Beam Energy Control Patents (Class 219/121.61)
  • Patent number: 10537965
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to the rapid thermal processing of substrates. A fiber coupled laser diode array is provided in an optical system configured to generate a uniform irradiance pattern on the surface of a substrate. A plurality of individually controllable laser diodes are optically coupled via a plurality of fibers to one or more lenses. The fiber coupled laser diode array generates a Gaussian radiation profile which is defocused by the lenses to generate a uniform intensity image. In one embodiment, a field stop is disposed within the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Douglas E. Holmgren, Samuel C. Howells, Aaron Muir Hunter, Theodore P. Moffitt, Diwakar N. Kedlaya
  • Patent number: 10527798
    Abstract: A fiber selector includes: a plurality of first reflecting members corresponding to a plurality of focusing optical systems which focus a laser beam from a collimating optical system, and equipped with a reflecting surface capable of reflecting the laser beam towards the focusing optical system; a rotary motor that rotationally moves the first reflecting member between a first position at which the laser beam reflects and a second position which does not block the laser beam, in which the fiber selector rotationally moves the plurality of first reflecting members between the first position and second position so as to selectively switch the propagating direction of the laser beam to any of the plurality of focusing optical systems, in which the reflecting surface of the first reflecting member is a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the shaft to which this first reflecting member is fixed, and is arranged so as to face the direction of the rotary motor that causes the shaft to which this first reflec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Munekazu Matsuda, Hiroshi Takigawa
  • Patent number: 10525553
    Abstract: A laser processing device includes: a laser light source emitting laser light; a converging optical system converging the laser light at an object to be processed; a reflective spatial light modulator modulating the laser light such that the laser light is caused to branch into 0th order light and ±nth order light (n is a natural number) including at least first processing light and second processing light, and the first processing light is converged at a first converging point and the second processing light is converged at a second converging point; and a light blocking part blocking light to be converged at an outside with respect to the first processing light and the second processing light of the 0th order light and the ±nth order light to be converged at the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakamoto, Yasunori Igasaki, Mamiko Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10518357
    Abstract: A machine device for learning a processing order of a laser processing robot, includes a state observation unit that observes, as a state variable, one of a plasma light from a laser processing point of the laser processing robot and a processing sound from the laser processing point of the laser processing robot; a determination data obtaining unit that receives, as determination data, a cycle time in which the laser processing robot completes processing; and a learning unit that learns the processing order of the laser processing robot based on an output of the state observation unit and an output of the determination data obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshitake Furuya
  • Patent number: 10512986
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for welding a first part and second part together. A spacer bead is first formed on the first part by directing a laser beam on one side of the first part. The second part is then assembled to the one side of the first part. The second part is then welded to the first part by directing a second laser beam in a partially circular pattern adjacent the spacer bead. An end portion of the weld terminates radially inside the partially circular pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Gilloon, Arnon Wexler
  • Patent number: 10493562
    Abstract: Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: RENISHAW PLC
    Inventors: Marc Frank Dimter, Ralph Markus Mayer, Thomas Hess
  • Patent number: 10493561
    Abstract: In a laser machining device, a laser emitter is inhibited from emitting a laser beam in a stop state, and can emit the laser beam in a machining state. A controller is configured to perform: in response to detecting opening of a door of a machining chamber, bringing the laser emitter into the stop state and disabling receipt of a release command via an interface; in response to detecting closing of the door while the laser emitter is in the stop state, determining whether the laser emitter is in the machining state when the opening of the door is detected; in response to determining that the laser emitter is not in the machining state, releasing the stop state of the laser emitter; and in response to determining that the laser emitter is in the machining state, enabling the receipt of the release command via the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 10494290
