Abstract: A pulsed laser beam is applied to a workpiece held on a chuck table by a laser beam applying unit. The laser beam applying unit includes a pulsed laser beam oscillator, a focusing lens, and a piezoelectric motor for displacing the focusing unit in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle (?) with respect to the Z direction. A controller controls the frequency and voltage of an RF current to be applied to the piezoelectric motor in relation to the repetition frequency of the pulsed laser beam to move the focusing unit in the X direction by ?x and in the Z direction by ?z in feeding the chuck table in the X direction, thereby displacing the focal point of the pulsed laser beam to be focused by the focusing lens in the thickness direction of the workpiece held on the chuck table.

Abstract: A laser beam machining apparatus includes a height position detecting unit configured to detect the height position of an upper surface of a workpiece to be machined which is held on a chuck table, and a controller configured to control a condensing point position adjusting unit on the basis of a detection signal from the height position detecting unit. The height position detecting unit includes a detection laser beam oscillating unit configured to oscillate a detection laser beam having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the machining laser beam, and a reflected beam analyzing unit which analyzes a reflected beam generated upon reflection of the detection laser beam on the upper surface of the workpiece and which sends an analytical results to the controller. The laser beam machining apparatus further includes a condensing point position displacing unit configured to displace the condensing point position of the detection laser beam and the condensing point position of the machining laser beam.

Abstract: A laser beam processing machine includes a laser beam application device and a controller. The controller controls deflecting of the optical axis of a pulse laser beam from the laser beam application device in the processing-feed direction according to a plurality of processing position coordinates, and according to the frequency of the beam, to ensure that there is a predetermined time interval between pulses applied to the same processing position coordinates. One pulse is applied at a time to each of the plurality of processing position coordinates.

Abstract: An optical transmitting unit transmits a pulsed laser beam oscillated by a pulsed laser beam oscillator to a focusing unit in a laser processing apparatus. A wavelength band expanding unit expands the wavelength band of the pulsed laser beam, and a pulse width expanding unit increases the pulse width of the expanded pulsed laser beam. A focusing lens focuses the expanded pulsed laser beam. An optical fiber transmits the focused pulsed laser beam through a collimating lens and a pulse width compressing unit compresses the pulse width of the collimated pulsed laser beam to restore the original pulse width for transmission.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus has an optical transmitting unit for guiding a laser beam to a focusing unit. The optical transmitting unit includes a focusing lens for focusing the laser beam, an optical fiber unit for inputting the focused laser beam and guiding it to the focusing unit. The optical fiber unit includes an LMA fiber for inputting the focused laser beam. The LMA fiber has a large-diameter core covered with a cladding, a transmitting fiber provided by an SM fiber or a PM fiber. The transmitting fiber has a small-diameter core covered with a cladding, the small-diameter core having a diameter corresponding to the wavelength of the laser beam oscillated by the laser oscillator. A connector connects the LMA fiber and the transmitting fiber so that these fibers are axially aligned with each other.

Abstract: A processing method for etching a workpiece is disclosed. While etching gas is supplied into an etching chamber in which a workpiece held on a holding face of a holding table is accommodated, a laser beam of a wavelength having a transparency through the holding table and the workpiece is irradiated upon the workpiece from the opposite side to the holding face of the holding table such that the focal point of the laser beam is positioned in the inside of a processing region of the workpiece to excite the processing region to induce etching.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser beam branching mechanism provided between a laser oscillator and a focusing unit. The branching mechanism includes a branching unit for branching a laser beam into a plurality of laser beams. The branching unit includes a half-wave plate for 45° rotating the polarization plane of the laser beam. A first polarization beam splitter separates the laser beam passed through the half-wave plate into P polarized light and S polarized light. A first mirror reflects the P polarized light and a second mirror reflects the S polarized light. A second polarization beam splitter leads the reflected P polarized light and the reflected S polarized light to different optical paths extending in the same direction, and an angle adjusting mechanism adjusts the angle of reflection of at least one of the P polarized light and the S polarized light.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser beam branching mechanism provided between a laser oscillator and a focusing unit. The laser beam branching mechanism includes a spread angle adjusting unit for adjusting the spread angle of a laser beam and a branching unit for branching the laser beam into a plurality of laser beams. The branching unit includes a half-wave plate, a first polarization beam splitter for separating the laser beam into P polarized light and S polarized light, a first mirror for reflecting the P polarized light, a second mirror for reflecting the S polarized light, and a second polarization beam splitter for leading the P polarized light reflected by the first mirror and the S polarized light reflected by the second mirror to different optical paths extending in the same direction.

