TW201823831A - Electrochromic coated glass articles and methods for laser processing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein are glass articles coated on at least one surface with an electrochromic layer and comprising minimal regions of laser damage, and methods for laser processing such glass articles. Insulated glass units comprising such coated glass articles are also disclosed herein.

Description

Electrochromic coated glass object and method for laser processing electrochromic coated glass object

This application claims priority from US Application No. 15 / 288,071, filed on October 7, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates generally to electrochromic coated glass objects, and more specifically, to methods for laser processing such objects. The present disclosure also relates to an insulating glass unit including a glass substrate coated with an electrochromic layer.

Glass substrates coated with electrochromic films are useful in a variety of applications, including architectural and automotive applications. For example, electrochromic films can be used to change the light intensity and / or light absorption in a room or car. The insulating glass unit (IGU) may include two sheets of glass with a peripheral seal to form a cavity between the glass sheets, and the cavity may be filled with an insulating gas (for example, argon) to improve the energy level of the IGU. In some applications, one of the glass sheets in IGU can be coated with an electrochromic layer. These coated IGUs may additionally include one or more components for applying a voltage to an electrochromic layer (e.g., a bus), thereby providing a coloring effect and reducing IGU's resistance to multiple wavelengths and / or heat transmission.

During the manufacture of IGU or any other glass article that includes an electrochromic layer, the electrochromic layer can be applied to the glass after the cutting and grinding steps (due to the humidity of the films and the particles generated during those steps). Sensitivity). For example, exposure to the water coolant used during the grinding process of the electrochromic film may cause the film to blister and / or decompose, thereby inhibiting the functionality and / or aesthetic quality of the film. Therefore, for traditional IGU production, the glass sheet is usually cut to the desired IGU shape and size, and then coated with an electrochromic film ("cutting and coating"), rather than coating large electrochromic films A glass substrate is then cut to size the coated substrate ("coating and cutting").

However, due to the fixture, the "cutting and coating" process can cause the glass substrate to have a significant area with an uncoated or uncoated electrochromic layer evenly coated. For example, parts used to place and hold a glass substrate in place in a coating apparatus can interfere with the ability to coat the glass substrate from edge to edge. In addition, the "coating and cutting" process may have reduced manufacturing flexibility because the fixture must be specific to each glass substrate shape and / or size and must be adjusted to accommodate different glass shapes and / or sizes. In contrast, the "coating and cutting" process can implement a single standard fixture for large glass substrates, and the glass substrate can then be cut according to size ("coating and cutting").

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a method for producing a glass substrate using electrochromic film coating, which does not substantially damage the electrochromic film and / or does not cause the glass substrate to include uncoated or non-uniform coating region. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a method for manufacturing such electrochromic coated glass objects, which may exhibit increased manufacturing flexibility and / or reduced manufacturing costs, for example, may be used to coat with a general shape and / or Sized glass substrates and methods of subsequently cutting the glass into specific shapes and / or sizes for the desired application.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a glass object, including a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating disposed on at least a portion of the second surface, where the applied voltage is between After the glass object, the first region of the coated portion of the glass substrate has a first visible light transmission, and the first visible light transmission is smaller than a second visible light transmission of the second region of the coated portion. According to some embodiments, the first region may be colored and the second region may not be colored after the voltage is applied. In various embodiments, the first and second regions may be separated by a contour including a plurality of defect points or lines. In some embodiments, when the first or second surface is viewed orthogonally, the defect lines may be linear or bending. According to additional embodiments, when the first or second surface is viewed orthogonally, the first and / or second area may include a pattern on a glass object.

It is further disclosed herein that the glass object includes a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating disposed on substantially all of the second surface, wherein the electrochromic coating includes at least one edge near the glass object The laser damaged peripheral region has a width of less than about 10 mm, 1 mm, or 0.1 mm. Further disclosed herein are insulating glass units including such glass objects.

In aspect (1), the present disclosure provides an electrochromic glass object including a glass substrate including a first surface, an opposite second surface, and one or more edges, wherein the one or more At least one or more of the plurality of edges includes a laser-modified edge; an electrochromic coating disposed on at least a portion of the second surface, and including at least two electrically discontinuous areas, each The electrical discontinuous area has a contour; and the two electrical discontinuous areas are separated by a laser modified discontinuous line, the laser modified discontinuous line having a width from about 0.1 μm to about 25 μm. In aspect (2), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass article of aspect (1), wherein the electrochromic coating includes tungsten oxide. In aspect (3), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of aspect (1) or (2), wherein the electrically discontinuous regions are substantially not damaged by the laser. In aspect (4), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of any one of aspects (1) to (3), wherein the second surface of the glass substrate close to the laser-modified discontinuous line Substantially immune to laser damage. In aspect (5), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of aspect (4), wherein the contour of at least one of the at least two electrically discontinuous regions is non-linear. In aspect (6), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of any one of aspects (1) to (5), wherein the laser cutting discontinuity is a continuum formed by a laser. Line, the laser has a pulse width from 10 ^-10 to 10 ^-15 seconds at FWHM. In aspect (7), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of any one of aspects (1) to (6), wherein the second region includes a pattern in the first region or the first region The region includes a pattern in the second region. In aspect (8), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of any one of aspects (1) to (7), wherein the glass object includes a glass sheet having a range from about 0.1 mm To a thickness of about 10 mm. In aspect (9), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass object of any one of aspects (1) to (8), wherein one of the at least two electrically discontinuous regions includes a proximity to the glass An area of the second surface of the one or more edges of the substrate. In aspect (10), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass article of aspect (9), wherein the electrical discontinuity region near the one or more edges of the glass substrate has an area of less than about 0.1 mm. One width. In aspect (11), the present disclosure provides the electrochromic glass article of aspect (9), wherein the electrically discontinuous area near the one or more edges of the glass substrate includes about 5% or more The coated part of the glass object is low.