    Abstract: Systems and methods utilizing two Airy beams to process a non-rounded edge of a glass substrate or to cleave a glass substrate are disclosed. The method includes generating first and second Airy beams and causing them to cross at a crossing to define a curved intensity profile in the vicinity of the crossing point where the first and second Airy beams have respective local radii of curvature RA and RB. The method also includes scanning the curved intensity profile either along the non-rounded outer edge or through the glass along a scan path to form on the glass substrate a rounded outer edge having a radius of curvature RE that is smaller than the first and second local radii of curvature RA and RB. The radius of curvature RE can be adjusted by changing a beam angle between the first and second Airy beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Minghan Chen, Ming-Jun Li, Anping Liu, Gaozhu Peng
  • Patent number: 10471540
    Abstract: A laser welding method of the present disclosure includes the step of irradiating a workpiece with a laser beam in a helical shape along a weld part of the workpiece. The helical shape is a combination of a circular trajectory in which a laser beam is moved circularly, and a movement trajectory in which the laser beam is moved in a proceeding direction along the weld part. Furthermore, first energy of the laser beam moving so as to have a component of the proceeding direction in the circular trajectory is larger than second energy of the laser beam moving so as to have a component of an opposite direction to the proceeding direction in the circular trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Matsuoka, Yasushi Mukai, Atsuhiro Kawamoto, Junji Fujiwara, Tatsuyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10477079
    Abstract: A visual inspection device includes a housing, a handle coupled to the housing that is grasped by a user while the device is in use, and an articulating camera unit coupled to the housing. The articulating camera unit includes a flexible cable with a first end coupled to the housing and a second end, a camera coupled to the second end of the flexible cable and operable to transmit image data through the flexible cable, and an articulation mechanism operable to articulate the camera relative to the flexible cable. The articulation mechanism includes a mount that is removably coupled to the housing. The articulating camera unit further includes a means for securing the mount to the housing in a plurality of different orientations relative to the housing. The visual inspection device further includes a display unit coupled to the housing to display an image transmitted by the articulating camera unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gareth Mueckl, Jason R. Crowe, Benjamin Oliver Ryan Cabot
  • Patent number: 10434598
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the energy density of a laser beam using parameters of the laser beam including regularly applying the laser beam to a reference substrate and measuring, with each application, the resulting light intensity; identifying a change in the light intensity on the reference substrate between at least two measurements; and, when the change in the light intensity is higher than a predetermined threshold, determining the unstable parameter or parameters of the energy density of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Cyrille Baudimont, Julie Fouquet, Didier Monnet
  • Patent number: 10383522
    Abstract: A pulse laser includes a laser medium, a charge storage unit, a power source unit configured to supply an electrical charge to the charge storage unit, an excitation unit configured to cause irradiation of the laser medium with excitation light onto the laser medium by being supplied the electrical charge stored in the charge storage unit, a switching unit configured to repeatedly supply the charge stored in the charge storage unit to the excitation unit, an energy monitoring unit configured to monitor energy stored in the charge storage unit, and a control unit configured to prevent the switching unit from supplying the electrical charge stored in the charge storage unit to the excitation unit when the energy monitored by the energy monitoring unit is larger than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10357847
    Abstract: The invention relates to a interchangeable optics module for a laser processing machine as well as a laser processing machine including the optics module, wherein a beam guide is fixed to a support plate, and the beam guide includes a laser input coupling interface on one end that can be connected to a laser output coupling interface allocated to a laser source, and a processing head on the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: TRUMPF Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Arnd Szelagowski, Thomas Bewer, Adrian Gisler, Kilian Imhof
  • Patent number: 10343339
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for laser welding of plastics, comprising the steps of providing a first plastic material to be welded comprising a compound capable of absorbing near-infrared light, positioning a second plastic material in intimate contact with the first plastic material, and activating a laser source emitting a wave length in the near-infrared spectrum to obtain attachments of the first and the second plastic material. The compound capable of absorbing near-infrared light is a dye derived from croconic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Københavns Universitet
