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 method for introducing a recess into a substrate, and/or for reducing a material, includes spatially beam shaping a focus of a laser beam along a beam axis, whereby defects are produced in the substrate along the beam axis without there being any material removal. One or more of the defects forms a modification in the substrate, so that subsequently the recess and/or the material thickness reduction is produced by action of an etching medium by an anisotropic material removal. An additional modification is introduced into the substrate along an additional beam axis that is parallel to and spaced from the beam axis, the additional modification having an extent between a first outer surface of the substrate and a position within the substrate that is at a distance from a second, opposite outer surface of the substrate.