In aspect (12), the present disclosure provides a glass object including a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating disposed on substantially all of the first surface. On two surfaces, wherein the electrochromic coating includes a laser damaged peripheral region close to at least one edge of the glass object, the laser damaged peripheral region has a width less than about 0.1 mm. In aspect (13), the present disclosure provides the glass object of aspect (12), wherein the laser damaged peripheral region includes the second surface of the glass object at about 5% or less. In aspect (14), the present disclosure provides the glass object of aspect (12) or (13), wherein the at least one edge has a linear or curved profile. In aspect (15), the present disclosure provides the glass object of any one of aspects (12) to (14), wherein the glass object includes a glass sheet having a range from about 0.1 mm to about 10 A thickness of mm. In aspect (16), the present disclosure provides the glass object of any one of aspects (12) to (15), wherein a coating portion of the second surface includes a first region and a second region, And after applying a voltage to the glass object, the first region has a first visible light transmission, and the first visible light transmission is smaller than a second visible light transmission in the second region. In aspect (17), the present disclosure provides the glass object of aspect (16), wherein the first and second regions are separated by a discontinuous line, the discontinuous line including one or more lightning rays. In aspect (18), the present disclosure provides the glass object of aspect (17), wherein the outline is linear or curved.

In aspect (19), the present disclosure provides an insulating glass unit including the electrochromic glass article of any one of aspects (1) to (11).

In aspect (20), the present disclosure provides an insulated glass unit including the glass article of any one of aspects (12) to (18).

The additional features and advantages of the present disclosure will be presented in the following detailed description, and part of it will be obvious from the description or by implementing the method as described herein to those having ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention belongs, including the following detailed description , Scope of patent application, and drawings.

It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present various embodiments of the disclosure, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and characteristics of the scope of a patent application. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, help explain the principles and operation of the disclosure.

The glass article disclosed herein may be manufactured using one or more methods for producing small (e.g., 100) holes in glass for the purpose of drilling, cutting, separating, perforating, or other processing materials. , 10, or 1 micron or less) "holes", optionally in combination with one or more methods of inducing defects or discontinuities in an electrochromic layer coated on glass. In some embodiments, ultra-short (i.e., pulse widths from ^10-10 to ^10-15 seconds FWHM, e.g., nanoseconds to femtoseconds) pulsed laser beams (e.g., operating at wavelengths such as 1064, 532, 355, or 266 nm) focus to energy densities above a critical value, so that defects can occur at the surface of the glass or in areas of focus within the glass. By repeating this process, a series of laser-induced defects aligned along a predetermined path or contour can be generated. In some embodiments, the laser-induced defect lines may be sufficiently close together so that a controlled area of mechanical weakness within the glass may be created and optionally used to break or separate (mechanically or thermally) along a defined profile )material. For example, after contact with the ultrashort pulse laser, material (e.g., infrared laser such as carbon dioxide (CO ₂₎ laser, thermal stresses, or other sources) into contact with a second laser beam, into a separate glass or Multiple sections.

According to various embodiments, one or more vertical defects or defect points, a series of points or lines can be generated in the glass substrate, and a contour or path of the lowest resistance can be drawn, and the substrate can be separated along the contour or path To define a desired shape, wherein the contour includes a plurality of defect lines or regions extending from a first surface to an opposite second surface of the glass substrate. The substrate to be processed can be irradiated with an ultra-short pulse laser beam (for example, pulse width <100 psec; wavelength ≤1064 nm). The ultra-short pulse laser beam can be focused into a high aspect ratio focal line and penetrated. Full or partial substrate thickness.

Within this high energy density volume, the substrate can be modified via non-linear effects, which can be triggered by high light intensity. Below this threshold of intensity, the substrate may be transparent to laser radiation, and the substrate may not be modified to generate defect lines. As used herein, a substrate is "substantially transparent" to the laser wavelength when the substrate absorbance is below the substrate wavelength by about 10% per millimeter (eg, below about 5% or below about 1%) at the laser wavelength. By scanning the laser on the desired contour or path, one or more narrow defect lines can be generated in the substrate, and the contour can define a perimeter or shape and / or colored or uncolored areas of the coated substrate. The glass substrate is separated along the periphery or shape.

Ultrashort pulse lasers can produce multiphoton absorbance (MPA) in a substantially transparent material, such as glass. MPA is the simultaneous absorption of two or more photons of the same or different frequencies in order to excite a molecule from one state (usually the ground state) to a higher energy electron state. The energy difference between the lower and higher states of the molecule involved is equal to the sum of the energy of the two photons. MPA (also known as inductive absorption) can be a second or third order process, for example, several orders of magnitude weaker than linear absorption. The difference between MPA and linear absorption is that, for example, the intensity of inductive absorption can be proportional to the square of the light intensity, so MPA is a non-linear light processing.

The pulsed laser beam may have a wavelength selected from wavelengths substantially transparent to the substrate, for example, less than or equal to about 1064 nm, such as 532, 355, or 266 nm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the exemplary power levels for pulsed lasers can range from about 25 W to about 125 W, or from about 50 W to about 100 W, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. According to various embodiments, the pulsed laser beam may have a pulse period of less than 10 nanoseconds, such as about 100 picoseconds. In some embodiments, the pulsed laser beam has a pulse period from greater than about 1 picosecond to less than about 100 picoseconds, such as ranging from about 5 picoseconds to about 50 picoseconds, from about 10 picoseconds to about 30 picoseconds , Or from about 15 picoseconds to about 20 picoseconds, including all ranges and subranges in between. In additional embodiments, the pulse repetition rate of the pulsed laser beam may range from about 1 kHz to about 4 MHz, such as from about 10 kHz to about 650 MHz, from about 50 kHz to about 500 MHz, and from about 100 kHz to About 400 MHz, or from about 200 kHz to about 300 MHz, including all ranges and subranges in between.

In some embodiments, the pulsed laser beam may be operated in a single pulse mode, or in other embodiments, it may be operated in a burst mode. In the latter embodiment, the bursts may include two or more pulses, such as, for example, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or more pulses per burst, including all Scope and subrange. The period range between individual pulses in a burst can be, for example, from about 1 nanosecond to about 50 nanoseconds, such as from about 10 nanoseconds to about 30 nanoseconds, or from about 20 nanoseconds to about 40 nanoseconds, including All ranges and subranges in between. In some embodiments, the period between bursts of pulses can range from about 1 microsecond to about 20 microseconds, such as from about 5 microseconds to about 10 microseconds, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. Accordingly, the burst repetition frequency of the pulsed laser beam may range from about 1 kHz to about 200 kHz, such as from about 20 kHz to about 150 kHz, or from about 50 kHz to about 100 kHz, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. .

