A method includes projecting energy onto an annular edge of a glass substrate. The annular edge includes a first roughness. The first roughness is reduced to a second roughness with the energy. The energy reduces the first roughness without changing a roundness of the annular edge of the glass substrate.

A method for laser processing a transparent workpiece includes forming a contour line that includes defects, by directing a pulsed laser beam output by a beam source through an aspheric optical element positioned offset in a radial direction from the beam pathway and into the transparent workpiece such that the portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece generates an induced absorption within the transparent workpiece that produces a defect within the transparent workpiece. The portion of the pulsed laser beam directed into the transparent workpiece includes a wavelength , an effective spot size w.sub.o,eff, and a non-axisymmetric beam cross section having a minimum Rayleigh range Z.sub.Rx,min in an x-direction and a minimum Rayleigh range Z.sub.Ry,min in a y-direction. Further, the smaller of Z.sub.Rx,min and Z.sub.Ry,min is greater than $F_D\frac{w_{0,\mathrm{eff}}^2}{},$
where F.sub.D is a dimensionless divergence factor comprising a value of 10 or greater.

A method produces a structured element by machining a workpiece with pulsed laser radiation, the workpiece including a workpiece material transparent to the laser radiation, the laser radiation being radiated into the workpiece from an entry side and, in an area of a rear side of the workpiece located opposite the entry side, being focused within the workpiece in a focus area such that workpiece material is removed in the focus area by multi-photon absorption, and includes bringing the rear side of the workpiece, at least in a machining area currently being machined around the focus area, into contact with a free-flowing liquid transparent to the laser radiation, wherein at least some of the liquid flows in a direction towards the machining area such that the liquid flows into the machining area at an angle of 60 or less to the rear side.

A plurality of molded cover members are manufactured by first singulating a single sheet of cover material, such as glass, into a plurality of separate, discrete cover members, placing the cover members in spaced-apart positions on a releaseable carrier, and applying a molded material to the perimeter of each cover member. The molded material can be applied by a blanket molding technique whereby gaps between adjacent cover members are filled, and then the cover members are singulated, leaving a portion of the cover material on the perimeter of each cover member, and then the singulated, molded cover members are released from the releasable carrier. Alternatively, the molded material is applied by a patterned molding technique whereby molding material is applied to the perimeter of each cover member without fully filling the gaps between adjacent cover members, and then the molded cover members are released from the releasable carrier.

In a method for manufacturing a glass plate that includes chamfering processing for chamfering an edge surface of a glass plate, the chamfering processing includes a step of forming a chamfered surface by irradiating the edge surface of the glass plate with a laser beam, and a step of heating the glass plate before the chamfered surface is formed. When a temperature of the glass blank at which the glass blank is heated is Tp [ C.], a glass transition point of the glass blank is Tg [ C.], and an average coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the glass blank is [1/ C.], (TgTp)5.6710.sup.7.Math.+840 is satisfied.

Disclosed is a system for efficiently cutting a transparent substrate. The system includes a laser source in optical communication with at least one multi-foci optical system. The laser source outputs at least one optical signal to the optical system. The optical system is positioned between the laser source and the substrate to be cut. The optical system includes at least one housing detachably coupled to at least one base member. One or more plate members having one or more apertures formed therein may be coupled to at least one of the housing, the baser member, or both. The aperture formed on the plate member may be configured to permit the optical signal to enter and exit the optical system. Various optical subassemblies may be positioned within or coupled to the optical system.

This invention disclosure addresses the fabrication of deformable microstructured and textured sheets of transparent materials such as glass. The flexible structures have islands of arbitrary geometrical shapes interconnected by springs. Structuring is performed using ultrafast laser pulses and specially designed post-processing. The fabrication process does not create any cracks perpendicular to the cut lines, and therefore, resulting deformable structures are capable of sustaining static and cyclic in-plane tensile and compressive forces, bending moments and twisting torques. Flexible structures of this invention, fabricated using thin sheets of glass, can deform to complex surfaces through stretching, compression and folding in all directions.

Processes of chamfering and/or beveling an edge of a glass substrate of arbitrary shape using lasers are described herein. Two general methods to produce chamfers on glass substrates are the first method involves cutting the edge with the desired chamfer shape utilizing an ultra-short pulse laser to create perforations within the glass; followed by an ion exchange.

A manufacturing method of a glass substrate with a hole having a diameter .sub.f, and with a thickness .sub.f includes setting a thickness .sub.1 of a glass plate that is to be processed; preparing a glass plate with the thickness .sub.1, having first and second surfaces opposite to each other; forming one initial characteristic object or two or more initial characteristic objects in the glass plate by irradiating the glass plate with a laser from a side of the first surface of the glass plate, the initial characteristic object having a size of a diameter .sub.1 on the first surface; and performing wet etching for the glass plate having the initial characteristic object, so that from the initial characteristic object a hole having the diameter .sub.f on the first surface is formed, and a thickness of the glass plate is adjusted from .sub.1 to a target value of .sub.f.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a glass film, including: a conveying step of conveying an elongated glass film (G) along a longitudinal direction thereof; and a cutting step of irradiating the glass film (G) with a laser beam (L) from a laser irradiation apparatus (19) while conveying the glass film (G) through the conveying step, to thereby separate the glass film (G). The cutting step includes generating a thread-like peeled material (Ge) in a helical shape from an end portion of the separated glass film (G) in a width direction. The thread-like peeled material (Ge) has a width (W) of 180 m or more and 300 m or less. In addition, the thread-like peeled material (Ge) has a helical diameter (D) of 80 mm or more and 200 mm or less.