    Inventors: Theis Brock-Nannestad, Michael Pittelkow, Helle Østergren Bak
  • Patent number: 10338005
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for inspecting the back surface of an epitaxial wafer, capable of detecting defects in the back surface of an epitaxial wafer. An epitaxial wafer back surface inspection apparatus has an optical system including an annular fiber optic illuminator and an imaging unit which are placed perpendicular to the back surface of an epitaxial wafer; and a scanning unit operating the optical system in parallel with the back surface to scan the back surface. A light source of the annular fiber optic illuminator is composed of either blue LEDs or red LEDs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Osada, Hideaki Kinbara, Masahiko Egashira
  • Patent number: 10328521
    Abstract: A laser processing device includes: a laser light source; a converging optical system; and a reflective spatial light modulator modulating the laser light such that the laser light is caused to branch into at least first processing light and second processing light, and the first processing light is converged at a first converging point and the second processing light is converged at a second converging point. In a case in which W1 is a radius of the first processing light at a front face of the object, W2 is a radius of the second processing light at the front face, and D is a distance between the first converging point and the second converging point when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the front face, the reflective spatial light modulator modulates the laser light such that D>W1+W2 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakamoto, Yasunori Igasaki, Mamiko Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10315458
    Abstract: This invention aims at providing a decorated-part of which a design of three-dimensional effect is drawn onto the decorative-surface of a part material, thus improving design-quality. A design (4), consisting of a plurality of the same fine regularly arranged basic-pattern (5), is drawn onto the decorative-surface (3a) of the automobile interior-part (1) of this invention. The fine basic-pattern (5) consists of the first-graphic (8) drawn including the first laser-processed groove (6a) and of the second-graphic (9) located in the region surrounded by the first laser-processed groove (6a) and drawn including the second laser-processed groove (6b). The inner-surface roughness (Ra1) of the first laser-processed groove (6a) is greater than the decorative-surface roughness (Ra3) where the fine basic-pattern (5) does not exist on said decorative-surface (3a) (Ra1>Ra3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TRINITY INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tokinobu Shimada, Yukihiro Goto
  • Patent number: 10309447
    Abstract: A method for machining a surface of a metal component, in particular a connecting rod or a cam for a motor vehicle, including the following steps: providing a metal component which has a surface to be machined; premachining the surface to be machined; structuring the premachined surface by a laser beam in such a way that elevations but no depressions are formed as laser structures on the premachined surface with respect to the level thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Wels, Gerhard Flores
  • Patent number: 10297710
    Abstract: A method of processing a wafer includes applying a laser beam having a wavelength that is transmittable through a sapphire substrate to the wafer while positioning a focused spot of the beam within the wafer in regions corresponding to projected dicing lines through a reverse side of the wafer, thereby forming a plurality of shield tunnels made up of a plurality of pores and an amorphous body surrounding the pores, at predetermined spaced intervals in the wafer along the projected dicing lines. A laser beam having a wavelength that is transmittable through the sapphire substrate to the wafer is applied while positioning a focused spot of the laser beam within the wafer in the projected dicing lines through the reverse side of the wafer, thereby forming modified layers between adjacent shield tunnels. Exerting external forces to the wafer divides the wafer into a plurality of optical device chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventor: Naotoshi Kirihara
  • Patent number: 10265967
    Abstract: Method of controlling a laser marking matrix system, the matrix system comprising an N×M matrix of lasers to produce the laser marking, the method comprising the sequential transformation of at least two images to be marked into a series of marking commands according to an N×M matrix of dots, which comprises the following phases: division of a first image into a fixed portion and a variable portion, transformation of the fixed portion into a fixed matrix and the variable portion into a variable matrix, combination of said fixed and variable matrices, laser marking of the first image, processing of a second image, obtaining a new variable matrix which is added to the previous fixed matrix, producing a complete new matrix, laser marking of the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: MACSA ID, S.A.