In burst mode, the average laser power of each burst can range from about 50 μJ per burst to about 1000 μJ per burst, such as from about 100 μJ per burst to about 750 μJ per burst, Each burst is from 200 μJ to about 500 μJ per burst, or from about 250 μJ to about 400 μJ per burst, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. According to additional embodiments, the average laser power applied to a given material can be measured as the number of μJ per cluster of material per mm and can be, for example, greater than a given material (e.g., glass, per unit thickness (mm) ) About 40 μJ per cluster, for example, ranging from about 40 μJ per mm per cluster to about 2500 μJ per mm per cluster, from about 100 μJ per mm per cluster to about 2000 μJ per mm per cluster, since about 250 μJ per mm per cluster to about 1500 μJ per mm per cluster, or about 500 μJ per mm per cluster to about 1000 μJ per mm per cluster, including all ranges and subranges in between. For example, a pulse laser of 200 μJ per burst can be used to process a Corning Eagle XG ^® glass substrate with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm to give a demonstration laser power of 1000 to 2000 μJ per mm per burst. In another non-limiting example, a pulse laser of 400 to 700 μJ per burst can be used to process a Corning Eagle XG ^® glass substrate with a thickness of 0.5 to 0.7 mm to give a demonstration of 570 to 1400 μJ per mm per burst Radio power.

According to a non-limiting embodiment, the glass substrate and the pulsed laser beam can be translated relative to each other, for example, the glass substrate can be translated relative to the pulsed laser beam and / or the pulsed laser beam can be translated relative to the glass substrate to produce a contour . In a specific embodiment, the glass substrate is translated and a pulsed laser is applied to the glass substrate, while the pulsed laser is itself translated. For example, in a roll-to-roll process, the glass substrate may be very long (eg, tens of meters long or longer) and translated substantially continuously during the laser process. The laser is translated at a suitable speed and along a suitable vector to create one or more contours in the glass substrate. Either the substrate or the laser can change its speed during this process.

The contour may include a plurality of defect lines that may trace or define the perimeter of the shape to be produced, whether by subsequent separation or by subsequent voltage application (eg, coloring). The translation or scanning speed may depend on a variety of laser processing parameters, including, for example, laser power and / or repetition rate. Exemplary panning or scanning speed ranges may be, for example, from about 1 mm per second to about 5000 mm per second, such as from about 100 mm per second to about 4000 mm per second, from about 200 mm per second to about 3000 mm per second, from From about 300 mm per second to about 2500 mm per second, from about 400 mm per second to about 2000 mm per second, or from about 500 mm per second to about 1000 mm per second, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

The repetition rate and / or scanning speed of the pulsed laser beam can be varied to produce the desired periodicity (or pitch) between the defect lines. In some embodiments, the defect lines may be about 0.5 μm to about 25 μm apart, such as from about 1 μm to about 20 μm, from about 2 μm to about 15 μm, from about 3 μm to about 12 μm, from about 4 μm to about 10 μm, or from about 5 μm. Up to about 8 μm, including all ranges and subranges in between. For example, for a linear cut (or scan) at a speed of 300 mm per second, a periodicity of 3 μm between the defect lines corresponds to a pulsed laser with a burst repetition rate of at least 100 kHz. Similarly, for a scanning speed of 600 mm per second, a periodicity of 3 μm between defect lines corresponds to a pulsed laser with a burst repetition rate of at least 200 kHz.

In addition, the size of the defect line may be affected by, for example, laser focusing parameters, such as the length of the laser beam focal line and / or the average point diameter of the laser beam focal line. For example, a pulsed laser can be used to generate one or more defect lines with a relatively high aspect ratio (length: diameter), such that in some embodiments, very thin, long defect lines can be generated from the first The surface extends to an opposite second surface of the substrate. In principle, these defect lines can be generated by a single pulse laser, or additional pulses can be used to increase the affected area (eg, increased defect line length and / or width).

As generally illustrated in Figures 1A to 1B, a method for cutting a glass substrate 130 including an electrochromic layer 150 may include using a pulsed laser 140 to generate a contour or defect line 110, including a plurality of substrates to be processed Defect line 120. For example, the defect line 120 may extend through the thickness of the glass substrate, for example, approximately orthogonal to the major (flat) surfaces a, b of the glass sheet. Although a linear contour can be generated by translating the glass substrate 130 and / or the pulsed laser 140 in one dimension (e.g., contour 110 shown in Figure 1A), it is also possible to translate the glass substrate and / Or pulsed laser to produce a curved or non-linear profile. As shown in FIG. 1B, the glass substrate 130 may then be separated along the contour 110 to generate two separated portions 130 a and 130 b, where the separated edges or surfaces are defined by the contour 110, and each portion includes the electrochromic layer 150.

Referring to Figures 2A to 2B, a method for laser processing a substrate may include focusing a pulsed laser beam 2 into a laser beam focal line 2b oriented along a beam propagation direction. A laser (not shown) may emit a pulsed laser beam 2, and the pulsed laser beam 2 may have a portion 2 a incident on the optical component 6. The optical component 6 may convert the incident portion 2a of the laser beam into a laser beam focal line 2b along the beam direction, and the laser beam focal line 2b may have a length L and a diameter D. The substrate 1 may be placed in the beam path to at least partially overlap the laser beam focal line 2b, and the laser beam focal line 2b may thus be guided into the substrate 1. The first surface 1a may be placed to face the optical component 6, and the opposite second surface 1b may be placed to face away from the optical component 6, and vice versa. The thickness d of the substrate may extend vertically between the surfaces 1a and 1b.

As depicted in Figure 2A, the substrate 1 can be aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the laser beam and the focal line 2b generated by the optical component 6. In various embodiments (as depicted), the focal line 2b may start before the surface 1a of the substrate 1 and may not extend beyond the surface 1b. Of course, other focal line orientations can be used such that the focal line 2b starts and / or extends beyond the surface 1b (not shown) after the surface 1a. Assuming sufficient laser intensity along the laser beam focal line 2b, the area of the laser beam focal line and the substrate overlap can be modified by nonlinear multi-photon or induced absorption of laser energy, and the intensity can be focused by focusing the laser The bundle 2 is generated on a section of length l, that is, a line focus of length l.

