Room temperature glass-to-glass, glass-to-plastic and glass-to-glass ceramic/semiconductor bonding

Abstract

A process for room temperature substrate bonding employs a first substrate substantially transparent to a laser wavelength is selected. A second substrate for mating at an interface with the first substrate is then selected. A transmissivity change at the interface is created and the first and second substrates are mated at the interface. The first substrate is then irradiated with a laser of the transparency wavelength substantially focused at the interface and a localized high temperature at the interface from energy supplied by the laser is created. The first and second substrates immediately adjacent the interface are softened with diffusion across the interface to fuse the substrates.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bonded article comprising:
 a first substrate comprising a glass material;   a second substrate comprising at least one of a glass material, a metal material, a semiconductor material, a ceramic material, or a polymer material; and   a bond line at an interface between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising fused portions of the first substrate and the second substrate generated as plasma collapses during bonding.   
     
     
         2 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the bond line has a width of 0.001 μm to 100 μm and a depth, measured from the interface, of less than or equal to about 2 μm into each of the first substrate and the second substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , comprising a heat affected zone of less than or equal to 1 μm proximate the bond line. 
     
     
         4 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , comprising a heat absorption layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The bonded article of  claim 4 , wherein an undiffused portion of the heat absorption layer within the bond line defines a conductive path across the bond line. 
     
     
         6 . The bonded article of  claim 4 , wherein the heat absorption layer comprises a metal material. 
     
     
         7 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein an etch rate of the bond line in an etchant is less than an etch rate of the first substrate and the second substrate in the etchant. 
     
     
         8 . The bonded article of  claim 7 , wherein the etchant comprises at least one of hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, or potassium hydroxide. 
     
     
         9 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises the glass material. 
     
     
         10 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises the metal material. 
     
     
         11 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises the semiconductor material. 
     
     
         12 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises the ceramic material. 
     
     
         13 . The bonded article of  claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises the polymer material. 
     
     
         14 . A bonded article comprising:
 a first substrate comprising a glass material;   a second substrate comprising at least one of a glass material or a metal material; and   a bond line at an interface between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising fused portions of the first substrate and the second substrate generated as plasma collapses during bonding.   
     
     
         15 . The bonded article of  claim 14 , wherein the bond line has a width of 0.001 μm to 100 μm and a depth, measured from the interface, of less than or equal to about 2 μm into each of the first substrate and the second substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The bonded article of  claim 14 , comprising a heat affected zone of less than or equal to 1 μm proximate the bond line. 
     
     
         17 . The bonded article of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a heat absorption layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;   wherein the second substrate comprises the glass material, and   wherein the heat absorption layer comprises a metal material.   
     
     
         18 . The bonded article of  claim 17 , wherein an undiffused portion of the heat absorption layer within the bond line defines a conductive path across the bond line. 
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 irradiating an interface between a first substrate and a second substrate with laser energy; and   locally heating surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate proximate the interface with the laser energy, thereby fusing the first substrate and the second substrate at the interface;   wherein the locally heating the surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate proximate the interface with the laser energy forms a plasma at the interface and softens at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate without melting the first substrate and the second substrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the interface comprises a heat absorption layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the heat absorption layer comprises a metal material.