STRENGTHENED GLASS AND METHODS FOR MAKING USING DIFFERENTIAL TIME

Abstract

Chemically strengthened glass and a method for making utilizing differential time are provided. The method includes providing a substrate. The substrate includes a glass chemical structure. Host alkali ions are situated in the chemical structure. The substrate has a treatment-rich volume and a treatment-poor volume located as opposed to each other in the substrate. The method also includes providing an exchange medium including invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius that is larger than an average ionic radius of the host alkali ions. The method also includes applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-rich volume for a period of time and applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-poor volume for a modified period of time. The method also includes conducting ion exchange while applying the exchange medium to produce the strengthened substrate.

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/710,139, entitled “Strengthened Glass and Curvature Control” by Patrick K. Kreski filed on Oct. 5, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Chemical strengthening of glass, also called ion-exchange strengthening or chemical tempering, is a technique to strengthen a prepared glass article by increasing compression within the glass itself. It generally involves introducing larger alkali ions into the glass chemical structure, to replace smaller alkali ions present in the structure. A common implementation of chemical strengthening in glass occurs through the exchange of sodium ions, having a relatively smaller ionic radius, with potassium ions, having a relatively larger ionic radius by submerging a glass substrate containing sodium ions in a bath containing molten potassium salts.

Chemical strengthening is often utilized to increase compression in order to increase strength, abrasion resistance, and/or thermal shock resistance into a glass article. The increased compression can be introduced to various depths in the glass and is often implemented within a surface layer. Chemical strengthening is commonly utilized for treating flat glass. But it may also be used for treating non-flat glass articles, such as cylinders and other shapes of greater geometric complexity.

Flat glass is commonly manufactured by a number of known techniques. These include the float glass method and drawing methods, such as the fusion down-draw method and the slot draw method. However, a prepared flat glass article may have variations in its chemical composition and/or structure at different locations in the glass. For example, flat glass that is manufactured by the float glass technique is often prepared by spreading softened glass material on a molten metal surface such as tin. The glass is then cooled to form a solid, flat glass. As a result, the prepared flat glass often contains a greater amount of tin on the side that was nearer the molten tin and the concentration of tin is commonly greater near the surface of that side.

Chemical strengthening is often used to treat glass having variations in chemical composition and/or structure at different locations in the glass. The variations produce locations that are treatment-rich or treatment-poor relative to each other for ion exchange and/or compression development in chemical strengthening. When chemical strengthening is used to treat such glass, the introduced compressive stress is often not uniformly distributed. This may introduce a bending moment and subsequent induced curvature in a glass article treated by chemical strengthening, particularly for glass articles having a width of less than 3 mm. The induced curvature is often undesirable. Induced curvature is especially problematic in manufacturing thin flat glass articles according to manufacturing specifications that include the enhanced physical properties associated with chemical strengthening, but without induced curvature. For example, glass used in manufactured electronic articles, such as displays for “smart” phones, often requires glass that is uniformly flat and high in strength and abrasion resistance.

For a thin, flat glass article, such as an article having two major surfaces, the non-equivalence of interdiffusion of invading alkali ions and/or compression generation properties between the major surfaces of the flat glass substrate after chemical strengthening commonly often has an effect, such that a local force times the distance from the mid-plane of a glass article is not equivalent when summed from the treatment-poor surface to the mid-plane and from the rich surface to the mid-plane. Thus the net bending moment about the mid-plane is non-zero (i.e., there is a non-zero net bending moment of the stress about the mid-plane). As a result, bending stresses are generated. For glass articles of thin cross-section, these bending stresses generate deflection of the glass article from flat. That is, thin, chemically strengthened glasses manufactured by the float process often exhibit measurable curvature after chemical strengthening. The direction of curvature is often concave on the poor surface and convex on the rich surface.

