Abstract: A printing stencil (1) for forming conductor tracks on a substrate. The printing stencil (1) has a plurality of cutouts in the form of printing gaps (4) for forming the conductor tracks. Each printing gap (4) of the plurality of printing gaps (4) has at least one print definition region (3) adjacent to the printing side and at least one printing medium supply region (2) adjacent to the squeegee side, the volume of the print definition region (3) being smaller than the volume of the printing medium supply region. Moreover, a printing device for forming conductor tracks on a substrate and a method for producing a metallic contact structure of a photovoltaic solar cell are also provided.

Abstract: In order to extend the possible applications of the already known LIDE (laser-induced deep etching) method, this invention provides for producing a micromechanical comb structure (25) by placing a plurality of laser pulses (4) on a glass substrate (3) with a subsequent wet-chemical etching step for exposing the comb structure (25), and to precisely control the position of those laser pulses (4) that define the outer contour (6) of respective fingers (24) of the comb structure (25). This makes it possible to form very narrow fingers (24) that have uniform sidewalls (13), whereby very small gap dimensions (35) and uniform electrostatic actuation of the comb structure (25) are rendered possible. By controlling the phase angle ? and/or the extent of the sidewall scalloping of the fingers (24), it is also possible to favorably influence or set, in a targeted manner, the mechanical properties of the comb structure (25).

Abstract: A substrate made of glass includes an essentially dimensionally stable portion, one or more flexible portions, and one or more recesses on one side or which do not penetrate the substrate, and which is/are disposed in an outer surface of the substrate, so as to reduce a material thickness of the substrate in the flexible portion relative to an adjacent portion. The recess is formed in each case by a plurality of concave depressions that are defined by microstructures, a course of which determines a remaining material thickness of the substrate in the flexible portion. The depressions extend at least in portions into an area having a thickness parallel to the outer surface which on bending the substrate encloses a plane of a neutral axis between an extension zone and a compression zone of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate comprises glass, sapphire, silicon and/or aluminosilicate, and has at least one recess or through-opening. The at least one recess or through-opening is formed by anisotropic removal of substrate material by etching a portion of the substrate that has been modified by a pulse of laser radiation in a direction of a thickness of the substrate. The modified portion of the substrate extends along a beam axis of the laser radiation. The pulse of laser radiation was applied with a focus extending from a first focal depth positioned past one side of the substrate to a second focal depth located at an opposite side of the substrate.

Abstract: A printing stencil (1) for forming conductor tracks on a substrate. The printing stencil (1) has a plurality of cutouts in the form of printing gaps (4) for forming the conductor tracks. Each printing gap (4) of the plurality of printing gaps (4) has at least one print definition region (3) adjacent to the printing side and at least one printing medium supply region (2) adjacent to the squeegee side, the volume of the print definition region (3) being smaller than the volume of the printing medium supply region. Moreover, a printing device for forming conductor tracks on a substrate and a method for producing a metallic contact structure of a photovoltaic solar cell are also provided.

Abstract: A device for modifying a region of a substrate includes a laser radiation source for pulsed laser radiation. A transmissive medium having a higher intensity-dependent refraction index than air is arranged between a laser machining head and the substrate such that an individual pulse of the pulsed laser radiation from the laser machining head is deflected through the transmissive medium and across a thickness of the substrate from an original focal depth to a focal depth different from the original focal depth to modify the substrate along a beam axis of the laser radiation in a region of a recess or through-opening to be formed in the substrate without removing an amount of the substrate material necessary to form the recess or through-opening. A length between the focal depths is greater than and extends across the thickness of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for introducing at least one cutout, in particular in the form of an aperture, into a sheetlike workpiece having a thickness of less than 3 mm, involving detecting a laser beam onto the surface of the workpiece, selecting the exposure time of the laser beam to be extremely short so that only a modification of the workpiece concentrically around a beam axis of the laser beam occurs, such a modified region having defects resulting in a chain of blisters, and, as a result of the action of a corrosive medium, anisotropically removing material by successive etching in those regions of the workpiece that are formed by the defects and have previously been modified by the laser beam, resulting, along the cylindrical zone of action, in producing a cutout as an aperture in the workpiece.