Patent ID: 8051679

Claim:
A method of separating a glass sheet comprising: (a) translating a single elongated laser beam having a peak intensity I peak over a surface of the glass sheet at a speed S, said beam being characterized by an untruncated length L 0 , where L 0 equals the maximum distance along the length of the beam between locations at which the beam intensity at the surface of the glass sheet, in the absence of any truncation, has fallen to 1/e 2 of I peak ; and (b) translating a coolant area over the surface of the glass sheet in tandem with the laser beam, thereby separating the glass sheet into sub-pieces; wherein: (i) S is less than about 200 millimeters/second; (ii) L 0 is greater than or equal to 100 millimeters; and (iii) I peak and L 0 are selected such that translation of the laser beam over the surface of the glass sheet at speed S produces a maximum temperature at the surface of the glass sheet that is at least about 150° C. less than a strain point of the glass; and wherein the glass sheet is separated in a single traverse of the laser beam.