In recent years, various types of efforts have attempted to overcome the problem of induced curvature that is associated with the chemical strengthening of glass. One approach involves grinding and polishing a prepared glass prior to chemical strengthening. The grinding and polishing is performed to remove those parts of a glass having a different chemical composition and/or structure. An example of this approach is grinding and polishing a flat glass made by the float method to remove the surface layer(s) containing a significant amount of tin. However, grinding and polishing the float glass introduces abrasions and may introduce other physical defects, in addition to the added time and expense associated with performing the grinding and polishing. Other approaches have involved secondary chemical treatments of prepared glass done prior to chemical strengthening. The secondary chemical treatments are utilized in an attempt to address differences chemical composition and/or structure at different locations in the glass. However secondary chemical treatments can alter the physical properties of the glass and otherwise degrade a glass produced through subsequent chemical strengthening. Also, like grinding and polishing, secondary chemical treatments involve the time and expense of an extra processing step that is done prior to chemical strengthening.

Given the foregoing, chemically strengthened glass and methods for making chemically strengthened glass are desired in which the strengthened glass has reduced induced curvature. It is also desired that the strengthened glass not have the drawbacks associated with grinding and polishing or secondary chemical treatment(s) applied in prior methods associated with the chemical strengthening of the glass. It is also desired that the strengthened glass have the improved physical properties of chemically strengthened glass, such as higher strength, higher abrasion resistance, and/or higher thermal shock resistance.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts. These concepts are further described below in the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is this summary intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to an implementation, a method for making a strengthened substrate may include providing a substrate. The substrate may be characterized by having a glass chemical structure. The glass chemical structure may include host alkali ions, having an average ionic radius, situated in the glass chemical structure. The substrate may also have dimensional volumes including a treatment-rich volume and a treatment-poor volume located as opposed to each other in the substrate. The method may also include providing an exchange medium. The exchange medium may include invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius that may be larger than the average ionic radius of the host alkali ions. The method may also include applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-rich volume for a period of time. The method may also include applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-poor volume for a modified period of time. The modified period of time may be longer than the period of time. The method may also include conducting ion exchange while applying the exchange medium to produce the strengthened substrate.

According to another implementation, an article of manufacture includes a chemically strengthened substrate. The substrate may be characterized by having a glass chemical structure including alkali ions situated in the glass chemical structure. The substrate has dimensional volumes. The dimensional volumes may include a treatment-rich volume including a rich surface of the substrate. The dimensional volumes may also include a treatment-poor volume including a poor surface of the substrate. The treatment-poor volume may be characterized by having a variation from the treatment-rich volume in one or more of a chemical composition and a chemical structure. The dimensional volumes may also include a bulk volume within the substrate. The bulk volume may be adjacent one or more of the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume. A concentration of metal in one or more of the treatment-poor volume and the treatment-rich volume may be ≧about 0.4 mole % higher than a concentration of the metal in the bulk volume. A concentration of the metal may be higher in the treatment-poor volume than a concentration of the metal in the treatment-rich volume. A concentration of alkali ions in a diffusion depth of one or more of the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume may be ≦about 0.5 mole % higher than a concentration of the alkali ions in the bulk volume.

According to another implementation, an article of manufacture includes a chemically strengthened glass substrate made by a process. The process may include providing a substrate. The substrate may be characterized by having a glass chemical structure including host alkali ions having an average ionic radius situated in the glass chemical structure. The substrate may have dimensional volumes. The dimensional volumes may include a treatment-rich volume and a treatment-poor volume. The two volumes may be located as opposed to each other in the substrate. The process may also include providing an exchange medium. The exchange medium may include invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius that is larger than the average ionic radius of the host alkali ions. The process may include applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-rich volume for a period of time. The process may include applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-poor volume for a modified period of time. The modified period of time may be longer than the period of time. The process may include conducting ion exchange while applying the exchange medium to produce the strengthened substrate.

The above summary is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation. Further features, their nature and various advantages are described in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the examples and embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments described herein and, together with the description, explain these embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that the drawings are presented for example purposes only. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary overview of an implementation described herein;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing properties of exemplary strengthened substrates made utilizing an exchange medium applied to soda-lime silicate glass;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing properties of exemplary strengthened substrates made utilizing an exchange medium applied to sodium aluminosilicate glass; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for making a strengthened substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

Overview

The present invention is useful for making chemically strengthened glass, and has been found to be particularly advantageous for making chemically strengthened glass having reduced induced curvature. A chemically strengthened glass, according to the principles of the invention, does not have the drawbacks associated with grinding and polishing or secondary chemical treatment(s) when done prior to chemical strengthening. While the present invention is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the invention are appreciated through a discussion of various examples using this context.

