The method for manufacturing a plate glass is a method for manufacturing the plate glass having sides of at least 30 cm or more and a surface thereof on which a predetermined shape is formed. In the manufacturing method, the flat plate glass is heated to a temperature which is lower than a softening point and at which the heated flat plate glass is deformable by being pressed at a predetermined pressure or higher, the heated flat glass, which has been molded by pressing the flat plate glass with a die having a die structure for forming the predetermined shape, is cooled to the strain point while being held with the die. Further, in the manufacturing method, the pressing is performed with the die having a coefficient of thermal expansion whose difference from that of the plate glass is 2.0×10.sup.−6/K or less.

The method for manufacturing a plate glass is a method for manufacturing the plate glass having sides of at least 30 cm or more and a surface thereof on which a predetermined shape is formed. In the manufacturing method, the flat plate glass is heated to a temperature which is lower than a softening point and at which the heated flat plate glass is deformable by being pressed at a predetermined pressure or higher, the heated flat glass, which has been molded by pressing the flat plate glass with a die having a die structure for forming the predetermined shape, is cooled to the strain point while being held with the die. Further, in the manufacturing method, the pressing is performed with the die having a coefficient of thermal expansion whose difference from that of the plate glass is 2.0×10.sup.−6/K or less.

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 system and method for making a thin sintered silica sheet is provided. The method includes providing a soot deposition surface and forming a glass soot sheet by delivering a stream of glass soot particles from a soot generating device to the soot deposition surface. The method includes providing a sintering laser positioned to direct a laser beam onto the soot sheet and forming a sintered glass sheet from the glass soot sheet by delivering a laser beam from the sintering laser onto the glass soot sheet. The sintered glass sheet formed by the laser sintering system or method is thin, has low surfaces roughness and/or low contaminant levels. The system is also configured to produce a sheet having low degrees of warp and/or low fictive temperatures.

Methods are provided for laser processing arbitrary shapes of molded 3D thin transparent brittle parts from substrates with particular interest in substrates formed from strengthened or non-strengthened Corning Gorilla® glass (all codes). The developed laser methods can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermal stressing the desired profile. Methods can be used to form 3D surfaces with small radii of curvature. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that may be optionally followed by a CO.sub.2 laser for fully automated separation.

Methods are provided for laser processing arbitrary shapes of molded 3D thin transparent brittle parts from substrates with particular interest in substrates formed from strengthened or non-strengthened Corning Gorilla® glass (all codes). The developed laser methods can be tailored for manual separation of the parts from the panel or full laser separation by thermal stressing the desired profile. Methods can be used to form 3D surfaces with small radii of curvature. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser that may be optionally followed by a CO.sub.2 laser for fully automated separation.

When a laser beam is used to perform shape processing on an edge surface of a disk-shaped glass plate, in order to suppress strain (retardation values) in the main surface of the glass plate, the disk-shaped glass plate is floated above a base, and the edge surface of the glass plate is processed into a target shape by irradiating the edge surface with the laser beam while contactlessly heating the glass plate in a state where the glass plate is floated, and moving the laser beam relative to the edge surface in the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped glass plate.

When a laser beam is used to perform shape processing on an edge surface of a disk-shaped glass plate, in order to suppress strain (retardation values) in the main surface of the glass plate, the disk-shaped glass plate is floated above a base, and the edge surface of the glass plate is processed into a target shape by irradiating the edge surface with the laser beam while contactlessly heating the glass plate in a state where the glass plate is floated, and moving the laser beam relative to the edge surface in the circumferential direction of the disk-shaped glass plate.

A process for forming a textured 3-D glass-based substrate includes texturing a first surface of a glass-based substrate and shaping the glass-based substrate into a three-dimensional shape. The surface profile of the substrate is non-planar. In some embodiments, texturing the first surface of the glass-based substrate provides the first surface with an average roughness of 10 nm to 2000 nm.