Laser processing apparatus and laser processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12403548-B2
Application number	US-202117378815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2021
Priority date	Aug 19, 2020
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator that oscillates processing laser light to be incident on a processing point on a processing surface of a workpiece, a coupling mirror that deflects or transmits the processing laser light and measurement light to be incident on the processing point toward the processing point, a measurement light deflection unit that changes an incident angle of the measurement light on the coupling mirror, a lens that concentrates the processing laser light and the measurement light on the processing point, a controller that controls the laser oscillator and the measurement light deflection unit, a measurement processor that measures a depth of a keyhole generated at the processing point by the processing laser light by using an optical interference signal based on an interference generated by an optical path difference between the measurement light reflected at the processing point and reference light, and a beam position measurement unit that measures positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser processing apparatus comprising:
a laser oscillator configured to oscillate processing laser light to be incident on a processing point on a processing surface of a workpiece;
a measurement light inlet configured to introduce measurement light to be incident on the processing point;
a coupling mirror configured to deflect or transmit the processing laser light and measurement light toward the processing point;
a measurement light deflection unit installed between the measurement light inlet and the coupling mirror and configured to change an incident angle of the measurement light on the coupling mirror by changing an optical axis direction of the measurement light;
a lens configured to concentrate the processing laser light and the measurement light on the processing point;
a controller configured to control the laser oscillator and the measurement light deflection unit;
a measurement processor configured to measure a depth of a keyhole generated at the processing point by the processing laser light by using an optical interference signal based on an interference generated by an optical path difference between the measurement light reflected at the processing point and reference light; and
a beam position measurement unit configured to measure positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light,
wherein the measurement light deflection unit includes:
(i) a parabolic mirror or a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) mirror fixed between the measurement light inlet and the coupling mirror and a movement stage configured to move the measurement light inlet, or (ii) a movement stage configured to move the measurement light inlet and a collimating lens.

2. A laser processing apparatus comprising:
a laser oscillator configured to oscillate processing laser light to be incident on a processing point on a processing surface of a workpiece;
a coupling mirror configured to deflect or transmit the processing laser light and measurement light to be incident on the processing point toward the processing point;
a measurement light deflection unit configured to change an incident angle of the measurement light on the coupling mirror;
a lens configured to concentrate the processing laser light and the measurement light on the processing point;
a controller configured to control the laser oscillator and the measurement light deflection unit;
a measurement processor configured to measure a depth of a keyhole generated at the processing point by the processing laser light by using an optical interference signal based on an interference generated by an optical path difference between the measurement light reflected at the processing point and reference light;
a beam position measurement unit configured to measure positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light; and
a first mirror configured to change a travel direction of the processing laser light and the measurement light,
wherein the controller further controls the first mirror based on processing data.

3. The laser processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the processing data includes a first instruction value indicating an operation amount of the first mirror and a second instruction value indicating an operation amount of the measurement light deflection unit,
the beam position measurement unit includes
a position measurement mirror that reflects the processing laser light and the measurement light each passing through the lens, and
a two-dimensional imaging element that measures the positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light each reflected by the position measurement mirror, and

the controller sets a target position on the processing surface, sets the first instruction value to cause the processing laser light to be incident on the target position, and calculates the second instruction value based on the positions measured by the two-dimensional imaging element.

4. The laser processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the position measurement mirror is set to have a reflectance at a wavelength of the processing laser light, the reflectance causing power allowing the processing laser light to enter the two-dimensional imaging element, and
the two-dimensional imaging element is located at a position where an optical path length from the lens to the two-dimensional imaging element matches an optical path length from the lens to the processing point.

5. The laser processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the position measurement mirror is composed of a plurality of mirrors.

6. The laser processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
in the position measurement mirror, a reflectance of a wavelength of the processing laser light is 0.1% or less.

7. The laser processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the controller sets a grid shape pattern on the processing surface and sets a grid point of the grid shape pattern to the target position.

8. A laser processing apparatus comprising:
a laser oscillator configured to oscillate processing laser light to be incident on a processing point on a processing surface of a workpiece;
a coupling mirror configured to deflect or transmit the processing laser light and measurement light to be incident on the processing point toward the processing point;
a measurement light deflection unit configured to change an incident angle of the measurement light on the coupling mirror;
a lens configured to concentrate the processing laser light and the measurement light on the processing point;
a controller configured to control the laser oscillator and the measurement light deflection unit;
a measurement processor configured to measure a depth of a keyhole generated at the processing point by the processing laser light by using an optical interference signal based on an interference generated by an optical path difference between the measurement light reflected at the processing point and reference light; and
a beam position measurement unit configured to measure positions of the processing laser light and the measurement light, wherein:
the beam position measurement unit derives a relative position of an optical axis of the measurement light with respect to an optical axis of the processing laser light, and
the controller controls the coupling mirror having an angle adjusting function or the measurement light deflection unit based on the relative position derived by the beam position measurement unit.

9. The laser processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the lens is disposed between the coupling mirror and the workpiece, and the beam position measurement unit is disposed between the coupling mirror and the lens.

10. The laser processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the beam position measurement unit includes
a reflector that reflects the processing laser light and the measurement light in a direction other than a direction toward the workpiece, and
a light receptor that receives the processing laser light and the measurement light each reflected by the reflector, and

the beam position measurement unit derives the relative position based on an irradiation position of the processing laser light and an irradiation position of the measurement light in the light receptor.

11. The laser processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
a reflectance of the processing laser light of the reflector is set to be less than or equal to a predetermined value.

12. The laser processing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the beam position measurement unit includes a plurality of reflectors each being the reflector.

13. The laser processing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein
the

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoyama Jun
• Urashima Takashi
• Takechi Yohei

Classifications

• B23K26/705

  Beam measuring devices · CPC title

• B23K26/0643 Primary

  comprising mirrors · CPC title

• G02B19/0014

  at least one surface having optical power · CPC title

• G02B26/0816

  by means of one or more reflecting elements · CPC title

• G02B19/009

  for use with infrared radiation · CPC title