FIG. 1 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary overview of an implementation described herein. Assume that a glass substrate has variations in its chemical composition and/or chemical structure at different locations or “volumes” in the glass. One type of variation has a chemical composition and/or chemical structure that is more readily treated by chemical strengthening and is a “treatment-rich” volume. Another type of variation has a chemical composition and/or chemical structure that is less readily treated by chemical strengthening and is a “treatment-poor” volume. The term “treatment-rich volume” refers to a volume of a glass substrate which exhibits faster alkali ion interdiffusion and/or greater compression development during chemical strengthening relative to a “treatment-poor volume” under equivalent chemical strengthening conditions applied to the glass substrate. A volume may occur at a surface of a substrate, or in a space or layer beneath the surface. A treatment-rich volume or treatment-poor volume may be a surface layer of a glass substrate in which the diffusion of invading alkali ions extends to a given “diffusion depth” from the surface, also called a penetration depth or a diffusion layer. In chemical strengthening, a portion of the diffusion depth is in compressive stress, called case depth. Case depth is the width of the diffusion layer that is in compressive stress in a specimen.

As shown in FIG. 1, at step 102, a glass substrate is provided with the different volumes. At step 104, chemical strengthening of the treatment-poor volume is performed for a modified period of time that is longer than the period of time at step 106, for chemical strengthening of the treatment-rich volume.

While the exchange medium is applied to the different volumes, chemical strengthening proceeds to produce a strengthened substrate in which the induced curvature has been reduced or nullified through the application of the exchange medium for the different periods of time. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it appears that the longer time period in which the exchange medium is applied to the treatment-poor volume offsets the difference in ion-exchangeability between the treatment-rich and treatment poor volumes, thus reducing or nullifying induced curvature that may otherwise result from chemical strengthening of the glass substrate.

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present invention is described by referring mainly to embodiments, principles and examples thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the examples. It is readily apparent however, that the embodiments may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, some embodiments have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the description. Furthermore, different embodiments are described below. The embodiments may be used or performed together in different combinations.

The operation and effects of certain embodiments can be more fully appreciated from the examples, as described below. The embodiments on which these examples are based are representative only. The selection of these embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention does not indicate that materials, components, reactants, conditions, techniques, configurations and designs, etc. which are not described in the examples are not suitable for use, or that subject matter not described in the examples is excluded from the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents. The significance of the examples may be better understood by comparing the results obtained therefrom with potential results which may be obtained from tests or trials that may be, or may have been, designed to serve as controlled experiments and to provide a basis for comparison.

As used herein, the terms “based on”, “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “has”, “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B is true (or present). Also, use of the “a” or “an” is employed to describe elements and components. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the description. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

The meaning of abbreviations and certain terms used herein is as follows: “mm” means millimeter(s), “μm” means micrometer(s) or micron(s), “g” means gram(s), “mg” means milligram(s), “μg” means microgram(s), “L” means liter(s), “mL” means milliliter(s), “cc” means cubic centimeter(s), “cc/g” means cubic centimeters per gram, “mol” means mole(s), “mmol” means millimole(s), “wt %” means percent by weight and “mol %” means percent by mole.

