JLMN-Journal of Laser Micro/Nanoengineering Vol. 15, No. 2, 2020 Invited Paper Advances of Laser Welding Technology of Glass -Science and Technology- Isamu Miyamoto1,2, Kristian Cvecek2,3, Michael Schmidt2,3,4 1 Osaka University, Department of Manufacturing science, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan, E-mail:
[email protected] 2 Erlangen Graduate School of Advanced Optical Technologies, Paul-Gordan Str. 6, 91052 Erlangen, Germany 3Friedrich-Alexander-Universiät Erlangen Nürenberg, Paul-Gordan Str. 6, 91052 Erlangen, Germany 4 Bayerisches Laserzentum, Konrad-Zuse Str. 2-6, 91052 Erlangen, Germany Advances of laser welding technology of glass by continuous wave (CW), ns pulse, and ultrashort pulse (USP) lasers are overviewed in the past two decades from scientific and technological points of view. A novel thermal stress model shows that crack prevention in laser welding of glass depends on whether or not the molten pool has a free-surface. In glass/glass welding by CW laser, crack-free- welding is limited to glass having small coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) due to the shrinkage stress, since the molten pool has a free-surface. In glass/glass welding by USP laser, crack-free-weld- ing is available independently of glass’s CTE if the gap between glass substrates is small, since non- linear absorption process produces a molten pool having no free-surface so that the shrinkage stress is suppressed. Technical efforts to increase the bridgable gap without cracks using USP laser are demonstrated. In dissimilar welding of glass/metal (or glass/Si), successful weld joint can be obtained using ns and USP lasers by suppressing the melt splash of metal (or Si).