    Inventors: Sven Alexander Vogler, Valenti Boira Plans, Joan Camps Claramunt, Francesc Bravo Montero
  • Patent number: 10252375
    Abstract: A laser processing system including a laser processing unit, a controller controlling the processing unit according to a laser processing program, and a restart preparation apparatus performing a preparation process of the controller to resume the program execution after being suspended. The restart preparation apparatus includes an operating state judging section judging whether an operating state of the processing unit when suspending the program execution is in course of laser processing, and a restart condition specifying section specifying a restart condition of the processing unit when resuming the program execution, from among predetermined conditions, based on a judgment result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Mori
  • Patent number: 10245677
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for laser decoating of coated metal sheets, in particular for removing a metal protective layer from a metal sheet by a laser beam. The laser beam is directed onto a surface of a metal sheet coated with a metal protective layer, such that the laser beam strikes the surface of the metal sheet at a laser spot and melts material of the metal protective layer. A gas is directed by a plurality of nozzles at a pressure of at least 3 bar and at an acute angle with respect to the laser beam onto the laser spot. The nozzles are arranged around the laser beam such that the gas directed from the nozzles blows away the melted material of the metal protective layer from the metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Severin Luzius, Florian Kiefer
  • Patent number: 10195688
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a welding process for a battery module. In an embodiment, a system for welding two components in a battery module includes a laser source configured to emit a laser beam onto a workpiece having a first battery module component and a second battery module component. The system also has an actuator coupled to the laser source and configured to move the laser beam along a first axis and a second axis and a controller electrically coupled to the laser source and the actuator. The controller is configured to send a signal to the laser source and the actuator to form a sinusoidal lap weld on a surface of the workpiece, such that the first battery module component is electrically coupled to the second battery module component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: John P. Dinkelman
  • Patent number: 10195689
    Abstract: A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up that includes at least two overlapping metal workpieces is disclosed. The method includes advancing a beam spot of a laser beam relative to a top surface of the workpiece stack-up and along a beam travel pattern to form a laser weld joint, which is comprised of resolodified composite metal workpiece material, that fusion welds the metal workpieces together. And, while the beam spot is being advanced along the beam travel pattern, between a first point and a second point, which may or may not encompass the entire beam travel pattern, at least one of the following laser beam parameters is repeatedly varied: (1) the power level of the laser beam; (2) the travel speed of the laser beam; or (3) the focal position of the laser beam relative to the top surface of the workpiece stack-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: David Yang, Wu Tao
  • Patent number: 10182881
    Abstract: A dental laser system for treatment of hard and/or soft tissue includes a main chamber housing optical and primary fluid supply subsystems, for directing a laser beam and fluid to a treatment area. A hand piece affixable to the main chamber, includes mating optical and secondary fluid supply subsystems. The hand piece can be rotatable or re-orientable about an optical axis within the hand piece. A lock can maintain a selectable angular orientation of the hand piece relative to the main chamber. A coupling can maintain a fluidic communication between the primary and secondary fluid supply subsystems even when the hand piece is rotated or re-oriented. A sensor and controller can sense a selected angular orientation of the hand piece and adjust the main optical subsystem according to the sensed angular orientation, to align the two optical subsystems. The laser may be controlled using a variable speed foot pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Convergent Dental, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan P. Monty, Charles H. Dresser, William H. Groves, Jr., Leonid A. Bafitos, Jon R. Quillard
  • Patent number: 10144088
    Abstract: A method for laser processing of Silicon includes placing a Kerr material into engagement with the Silicon forming an interface therebetween. A laser beam is applied having at least one subpulse in a burst envelope operating at a first wavelength. The laser beam passes through a distributive lens focusing assembly and to the Kerr material. The first wavelength is modified to a plurality of second wavelengths, some of which are effective for processing Silicon. Photoacoustic compression processing is produced by the laser pulse energy by a portion of second wavelengths delivered through the interface and to the Silicon which initiates Kerr Effect self focusing which is propagated in the Silicon by additional energy input to the Silicon thus producing a filament within the Silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: ROFIN-SINAR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: S. Abbas Hosseini
  • Patent number: 10119921
    Abstract: A method for detecting an internal crack in a wafer includes a first image recording step of applying near infrared light having a transmission wavelength to a reference wafer having the same configuration as a target wafer to be subjected to the detection of the internal crack, thereby obtaining a first image of the reference wafer having no internal crack and then recording the first image, a processing step of processing the target wafer, a second image recording step of applying the near infrared light to the target wafer, thereby obtaining a second image of the processed target wafer and then recording the second image, and an internal crack detecting step of removing the same image information between the first image and the second image from the second image to obtain a residual image, thereby detecting the residual image as the internal crack in the target wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noboru Takeda, Hiroshi Morikazu