Exemplary Substrate Glasses

As used herein a “glass substrate” may comprise any kind of ion-exchangeable glass. Examples of such glass include soda-lime silicate glass, alkali aluminosilicate glass or alkali aluminoborosilicate glass, though other glass compositions are contemplated including glasses where glass forming components are free of silica, such as boron oxide (borate), phosphorus oxide (phosphate), aluminum oxide (aluminate), etc. As used herein, “ion exchangeable” means that a glass is capable of exchanging alkali ions located in the glass structure of the glass (i.e., “host alkali ions”), such as at or near the surface of the substrate, with larger alkali ions (i.e., “invading alkali ions”) from an exchange medium that may be a liquid, solid or gas. An “ion exchange rate” refers to an amount of invading ions entering a substrate over a period of time. A glass may have chemical composition and/or chemical structure variations at different locations or “volumes” in the glass. An example of chemical composition variation is an excess of metal, such as metal ions or other forms of metal and may include a metal species, such as tin or lead. An example is metal that remains in a flat glass made by a float glass method, such as tin. An example of chemical structure variation is the presence of an element in the glass in which the element may have different valences throughout different volumes, such as tin present in Sn²⁺ and Sn⁴⁺ valences in the different volumes. In this example, the different forms of tin form different chemical structures in the different volumes.

Exemplary embodiments of substrate glasses include silicate glasses, such as soda-lime silicate glass or sodium aluminosilicate glass that includes alumina, at least one alkali metal and, in some embodiments, greater than 50 mol % SiO₂, in other embodiments at least 58 mol % SiO₂, and in still other embodiments at least 60 mol % SiO₂.

Exemplary Strengthened Glasses

Exemplary embodiments of chemically strengthened glasses include soda-lime silicate glass and sodium aluminosilicate glass which are strengthened, such as, in potassium nitrate salt baths. Chemical strengthening may be performed at various temperatures, such as at temperatures above about 400° C., preferably about 430° C., and with ion exchange durations of about 1-24 hours. The zone of compressive stress occurs, for example, within a diffusion depth of about 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 or 125 to about 150 μm of a surface of a substrate glass. According to an exemplary embodiment, compressive stress in a strengthened glass is greatest at a surface (i.e., a “surface compression”) of the glass and the level of compressive stress follows a gradient extending downward from the surface through a case depth in the strengthened glass. In exemplary embodiments, the amount of surface compression may be up to about 800 MPa or higher in strengthened soda-lime silicate glass and up to about 1200 MPa or higher in aluminosilicate glass. In some exemplary embodiments, surface compression is about 200-650 MPa in strengthened soda-lime silicate glass and about 300-850 MPa in aluminosilicate glass. In other exemplary embodiments, surface compression is about 400-600 MPa in strengthened soda-lime silicate glass and about 600-800 MPa in aluminosilicate glass.

In some exemplary embodiments, a strengthened silicate glass, such as soda-lime silicate glass or sodium aluminosilicate glass comprises alumina, at least one alkali metal and, in some embodiments, greater than 50 mol % SiO₂, in other embodiments at least 58 mol % SiO₂, and in still other embodiments at least 60 mol % SiO₂. In these embodiments, a Li₂O+Na₂O+K₂O total mol %, such as in a volume associated with a diffusion depth, is at least about 1, 2, 5, 7 or 8-10 mol % and ≦25 mol %, preferably ≦20 mol %, and more preferably ≦about 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 or 16-18 mol %.

In another exemplary embodiment, an alkali aluminosilicate glass comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of: 60-75 mol % SiO₂; 5-15 mol % Al₂O₃; 0-12 mol % B₂O₃; 8-21 mol % Na₂O; 0-8 mol % K₂O; 0-15 mol % MgO; and 0-3 mol % CaO. In these embodiments, such as in a volume associated with a diffusion depth, a Li₂O+Na₂O+K₂O total mol % is at least about 1, 2, 5, 7 or 8-10 mol % and ≦25 mol %, preferably ≦20 mol %, and more preferably ≦about 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 or 16-18 mol %.

In yet another embodiment, an alkali aluminosilicate glass substrate comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of: 60-70 mol % SiO₂; 6-14 mol % Al₂O₃; 0-15 mol % B₂O₃; 0-15 mol % Li₂O; 0-20 mol % Na₂O; 0-10 mol % K₂O; 0-15 mol % MgO; 0-10 mol % CaO; 0-5 mol % ZrO₂; 0-2 mol % SnO₂; 0-1 mol % CeO₂; wherein about 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, or 10-12 mol %≦Li₂O+Na₂O+K₂O≦about 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 or 16-20 mol %, such as in a volume associated with a diffusion depth, and 0 mol %≦MgO+CaO≦15 mol %.