Abstract: A laser machining apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece, and an irradiation unit which irradiates a laser beam upon the workpiece held on the chuck table. The laser beam irradiation unit includes a condenser which condenses the laser beam and irradiates the condensed laser beam upon the workpiece held on the chuck table. The condenser includes first and second condenser lenses arrayed in series in an advancing direction of the laser beam, a first moving unit having a first driving source for moving the first condenser lens in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the first condenser lens, and a second moving unit having a second driving source for moving the second condenser lens in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a holding unit for holding a workpiece, a processing unit for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held by the holding unit, a surface displacement detecting unit for detecting a surface displacement of the workpiece, and a focal position adjusting unit for adjusting the position of a focusing lens provided in the processing unit according to the surface displacement detected. The surface displacement detecting unit includes a detecting light source capable of oscillating light having a plurality of wavelengths different from the wavelength of the laser beam and a wavelength selecting section configured to select one of the plurality of wavelengths as the wavelength of detecting light. The detecting light having the selected wavelength is focused by the focusing lens and applied to the workpiece.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a workpiece holding unit for holding a workpiece and a laser beam applying unit for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held by the workpiece holding unit. The laser beam applying unit includes a laser oscillator for oscillating a laser beam, a focusing unit for focusing the laser beam oscillated by the laser oscillator onto the workpiece held by the workpiece holding unit, and an optical system provided between the laser oscillator and the focusing unit for transmitting the laser beam oscillated by the laser oscillator. The laser beam applying unit further includes a wavelength converting mechanism provided between the optical system and the focusing unit for converting the wavelength of the laser beam oscillated by the laser oscillator into a short wavelength.

Abstract: A laser beam processing machine comprising a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to a workpiece held on a chuck table and a processing-feed means, wherein the laser beam application means comprises a first pulse laser beam application means and a second pulse laser beam application means; the first pulse laser beam application means comprises an acousto-optic deflection means for deflecting the optical axis of a pulse laser beam oscillated by a first pulse laser beam oscillation means in the processing-feed direction (X direction), and a first condenser lens for converging a pulse laser beam passing through the acousto-optic deflection means; the second pulse laser beam application means comprises a second condenser lens for converging a pulse laser beam oscillated by the second pulse laser beam oscillation means; and an NA value of the first condenser lens is set smaller than the NA value of the second condenser lens.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation apparatus includes a laser beam oscillation unit including a pulse laser beam oscillator for oscillating a pulse laser beam and a cycle frequency setting unit for setting the cycle frequency, an acousto-optic deflection unit for deflecting the optical axis of the pulse laser beam oscillated from the laser beam oscillation section, and a control unit for controlling the acousto-optic deflection unit. The control unit outputs a driving pulse signal having a predetermined time width including a pulse width of the pulse laser beam oscillated from the pulse laser beam oscillator to the acousto-optic deflection unit based on the cycle frequency setting signal from the cycle frequency setting section.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser applying unit. The laser applying unit includes a first laser oscillating unit, a second laser oscillating unit, a first laser branching unit for branching a laser beam oscillated from the first laser oscillating unit into three optical paths, a second laser branching unit for branching a laser beam oscillated from the second laser oscillating unit into three optical paths, three first focusing units for respectively focusing the laser beams through the three optical paths obtained by the first laser branching unit toward a glass substrate, and three second focusing units for respectively focusing the laser beams through the three optical paths obtained by the second laser branching unit. The first focusing units and the second focusing units are alternately arranged in a line in an indexing direction.

