Abstract: The invention provides a machining apparatus, and its machining method, having machining tables whose weight do not increase so much even if a number of machining sections such as spindles is increased. One of the machining tables is a rectangular stationary table having a groove in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction on its surface and the other is a rectangular movable table engaged with the groove. The machining apparatus machines a printed circuit board, whose area is larger than that of the movable table, on a mounting surface of the stationary table by changing position of the printed circuit board by moving the movable table and by determining machining position by moving a spindle at position facing the mounting surface of the stationary table.

Abstract: There is provided a laser machining method and a laser machining apparatus whose machining accuracy and quality excel without lowering machining efficiency. One hole is machined by a split beam that is a first pulsed laser beam and another split beam that is a second pulsed laser beam whose irradiation position is determined based on irradiation position of the first laser beam. In this case, the machining quality may be improved by machining the circular hole by equalizing circling directions and angular velocity of the split beams. A beam splitter splits a laser beam outputted out of one laser oscillator into the split beams and AOMs can time-share them.

Abstract: A laser beam direct imaging apparatus and an imaging method which can precisely determine a back-surface-side position with respect to a front-surface-side position even if any kind of photosensitive material is used. In the laser direct imaging apparatus, a laser beam is deflected toward a main scanning direction (X-axis direction) while a workpiece mounted on a table is moved in a sub-scanning direction (Y-axis direction) so that a pattern is imaged on the surface of the workpiece. Hollow pins are disposed on the table so that the tips of the hollow pins 20 project over the surface of the table by a predetermined distance. The workpiece is sucked onto the table so that indentations (indentations by the tips of the hollow pins) are formed on the back surface of the workpiece. When a pattern is imaged on the back surface, imaging is performed with reference to the indentations.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for perforating a printed circuit board are provided so that the processing efficiency and the board densification can be improved. In test processing, a conductor layer 50i is irradiated with a pulsed laser beam 4a whose energy density is set at a value high enough to process the conductor layer 50i while emission 23a from a processed portion is monitored. Thus, the number of pulses of irradiation required for processing a window in the conductor layer 50i is obtained. An insulating layer 51i is irradiated with a pulsed laser beam 5a whose energy density is set at a value high enough to process the insulating layer 51i but low enough not to process a conductor layer 50i+1 under the insulating layer 51i. Thus, the number of pulses of irradiation required for processing a window in the insulating layer 51i is obtained.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus which can create an exposure pattern rapidly. The drawing apparatus has a raster conversion processing module for converting vector images as wiring patterns into bitmap image data, an image cache module for temporarily storing a predetermined-size cached image supplied from the raster conversion processing module, a first compression module for compressing the cached image stored in the image cache module, a second compression module for compressing the cached image stored in the image cache module in a compression ratio differing from that of the first compression module, a comparison module for comparing data sizes of compressed data generated by the first and second compression modules and selecting one having a smaller data size, a memory access module for writing the compressed data selected by the comparison module, into a storage module, and a cache region control module for controlling a compression status of the cached image.

Abstract: A galvanoscanner including: a rotor including a shaft as a rotational center, and permanent magnets disposed around the shaft and polarized to a plurality of poles in a circumferential direction of the shaft; and a stator disposed in the outside of the rotor through a clearance and including coils, a yoke, and an outer casing so that the rotor swings in a predetermined angle range; wherein: the permanent magnets are provided with grooves which are formed in a direction of the rotation shaft so as to straddle circumferentially adjacent magnetic poles of the permanent magnets; and the permanent magnets are parted into at least two parts per pole by parting lines. Thus, the ratio of the torque constant to the moment of inertia can be improved so that the current required for driving can be reduced and reduction of power consumption at driving time can be attained.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board is provided. The method includes preliminarily forming a plurality of test pattern layers for detecting the depth of an inner layer in a multilayer printed circuit board such that at least a part of a lower test pattern layer is not overlaid with any upper test pattern layer when viewed from a drill entrance side, and preliminarily forming a surface conductor layer; applying a voltage between the surface conductor layer and the test pattern layers; performing drilling toward one test pattern layer, and detecting a current produced when the drill comes into contact with the test pattern to measure the depth of the layer (D1); performing drilling toward the other test pattern layer, and measuring the depth of the layer (D2); and performing drilling up to just before the conductor-wiring layer based on a depth calculated from D1 and D2.

Abstract: Fiber lasers and methods for constructing and using fiber lasers for micro-/nano-machining with output beams including stacked pulses and combinations of continuous wave, pseudo-continuous wave and pulse sequence components.

Abstract: An apparatus for machining a thin-film layer of a workpiece, which is a transparent glass on which a thin-film layer is disposed on a top surface thereof, includes a workpiece-underside support mechanism for supporting the workpiece in a vertical direction by an air floatation mechanism and a suction mechanism, a clamp device for gripping the workpiece so as to follow the movement in the vertical direction of the workpiece, and a machining head for machining the thin-film layer with a laser beam. The machining head machines the thin-film layer on the top surface of the workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam entering through the underside of the workpiece. Further including nozzles, the thin-film layer is machined while the cooling medium is delivered from the nozzles disposed by the thin-film layer side.

Abstract: A parallel glass which is a prism having a parallelogram-shaped cross section in an x-y direction, and parallel glasses which are prisms having a parallelogram-shaped cross section in the x-y direction and each include grooves formed in one surface in a z direction perpendicular to the x-y direction, are stacked in direct contact with each other such that the grooves are located on the inside, and light trying to enter the grooves is subjected is total reflection, thereby changing incident parallel beams with a pitch of 13 mm into emergent parallel beams with a pitch of 1 mm.