In one example embodiment, sodium ions in the substrate glass are replaced by potassium ions from a molten bath, though other alkali metal ions having a larger atomic radius, such as rubidium or cesium, may replace smaller alkali metal ions in the glass. Similarly, other alkali metal salts such as, but not limited to, nitrates, sulfates, halides, and the like may be used in the ion exchange process.

In another example embodiment, a chemically-strengthened glass substrate can have a surface compressive stress of about 200 MPa or more, e.g., about 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 or 1500 MPa or more, a case depth of about 5 μm or more (e.g., about 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100 μm or more) and a diffusion depth of about 5 μm or more (e.g., about 5, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 125 or 150 μm or more).

In another example embodiment, a chemically-strengthened glass substrate can have a higher amount of metal in at least one surface volume or layer, such as a treatment-rich volume or a treatment-poor volume, than in a bulk volume adjacent these surface volumes. A concentration of metal in at least one of the treatment-poor volume and the treatment-rich volume may be ≧about 0.4, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 10.0, 12.0, 15.0, 20 or 25 mol % higher than a concentration of the metal in the bulk volume. According to an embodiment, a concentration of metal in the treatment-poor volume is higher than a concentration of the metal in a treatment-rich volume. A common example of strengthened glass with variant metal concentrations in the different volumes is chemically strengthened glass made from a flat glass substrate prepared using a float glass process utilizing tin.

In another example embodiment, a chemically-strengthened glass substrate may have an average concentration of alkali ions (e.g. invading alkali ions and host alkali ions) that is the same or different in a diffusion depth of a surface volume than in an adjacent volume, such as a bulk volume. The surface volume may be a treatment-rich volume or a treatment-poor volume in the strengthened glass. The average concentration of alkali ions may be the same or different from an average concentration of alkali ions in the adjacent volume, such as a bulk volume. In one example embodiment, the average concentration of alkali ions in the diffusion depth of the surface volume is ≦to about 0.5 mol % higher than a concentration of the alkali ions in the bulk volume. In other embodiments, the average concentration of alkali ions in the diffusion depth of the surface volume is ≦to about 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.0.1 or 0.05 mol % higher, equal to or less than a concentration of the alkali ions in the bulk volume adjacent the surface volume.

Exemplary Exchange Mediums

Exemplary embodiments of a liquid exchange medium which may be utilized in chemical strengthening include liquid molten salt baths. The molten liquid baths include invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius in the alkali metal ion of the molten salt that is larger than an average ionic radius of host alkali metal ions in the substrate glass prior to ion exchange. A common example of a liquid molten salt bath includes potassium nitrate with potassium as the invading alkali ion to replace sodium and/or lithium host ions in the substrate glass.

Mixed salt blends of invading alkali ions may also be used as liquid exchange mediums. These blends may include salts of different alkali metals, preferably different alkali metal nitrates. A nitrate melt blend may include at least two different alkali ions, for example Na and K, or as well Na and Rb. But it is also possible that three or four different alkali metals are included. Rb ions or Cs ions may be used in chemical strengthening. The method according to the embodiment offers the option to effectively incorporate invading alkali ions into a treated glass article having ionic radii that are significantly larger than the radii of host alkali ions, such as lithium or sodium ions.

Exemplary embodiments of a solid exchange medium which may be utilized in chemical strengthening include semi-solid pastes that may be applied to a surface of a glass substrate. The paste includes invading alkali ions from a source such as a salt and at least one rheological agent, such as clay, to suspend the ions in the solid exchange medium. Kaolin is a common example of a rheological agent which may utilized in making a solid exchange medium. The viscosity of a paste made with kaolin may be modified with water and other additives to suit an application by which the paste is applied to a glass substrate. Water content of a paste may be evaporated prior to application as a solid exchange medium utilizing a raised high temperature, such as greater than 120° C. Another example of a rheological agent is aluminosilicate fiber. Other clays and rheological agents are also contemplated.

In addition to liquid and solid exchange mediums, gas exchange mediums are also contemplated.