  • Patent number: 10010977
    Abstract: Systems and methods for forming apertures in microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes directing a laser beam toward a microfeature workpiece to form an aperture and sensing the laser beam pass through the microfeature workpiece in real time. The method can further include determining a number of pulses of the laser beam and/or an elapsed time to form the aperture and controlling the laser beam based on the determined number of pulses and/or the determined elapsed time to form a second aperture in the microfeature workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles M. Watkins, William M. Hiatt
  • Patent number: 10003170
    Abstract: A soldering system that determines soldering quality of elements relative to a housing at the moment of soldering semiconductor laser elements. A soldering device that performs soldering of a semiconductor laser element to a semiconductor laser module, a robot that conveys the module, a camera, and a control device that controls the robot and camera based on imaging output of the camera. The robot conveys the module and changes the position and posture of the camera. The camera images the module. The control device calculates the position of the semiconductor laser element based on the imaging output, calculates parallelism between the housing of the module and the semiconductor laser element based on the change in light intensity related to the imaging output when changing the relative position between the camera and the subject, and determines the quality of soldering of the semiconductor laser element based on the position and parallelism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuhisa Takazane
  • Patent number: 9975199
    Abstract: The invention refers to a process for rapid manufacturing that uses a focused ultrasound beam according to the invention. The process is based on the local ultrasound welding of the material (2) grains that is under a powder form, welding that takes place solely in the focal spot of the focused ultrasound beam, the focal spot being scanned across the X-Y-Z directions within the powder (2) bed so as to 3D build the entire object (7) that is desired. The processes taking place in the focal spot region are local melting, local melting due to friction followed by filling of the gaps existing between grains, removal of the grain asperities, local inter-diffusion between neighboring grains as well as other phenomena that take place at the interfaces between materials when these are subjected to an ultrasound field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU MICROTECHNOLOGIE-IMT
    Inventor: Gabriel Moagar-Poladian
  • Patent number: 9964431
    Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to extracting a portion of each pulse in a series of pulses reflected from a target to facilitate determination of a Doppler-shifted frequency for each pulse and, subsequently, a vibration frequency for the series of pulses. Each pulse can have a square-wave configuration, whereby each pulse can be time-gated to facilitate discarding the leading edge and the trailing edge (and associated non-linear effects) of each pulse and accordingly, capture of the central portion of the pulse from which the Doppler-shifted frequency, and ultimately, the vibration frequency of the target can be determined. Determination of the vibration velocity facilitates identification of the target being in a state of motion. The plurality of pulses can be formed from a laser beam (e.g., a continuous wave), the laser beam having a narrow bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Sean Moore, Daniel B. S. Soh
  • Patent number: 9962557
    Abstract: An aesthetic treatment device including: a multi illumination system having at least one source in the visible region, disposed around a periphery of a predetermined area of skin; an imaging device, sensitive to the illumination system, to discern features on or in the skin within the predetermined area of skin to be treated; multiple treatment light sources mounted on an optical bench and aimed and focused to a point of treatment in the predetermined area of skin; a mechanical guidance system to guide the multiple treatment light sources; and a pulse generator to control power output of the multiple treatment light sources based upon the treatment to be applied to the predetermined area of skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: S & Y ENTERPRISES LLC
    Inventors: Yehuda Poran, Oren Aharon
  • Patent number: 9943907
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the generative production of a component includes a movably dispensing structure for the disposal of a starting material layer; a bonding device, such as a laser, for the local bonding of this starting material layer to a cross section of the component being produced; a platform for supporting the component being produced, which can be displaced counter to a direction of layer buildup in a motor-driven manner; a position sensing device for sensing a position or change in position, such as vibration, of the platform in the direction of layer buildup with the capability of sensing interference as to whether the movement of the dispensing structure is not free of interference on the basis of the sensed position or change in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MTU AERO ENGINES AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hess, Alexander Ladewig, Christian Liebl, Steffen Schlothauer, Andreas Jakimov, Georg Schlick
  • Patent number: 9919945
