A glass processing method according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes generating a pulse laser beam by using a laser oscillator, and irradiating alkali-free glass to be processed with the pulse laser beam. The wavelength of the pulse laser beam ranges from 248 nm to 266 nm, and the pulse laser beam has an energy ratio greater than or equal to 91% but smaller than or equal to 99% in the region from 5 ns after a pulse rises to 400 ns.

Methods of laser processing a transparent material are disclosed. The method may include positioning the transparent material on a carrier and transmitting a laser beam through the transparent material, where the laser beam may be incident on a side of the transparent material opposite the carrier. The transparent material may be substantially transparent to the laser beam and the carrier may include a support base and a laser disruption element. The laser disruption element may disrupt the laser beam transmitted through the transparent material such that the laser beam may not have sufficient intensity below the laser disruption element to damage the support base.

A method of cutting a combined structure of a glass substrate and a light absorbing plate includes providing a glass substrate on a metal plate, providing a light absorbing material at an edge of the glass substrate, and cutting the glass substrate and the light absorbing plate by irradiating a laser beam to the glass substrate from the edge to which the light absorbing material is provided.

Provided is a heat reflective member, which is prevented from braking even in a high-temperature environment. It generates no dust in use, and can be washed with a chemical liquid. The heat reflective member has a laminated structure in which quartz glass layers are formed on an upper surface and a lower surface of a siliceous sintered powder layer. The heat reflective member includes: an impermeable layer which is formed at a portion of the siliceous sintered powder layer at an end portion of the heat reflective member, which has a thickness at least larger than half of a thickness of the siliceous sintered powder layer, and through which a gas or a liquid is prevented from penetrating; and a buffer layer which is formed between the impermeable layer and the siliceous sintered powder layer, and which changes in density from the impermeable layer toward the sintered powder layer.

Provided is a heat reflective member, which is prevented from braking even in a high-temperature environment. It generates no dust in use, and can be washed with a chemical liquid. The heat reflective member has a laminated structure in which quartz glass layers are formed on an upper surface and a lower surface of a siliceous sintered powder layer. The heat reflective member includes: an impermeable layer which is formed at a portion of the siliceous sintered powder layer at an end portion of the heat reflective member, which has a thickness at least larger than half of a thickness of the siliceous sintered powder layer, and through which a gas or a liquid is prevented from penetrating; and a buffer layer which is formed between the impermeable layer and the siliceous sintered powder layer, and which changes in density from the impermeable layer toward the sintered powder layer.

A method including emitting a laser beam toward a transparent workpiece such that portions of the laser beam pass through openings of a beam shaping structure and form corresponding laser beam focal lines across the transparent workpiece. The laser beam focal lines forming a plurality of defects in the transparent workpiece disposed along a contour line. The method further including separating the transparent workpiece along the contour line to provide a first workpiece section and a second workpiece section and a cut edge surface on each of the first and second workpiece sections, each cut edge including a defect region and an unaffected region. The defect region having a higher surface roughness than the unaffected region and a minimum distance of the unaffected region to the first major surface being about 20% or less of a thickness between the first major surface and the second major surface.

A laser beam machining method and a laser beam machining device capable of cutting a work without producing a fusing and a cracking out of a predetermined cutting line on the surface of the work, wherein a pulse laser beam is radiated on the predetermined cut line on the surface of the work under the conditions causing a multiple photon absorption and with a condensed point aligned to the inside of the work, and a modified area is formed inside the work along the predetermined determined cut line by moving the condensed point along the predetermined cut line, whereby the work can be cut with a rather small force by cracking the work along the predetermined cut line starting from the modified area and, because the pulse laser beam radiated is not almost absorbed onto the surface of the work, the surface is not fused even if the modified area is formed.

A method of fabricating a high-density array of holes in glass is provided, comprising providing a glass piece having a front surface, then irradiating the front surface of the glass piece with a UV laser beam focused to a focal point within +/−100 μm of the front surface of the glass piece most desirably within +/−50 μm of the front surface. The lens focusing the laser has a numerical aperture desirably in the range of from 0.1 to 0.4, more desirably in the range of from 0.1 to 0.15 for glass thickness between 0.3 mm and 0.63 mm, even more desirably in the range of from 0.12 to 0.13, so as to produce open holes extending into the glass piece 100 from the front surface 102 of the glass piece, the holes having an diameter the in range of from 5 to 15 μm, and an aspect ratio of at least 20:1. For thinner glass, in the range of from 0.1-0.3 mm, the numerical aperture is desirably from 0.25 to 0.4, more desirably from 0.25 to 0.3, and the beam is preferably focused to within +/−30 μm of the front surface of the glass. The laser is desirable operated at a repetition rate of about 15 kHz or below. An array of holes thus produced may then be enlarged by etching. The front surface may be polished prior to etching, if desired.

A manufacturing method for a glass substrate having a hole with a depth of d (μm) or more includes irradiating the glass substrate with a laser beam emitted from a CO.sub.2 laser oscillator for an irradiation time t (μsec), to form a hole in the glass substrate. The laser beam is delivered to the glass substrate after being condensed at a focusing lens. A power density P.sub.d (W/cm.sup.2), defined by

P.sub.d=P.sub.0/S

where P.sub.0 and S are a power and a beam cross-sectional area of the laser beam just prior to entering the focusing lens, respectively, is 600 W/cm.sup.2 or less. The irradiation time t (μsec) satisfies

t≧10×d/P.sub.d).sup.1/2.

Provided is a laser fusing method for a glass sheet, including: cutting the glass sheet (G) by irradiating the glass sheet (G) with a laser (L) from a front surface (S) side thereof along a preset cutting line (X) extending in a surface direction of the glass sheet (G); and jetting a shaping gas (A3) so as to form a flow along at least one of the front surface (S) and a back surface (B) of the glass sheet (G), the shaping gas (A3) passing through an irradiation portion (C) of the laser (L).