The invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing substrates, such as glass and semiconductor wafers. The method comprises directing to the substrate from a laser source a plurality of sequential focused laser pulses having a predetermined duration, pulsing frequency and focal spot diameter, the pulses being capable of locally melting the substrate, and moving the laser source and the substrate with respect to each other at a predetermined moving velocity so that a structurally modified zone is formed to the substrate. According to the invention, the pulse duration is in the range of 20-100 ps, pulsing frequency at least 1 MHz and moving velocity adjusted such that the distance between successive pulses is less than of the diameter of the focal spot. The invention can be utilized, for example, for efficient dicing, scribing and welding of materials which are normally transparent.

A method of manufacturing a glass sheet laminate to be formed by integrally laminating two glass sheets includes: laminating the two glass sheets by bringing surfaces thereof in a vicinity of an outer peripheral portion into surface contact with each other; performing laser fusing so as to cut and remove a part of a surface contact portion under a state in which the surface contact portion has a surface roughness of 2.0 nm or less; and processing a fusing end surface of the surface contact portion into a curved surface and sealing the fusing end surface with heat generated when the laser fusing is performed.

A method for cutting a substrate includes: radiating, as part of a first laser radiating process, a laser towards a surface of the substrate to form a first groove in a substrate. Radiating the laser towards the surface includes radiating, in sequence, the laser towards a first outer point (FOP), a second outer point (SOP), a first intermediate point (FIP), a second intermediate point (SIP), and a first cut point (FCP) of the surface, each of the points being spaced apart from one another by one or more distances. The FCP corresponds to a cut line of the substrate. The FOP and the SOP are respectively disposed at lateral sides of the FCP. The FIP is disposed between the FCP and the FOP. The SIP is disposed between the FCP and the SOP. The same kind and intensity of laser is radiated towards each of the points.

A chip having a desired shape is formed from a platelike workpiece. The chip manufacturing method includes a shield tunnel forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam to the workpiece from a focusing unit included in a pulsed laser beam applying unit along the contour of the chip to be formed, with the focal point of the pulsed laser beam set at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the workpiece, thereby forming a plurality of shield tunnels inside the workpiece along the contour of the chip to be formed. Each shield tunnel has a fine hole and an amorphous region formed around the fine hole for shielding the fine hole. In a chip forming step, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the workpiece to break the contour of the chip where the shield tunnels have been formed, thereby forming the chip from the workpiece.

Provided is a manufacturing method for a glass sheet, including: fusing a glass ribbon (G) by irradiating the glass ribbon (G) with a laser (L) along a preset cutting line (X), which is a boundary between a product portion (G1) to be used as a product and a non-product portion (G2) to be discarded, and jetting an assist gas (A) onto molten glass (M) generated by melting the glass ribbon (G) through heating with the laser (L) so as to remove the molten glass (M) by scattering the molten glass (M); and breaking the non-product portion (G2) so as to discard the non-product portion (G2), the assist gas (A) being jetted from the product portion (G1) side with respect to the preset cutting line (X), to thereby cause scattered pieces of the molten glass (M) to adhere to the non-product portion (G2) as pieces of dross (D).

A method produces a housing with at least one hermetically sealed receiving space for an electronic component, the receiving space including at least a part of the interior of the housing. In the method, a hollow body made of glass and having at least one opening is produced/provided, at least one electronic device is introduced through the at least one opening, and the receiving space is hermetically sealed by melting the housing, or the at least one opening is sealed by laser radiation. A device has an at least partially hermetically sealed housing made of silicon, particularly a housing produced according to the above-mentioned method.

Methods of fabricating formed glass articles are described herein. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a formed glass article may include forming a glass ribbon, forming a parison, and shaping the parison to form a glass article. The glass article may be attached to the glass ribbon at an attachment region defining an edge of the glass article. The process may also include contacting the attachment region with a focal line of a laser beam and separating the glass article from the glass ribbon at the attachment region. The attachment region may be perforated by the laser beam and the focal line may be substantially perpendicular to the plane of the glass ribbon.

Disclosed is a method of forming a hole in a glass substrate by using a pulsed laser, the method including (1) preparing the glass substrate including a first surface and a second surface that face each other; (2) forming a concave portion on the first surface by irradiating, with a first condition, the pulsed laser onto the first surface of the glass substrate through a lens; and (3) forming the hole by irradiating the pulsed laser onto the concave portion with a second condition such that energy density of the pulsed laser is less than or equal to a processing threshold value of the glass substrate.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a glass substrate with a through hole, the glass substrate having a thickness of .sub.f, the method including (1) adjusting a first thickness .sub.1 of the glass substrate having first and second surfaces facing each other to be a second thickness .sub.2 (.sub.2<.sub.1); (2) forming one or more through holes in the glass substrate by irradiating a laser beam from the first surface of the glass substrate; and (3) wet-etching the glass substrate with the through hole to adjust a size of the through hole to be a predetermined size, so that the thickness of the glass substrate is adjusted from .sub.2 to the target value of .sub.f.

A laser apparatus and a method for manufacturing a display device are provided. A laser apparatus includes: a stage; a laser providing unit above the stage and configured to provide a laser beam; a scanner configured to adjust an optical path of the laser beam such that the laser beam is irradiated to an irradiation line formed above the stage; and a control unit to control an operation of the scanner, and the scanner includes a shutter located on an optical path of the laser beam emitted from the laser providing unit and configured to perform an opening/closing operation.