Inductive absorption can be formed along the section 2c to produce defect lines in the substrate material. In some embodiments, the defect line may be a "hole" (also referred to as a perforation or defect line) in a microscopic series (eg, 100 nm <diameter <10 μm). According to various embodiments, individual punctures (hundreds of thousands of punctures per second) can be generated at a rate of several hundred kHz. By translating the substrate and the pulsed laser relative to each other, these perforations (also known as periodicity or pitch) adjacent to each other separated by the required space can be generated. The periodicity of the defect lines can be selected as needed to facilitate the separation of the substrates and / or produce the desired coloring effect. Exemplary periodic ranges between defect lines can be, for example, from about 0.5 μm to about 25 μm, such as from about 1 μm to about 20 μm, from about 2 μm to about 15 μm, from about 3 μm to about 12 μm, from about 4 μm to about 10 μm, or from About 5 μm to about 8 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

In some non-limiting embodiments, the defect line may be a “through hole” or an open channel extending from the first surface 1 a to the second surface 1 b, for example, extending across the entire thickness d of the substrate 1. Defect line formation may also extend across a portion of the thickness of the substrate, as indicated by section 2c with length L in Figure 2A. The length L of the segment 2c therefore corresponds to the length of the overlap between the laser beam focal line 2b and the substrate 1 and the length of the final defect line. The average diameter D of the section 2c may correspond to more or less than the average diameter of the laser beam focal line 2b. Referring to FIG. 2B, the substrate 1 exposed to the laser beam 2 in FIG. 2A will eventually expand due to the induced absorption of laser energy, so that the corresponding induced tension in the material may cause micro-cracks to form. According to various embodiments, the induced tension may be maximum at the surface 1a.

As defined herein, the width of the defect line corresponds to the internal width of an open channel or the diameter of an air hole created in a glass substrate. For example, in some embodiments, the width of the defect line may range from about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm, such as from about 0.25 μm to about 4 μm, from about 0.5 μm to about 3.5 μm, from about 1 μm to about 3 μm, or from about 1.5 μm to about 2 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In some embodiments, the width of the defect line may be as large as the average point diameter of the laser beam focal line. For example, the average point diameter of the laser beam focal line may also range from about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm, such as from about 0.25 μm to about 4 μm, from about 0.5 μm to about 3.5 μm, from about 1 μm to about 3 μm, or from about 1.5 μm to about 2 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In embodiments where the glass substrate is separated along a contour including a plurality of defect lines, the defect lines can potentially be viewed along the cutting edge of the divided portion, and the regions can have a width comparable to the width of the defect line, for example, From about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm.

The pulsed laser beam can be focused into a laser beam focal line having any desired length l, which can be varied, for example, depending on the optical component configuration selected. In some embodiments, the laser beam focal length can range, for example, from about 0.01 mm to about 100 mm, such as from about 0.1 mm to about 50 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 20 mm, from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, from about 2 mm to about 8 mm, or from about 3 mm to about 5 mm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. In various embodiments, the laser beam focal length l may correspond to the thickness d of the substrate, may be smaller than the thickness d, or may be larger than the thickness d of the substrate. Thus, in some embodiments, the method used for this disclosure can be used to process or cut more than one substrate, such as a stack of two or more substrates. According to a non-limiting embodiment, a pulsed laser beam can pass through a stack of perforations of a glass substrate to a total thickness of about 100 mm or more using a single laser pass, for example, from 20 μm to about 200 mm (even in multiple locations (In the example where there are one or more air gaps between the substrates). For example, each of the 200 substrate stacks (each substrate is 0.5 mm thick) can be perforated with a single pass of the laser. For example, each substrate having an electrochromic film approximately 1 micron (0.001 mm) thick will result in a stack of 200 such substrates being 100.2 mm thick (100 mm glass and 0.2 mm electrochromic film). In addition, some embodiments may further include additional coating and / or protective materials between glass substrates that are optically clear and allow multiple layers of perforation. Such coatings include, but are not limited to, SiO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , and organic and inorganic polymers, such as siloxane.

Multiple methods can be used to generate defect lines or a plurality of defect lines. For example, various devices may be used to focus the laser beam to produce a laser beam focal line. The laser beam focal line can be generated, for example, by transmitting a Gaussian laser beam into a cone lens to generate a Gauss-Bessel laser beam profile. Gauss-Bessel beams can be diffracted more slowly than Gaussian beams (eg, can maintain a single micron spot size in the range of hundreds of microns or millimeters relative to tens of microns or less). The depth or length of the focusing intensity used for the Gauss-Bessel beam can thus be much larger than the Gauss beam. Optics can also be used or used to generate other slow diffractive or non-diffractive beams, such as Airy and Bessel beams. Exemplary optical assemblies for generating a focal line of a laser beam are provided in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 14 / 529,520 and 14 / 530,457, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Focusing can be achieved, for example, using any kind of donut-shaped laser beam, sphere lens, cone lens, diffractive element, or any other suitable method or device to form a high-intensity linear region. The type of pulsed laser (for example, picosecond, femtosecond, etc.) and / or its wavelength (for example, IR, UV, green light, etc.) can also be changed, as long as sufficient intensity is generated due to non-linear optical effects to generate the break down.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary optical component 6 that can be used to focus a pulsed laser beam 2 into a laser beam focal line 2b having a length l and is guided into a glass substrate having an electrochromic layer 7 1. The optical component 6 may include, for example, a conical lens 3, a collimating lens 4, and a focusing lens 5. The focal length of each lens in the optical assembly can be varied to produce a laser beam focal line having a desired diameter and / or length. For example, the focusing lens 5 may have a focusing length ranging from about 10 mm to about 50 mm, such as from about 20 mm to about 40 mm, or from about 25 mm to about 30 mm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. The collimating lens 4 may similarly have a focal length ranging from about 50 mm to about 200 mm, such as from about 75 mm to about 150 mm, or from about 100 mm to about 125 mm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

In a variety of non-limiting embodiments, an ultra-short Bessel beam (picosecond or femtosecond period) can be used to incorporate the cone lens 3 into the optical lens assembly 6 to produce a high intensity area with a high aspect ratio, such as a taper-free mine Shoot microchannel. A cone lens is a cone-shaped cutting lens that is capable of forming a point source on a line along the optical axis (for example, converting a laser beam into a ring). The cone lens and its configuration are known to those having ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention belongs, and may, for example, have a cone angle ranging from about 5 degrees to about 20 degrees, such as from about 10 degrees to about 15 degrees, including all ranges and range.

