How Does CO2 Laser Cut Glass? A CO2 glass laser cutting machine uses a 10.6 micrometer infrared laser beam to scribe and separate thin glass substrates. The laser heats a narrow line on the glass surface, and a controlled cooling jet creates a thermal stress crack that propagates cleanly through the material. This process is called stealth dicing or thermal scribe-and-break, and it produces edges that are smoother than mechanical diamond wheel cutting, with no micro-cracks or