Abstract: A laser machining apparatus in which three or more beam splits are made incident on one machining lens so that high speed machining can be achieved, and the machining quality (shapes, dimensions, accuracy and straightness of machined holes) is excellent. The optical paths of beams A and B having the same polarization direction are aligned almost in one and the same direction by a total reflection/transmission type beam combining means 31c using a difference in incident angle. After that, the optical paths of the beams A and B and the optical path of a beam C different in polarization direction therefrom are aligned almost in one and the same direction by a polarizing type beam combining means 32. Then, the beams A, B and C are made incident on a machining lens 45.

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 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 tool positioning device and a machining element have simple structures which can reduce running cost. In addition to a hole that engages with a shank of an end mill, a channel is provided so that it penetrates through the device such that one end thereof communicates with an upper face of the device and the other end communicates with a lower end of the device. In this case, it is more effective to provide a concave portion that is opened to the upper face and communicates with the hole. The same effect may be obtained by making a cylindrical hole, for example, instead of the channel.

Abstract: A harmonic generation/beam shaping system to generate a shaped beam having a harmonic relationship with a beam generated by a laser, including a first harmonic generation element and a second harmonic generation element arranged sequentially along an axial beam path extending between an input from the laser and an output of the harmonic generation/beam shaping system and at least two beam shaping elements located along the axial beam path. At least one of the least two beam shaping elements is located between the second harmonic generation element and the laser to transform the beam energy profile into a preferred profile to distribute the beam energy across a larger cross sectional area of at least one harmonic generation element or to reduce peaks in the energy distribution profile of the beam, or both, wherein the preferred profile may be a flat-top profile or a Bessel function profile.

Abstract: A digital servo control unit which uses a D/A converter, which suppresses the spike-like pulsation superimposed on a current error signal inside a current control circuit, and which has control performance not lower than that in the background art even when a low-voltage and low-price power supply circuit is used. A first-order low pass filter acts on an analog signal output by the D/A converter, and a stabilizing compensation occurs for a phase delay caused by the first-order low pass filter. The first-order low pass filter is formed as a low pass filter having a cut-off frequency which is lower than a sampling frequency. The first-order low pass filter may be replaced by a notch filter having a cut-off frequency which is equal to a sampling frequency or which is equal to an integer multiple of a Nyquist frequency.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a multi-layered circuit board allows electronic parts to be mounted adequately and will not hamper performance of the electronic parts. A power terminal (pin) of an electronic part to be mounted on a surface of the multi-layered circuit board is inserted into a plated through hole to connect with a first conductive layer. A detecting section having a detecting hole which is formed coaxially with the through hole and whose diameter is larger than the through hole is provided on a second conductive layer on the back of the first conductive layer. A hole having a large diameter is formed by a tool along the through hole from the back while applying voltage between the second conductive layer and the tool. The depth of the hole is set based on the tool electrically conducting with the detecting hole. Unnecessary plate of the through hole may be removed by the large hole.

Abstract: A printed board drilling method and a printed board machining apparatus capable of improving machining quality, such as improving positional accuracy of holes and true roundness of machined holes, and improving work efficiency by minimizing a runout of the tip of a drill. An extension of the drill extending out of a spindle when the drill is held by the spindle is defined in advance per type or mode of use of each drill. One drill is selected among a plurality of drills corresponding to a shape of holes to be drilled in the printed board and the spindle holds the drill so that the selected drill extends out of the spindle by the extension corresponding to the selected drill. Then, the move of the spindle with respect to the printed board is controlled and the selected drill is rotationally driven by the spindle to drill the printed board.

Abstract: A laser machining apparatus that excels in precision in terms of machining position and shape is provided with an optical axis adjusting unit disposed on a basal optical axis of a laser beam outputted from a laser oscillator so as to adjust the laser beam outputted from the laser oscillator onto a workpiece. The laser machining apparatus is provided further with mirrors, disposed between the laser oscillator and the optical axis adjusting unit, for freely deflecting the optical axis of the laser beam. The laser machining apparatus also includes an optical axis position detecting means, disposed between the optical axis adjusting unit and the optical axis deflecting means, for detecting the position of the optical axis of the laser beam. The apparatus aligns the optical axis of the laser beam incident on the optical axis adjusting unit with the basal optical axis by means of the mirrors based on a result detected by the optical axis position detecting means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a printed circuit board and to a printed circuit board, the method comprising the steps of: preliminarily forming a plurality of test pattern layers 3 and 4 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 2; applying a voltage between the surface conductor layer 2 and the test pattern layers 3 and 4; performing drilling toward one selected test pattern layer 3 by use of a drill 7 for drilling, and detecting a current produced when the drill comes into contact with the test pattern 3 to measure the depth of the layer (D1); performing drilling toward the other test pattern layer 4 by use of the drill 7, and measuring the depth of the layer (D2); and performing drilling by use of the drill 7 up to just before the conductor-wirin