The cone lens 3 can focus a laser beam having an original diameter D1 (for example, about 1 to 5 mm, for example, about 2 to 3 mm) into a substantially cylindrical high-intensity region and a high aspect ratio (for example, The long diameter and the small diameter) have a smaller diameter corresponding to, for example, the focal line diameter D illustrated in FIG. 2A. The high intensity generated in the focused laser beam can cause the electromagnetic field of the laser and the nonlinear interaction of the substrate, so that the laser energy is transmitted to the substrate to affect the formation of defect lines. However, in a substrate area where the laser intensity is not high enough (for example, the area surrounding the central convergence line), the substrate may be transparent to the laser, so that there is no mechanism for transmitting energy from the laser to the substrate material. Therefore, there can be no damage or change in the area where the glass substrate is exposed to a laser intensity below a non-linear critical value.

After using a pulsed laser beam to generate a profile including a plurality of defect lines or perforations, a second laser beam may optionally be used to separate the glass substrate into two or more sections. The second laser beam can be used as a source of heat to create a thermal stress zone around the profile, the defect line can be placed under tension and thus induced apart. The second laser beam can emit any wavelength where the glass substrate is not transparent, such as the wavelength of infrared light, for example, greater than about 1064 nm. In some embodiments, the second laser beam may emit a wavelength greater than about 5 μm, such as a wavelength greater than about 10 μm. Suitable infrared lasers may include, for example, CO ₂ lasers, which may be modulated or unmodulated, and the like. Non-limiting examples of the second laser beam include, but are not limited to, modulated CO ₂ lasers operating at wavelengths greater than about 10 μm, such as about 10.2 μm to about 10.7 μm, or from about 10.4 μm to about 10.6 μm, including All ranges and subranges in between.

Referring to Figures 1A to 1B, a second laser beam (not shown) may be in contact with the first surface a of the glass substrate 130 and translated along the contour 110 to separate the glass substrate into two or more portions 130a, 130b . The second surface b may include an electrochromic layer 150 facing away from the surface a, which is in contact with the second laser beam. The second laser beam may generate a thermal stress region on and around the contour 110, so that the separation of the glass substrate 130 along the contour 110 is induced to generate the divided portions 130a, 130b.

In some embodiments, exemplary power levels for the second laser beam may range from about 50 W to about 500 W, such as from about 100 W to about 400 W, from about 150 W to about 300 W, or from about 200 W to about 250 W, including all ranges and subranges in between. When operating in a continuous (eg, unmodulated) mode, the second laser beam may have lower power than when operated in a modulated mode. For example, a continuous second laser beam may have a power level ranging from about 50 W to about 300 W, and a modulated second laser beam may have a power level ranging from about 200 W to about 500 W, although, individually Laser power can vary and is not limited to a given exemplary range. In additional embodiments, the average point diameter of the second laser beam may range from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, such as from about 2 mm to about 9 mm, from about 3 mm to about 8 mm, and from about 4 mm. To about 7 mm, or from about 5 mm to about 6 mm, including all ranges and subranges in between. The heat generated by the second laser beam can result in thermal stress regions on and / or around the profile, this region having a diameter in the micrometer range, for example, less than about 20 μm, such as ranging from about 1 μm to about 20 μm, from about 2 μm to about 15 μm, from about 3 μm to about 10 μm, from about 4 μm to about 8 μm, or from about 5 μm to about 6 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

According to various embodiments, the second laser beam may be modulated and may have a pulse period of less than about 200 microseconds, such as greater than about 1 microsecond to less than about 200 microseconds, for example, ranging from about 5 microseconds to about 150 Microseconds, from about 10 microseconds to about 100 microseconds, from about 20 microseconds to about 80 microseconds, from about 30 microseconds to about 60 microseconds, or from about 40 microseconds to about 50 microseconds, including All ranges and subranges in between. According to various embodiments, the rise time of the modulated second laser beam may be less than about 150 microseconds, such as ranging from about 10 microseconds to about 150 microseconds, from about 20 microseconds to about 100 microseconds, from about 30 microseconds to about 80 microseconds, from about 40 microseconds to about 70 microseconds, or from about 50 microseconds to about 60 microseconds, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

In additional embodiments, the pulse repetition rate (or modulation speed) of the modulated second laser beam may range from about 1 kHz to about 100 kHz, such as from about 5 kHz to about 80 kHz, from about 10 kHz to about 60 kHz, from about 20 kHz to about 50 kHz, or from about 30 kHz to about 40 kHz, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. According to a non-limiting embodiment, the pitch or periodicity between the second laser beam pulses can range from about 1 μm to about 100 μm, such as from about 5 μm to about 90 μm, from about 10 μm to about 80 μm, from about 20 μm to about 70 μm , From about 30 μm to about 60 μm, or from about 40 μm to about 50 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

In some embodiments, the first surface of the glass substrate may contact the second laser beam in a single pass, or in other embodiments, multiple passes may be performed. For example, the second laser beam can be translated relative to the glass substrate using 1 to 10 passes wherever possible (and vice versa), such as 2 to 9 passes, 3 to 8 passes, 4 to 7 passes, or 5 to 6 passes, including all ranges and subranges in between. The translation speed can range from about 100 mm per second to about 1000 mm per second, such as from about 150 mm per second to about 900 mm per second, from about 200 mm per second to about 800 mm per second, and from about 250 mm per second To about 700 mm per second, from about 300 mm to about 600 mm per second, or from about 400 mm to about 500 mm per second, including all ranges and subranges therebetween.