EXAMPLES

The following examples demonstrate methods of making chemically strengthened glass utilizing differential time methodology.

Example 1

Example 1 demonstrates the preparation of a chemically strengthened soda-lime silicate glass having a reduced induced curvature. Reference is made to graph 200 in FIG. 2 in the example. Graph 200 shows a differential time of exchange methodology. A pre-treatment time for applying an exchange medium to the surface of a treatment-poor volume is given in hours on the abscissa. Peak-to-valley deflection for a flat glass having 50 mm width is given in microns on the ordinate. Note that for this example, an ideal flatness, (i.e., a nearly zero of induced curvature) is crossed between 3.0 hours and 3.5 hours, as shown by the data plotted in graph 200.

Sample preparation: Soda-lime silicate glass coupons, 50 mm×50 mm across and 0.4 mm width, were cut from a mother sheet formed by a tin float glass process. The treatment-poor volume surface on the coupons was manually coated with a uniform layer of KNO₃-containing paste as a solid exchange medium. The paste composition was 2 parts distilled water, 1 part New Zealand China clay (premium grade), and 1 part KNO₃ (technical grade) by weight. The wet weight of paste applied was 4.0 grams. Water was dried from the applied paste by heating the coupons in a drying oven at about 100° C. for several hours. After drying the pastes on the coupons, separate coupons were processed in air at 440° C. for the following lengths of pre-treatment time: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 hours. Pre-treatment time represents the differential time between the modified period of time and the period of time.

After the pre-treatment with the paste exchange medium, the coupons were submerged for 24 hours in a liquid exchange medium, a bath of molten KNO₃ held at 440° C. The paste on the treatment-poor surface was not removed prior to the submerged treatment and was adherent throughout the submerged treatment, and, following submerged treatment and cooling, was removed by rinsing with water. A minimum of two coupons were examined for each parameter.

Results: Coupon deflection after processing was determined from surface profiles measured using a non-contact optical profiler. Deflection is the peak-to-valley height determined along a line drawn between opposite edge mid-points of the square coupon. Deflection versus pre-treatment time is given in graph 200. A positive deflection measurement in graph 200 indicates convex curvature of the treatment-rich volume surface. A negative deflection measurement indicates concave curvature of the treatment-rich surface.

For commercial purposes, such as for utilization in personal electronic devices and flat panel displays, an acceptable deflection is about 0.1% of the linear span—corresponding to 50 microns for a 50 mm span. In graph 200, pre-treatment times of 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, 3.0 and 3.5 hours produced a deflection less than the 50 micron parameter in this example. An ideal flat was crossed between 3.0 and 3.5 hours. At 2.75 hours, the average deflection measured was 21.8 microns (treatment-rich side convex), average surface compression was 486 MPa for the rich surface and 397 MPa for the poor surface, average case depth was 26.1 micron for the rich surface and 26.8 micron for the poor surface.

Sample coupons, which did not have any pre-treatment by paste exchange medium applied to the poor surface, but otherwise underwent equivalent processing in the liquid exchange medium had an average deflection measurement of 116.3 micron (rich side convex), an average surface compression of 489 MPa for the rich surface and 417 MPa for the poor surface, and average case depth of 25.8 microns on the rich surface and 24.7 microns on the poor surface. The average deflection of the coupons which did not have any pre-treatment by paste exchange medium is represented by the horizontal dashed line appearing above 100 microns deflection in graph 200.

Example 2

Example 2 demonstrates the preparation of a chemically strengthened sodium aluminosilicate glass having a reduced induced curvature. Reference is made to graph 300 in FIG. 3 in the example. Graph 300 shows a differential time of exchange methodology. A pre-treatment time for applying an exchange medium to the surface of a treatment-poor volume is given in minutes on the abscissa. Peak-to-valley deflection for a flat glass having 50 mm width is given in microns on the ordinate. Note that for this example, an ideal flatness, (i.e., a nearly zero of induced curvature) is crossed near 14 minutes, as shown by the data plotted in graph 300.

