plate spaced away from the rim by a well wall extending from the rim to the well bottom. A well aspect ratio of the depth of the well to a maximum surface dimension of the well opening can be in a range from 40% to 100%. The inner surface of the well can have an average roughness, Ra, of less than 600 nm. The system can include a mold with a coefficient of thermal expansion that matches the glass-containing structure and the method can include forming the glass plate at a viscosity of about 10.sup.5 to 10.sup.7,6 poises.