Another aspect includes using any of the above processes to create holes, voids, voids, or other discontinuities in the electrochromic layer on the substrate without damaging or limiting damage to the underlying substrate. In these embodiments, the electrochromic layer 150 may be used to modify the laser absorption or penetration depth. In some embodiments, the electrochromic layer 150 is placed in a colored or dark state to increase the absorption of laser light, and in these embodiments, the laser can be tuned to a wavelength near the light absorption wavelength of the electrochromic layer 150. wavelength. In these embodiments, the absorption of the electrochromic layer can help the modification of the electrochromic layer, can affect the depth of laser penetration, or can increase or decrease the overall laser pulse power required to modify the glass or electrochromic layer.

When creating discontinuities in the electrochromic layer, the goal in general is to create two or more electrically separated regions. Therefore, it is typically required that the discontinuous lines (defined as laser forming lines that explicitly form two or more regions of an electrochromic layer on an electrically insulating substrate) are continuous, meaning that the electrical fields are completely disconnected from each other. Two regions of the color-changing layer, and resection of at least one layer of the electrochromic film may be required. The laser power or energy level required to generate discontinuities in the electrochromic layer is typically much less than that required to generate damage in a glass substrate. Pulsed or continuous lasers can be used. The use of pulsed lasers can be advantageous in that the electrochromic material can be excised without heating the electrochromic or substrate, avoiding damage to the toughness of an adjacent, maintained electrochromic material or glass substrate. Further, the wavelength of the laser can advantageously target the absorption of the electrochromic film, whether in a light-emitting or dark state. Further, the beam can be focused via a substrate or an opposing substrate (depending on the needs).

In some embodiments, for pulses, the exemplary laser power range may be from about 0.25 W to about 150 W, such as from about 0.25 W to about 50 W, or from about 1 W to about 100 W, including all ranges therebetween. And subranges. According to various embodiments, the pulsed laser beam may have a pulse period from 100 nanoseconds to 10 femtoseconds, such as about 100 picoseconds. In some embodiments, the pulsed laser beam has a pulse period from greater than about 1 picosecond to less than about 100 picoseconds, such as ranging from about 5 picoseconds to about 50 picoseconds, from about 10 picoseconds to about 30 picoseconds , Or from about 15 picoseconds to about 20 picoseconds, including all ranges and subranges in between. In additional embodiments, the pulse repetition rate of the pulsed laser beam may range from about 1 kHz to about 4 MHz, such as from about 10 kHz to about 650 kHz, from about 50 kHz to about 500 kHz, and from about 100 kHz to About 400 kHz, or from about 200 kHz to about 300 kHz, including all ranges and subranges in between.

Since the power levels used for discontinuities in electrochromism are much smaller, continuous laser sources can also be used. The power level for continuous lasers is from about 0.25 W to about 150 W, such as from about 0.25 W to about 50 W, or from about 1 W to about 100 W, including all ranges and subranges therebetween, mainly depending on the wavelength , Focus, and beam targeting time.

The discontinuous line may be approximately the same width of the laser used to make the discontinuous line. The width of the discontinuous line can range from about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm, such as from about 0.25 μm to about 4 μm, from about 0.5 μm to about 3.5 μm, from about 1 μm to about 3 μm, or from about 1.5 μm to about 2 μm, including All ranges and subranges in between. In some embodiments, the width of the discontinuous line may be as large as the average point diameter of the focal line of the laser beam. For example, the average point diameter of the focal line of the laser beam may also range from about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm, such as from about 0.25 μm to about 4 μm, from about 0.5 μm to about 3.5 μm, from about 1 μm to about 3 μm, or from about 1.5 μm to about 2 μm, including all ranges and subranges therebetween. Glass objects

The glass object is disclosed herein, including a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating disposed on at least a portion of the second surface, wherein after a voltage is applied to the glass object, the coating portion of the glass substrate The first region has a first visible light transmission which is smaller than a second visible light transmission of the second region of the coating portion. Referring to FIG. 4A, a second surface of a glass object is illustrated, including an electrochromic layer on a surface portion E (shadow portion) and an uncoated portion U (non-shadow portion), separated by a line Z. According to various embodiments, the method used for this disclosure can be used to laser process the glass object of Figure 4A to produce the glass object of Figures 4B to 4C, and any required changes.

In some embodiments, the electrochromic layer includes one or more inorganic materials. In some embodiments, the electrochromic layer includes one or more tungsten oxide.

For example, a first pulsed laser may be used to generate the profile A1 (dashed line), also referred to herein as a laser "stripe" or "perforation". The first pulsed laser and the second laser can be traced along the contour B1 (double line) to separate the glass into two parts to produce the glass object depicted in Figure 4B and the uncoated remainder (not shown) . After applying the voltage to C1, C1 of the coating portion E may be "colored" and / or may have a reduced transmission compared to the second region C2 of the coating portion E (for example, for visible light wavelengths of 400 to 700 nm), The second region C2 may remain inactive and unchanged (or uncolored). Alternatively, if the voltage is applied to C2 but not to C1, it can be performed similarly to the above C1. When the scribe lines are electrically disconnected from each other, both C1 and C2 can now be colored independently of each other.

The laser scribing along the contour A1 acts to create an electrical barrier against the electrochromic effect between C1 and C2. Thus, a glass article may include an uncoated (e.g., uncolored) portion U and a "new" uncolored (but coated) region C2 without exhibiting an electrochromic effect after applying a voltage to C1, even if used The electrochromic layer is applied (and vice versa). Laser scribing or perforating processes can thus be used to produce any desired pattern (including linear and curved contours) and patterns in the first and second regions on the glass substrate. The outline or laser scribing may include a plurality of discontinuous lines as described above and may separate individual areas to produce any desired visual effect without significantly damaging the electrochromic layer on the glass substrate. The width of the discontinuous line can range from about 0.1 μm to about 25 μm, for example from about 0.25 μm to about 10 μm, from about 0.5 μm to about 5 μm, from about 1 μm to about 3 μm, or from about 1.5 μm to about 2 μm, inclusive. All ranges and subranges.

In some embodiments, C2 may not be damaged by the laser or may not be substantially damaged by the laser. For example, the electrochromic coating and / or the glass substrate in this area may not be damaged by the laser, or may exhibit laser damage in a very small area along the outline, as described in more detail below. Thus, in some embodiments, the profile produces two or more activation devices from a single motherboard. Because laser cutting is precise and the power can be controlled to produce very fine wires with minor damage to the electrochromic film, the electrochromic layers in C1 and C2 are not damaged and consume very little electrochromic material.

