Patent ID: 7880118

Claim:
A method for cutting a brittle material, comprising steps of: generating a tension stress on a surface of the brittle material by exerting a bending stress thereon; providing a thermal effect along a path direction on the surface, wherein the thermal effect grows along a direction opposite to the path direction; providing a first cryogenic effect in a first incident direction along the path direction, wherein the first incident direction includes a first incident direction component and meets the path direction at a first angle; and providing a second cryogenic effect in a second incident direction along the path direction, wherein the second incident direction includes a second incident direction component and meets the path direction at a second angle, and the first incident direction component, the second incident direction component and the path direction are coplanar, wherein the first and second cryogenic effects proceed after the thermal effect, the first and second incident directions are on different sides of the path direction with respect to the surface of the brittle material, at least one of the first or the second incident direction components meets the path direction at an angle of about 60 degrees, and a crack along the path direction on the surface is formed as a result of the tension stress, the thermal effect, and the cryogenic effects therealong for cutting the brittle material.