Patent ID: 8375744

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a hermetically sealed package comprising: traversing a closed path over a surface of a glass assembly comprising first and second glass plates with a laser beam to heat a frit disposed between the first and second plates, wherein traversing the closed path comprises the steps of: a) providing the laser beam at an initial laser power that is insufficient to heat the frit to form a hermetic seal; b) increasing the laser power from the initial laser power at a first location to a target laser power at a second location downstream from the first location relative to a direction of the traverse about the closed path, wherein the target laser power is at least sufficient to cause the frit to form a hermetic seal; c) maintaining the laser beam at the target laser power while the laser beam completes traversing the closed path to the first location; d) maintaining the laser beam at the target laser power while the laser beam continues to traverse downstream past the first location to a third location downstream from the first location relative to the direction of traverse; and then e) decreasing the laser power from the third location until the laser power is insufficient to heat the frit to form a hermetic seal at a fourth location, a predetermined distance downstream from the third location relative to the direction of traverse, wherein the heating melts the frit and seals the glass assembly to form a hermetically sealed package.