Abstract: A laser beam delivery system for transforming a laser energy profile into a desired laser beam output energy profile. The laser beam delivery system comprises a laser for generating a laser beam along a beam path, at least one extra-cavity harmonic generation element being located along the beam path for generating harmonic multiples of a beam input frequency, and an extra-cavity beam expansion element, located before the at least one harmonic generation element, for expanding and collimating the laser beam prior to the laser beam being multiplied by the at least one harmonic generation element. The beam expansion element may be a refractive lens.

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.

Abstract: An imaging method and imaging system for inspecting features located at a known inter-feature pitch on portions of a target surface. The system includes a lens array having a plurality of lenses wherein the lenses of the lens array have an inter-lens pitch and an inter-field of view pitch corresponding to the inter-feature pitch, and an array of imaging elements having an inter-element pitch corresponding to the inter-feature pitch, whereby the imaging system images only field of view areas of the target surface containing features.

Abstract: A grayscale mask for imaging operations, including a substrate layer and a mask layer having a plurality of apertures forming a mask pattern to form a grayscale image. Each edge of each aperture includes a plurality segments forming a serrated edge, resulting in mixed edge diffraction. The apertures may be in an irregular and non-symmetric pattern and may be of variable size. A random diffusing layer may be in proximity to or integral with the substrate layer. The grayscale mask may be used for generating an optical element by printing the initial grayscale mask onto a photoresist layer and transferring the photoresist pattern onto a transparent layer and the mask may include areas or layers of variable transmission. Also described are methods for diffractive intensity averaging, diffractive error diffusion, diffractive spatial dithering, and diffractive intensity averaging.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus and an exposure apparatus that achieves higher quality exposure to light and higher operating speed even where the ratio Hx/Hy between the transverse dimension Hx and the longitudinal dimension Hy of the plane of optical modulation of a two-dimensional optical space modulator is 1.5 or above, for instance, are to be provided. The focal distance fx in an x-direction and the focal distance fy in a y-direction of a second optical system that guides light emitted from an integrator to a two-dimensional optical space modulator are made different, in a ratio of fx/fy=1.6, for instance. In this way, the number of rod lenses in the integrator can be made equal between transverse and longitudinal directions and the value of Hx/Hy can be made 2.5 by bringing the aspect ratio dx:dy of rod lenses to 1.6:1, close to 1.

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 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: The present invention provides a bump shape measuring apparatus comprising an illumination optical system which illuminates bumps arranged on a board with illumination light of a low tilt angle to a surface of the board; a detection optical system where reflected light from the bumps is condensed for detection of image signals of the bumps by a high tilt angle to the surface of the board; an image processing unit where an outline of the tip and the base of each of the bumps is calculated based on the image signals of each of the bumps, and geometric characteristics including at least a position and height of each of the bumps are calculated based on the outline of the tip and the base of each of the bumps; and a main control unit where information on the calculated geometric characteristics of the bumps is displayed on a display unit.

Abstract: A rocking actuator and a laser machining apparatus which can suppress a temperature rise of a permanent magnet in a moving-magnet actuator. Even when a steerable mirror is positioned by rapid and continuous motions, highly reliable machining can be performed without degrading machining throughput or hole position accuracy. A cooling jacket for cooling a casing and heat transfer units brought into contact with a coil and the casing are provided. Heat generated in the coil is introduced to the casing through the heat transfer bypass units. Thus, the temperature rise of the coil is suppressed. Radial grooves are provided in the permanent magnet opposed to the coil so as to prevent an eddy current from appearing therein. Groove depth is made not smaller than skin depth expressed by a function of volume resistivity and permeability of the permanent magnet and a fundamental frequency of a current applied to the coil.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for maintaining a desired position of a collimated light beam are provided. An optical system includes one or more passive optical elements movably positioned in the beam path. Beam position is responsive to movement of at least one of the passive optical elements. The actual position of the beam is detected and compared with the desired beam position. An error signal is generated and the beam path is altered responsive to movement of one or more of the passive optical elements. In further aspects, beam shaping optics, such diffractive optics, are provided to shape the sensed beam portion. In still other aspects, thermal conditions of the laser may be monitored and a thermal map is provided to automatically compensate for estimated beam drift due to thermal conditions.

Abstract: A composite sheet whose product price can be reduced with a smaller number of manufacturing processes. A laser oscillator outputs a pulsed beam at a frequency f. A mask shapes the outer shape of the beam into a triangular, quadrangular or hexagonal shape. N pieces of time-sharing means time-share the beam to form N beams having a frequency f/N. N pairs of positioning means position the time-shared beams. A condensing lens condenses the beams. A rotating drum displaces a workpiece. A control means controls the time-sharing means, the N pairs of positioning means and a pedestal. The N pairs of positioning means are positioned to irradiate predetermined positions with the beams. The pedestal is moved. The time-sharing means are thereupon operated in predetermined order. The workpiece is machined to make holes whose outer shapes depend on the mask so that distances between sides of adjacent holes are equal to one another.