Abstract: An adjustable beam size illumination optical apparatus includes a beam size adjusting optical system which includes groups of cylindrical array lenses disposed correspondingly to the long and short axis directions respectively and having variable intervals among the lenses, and a group of cylindrical telescope lenses disposed correspondingly to one of the long and short axis directions and having variable intervals among the lenses, and adjusts parallel light from a light source in size in accordance with the two axis directions orthogonal to each other. The lens interval of one of the cylindrical array lens groups and the cylindrical telescope lens group is changed to adjust a beam size on a projection surface in accordance with the long axis direction or the short axis direction. Thus, it is possible to adjust the beam size in accordance with the long axis direction and the short axis direction individually, and it is possible to make irradiation with the beam with uniform intensity.

Abstract: A laser direct imaging apparatus which can expose photosensitive materials having various sensitivities and which can correct an imaging position in accordance with deformation of a workpiece. In the laser direct imaging apparatus, the workpiece is moved in a sub-scanning direction while a cylindrical lens is used to converge a laser beam, which has been modulated based on raster data, in the sub-scanning direction and deflect the laser beam toward a main scanning direction so as to image a desired pattern on the workpiece. The cylindrical axis of the cylindrical lens is designed to be able to rotate horizontally and to be able to change an angle with respect to the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A printed circuit board machining apparatus includes a spindle that holds a tool for machining a printed circuit board and a pressure unit for pressing the printed circuit board to a table in machining the printed circuit board. The pressure unit includes a pressure foot movable up an down along the spindle, a rotating member having a plurality of pressure pieces through which a through hole for passing the tool is formed and provided so as to select one among the plurality of pressure pieces, a motor for moving the rotating member, cylinders and electromagnetic valves for moving the pressure foot up and down and a control section for controlling the cylinders and electromagnetic valves. The control section rotates the motor so as to select the pressure piece and controls the cylinders and the electromagnetic valves to change force for pressing the printed circuit board.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a thin-film solar panel with a laser scribing process to perform linear groove processing by irradiating a thin-film layer formed on a substrate with laser light to be separated from adjacent structure, including steps of: specifying an accurate position, size, shape of a adhered foreign matter on a glass substrate, a glass scratch, an air-bubble in the glass substrate causing an imperfection by inspecting a scribe line; and performing repair processing to form a new scribe line to bypass a portion of the imperfection after a final scribe line is formed.

Abstract: A drilling method and a laser machining apparatus which can shorten the measuring time of workpiece surface height and improve the machining efficiency in spite of irregularities of about 10-30 ?m high in the surface of a table. Surface heights of the table is measured at lattice points in advance. Top surface height at a desired point of the workpiece mounted on the table is measured. Surface height of the point is arithmetically obtained using heights of four points surrounding the point. The difference between the measured height and the arithmetically obtained height is set as the plate thickness of the workpiece. Top surface height of the workpiece at a machining position is regarded as the sum of the plate thickness and the height at that position obtained from the table surface heights.

Abstract: A machining apparatus in which the machining efficiency can be improved even if characters are machined in a printed circuit board. A coordinate transformation unit is provided for transforming central coordinates of each dot d of each character of a character string into coordinates in a machining coordinate system with which the holes will be machined. Prior to machining, based on a character string and position information of the character string described in a machining program, central coordinates of each dot of each character of the character string are transformed into coordinates in the machining coordinate system with which the holes will be machined. Each dot d is regarded as a hole and machined. The number of times of movement of a table can be thus minimized so that the machining efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A laser machining method and a laser machining apparatus by which holes excelling in form accuracy can be machined efficiently are to be provided. A first cylindrical lens and/or a second cylindrical lens to correct any deformation of reflective face of a first mirror and/or a second mirror is arranged on an optical axis of a laser beam, and converging positions of the laser beam for an X-component and for a Y-component are coincident with a point on the optical axis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a valve having a housing with a valve seat for a two-piece flap which is rotatably mounted on a drive shaft. An annular piston seal and an adjacent cover disk are disposed between the first part and the second part of the two-piece flap so as to revolve therearound. The diameter of the cover disk is smaller than the diameter of the annular piston seal which is embodied as a metal ring that is provided with a gap. The invention also relates to the use of the valve as a gas recirculation valve.

Abstract: There is provided a laser machining apparatus for sheet-like workpieces that allows an installation area to be reduced and that may be readily controlled. The laser machining apparatus includes a Y-table movable in X- and Y-plane directions orthogonal to a laser beam irradiated from an f? lens, a supply reel for holding a supply-side roll which contains a sheet-like workpiece, and a take-up reel for holding a take-up side roll containing a finished sheet-like workpiece. Machining is carried out by fixing the sheet-like workpiece in the machining area on the movable table and by irradiating the laser beam while moving the movable table relative to the laser beam. At least one of the supply reel and the take-up reel is disposed on the movable table.

Abstract: This invention provides: an exposure apparatus and exposure method based on a maskless exposure technique which uses a two-dimensional optical modulator, in which maskless exposure technique, the exposure apparatus and exposure method employ a first irradiation source optics for drawing a pattern based on exposure pattern data, and a second irradiation source optics for irradiating an energy ray onto a desired area of space on a region inclusive of a region in which the pattern has been drawn; and a method of manufacturing a wiring Substrate (Board); thus, highly accurate pattern forming based on the exposure pattern data is achieved at high throughput and at low costs.