    Abstract: A laser processing method that can reduce warpage occurring in a glass and reduce a stress generated on the glass at a time of releasing a protective material from the glass. The laser processing method includes: forming the protective materials on both surfaces of the glass; processing the glass by radiating a laser beam onto the glass together with the protective materials after the protective material formation; and releasing the protective materials from the glass after the laser processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Reona Hirayama, Shuichi Fujikawa, Tomotaka Katsura
  • Patent number: 9905016
    Abstract: A robot identification system includes a robot having a rotatable arm, an imaging unit imaging the robot, an angle detector detecting a rotation angle of the arm, a model generator producing robot models representing the forms of the robot on the basis of the rotation angle detected by the angle detector, and an image identification unit that compares an image captured by the imaging unit with the robot models generated by the model generator to identify a robot image in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Amagata
  • Patent number: 9814904
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a source of treatment radiation which is arranged to generate radiation at one of a plurality of radiation parameters (such as power levels), a control unit and a base unit. The control unit is arranged to removably dock with the base unit and includes a sensor which can sense one of a plurality of skin parameters, and an actuator for enabling a user to interface with the control unit. The control unit operates in a sensing mode, in which the control unit is undocked from the base unit to sense a parameter of skin to be treated (such as skin tone), and a control mode in which the control unit is docked to the docking unit and is arranged to select the power level of the radiation generated by the source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Cyden Limited
    Inventor: Stuart Terry Jones
  • Patent number: 9761492
    Abstract: A processing method for optical device wafers includes a shielded tunnel forming step and a dividing step. In the shielded tunnel forming step, a sapphire substrate is irradiated with a pulse laser beam having such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the sapphire substrate along regions corresponding to planned dividing lines. The light focus point of the beam is positioned inside the substrate from the back surface side of the substrate. Fine pores and amorphous regions that shield the fine pores form shielded tunnels along the planned dividing lines. In the dividing step, an external force is applied to the optical device wafer, and the optical device wafer is divided into individual optical device chips along the planned dividing lines. In the shielded tunnel forming step, a spherical aberration is generated by causing the laser beam to be incident on a condensing lens with a divergence angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Shotokuji, Noboru Takeda, Naotoshi Kirihara
  • Patent number: 9748182
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer processing method including a stacked member removing step of applying a laser beam having an absorption wavelength to a stacked member through a protective film along each division line formed on the front side of a wafer, thereby performing ablation to remove the stacked member present on each division line, a dividing step of applying an external force to the wafer to divide the wafer into individual device chips along each division line where a modified layer is previously formed, and a plasma etching step of supplying an etching gas in a plasma state to the wafer from the front side thereof after performing the stacked member removing step or after performing the dividing step, thereby removing damage due to the ablation in the stacked member removing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9738093
    Abstract: Apparatus related to marking a metal surface are provided. The solution comprises receiving (600) control data comprising information on the marking of a pattern on the metal surface; controlling (604, 606) a temperature control unit and a gas unit to produce a temperature and atmosphere in space under a cover on the basis of the control data; controlling (602) the focus and bandwidth of a laser marking unit on the basis of the control data to produce the pattern defined in the control data on the metal surface; and controlling (608) a coating unit on the basis of the control data to produce a coating on the metal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: CAJO TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Tomi Karsikas, Niko Karsikas
  • Patent number: 9736342
    Abstract: A visual inspection device includes a housing, a handle coupled to the housing that is grasped by a user while the device is in use, an articulating camera unit coupled to the housing, and a display unit coupled to the housing to display an image transmitted by the articulating camera unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Gareth Mueckl, Jason R. Crowe
  • Patent number: 9728932
    Abstract: A fiber coupled modular laser system comprises a laser oscillator, at least one fiber pre-amplifier, and at least one free space solid state power amplifier. The output of the laser oscillator is fiber coupled with the input of the at least one fiber pre-amplifier or the at least one free space solid state power amplifier. The output or the input of the at least one fiber pre-amplifier is fiber coupled with the input or the output of the at least one free space solid state power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Optowave Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaojie Zhao, Chun He
  • Patent number: 9669583
    Abstract: A selective laser solidification apparatus including: a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited, a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a gas flow direction, a laser scanning unit for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form at least one object and a processing unit for selecting a scanning sequence of the laser beam based on the gas flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: RENISHAW PLC
    Inventor: Ben Ian Ferrar
  • Patent number: 9646898