Abstract: A pulsed laser beam is applied to a workpiece held on a chuck table by a laser beam applying unit. The laser beam applying unit includes a pulsed laser beam oscillator, a focusing lens, and a piezoelectric motor for displacing the focusing unit in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle (?) with respect to the Z direction. A controller controls the frequency and voltage of an RF current to be applied to the piezoelectric motor in relation to the repetition frequency of the pulsed laser beam to move the focusing unit in the X direction by ?x and in the Z direction by ?z in feeding the chuck table in the X direction, thereby displacing the focal point of the pulsed laser beam to be focused by the focusing lens in the thickness direction of the workpiece held on the chuck table.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a detecting unit. The detecting unit includes a white light source for emitting white light, a focusing lens for focusing the white light to the workpiece, a first optical fiber for guiding the white light emitted from the white light source to the focusing lens, a detector for detecting the intensity of reflected light from the workpiece, and a second optical fiber for guiding the reflected light to the detector. Accordingly, the white light to be focused to the workpiece can be easily handled and only a wavelength component focused on the workpiece can be stably propagated.

Abstract: The spot shape of a laser beam is detected by moving a table holding a detection substrate having a luminescent substance in an X direction and a Y direction with a laser beam focused by a lens applied to an area of the detection substrate where the luminescent substance is located. The intensity of light emitted from the luminescent substance is detected during the movement of the table, and a light intensity map is prepared indicating the light intensities detected in the light intensity detecting step at all of the X and Y coordinates of the luminescent substance. Spot shape images of the laser beam are formed according to a plurality of light intensity maps obtained by positioning the focusing lens at a plurality of detection positions changed in a Z direction perpendicular to a holding surface of the table.

Abstract: A laser beam applying apparatus includes a laser beam oscillating unit, a focusing lens, and a diffractive optic element provided between the laser beam oscillating unit and the focusing lens for defining the spot shape of the laser beam oscillated by the laser beam oscillating unit. A zeroth-order light removing unit removes zeroth-order light emerging from the diffractive optic element and leaves first-order light whose spot shape has been defined by the diffractive optic element and the focusing lens. A first prism has an incident surface and an emergent surface inclined with respect to the incident surface. A second prism has a zeroth-order light reflecting surface for reflecting the zeroth-order light and a first-order light emerging surface from which the first-order light emerges. A damper absorbs the zeroth-order light reflected on the zeroth-order light reflecting surface of the second prism.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a pulsed laser oscillator for oscillating a pulsed laser beam, a focusing objective lens for focusing the pulsed laser beam, and a varifocal lens provided between the pulsed laser oscillator and the focusing objective lens. The varifocal lens has a piezoelectric device to change its focal length according to the period of radio-frequency waves produced by the piezoelectric device. A repetition frequency adjusting unit is connected to the pulsed laser oscillator, and a radio-frequency current frequency adjusting unit is connected to the piezoelectric device. The laser processing apparatus further includes a controller for controlling the repetition frequency adjusting unit and the radio-frequency current frequency adjusting unit so as to produce a phase difference between the repetition frequency of the pulsed laser beam and the frequency of the radio-frequency current to be applied to the piezoelectric device of the varifocal lens.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece and a laser beam applying unit for applying a laser beam to the workpiece. A laser beam oscillating unit oscillates a laser beam and a focusing unit focuses the laser beam onto the workpiece. A reflecting unit is provided on the optical axis of the focusing unit. A wavelength detecting unit detects the wavelength of the plasma light reflected by the reflecting unit, and a controller determines the material of the workpiece according to a detection signal from the wavelength detecting unit, to control the laser beam applying unit.