GLASS SHEET PROCESSING METHOD AND GLASS SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS

摘要

A glass sheet processing method is provided that includes a step of forming a cleavage in a glass sheet with thermal stress that is generated by irradiating a laser beam on the glass sheet. The laser beam is emitted from a light source and is irradiated on the surface of the glass sheet to form an irradiation area of the laser beam on the surface, and the laser beam that has been transmitted through the surface of the glass sheet is irradiated on the back face of the glass sheet to form an irradiation area of the laser beam on the back face. In a case where each irradiation includes a peak position of the power density of the laser beam, each irradiation area is arranged to have an asymmetrical power density distribution that is asymmetrical with respect to a reference line that passes through the peak position of the irradiation area and is parallel to a moving direction of the peak position. In a case where each irradiation area does not include a peak position of the power density of the laser beam, each irradiation area is arranged to have an asymmetrical shape that is asymmetrical with respect to a reference line that passes through a centroid position of the irradiation area and is parallel to a moving direction of the centroid position.