Abstract: In a laser oscillator, a pair of electrodes is disposed in a housing into which a gas is sealed, a waveguide is formed by the pair of electrodes, and a laser beam is configured to be extracted from an end of the housing. The laser oscillator includes a mirror holder attached to an end of the electrode, the end serving as an end of the waveguide, and a reflection mirror attached to the mirror holder and reflecting a laser beam generated in the waveguide. In the laser oscillator, a passage through which a cooling medium is passed is formed inside each of the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: In a laser oscillator, a pair of electrodes is disposed in a housing into which a gas is sealed, a waveguide is formed by the pair of electrodes, and a laser beam is configured to be extracted from an end of the housing. The laser oscillator includes a mirror holder attached to an end of the electrode, the end serving as an end of the waveguide, and a reflection mirror attached to the mirror holder and reflecting a laser beam generated in the waveguide. In the laser oscillator, a passage through which a cooling medium is passed is formed inside each of the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent, in a gas laser resonator, the deterioration in quality of discharge by reduction of the change of the pressure in a discharge chamber and the inflow of impurity gases, such as air, into the discharge chamber. A bracket 6 is attached to one end of a tube 1 interposing a gasket 13 only for sealing an opening of the discharge chamber 2 only and a gasket 14 for sealing both openings of the discharge chamber 2 and a buffer chamber 12. Also, a glass plate 8 and further a bracket 9 are attached to the other end of the tube 1 interposing a gasket 15 only for sealing the opening of the discharge chamber 2 and a gasket 16 for sealing both openings of the discharge chamber 2 and the buffer chamber 12. The pressure in the buffer chamber 12 is set lower than that of the discharge chamber 2 or set higher than the atmospheric pressure to decrease the inflow of the impurity gases to the discharge chamber 2.

Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent, in a gas laser resonator, the deterioration in quality of discharge by reduction of the change of the pressure in a discharge chamber and the inflow of impurity gases, such as air, into the discharge chamber. A bracket 6 is attached to one end of a tube 1 interposing a gasket 13 only for sealing an opening of the discharge chamber 2 only and a gasket 14 for sealing both openings of the discharge chamber 2 and a buffer chamber 12. Also, a glass plate 8 and further a bracket 9 are attached to the other end of the tube 1 interposing a gasket 15 only for sealing the opening of the discharge chamber 2 and a gasket 16 for sealing both openings of the discharge chamber 2 and the buffer chamber 12. The pressure in the buffer chamber 12 is set lower than that of the discharge chamber 2 or set higher than the atmospheric pressure to decrease the inflow of the impurity gases to the discharge chamber 2.

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: 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 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: 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.