Abstract: A semiconductor laser device including a laser element stack array emitting a two-dimensional array shaped group of laser beams consisting of rows of laser beams arranged linearly in parallel in a broken line configuration and optical elements arranged in front of the array, receiving rows of laser beams bent and collimated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the broken line configuration. Laser beams are emitted from emitters or groups of emitters and are rotated by right angles so as to convert the laser beams to a plurality of rows aligned in parallel in an approximate ladder rung configuration and the distance between center axes of the rows of laser beams is shortened to condense the laser beams by converting them to a group of laser beams emitted from a common object and thereby making all laser beams converge to a single image.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided. For example, the apparatus may include a single or a plurality of stacked-array laser diodes, first beam compressors, and a separating optical device separating the group of laser beams into subgroups of laser beams in a first direction, and deflecting the subgroups of laser beams so that the subgroups of laser beams approach in the first direction and recede from one another in a second direction. In addition, a collimating optical device may be provided which is adapted to deflect the subgroups of laser beams in the first and second directions by the same angles. Further, a beam converter may be included which divides each subgroup of laser beams and turning the axis thereof, and second beam compressors and a group of cylindrical lenses can be provided that can make the angle of divergence in the first direction close to the angle of divergence in the second direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is provided. For example, the apparatus may include a single or a plurality of stacked-array laser diodes, first beam compressors, and a separating optical device separating the group of laser beams into subgroups of laser beams in a first direction, and deflecting the subgroups of laser beams so that the subgroups of laser beams approach in the first direction and recede from one another in a second direction. In addition, a collimating optical device may be provided which is adapted to deflect the subgroups of laser beams in the first and second directions by the same angles. Further, a beam converter may be included which divides each subgroup of laser beams and turning the axis thereof, and second beam compressors and a group of cylindrical lenses can be provided that can make the angle of divergence in the first direction close to the angle of divergence in the second direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device including a laser element stack array emitting a two-dimensional array shaped group of laser beams consisting of rows of laser beams arranged linearly in parallel in a broken line configuration and optical elements arranged in front of the array, receiving rows of laser beams bent and collimated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the broken line configuration. Laser beams are emitted from emitters or groups of emitters and are rotated by right angles so as to convert the laser beams to a plurality of rows aligned in parallel in an approximate ladder rung configuration and the distance between center axes of the rows of laser beams is shortened to condense the laser beams by converting them to a group of laser beams emitted from a common object and thereby making all laser beams converge to a single image.

Abstract: In order to make the depth of penetration in the weld bead portion uniform and obtain a bead shape having a flat bottom without spiking and meltdown during continuous hot rolling by bonding a plurality of hot-rolled steel materials using a laser beam, the following methods are employed: (A) a method of butt welding wherein center gas is blown against the welding portion symmetrically to the optical axis of the laser beam while side gas is being blown thereagainst from the side, the method comprising conducting welding while the center of laser-induced plasma is shifted in the welding direction from the center of the laser beam by a distance 0.2 to 0.

Abstract: In order to make the depth of penetration in the weld bead portion uniform and obtain a bead shape having a flat bottom without spiking and meltdown during continuous hot rolling by bonding a plurality of hot-rolled steel materials using a laser beam, the following methods are employed: (A) a method of butt welding wherein center gas is blown against the welding portion symmetrically to the optical axis of the laser beam while side gas is being blown thereagainst from the side, the method comprising conducting welding while the center of laser-induced plasma is shifted in the welding direction from the center of the laser beam by a distance 0.2 to 0.

Abstract: A phase shifting method uses a special interferometer in which the illuminating beam is divided into two or more components and the mask is irradiated from both sides. The pattern to be transferred onto the wafer (the mask) is generated on an optically transmissive substrate by appropriately combining reflective, transparent and absorptive areas. The optical paths of the beams illuminating the back side and the front side of the mask (that will be called transmitted and reflected beams respectively) are chosen so that the phase of the two beams is different by approximately an odd multiple of .pi. radians at the surface of the mask. The combined beams are projected onto the target wafer by suitable optics. The phase difference between the illuminating beams reduces the edge blurring that results from diffraction effects.

Abstract: A cooling drum for use in casting a thin cast strip is rotated about its axis while a laser beam having a wavelength of from 0.30 .mu.m to 1.07 .mu.m is irradiated onto a peripheral surface of the drum to form dimple therein. At this time, at least one of the oscillation period of the laser beam, the laser output and the divergence angle of the beam is controlled to assure that each dimple has a depth of no less than 50 .mu.m and a diameter of less than 500 .mu.m and the distance measured between the centers of each adjacent pair of dimples ranges from 1.05 times to 5 times the dimple diameter.

Abstract: A method of producing a corrugated metal sheeting including a flat metal sheet and a corrugated metal sheet joined to each other, which sheeting is used to produce a carrier or honeycomb structure for carrying catalytic agents used for purifying exhaust gases from, for example, an internal combustion engine of an automobile. In the method, the flat and corrugated metal sheets are brought together so that corrugations of the corrugated metal sheet are successively brought into contact with the flat metal sheet in such a manner that the corrugated metal sheet is freely movable to thereby release resilient stresses therefrom, and a laser beam is incident on a contact line between the flat metal sheet and each of the corrugations of the corrugated metal sheet, to thereby weld them to each other.

Abstract: A laser beam heat treatment for a metal wire has improved incidence and processing conditions so as to achieve efficient surface heat treatment with a circumferentially averaged laser beam flux and with remarkably enhanced fatigue strength in a high speed heat treatment. The method and apparatus is characterized by forming a cone shaped mirror of circular or polygon cross section having a peak angle in a range of 5.degree. to 20.degree. and interior mirror surface, the cone shaped mirror defining an opening having a diameter greater than the diameter of the metal wire in a range of 0.2 to 2 mm, feeding the metal wire having a diameter less than or equal to 1 mm through the cone shaped mirror along the center axis thereof, irradiating a laser beam with an incident angle including an angular deflection with respect to the center axis of the cone shaped mirror in a range of .+-.10.degree. resulting in multiple reflection of the laser beam between the interior mirror surface and the surface of the fed metal wire.

Abstract: A core strip for a honeycomb core panel is composed of a metal strip shaped into a corrugated configuration and having continuous alternate convex and concave portions of identical shape, each of the convex portions being defined by a plateau portion and a pair of inclined portions, and each of the concave portions being defined by a bottom portion and the pair of inclined portions. The inclined portions interconnect the plateau portion and the bottom portion. At the one side edge of the shaped metal strip, the plateau portion and the inclined portions have respective first flanges disposed perpendicular to the metal strip and directed away from a convex surface of the convex portion. At the other side edge of the shaped metal strip, the bottom portion and the inclined portion have respective second flanges disposed perpendicularly to the metal strip and directed away from a convex surface of the concave portion.