Abstract: Aligning and testing alignment of optical elements in a laser beam delivery system using non-visible radiation. An alignment mirror replaces a beam redirection mirror and includes a fluorescing substrate and a dielectric coating on an incident face of the fluorescing substrate that reflects a major part of an incident laser beam along a next leg of the beam path and transmits a part of the beam into the fluorescing substrate, which is transmissive to visible radiation and fluoresces when irradiated by the beam to emit a visible light image from a back face of the alignment mirror. An alignment target on the back face indicates a preferred point of incidence of the beam on the alignment mirror for a desired alignment of the at least one laser beam. A lens may be tested and the properties of the lens determined by use of a fluorescing target plate.

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 arc welder comprising: a rectifier circuit 2 which rectifies an alternating current 1 to a direct current; an inverter circuit 3; a transformer 4; a second rectifier circuit 5 which rectifies an output of the transformer 4 to a direct current; and a first reactor 6 which is connected to the second rectifier circuit 5. The arc welder further has a current circuit 10 which is connected in parallel to the second rectifier circuit 5 with a reactance that is larger than the reactance of the first reactor 6.

Abstract: A positioning control system for positioning a moving element on a basis of position command data is provided with a feedback loop. The system is also provided with a loop gain modifier for determining a loop gain, which is to be used in a following positioning operation, on a basis of a difference between an amount of overshoot measured in a current positioning operation and a predetermined tolerance or on a basis of a difference between an amount of overshoot measured in a current positioning operation and a first predetermined tolerance and a difference between an amount of undershoot measured in the current positioning operation and a second predetermined tolerance. The first and second tolerances may preferably be the same in absolute value. The moving element may specifically be a steerable mirror for drilling holes in a work by reflecting a laser beam. Also disclosed is a laser drilling machine including the system.

Abstract: A optical scanner control method and a optical scanner capable of positioning a mirror at a high speed independently of a rocking angle, and a laser machining apparatus for irradiating a printed circuit board with a laser beam by use of the optical scanner to thereby perforate the printed circuit board. In order to operate an actuator for rocking the mirror based on a deviation of a current position from an commanded value, a change in gain of the actuator is measured in accordance with each rocking angle in advance, and the manipulated variable of the actuator is corrected to cancel the change in gain. Thus, the influence of the alteration of a torque constant in accordance with the rocking angle can be suppressed so that the response characteristic becomes uniform all over a scanning region, and the positioning speed can be improved.

Abstract: A spindle unit having a pressure foot whose machining efficiency may be improved even when compressed air is used as means for pressing the pressure foot. The spindle unit having the pressure foot includes a rotor shaft provided within a base rotatably and movably along an axis, a collet chuck provided at one end of the rotor shaft, a linear motor for moving a movable element rotatably connected with the rotor shaft and movably provided within the base along the axis together with the rotor shaft to move a drill closer to or apart from the workpiece, a rotary motor for rotating the rotor shaft, a pressure foot disposed in front of the edge of the collet chuck and is capable of pressing down the workpiece, and air cylinders for connecting the movable element with the pressure foot so as to be relatively movable by a predetermined degree and for pressing the pressure foot in the direction separating from the collet chuck.

Abstract: Substrate processing apparatus for processing holes accurately positioned in an long film, comprising: work supporting devices for supporting the work; clamping devices for clamping the work onto the work supporting devices; first movement devices for moving the work supporting devices in the transferring direction of the work; guiding devices for guiding the work supporting devices; guide supporting devices for supporting these guiding devices; and second movement devices for moving the guide supporting devices in the direction perpendicular to the transferring direction of the work, wherein two pins or holes are disposed on or in each of the guiding devices, holes or pins to engage with the pins or holes are disposed on or in each of the guide supporting devices to combine the guiding devices and guide supporting devices in a grid form, and the holes and pins at four junctions are fitted.

Abstract: A laser machining method and a laser machining apparatus superior in hole position accuracy and hole quality. An outgoing beam outputted as short pulses is shaped by a pulse shaping unit so as to form a #1 branch beam. The #1 branch beam is supplied to a portion to be machined, so as to machine the portion. In this case, the #1 branch beam may be controlled to synchronize with the outgoing beam. When a piece to be machined is made from a metal material and at least one of an organic material and an inorganic material, the metal material is machined with a laser beam shaped to have a pulse width not shorter than 100 ns, and at least one of the organic material and the inorganic material is machined with a laser beam shaped to have a pulse width shorter than 100 ns.