Light-weight strengthened, low-emittance vacuum-insulated glass (vig) windows

Abstract

Vacuum-insulated glass windows include two or more glass panes, and glass-bump spacers formed in a surface of one of the panes. The glass-bump spacers consist of the glass material from the body portion of the glass pane. At least one of the glass panes comprises chemically-strengthened glass. Methods of forming VIG windows include forming the glass-bump spacers by irradiating a glass pane with a focused beam from a laser. Heating effects in the glass cause the glass to locally expand, thereby forming a glass-bump spacer. In embodiments where the glass-bump spacers are formed in a chemically-strengthened glass pane, the glass-bump spacers may be formed before or after the chemical strengthening. A second glass pane is brought into contact with the glass-bump spacers, and the edges sealed. The resulting sealed interior region is evacuated to a pressure of less than one atmosphere.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) window, comprising:
 a first glass pane having a first outer edge;   a second glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass pane at a first distance, the second glass pane having a second outer edge;   a first edge seal formed around at least respective portions of the first and second outer edges to define a first sealed interior region between the first and second glass panes, wherein the first sealed interior region has a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere;   a first plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed from a first surface of the first glass pane and consisting of glass material from the first glass pane, and   a first optical coating formed over both the first plurality of glass-bump spacers and the first surface in which the first plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed, wherein   at least one of the first glass pane and the second glass pane comprises a chemically-strengthened glass material,   the optical coating comprises a polymer layer or a dielectric layer, and   the first plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the second glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart first distance.   
     
     
         2 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , wherein the second glass pane comprises a chemically-strengthened glass material. 
     
     
         3 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , wherein the first glass-bump spacers have a bump height H defined by 75 μm≦H≦225 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second glass panes have respective thicknesses of less than 1 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , wherein the window is substantially flat. 
     
     
         6 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , wherein the window is shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass pane at a side opposite the second glass pane and at a second distance, the third glass pane having a third outer edge;   a second plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed from a second surface of the first glass pane opposite the first surface, the second plurality of glass-bump spacers consisting of glass material from the first glass pane;   a second optical coating formed over both the second plurality of glass-bump spacers and the second surface, wherein   the second plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the third glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart second distance, and   either a) the first edge seal further surrounds at least a portion of the third outer edge to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere, or b) a second edge seal surrounds at least respective portions of the first and third outer edges to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere.   
     
     
         8 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the third glass pane comprises a chemically-strengthened glass material. 
     
     
         9 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third glass panes each comprise a chemically-strengthened glass material. 
     
     
         10 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the second plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed substantially opposed to respective ones of the first plurality of glass-bump spacers. 
     
     
         11 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the second plurality of glass-bump spacers are formed offset from the first plurality of glass-bump spacers. 
     
     
         12 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third glass panes have respective thicknesses of less than 1 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the window is substantially flat. 
     
     
         14 . The VIG window of  claim 7 , wherein the window is shaped. 
     
     
         15 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass pane at a side opposite the second glass pane and at a second distance, the third glass pane having a third outer edge;   a second plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed from a third surface of the third glass pane and consisting of glass material from the third glass pane;   a second optical coating formed over both the second glass-bump spacers and the third surface, wherein   the second plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the first glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart second distance, and   either a) the first edge seal further surrounds at least a portion of the third outer edge to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere, or b) a second edge seal surrounds at least respective portions of the first and third outer edges to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere.   
     
     
         16 . The VIG window of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the second glass pane at a side opposite the first glass pane and at a second distance, the third glass pane having a third outer edge;   a second plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed from a third surface of the third glass pane and consisting of glass material from the third glass pane;   a second optical coating formed over both the second glass-bump spacers and the third surface, wherein   the second plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the second glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart second distance, and   either a) the first edge seal further surrounds at least a portion of the third outer edge to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere, or b) a second edge seal surrounds at least respective portions of the first and third outer edges to further define, between the first and third glass panes, a second sealed interior region having a vacuum pressure of less than one atmosphere.   
     
     
         17 . A vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) window assembly, comprising:
 a first glass pane;   a second glass pane spaced apart from and disposed substantially parallel to the first glass pane at a first distance;   a plurality of glass-bump spacers integrally formed from a first surface of the first glass pane, and   an optical coating formed over both the glass-bump spacers and the first surface in which the first glass-bump spacers are formed, wherein   at least one of the first glass pane and the second glass pane comprises a chemically-strengthened glass material,   the optical coating comprises a polymer layer or a dielectric layer, and   the plurality of coated glass-bump spacers contact the second glass pane so as to maintain said spaced apart first distance.   
     
     
         18 . The VIG window of  claim 17 , wherein the second glass pane comprises a chemically-strengthened glass material.