In some embodiments, discontinuous formation in an electrochromic film can be used to eliminate coloring effects in certain areas of the article. Removal of coloring effects in a given area of a coated substrate involves removing the coating, such as using laser ablation to "burn out" the coating in a desired area. However, such treatments can be inaccurate and can cause damage to the electrochromic layer and large areas of the underlying glass substrate. For example, to ensure that the electrochromic layer is completely removed from the desired area, several passes can be made using a high-power laser, which can result in a wide area (or stripes) that can damage the remaining electrochromic layer and / or the underlying glass substrate. ). Such laser-damaged areas may have widths in the order of tens of millimeters, such as greater than about 20 mm, greater than about 25 mm, or even greater than about 30 mm.

Further disclosed herein are glass objects, including a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating disposed on substantially all of the second surface, wherein the electrochromic coating includes laser damaged peripheral regions close to the glass At least one edge of the object, the laser damaged peripheral area has a width of less than about 10, 1, or 0.1 mm. Referring again to Figure 4A, the first pulse laser can be used to generate the profile A2 (dashed line). The first pulsed laser and the second laser can be tracked along the contour B2 (double line) to separate the glass into two parts to produce the glass object depicted in Figure 4C. After the voltage is applied, the first portion C1 of the coated portion E may become colored and / or may have a reduced transmission compared to the second region C2 of the coated portion E (for example, for a visible light wavelength of 400 to 700 nm). The two regions C2 may remain unchanged (or uncolored).

Unlike the contour B1 cut through the uncoated portion U, the contour B2 cuts through the coated portion E. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the laser cutting method disclosed herein can separate coated glass objects with minimal damage to the electrochromic layer. The laser processing method disclosed herein can result in a relatively small area (the width of the profile) in which the electrochromic film is damaged by the laser and does not exhibit the electrochromic effect after the voltage is applied. For example, a laser cutting process may produce a laser damaged region L along a relatively thin (eg, less than about 0.1 mm) cutting edge e. In some embodiments, the laser damage area L may have a width of less than about 10 mm, 1 mm, or 0.1 mm, such as less than about 9 mm, 8 mm, 5 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.09 mm , 0.08 mm, 0.07 mm, 0.06 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.04 mm, 0.03 mm, 0.02 mm, 0.01 mm, or less, for example, ranging from about 0.01 mm to about 0.1 mm, including all ranges and subranges in between.

The glass objects disclosed herein may have laser damage areas that are relatively small compared to the uncoated and / or damaged areas produced by the comparative process. For example, the "cut and coat" process can result in significant uncoated areas due to interference from the fixture. Similarly, if the coated glass is then cut using conventional water edge grinding methods, the damage to the electrochromic layer near the cutting edge (eg, blistering, etc.) will be much greater. Further, if it is necessary to use the prior art method to eliminate the coloring effect on any part of these substrates (regardless of "cut and coat" or "coat and cut"), the laser damaged area generated during the grinding process will be far away. Larger (for example, a width of 20 mm or more).

The glass object herein may include at least one surface, which is substantially coated with a functional electrochromic layer after the voltage is applied, for example, edge-to-edge coloration, which was not previously possible using prior art methods. In certain embodiments, an electrochromic layer may be used to coat substantially all surfaces of a glass object, which may include one or more laser damaged areas (<0.01) along one or more edges of the object mm). For example, the surface of the glass substrate may be coated using an electrochromic layer, and then the coated substrate may be separated along a single contour to remove any uncoated portions of the glass substrate (eg, due to a jig). Thus, the resulting glass article may be coated substantially with an electrochromic layer and may include a peripheral laser damaged area near the edge of the contour. In additional embodiments, the coated glass substrates can be separated along more than one contour and the resulting glass article can include more than one laser damage area. After applying the voltage, edge-to-edge coloring effects can be observed, except for any laser-damaged areas at the edges. However, such laser damaged areas may be relatively small compared to uncoated and / or damaged areas resulting from prior art processing. According to various embodiments, the laser damage area may include less than about 5% of the glass surface coating portion, such as less than about 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, or 0.01%, including all ranges therebetween. And sub-ranges, although the relative proportion of the surface occupied by the laser-damaged area may increase as the size of the glass object decreases.

The glass objects disclosed herein may include glass known in any technology suitable for automotive, construction, and other similar applications. Exemplary glass substrates may include, but are not limited to: aluminum silicate, alkali metal aluminosilicate, borosilicate, alkali borosilicate, aluminoborosilicate, basic boroaluminosilicate, sodium calcium silicic acid Salt, and other suitable glass. In some embodiments, the substrate may have a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm, such as from about 0.3 mm to about 5 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, or from about 1 mm to about 2 mm. mm, including all ranges and subranges in between. Non-limiting examples suitable for use as a commercial glass optical filter comprising: for example, from Corning's ^{EAGLE XG ®, IrisTM, LotusTM,} Willow ®, Gorilla ®, HPFS ®, and ULE ^®. Suitable glasses are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,483,700, 5,674,790, and 7,666,511, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The substrate may include a glass sheet having a first surface and an opposite second surface. In some embodiments, the surface may be planar or substantially planar, for example, substantially planar and / or horizontal. In some embodiments, the substrate may also be bent around at least one radius of curvature, such as a three-dimensional substrate, such as a convex or concave substrate. In various embodiments, the first and second surfaces may be parallel or substantially parallel. The substrate may further include at least one edge, for example, at least two edges, at least three edges, or at least four edges. By way of non-limiting example, the substrate may include rectangular or square pieces with four edges, although other shapes and configurations are foreseen and are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. The laser cutting method disclosed herein can also be used to produce a variety of curved profiles and the resulting glass object has a curved, for example, non-linear edge.

It can be used for this disclosed glass article to produce a variety of products, such as insulated glass units (IGU). For example, a glass article may be sealed around a perimeter to a second glass sheet to produce an IGU, the glass article including at least a portion of a surface coated with an electrochromic layer. Because glass objects can be cut to size and / or shape after being coated with an electrochromic layer, the manufacture of such IGUs can have improved flexibility and / or reduced costs.