Sample preparation: Sodium aluminosilicate glass coupons, 50 mm×50 mm across and 0.56 mm width, were cut from a mother sheet formed by a tin float glass process. The treatment-poor volume surface on the coupons was manually coated with a uniform layer of KNO₃-containing paste as a solid exchange medium. The paste composition was 2 parts distilled water, 1 part UNIFRAX FIBERFRAX 7000 aluminosilicate fiber, and 1 part KNO₃ (technical grade) by weight. The wet weight of paste applied was 4.0 grams. Water was dried from the applied paste by heating the coupons in a drying oven at ˜100° C. for several hours. After drying the pastes on the coupons, separate coupons were processed in air at 450° C. for the following lengths of pre-treatment time: 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 minutes. Pre-treatment time represents the differential time between the modified period of time and the period of time.

After the pre-treatment with the paste exchange medium, the coupons were submerged for 2 hours in a bath of molten KNO₃ held at 450° C. The paste on the treatment-poor surface was not removed prior to the submerged treatment and was adherent throughout the submerged treatment, and, following the submerged treatment and cooling, was removed by rinsing with water. A minimum of two coupons were examined for each parameter.

Results: Coupon deflection after processing was determined from surface profiles measured using a non-contact optical profiler. Deflection is the peak-to-valley height determined along a line drawn between opposite edge mid-points of the square coupon. Deflection versus pre-treatment time is given in graph 300. A positive deflection measurement in graph 300 indicates convex curvature of the treatment-rich volume surface. A negative deflection measurement indicates concave curvature of the treatment-rich surface.

For commercial purposes, such as use in personal electronic devices and flat panel displays, acceptable deflection is about 0.1% of the linear span—corresponding to 50 micron for a 50 mm span. In graph 300, pretreatment times produced deflection less than the 50 micron parameter in this example. An ideal flat was crossed near 14 minutes. At 14 minutes, average deflection was −2.5 micron (treatment-rich side concave), average surface compression was 846 MPa for the rich surface and 824 MPa for the poor surface, average case depth was 40.2 micron for the rich surface and 40.8 micron for the poor surface.

Sample coupons, which did not have any pre-treatment by paste exchange medium applied to the poor surface and did not undergo a pre-treatment, but otherwise underwent equivalent processing in the liquid exchange medium, had an average deflection measurement of 35.5 micron (treatment-rich side convex), average surface compression was 862 MPa for the rich surface and 845 MPa for the poor surface, and average case depth was 40.4 micron on the rich surface and 35.5 micron on the poor surface. The average deflection of the coupons which did not have any pre-treatment by paste exchange medium is represented by the horizontal dashed line appearing above 30 microns deflection in graph 300.

FIG. 4 is flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for making a strengthened substrate.

At step 402, a glass substrate is provided having different volumes, such as a “treatment-rich” volume and a “treatment-poor” volume in the glass structure including host alkali ions. The glass may be soda-lime silicate glass or aluminosilicate glass. The volumes may be located, for example, as opposed to each other in the substrate, and according to an embodiment, may be diametrically opposed. The glass substrate may have variations in the different volumes, such as a variation in chemical composition and/or chemical structure. An example of a variation in chemical composition is an amount of tin situated in different volumes of the glass. An example of a variation in chemical structure is the presence of tin in different valences, Sn²⁺ and Sn⁴⁺ in different volumes of the glass. A variation in chemical composition and/or chemical structure in the treatment-poor volume may distinguish it from the treatment-rich volume.

At step 404, an exchange medium including invading alkali ions is applied to a surface of the treatment-poor volume at a first temperature (“T1” in the figure) for first period of time (“P1” in the figure).

At step 406, the glass substrate is submerged in a liquid exchange medium including invading alkali ions at a second temperature (“T2” in the figure) for second period of time (“P2” in the figure). The second temperature (T2) may be the same or different from the first temperature (T1). In an embodiment, the submerging immediately follows the end of the first time period (P1). In another embodiment, the submerging follows a break after the end of the first time period (P1) when the exchange medium applied in Step 404 is removed from contact with the glass substrate. According to an embodiment, a net bending moment is about zero, in a fully strengthened substrate after the liquid exchange medium has been applied.

