Patent ID: 7476623

Claim:
A method for microstructuring flat multi-component glass substrates, said method comprising the steps of: a) coating a substrate surface of a flat glass substrate with a metal layer; b) subjecting the metal layer to a structuring process to form at least one structured mask layer, said flat glass substrate consisting of a multi-component glass containing at least three oxide ingredients; b) mixing a chemical etching gas with at least one noble gas in a mixture ratio of the chemical etching gas to the at least one noble gas of from 2:1 to 6:1 in order to form an etching gas mixture; and c) performing a chemically reactive ion etching process in which the substrate surface coated with the at least one structured mask layer is exposed to the etching gas mixture; wherein sputtering etching occurring in the ion etching process is significantly increased by the presence of the at least one noble gas in the etching gas mixture but a major portion of the etching gas mixture consists of the chemical etching gas.