Field Assisted Glass-Metal Sealing

A new process is described which permits the sealing of metals to glass and other insulators at temperatures well below the softening point of the glass. Sealing is accomplished in about 1 min by applying a dc voltage in excess of a few hundred volts between the glass and the metal in such a way that the former is at a negative potential with respect to the latter. The process has been applied to a number of glass-metal combinations. A discussion is presented of some of the mechanisms which are believed to play a role in the bonding process.