    Abstract: Techniques herein include systems and methods that provide a spatially-controlled or pixel-based projection of light onto a substrate to tune various substrate properties. A given pixel-based image projected on to a substrate surface can be based on a substrate signature. The substrate signature can spatially represent non-uniformities across the surface of the substrate. Such non-uniformities can include energy, heat, critical dimensions, photolithographic exposure dosages, etc. Such pixel-based light projection can be used to tune various properties of substrates, including tuning of critical dimensions, heating uniformity, evaporative cooling, and generation of photo-sensitive agents. Combining such pixel-based light projection with photolithographic patterning processes and/or heating processes improves processing uniformity and decreases defectivity. Embodiments can include using a digital light processing (DLP) chip, grating light valve (GLV), or other grid-based micro projection technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Anton J. deVilliers, Daniel Fulford, Gerrit J. Leusink
  • Patent number: 9636774
    Abstract: A controller used for irradiating a laser beam to an object from a machining head at a reference gap position is provided. The controller includes a gap sensor for detecting an amount of gap between the machining head and the object, a gap position command calculation part for producing a gap position command, a servo mechanism for driving the machining head to the reference gap position, a servo position deviation reading part for reading an amount of position deviation of the servo mechanism, a position gain calculation part for calculating a corrected position gain of the servo mechanism, based on the amount of position deviation of the servo mechanism and a position gain replacing part for replacing the position gain of the servo mechanism with the corrected position gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Mochida
  • Patent number: 9630363
    Abstract: A selective laser solidification apparatus including: a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited, a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a gas flow direction, a laser scanning unit for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form at least one object and a processing unit for selecting a scanning sequence of the laser beam based on the gas flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: RENISHAW PLC
    Inventor: Ben Ian Ferrar
  • Patent number: 9629629
    Abstract: Surgical instruments and control systems therefor are disclosed. A surgical instrument can comprise: a power circuit comprising a power source and a switch, a microcontroller coupled to the power circuit, a handle comprising an attachment portion, and a control circuit in signal communication with the microcontroller. The attachment portion can comprise a first electrical contact in signal communication with the microcontroller. The control circuit can comprise a sensor configured to detect an attachment state of the attachment portion. The control circuit can communicate the detected attachment state to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller can ignore signals from the first electrical contact when the control circuit communicates a detached state. The attachment portion can comprise a second electrical contact coupled to a second power circuit, and the second power circuit can decouple the second electrical contact and the second power source when the sensor detects the detached state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgey, LLC
    Inventors: Richard L. Leimbach, Mark D. Overmyer, Shane R. Adams
  • Patent number: 9615411
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a backlight unit. The backlight unit includes a light source unit, a power supply unit, and a power transmitting wire. The light source includes at least one light source. The power supply circuit is configured to supply a power voltage to the light source unit. The power transmitting wire is configured to transmit the power voltage. The power transmitting wire includes at least two circuit patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min-Woo Kim, Sang Rock Yoon, On Sik Choi
  • Patent number: 9607897
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided with: a step of preparing a semiconductor wafer (22) in a state where the circumference of the semiconductor wafer, which has been divided into semiconductor device parts, is adhered on a dicing sheet (21) supported by a wafer ring (23); a step of fixing the wafer ring (23) after transferring the wafer ring to a table (14) where laser printing is to be performed; and a step of marking on the main surface where the semiconductor material of the semiconductor device parts which configure the semiconductor wafer (22) is exposed, by radiating laser beams through the dicing sheet and an adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Takanori Kato, Isao Nakatsuka
  • Patent number: 9592636
    Abstract: An improved lamination molding apparatus which can maintain the inert gas environment in the chamber as well as remove the fume swiftly and efficiently away from the optical pathway of the laser beam, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ichiro Araie, Katsutaka Muranaka, Shuichi Kawada, Shuji Okazaki
  • Patent number: 9592158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for removing an epithelial layer disposed over a stromal layer in a cornea irradiate a region of the epithelial layer with a pulsed beam of ablative radiation. The ablative radiation is scanned to vary the location of the beam within the region in accordance with a pulse sequence. The pulse sequence is arranged to enhance optical feedback based on a tissue fluorescence of the epithelial layer. The penetration of the epithelial layer is detected in response to the optical feedback. The use of scanning with the pulse sequence arranged to enhance optical feedback allows large areas of the epithelium to be ablated such penetration of the epithelial layer can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: AMO Development, LLC
    Inventors: Mark E. Arnoldussen, Jonathan Wong, Benjamin A. Logan, Leander Zickler