It should be understood that the various disclosed embodiments may involve specific features, elements, or steps described in connection with the specific embodiments. It should also be understood that, although described in relation to a particular embodiment, particular features, elements or steps may be interchanged or combined with alternative embodiments in various combinations or sequences not shown.

It should also be understood that the terms "the", "a" and "an" as used herein mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one" unless expressly indicated to the contrary. Thus, for example, a reference to "one laser" includes an example with two or more such lasers unless the text clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, "plurality" intends to indicate "more than one". Therefore, the "plurality of defect lines" includes two or more such defect lines, such as three or more such defect lines and the like.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, examples include from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when the numerical value is approximate, by using the antecedent "about", it should be understood that the specific value forms another aspect. It should further be understood that the endpoint of each range is important relative to the other endpoint and is independent of the other endpoints.

As used herein, the terms "essential", "essential", and their variations are intended to indicate that the characteristics described are equal to or approximately equal to a value or description. For example, a "substantially planar" surface is intended to indicate a planar or approximately planar surface.

Unless clearly stated, it is not intended to interpret any method presented herein as requiring that the steps of such methods be performed in a particular order. Accordingly, when a method request does not truly describe the order in which the steps of the method are followed, or does not specifically state in the request or description that the steps are limited to a particular order, it is not intended to infer any particular order.

Although the transitional phrase "including" may be used to disclose various features, elements, or steps of a particular embodiment, it should be understood that alternative embodiments are implied, including the use of the transitional phrases "consisting of," "consisting essentially of," These embodiments are described. Thus, for example, an implied alternative embodiment to an article including A + B + C includes an embodiment of an article consisting of A + B + C and an embodiment of an article consisting mainly of A + B + C.

It is obvious to those with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention belongs that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Because the modified combinations, sub-combinations, and changes of the disclosed embodiments that incorporate the spirit and substance of this disclosure can occur to those with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention belongs, this disclosure should be construed to include the scope of the attached application patent and its equivalent Everything in the category of things.

1‧‧‧ substrate

1a‧‧‧first surface

1b‧‧‧Second surface

2‧‧‧ laser beam

2a‧‧‧incident part

2b‧‧‧laser focal line

Section 2c‧‧‧

3‧‧‧ cone lens

4‧‧‧ collimating lens

5‧‧‧ focusing lens

6‧‧‧ Optical components

7‧‧‧ Electrochromic layer

110‧‧‧ contour

120‧‧‧ Defect line

130‧‧‧ glass substrate

130a‧‧‧part

130b‧‧‧part

140‧‧‧pulse laser

150‧‧‧electrochromic layer

A1‧‧‧ contour

A2‧‧‧ contour

B1‧‧‧ contour

B2‧‧‧ contour

C1‧‧‧First Zone

C2‧‧‧Second Zone

d‧‧‧thickness

D‧‧‧ diameter

D1‧‧‧Original diameter

e‧‧‧ cutting edge

E‧‧‧Coated part

L‧‧‧ length

L‧‧‧ length

U‧‧‧Uncoated part

Z‧‧‧line

The following detailed description can be further understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein similar numbers are referred to similar parts as much as possible, and it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Figures 1A to 1B illustrate a contoured glass substrate including a plurality of defect lines;

Figures 2A to 2B illustrate the placement of the focal line of the laser beam to sense absorption along the focal line in the glass substrate;

FIG. 3 illustrates an optical assembly for focusing a laser beam into a laser beam focal line according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

4A to 4C illustrate a glass substrate including electrochromic coated and uncoated regions according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

Domestic hosting information (please note in order of hosting institution, date, and number) None

Information on foreign deposits (please note in order of deposit country, institution, date, and number) None

Claims (20)

An electrochromic glass object, comprising: a. A glass substrate including: i. A first surface, ii. An opposite second surface, and iii. One or more edges, wherein the one or more edges At least one or more of them include a laser modified edge; b. An electrochromic coating i. Disposed on at least a portion of the second surface, and ii. Including at least two electrically discontinuous areas, Each electrical discontinuous area has a contour; and the two electrical discontinuous areas are separated by a laser modified discontinuous line having a width from about 0.1 μm to about 25 μm. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic coating includes tungsten oxide. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 1, wherein the electrically discontinuous areas are substantially not damaged by the laser. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 1, wherein the second surface of the glass substrate near the laser modification discontinuous line is substantially not damaged by the laser. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 4, wherein the contour of at least one of the at least two electrically discontinuous regions is non-linear. The electrochromic glass object according to claim 1, wherein the laser cutting discontinuity is a continuous line formed by a laser having a period from 10 ^-10 to 10 ^-15 seconds at FWHM. Pulse Width. The electrochromic glass object according to claim 1, wherein the second region includes a pattern in the first region or the first region includes a pattern in the second region. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 1, wherein the glass article comprises a glass sheet having a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two electrically discontinuous regions includes an area of the second surface near the one or more edges of the glass substrate. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 9, wherein the electrically discontinuous area near the one or more edges of the glass substrate has a width of less than about 0.1 mm. The electrochromic glass article according to claim 9, wherein the electrically discontinuous area near the one or more edges of the glass substrate includes the coated portion of the glass article at about 5% or less. A glass object includes a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an electrochromic coating. The electrochromic coating is disposed on substantially the entire second surface. The electrochromic coating includes A laser damaged peripheral region approaches at least one edge of the glass object, and the laser damaged peripheral region has a width of less than about 0.1 mm. The glass article according to claim 12, wherein the laser damaged peripheral region includes the second surface of the glass article of about 5% or less. The glass article according to claim 12, wherein the at least one edge has a linear or curved profile. The glass article according to claim 12, wherein the glass article includes a glass sheet having a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm. The glass object according to claim 12, wherein a coating portion of the second surface includes a first region and a second region, and wherein after the voltage is applied to the glass object, the first region has a first Visible light transmission. The first visible light transmission is smaller than a second visible light transmission in the second region. The glass article according to claim 16, wherein the first and second regions are separated by a discontinuous line, the discontinuous line including one or more lightning rays. The glass article according to claim 17, wherein the outline is linear or curved. An insulating glass unit including the electrochromic glass article according to any one of claims 1 to 11. An insulating glass unit comprising the glass article according to any one of claims 12 to 17.