Although described specifically throughout the entirety of the disclosure, the representative examples have utility over a wide range of applications, and the above discussion is not intended and should not be construed to be limiting. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the principles of the invention. While the examples have been described with reference to the figures, those skilled in the art are able to make various modifications to the described examples without departing from the scope of the following claims, and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for making a strengthened substrate, the method comprising:

providing a substrate characterized by having a glass chemical structure including host alkali ions having an average ionic radius situated in the glass chemical structure, and wherein the substrate has dimensional volumes including a treatment-rich volume and a treatment-poor volume located as opposed to each other in the substrate;

providing an exchange medium comprising invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius that is larger than the average ionic radius of the host alkali ions;

applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-rich volume for a period of time;

applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-poor volume for a modified period of time, wherein the modified period of time is longer than the period of time; and

conducting ion exchange while applying the exchange medium to produce the strengthened substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

submerging the substrate in a bath containing the exchange medium during the period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the applying steps is accomplished through submerging at least one of the volumes in a bath containing the exchange medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time and the modified period of time are continuous and end at the same point in time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a variation in at least one of chemical composition and chemical structure in the substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the chemical composition and chemical structure in the treatment-poor volume is different than in the treatment-rich volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a time difference between the period of time and the modified period of time occurs prior to exposure of the treatment-rich volume to an exchange medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a net bending moment about mid-plane is about zero in the strengthened substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a compressive stress varies at different locations of the strengthened substrate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the period of time and the modified period of time is discontinuous.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting ion exchange is performed at a constant temperature during at least one of the period of time and the modified period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting ion exchange is performed at a variable temperature during at least one of the period of time and the modified period of time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting ion exchange is performed while applying about an equal temperature to the treatment-poor volume and the treatment-rich volume.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting ion exchange is performed at an average temperature during the period of time that is different from an average temperature utilized while conducting ion exchange during the modified period of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchange medium is one of a liquid, a solid, a gas and mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume are located as diametrically opposed in the substrate.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is one of a continuous process and a batch process.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises one of alkali aluminosilicate glass and soda-lime silicate glass.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is flat.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a width of about 3.0 millimeters or less.

21. An article of manufacture, the article comprising:

a chemically strengthened substrate characterized by having a glass chemical structure including alkali ions situated in the glass chemical structure wherein the substrate has dimensional volumes including a treatment-rich volume including a rich surface of the substrate, a treatment-poor volume including a poor surface of the substrate and characterized by having a variation from the treatment-rich volume in at least one of a chemical composition and a chemical structure, and a bulk volume, within the substrate, adjacent at least one of the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume, wherein a concentration of metal in at least one of the treatment-poor volume and the treatment-rich volume is ≧about 0.4 mol % higher than a concentration of the metal in the bulk volume, wherein a concentration of the metal is higher in the treatment-poor volume than a concentration of the metal in the treatment-rich volume, and wherein a concentration of alkali ions in a diffusion depth of at least one of the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume is ≦about 0.5 mol % higher than a concentration of the alkali ions in the bulk volume.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein at least one of the treatment-rich volume and the treatment-poor volume has a diffusion depth of about 5 to 150 μm.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate comprises greater than 50 mole % SiO2.

24. The article of claim 21, wherein the chemically strengthened glass substrate comprises about 1 to 25 total mole % of Li2O+Na2O+K2O in the diffusion depth, wherein the diffusion depth is about 5 to 150 μm.

25. An article of manufacture, the article comprising:

a chemically strengthened glass substrate made by a process including providing a substrate characterized by having a glass chemical structure comprising host alkali ions having an average ionic radius situated in the glass chemical structure, and wherein the substrate has dimensional volumes including a treatment-rich volume and a treatment-poor volume located as opposed to each other in the substrate; providing an exchange medium comprising invading alkali ions having an average ionic radius that is larger than the average ionic radius of the host alkali ions; applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-rich volume for a period of time; applying the exchange medium to a surface of the treatment-poor volume for a modified period of time, wherein the modified period of time is longer than the period of time; and conducting ion exchange while applying the exchange medium to produce the strengthened substrate.