Abstract: A scanner system includes a servo control unit. A rotation angle of a rotating shaft supporting a mirror is detected, and an error of the detected value with respect to a commanded value is integrated by an integral compensator so that the detected value is able to track the commanded value. A tracking error proportional compensator is disposed in parallel with the integral compensator so as to add a correction value proportional to the error to the integrated value of the error. A plurality of gains are prepared for each of the integral compensator, the tracking error proportional compensator, a detected value proportional compensator and a detected value differential compensator of the servo control unit. Each gain is changed in accordance with a travel angle of the commanded value. Thus, the mirror can be positioned quickly so that the machining speed can be improved.

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 laser beam machining method for a printed circuit board, for enabling to bring the depth of a bottom surface of grooves within an overlap region, which is irradiated with a laser beam, repetitively, to be nearly equal to that of the bottom surface of grooves within other regions, comprises the following steps of: fixing a line beam 4, which is shaped into a rectangular having a length sufficiently larger than its width, in a cross-section perpendicular to a central axis thereof; executing a belt-like machining on a certain region of the printed circuit board 6, while moving a mask 1 and the printed circuit board 6 in opposite directions, in a direction of the width of the line beam 4 (i.e.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and an apparatus for forming a plurality of ultraviolet-wavelength laser beams, and a laser machining apparatus, in which the machining efficiency can be improved due to easy maintenance and inspection while deterioration of wavelength conversion means can be prevented to reduce the running cost. A laser beam with a near infrared wavelength output from a laser oscillator is branched into a plurality of laser beams by a laser distribution unit. Each branched laser beam is partially converted into a laser beam whose wavelength is ½ of the near infrared wavelength by a wavelength converter.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a printed circuit board in which advance of packaging density of the printed circuit board and reduction in production cost can be attained while processing quality can be made uniform, a method for processing the printed circuit board and a method for producing the printed circuit board. There is provided a printed circuit board including an alternate laminate of electric conductor layers and electrically insulating layers, wherein a coating layer capable of absorbing laser light but insoluble in an etching solution dissolving the electric conductor layers is provided on a front surface of a first one of the electric conductor layers. In this case, the coating layer may be provided on a front surface of a rear one of the electric conductor layers. Each of the electric conductor layers may contain Cu as a main component while the coating layer may contain CuO as a main component. The coating layer may have a thickness not thinner than 0.6 ?m.

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 apparatus capable of accurately projecting mask patterns onto a work piece and superior in machining accuracy. An auto-focusing unit is provided. The auto-focusing unit includes a television camera for observing alignment marks formed on the surface of the work piece so as to be able to measure the focal length of a projection lens. A main-scanning direction expansion/contraction ratio Ex of the work piece to its design value and a sub-scanning direction expansion/contraction ratio Ey of the work piece to its design value are obtained. The imaging magnification M of the projection lens is corrected to compensate the expansion/contraction ratio Ex. The moving speed of a mask and/or the moving speed of the work piece are corrected in consideration of the imaging magnification M of the projection lens so as to compensate the expansion/contraction ratio Ey.

Abstract: A pattern exposure method and a pattern exposure apparatus in which the throughput is improved with an inexpensive apparatus and without a low running cost. Output faces of a plurality of laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers respectively are arranged in two directions. One of the directions is the same direction as the scanning direction of a polygon mirror while the other is a direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror. In this event, the array pitch of the output faces arranged in the direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror is made equal to resolution of an exposure pattern. In this event, the wavelength of each laser may be made not longer than 410 nm.

Abstract: A printed circuit board manufacturing method by which the manufacturing time can be shortened and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. A printed circuit board has an insulating layer on its surface. Positions (first positions) of the printed circuit board where lands are disposed are irradiated with a CO2 laser beam (first laser beam) so as to form holes with a depth h from the surface. The printed circuit board is then scanned with an excimer laser beam (second laser beam) through a mask. The beam shape of the excimer laser beam is rectangular. Thus, holes reaching the lands are formed in the positions where the lands are disposed, and grooves for forming lines are formed (second positions). In this case, the holes reaching the lands may be formed by the CO2 laser beam.

Abstract: A pattern exposure method and a pattern exposure apparatus in which the throughput is improved with an inexpensive apparatus and without a low running cost. Output faces of a plurality of laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers respectively are arranged in two directions. One of the directions is the same direction as the scanning direction of a polygon mirror while the other is a direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror. In this event, the array pitch of the output faces arranged in the direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror is made equal to resolution of an exposure pattern. In this event, the wavelength of each laser may be made not longer than 410 nm.