A strengthened antimicrobial glass including greater from about 50.0 mol. % to about 65.0 mol. % SiO.sub.2, about 14.0 mol. % to about 22.0 mol. % Al.sub.2O.sub.3, about 14.0 mol. % to about 22.0 mol. % R.sub.2O, wherein R is an alkali metal, and about 4.0 mol. % to 10.0 mol. % P.sub.2O.sub.5. The glass may have a compressive stress layer having a thickness of greater than or equal to about 20 m less than or equal to about 60 m and having a compressive stress of greater than or equal to about 700 MPa. The glass may have an antimicrobial activity greater than or equal to about 1.0 log kill at about 23 C. and about 40.0% relative humidity. A method for making the glass may include obtaining a glass article, strengthening the glass article by contact with a first ion-exchange liquid, and contacting the glass article with second ion-exchange liquid comprising an antimicrobial agent.

A method for microstructuring a plate-shaped glass substrate by laser radiation includes: introducing one-sided recesses into the glass substrate, in which a focus of the laser radiation forms a spatial beam along a beam axis and in which the laser radiation creates modifications in the glass substrate along the beam axis so that an action of an etching medium subsequently creates the recesses in the glass substrate through anisotropic removal of material in a respective region of the modifications. A chemical composition of the glass substrate is partially changed and thus at least one region of changed properties is created before the action of the etching medium.

Described herein are various antimicrobial soda lime glass articles that have improved resistance to discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions, including manufacturing conditions. The improved antimicrobial glass articles described herein generally include a SLG substrate that has a thickness, t; a compressive stress layer of about 0.15*t or greater; and an antimicrobial agent-containing region having an antimicrobial agent and a thickness less than the thickness of the compressive stress layer. Roughly 2 to 20 microns of the primary surfaces of the glass substrate can be removed prior to development of the compressive stress and antimicrobial agent-containing region. In some aspects, prior-annealed and tempered, or prior-annealed, SLG is employed as the substrate. In some aspects, the substrate includes tin at one surface. The improved SLG substrates experience substantially no discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. Methods of making and using the glass articles are also described.

A method of making an antimicrobial glass article that includes the steps: submersing the article in a strengthening bath to exchange a portion of ion-exchangeable metal ions in the glass article with a portion of ion-exchanging metal ions in the strengthening bath to form a compressive stress layer extending from the first surface to a diffusion depth in the article; removing a portion of the compressive stress layer from the first surface of the article to a first depth above the diffusion depth in the article to define a new first surface and a remaining compressive stress layer; and submersing the article in an antimicrobial bath to exchange a portion of the ion-exchangeable and the ion-exchanging metal ions in the compressive stress layer with a portion of the silver metal ions in the antimicrobial bath to impart an antimicrobial property in the article.

A method of making a glass having antimicrobial properties and high compressive stress. The method includes a first ion exchange step in which potassium cations are exchanged for sodium cations in the base glass to provide a surface layer under compressive stress, followed by a second ion exchange in which silver cations are exchanged for potassium and lithium ions in the glass to produce the antimicrobial glass. In some embodiments, the antimicrobial glass has a maximum compressive stress that is at least 80% of the maximum compressive stress obtained by the potassium-for-sodium exchange in the first bath. A base glass and an ion exchanged glass antimicrobial having antimicrobial properties are also provided.

Described herein are various methods and manufacturing methods for making antimicrobial and strengthened, antimicrobial glass articles and substrates. The methods described herein generally include contacting the article with a KNO.sub.3-containing molten salt bath set at about 380 C to about 460 C for about 30 minutes to about 24 hours to form a compressive stress layer that extends inward from a surface of the glass substrate to a first depth; and contacting the article comprising the compressive stress layer with a AgNO.sub.3-containing molten salt bath set at about 300 C. to about 400 C. for about 5 minutes to about 18 hours to form an antimicrobial region that extends inward from the surface of the glass substrate to a second depth. The methods also include poisoning at least the AgNO.sub.3-containing molten salt bath and, in some cases, the KNO.sub.3-containing molten salt bath. Poisoning components include Na.sup.+ and Li.sup.+ ions.

Embodiments disclosed therein generally pertain to selectively strengthening glass. More particularly, techniques are described for selectively strengthening cover glass, which tends to be thin, for electronic devices, namely, portable electronic devices.

Described herein are various antimicrobial glass articles that have improved resistance to discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. The improved antimicrobial glass articles described herein generally include a glass substrate that has a low concentration of nonbridging oxygen atoms, a compressive stress layer and an antimicrobial silver-containing region that each extend inward from a surface of the glass substrate to a specific depth, such that the glass article experiences little-to-no discoloration when exposed to harsh conditions. Methods of making and using the glass articles are also described.

The disclosure is directed to a chemically strengthened glass having antimicrobial properties and to a method of making such glass. In particular, the disclosure is directed to a chemically strengthened glass with antimicrobial properties and with a low surface energy coating on the glass that does not interfere with the antimicrobial properties of the glass. The antimicrobial has an Ag ion concentration on the surface in the range of greater than zero to 0.047 g/cm.sup.2. The glass has particular applications as antimicrobial shelving, table tops and other applications in hospitals, laboratories and other institutions handling biological substances, where color in the glass is not a consideration.

Methods of making glass substrates comprise: obtaining a base glass from a bulk process; exposing the base glass to a first ion exchange treatment including ions of a first metal to form a protected base glass; exposing the protected base glass to a second ion exchange treatment including the ions of the first metal and ions of a second metal to form a modified base glass; and annealing the modified base glass to remove substantially all stress and to obtain a distributed concentration profile of the alkali metal oxide, an oxide of the first metal, and an oxide of the second metal, thereby forming the glass substrate.