Optical axis adjusting method for laser processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577339-B2
Application number	US-202016879847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2020
Priority date	May 23, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An optical axis adjusting method includes a position detecting step of emitting a laser beam from a laser oscillator, applying the laser beam to a processing point, and detecting the position of the laser beam by using a position detecting unit set at the processing point, a storing step of storing the position of the laser beam as detected in the position detecting step as a reference position, and an adjusting step of operating an adjusting mechanism of each optical component holder in the case that the position of the laser beam is deviated from the reference position after performing maintenance of each optical component, thereby adjusting the position of the laser beam so that the position of the laser beam is shifted back to the reference position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical axis adjusting method for a laser processing apparatus including a laser beam applying unit, said laser beam applying unit including:
a laser oscillator for oscillating a laser and emitting a laser beam;
a plurality of optical components for guiding said laser beam generated from said laser oscillator to a processing point where a workpiece is to be processed by said laser beam;
a plurality of optical component holders for holding said plurality of optical components, respectively, each optical component holder having an adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of said laser beam;
a position detecting unit adapted to be provided at said processing point for detecting said position of said laser beam; and
a controller connected to the position detecting unit and a display, and configured to control the laser beam applying unit,
said optical axis adjusting method comprising:
a position detecting step including emitting said laser beam from said laser oscillator, applying said laser beam to said processing point, and detecting a first position of said laser beam by using said position detecting unit set at said processing point;
a storing step including storing said first position of said laser beam as detected in said position detecting step as a reference position in a memory of the controller;
a maintenance step including removing at least one of said optical components from a corresponding associated optical component holder, subsequently performing maintenance on the optical component or components removed, and then mounting the removed optical component or a replacement optical component on the associated optical component holder;
a beam spot position detecting step including emitting said laser beam from said laser oscillator, applying said laser beam to said processing point, and detecting a second beam spot position of said laser beam by using said position detecting unit set at said processing point, wherein said beam spot position detecting step is performed after performing the position detecting step, the storing step and the maintenance step;
a determining step including comparing the second beam spot position detected during the beam spot position detecting step with the reference position saved during the storing step by the controller controlling the second beam spot position and the reference position to show on the display; and
an adjusting step including operating said adjusting mechanism of each optical component holder to adjust the second position of said laser beam to shift back to said reference position from any deviated position.

2. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the position detecting unit includes a photodetecting surface, and further wherein the laser beam emitted during the position detecting step is applied to the photodetecting surface.

3. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 2 , wherein the position detecting unit comprises a power meter having a pointing function capable of detecting the position of the laser beam on the photodetecting surface.

4. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 2 , wherein the position detecting unit comprises a profiler.

5. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 2 , wherein the laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that is seated upon a movable plate, and further wherein the position detecting unit is positioned upon a holding surface of the chuck table during the position detecting step.

6. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 2 , wherein the laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that is seated upon a movable plate, and further wherein the position detecting unit is positioned upon the movable plate during the position detecting step.

7. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical components comprise mirrors for guiding the laser beam generated from said laser oscillator to the processing point.

8. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical components comprise lenses for guiding the laser beam generated from said laser oscillator to the processing point.

9. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the optical components comprise a combination of mirrors and a focusing lens, and wherein the combination of the mirrors and the focusing lens is configured and arranged for guiding the laser beam generated from said laser oscillator to the processing point.

10. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that is seated upon a movable plate, and further wherein the position detecting unit is positioned upon a holding surface of the chuck table during the position detecting step.

11. The optical axis adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that is seated upon a movable plate, and further wherein the position detecting unit is positioned upon the movable plate during the position detecting step.

12. The optical adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing maintenance on the optical component or components involves cleaning the optical component or components removed during the maintenance step.

13. The optical adjusting method according to claim 1 , wherein the maintenance step is performed on all of the optical components associated with the laser beam applying unit.

14. An optical axis adjusting method for a laser processing apparatus including a laser beam applying unit, said laser beam applying unit including:
a laser oscillator for oscillating a laser and emitting a laser beam;
a plurality of optical components for guiding said laser beam generated from said laser oscillator to a processing point where a workpiece is to be processed by said laser beam;
a plurality of optical component holders for holding said plurality of optical components, respectively, each optical component holder having an adjusting mechanism for adjusting a position of said laser beam;
a position detecting unit adapted to be provided at said processing point for detecting said position of said laser beam; and
a controller connected to the position detecting unit and a display, and configured to control the laser beam applying unit,
said optical axis adjusting method comprising:
a position detecting step including emitting said laser beam from said laser oscillator, applying said laser beam to said processing point, and detecting a first position of said laser beam by using said position detecting unit set at said processing point;
a storing step including storing said first position of said laser beam as detected in said position detecting step as a reference position in a memory of the controller;
a maintenance step including removing at least one of said optical components from a corresponding associated optical component holder, subsequently performing maintenance on the optical component or components removed, and then mounting the removed optical component or a replacement optical component on the associated optical component holder;
a beam spot position detecting step including emitting said laser beam from said laser oscillator, applying said laser beam to said processing point, and detecting a second beam spot position of said laser beam by using said position detecting unit set at said processing point, wherein said beam spot position detecting step is performed after performing the position detecting step, the storing step and the maintenance step;
a determining step including comparing the s

Assignees

• Disco Corp

Inventors

• Kumazawa Satoshi
• Nayuki Masatoshi

Classifications

• H10P72/7416

  used during dicing or grinding · CPC title

• H10P72/78

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/7402

  Wafer tapes, e.g. grinding or dicing support tapes · CPC title

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title