Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Koki Ichihashi

Hidehiko Karasaki

Nobuaki Furuya

Katsuichi Ukita

Daisuke Yokohagi

Daiji Narita

A laser machining apparatus machines a workpiece at uniform intensity by converting a COlaser beam to uniform intensity using an intensity-converting element and a phase-matching element. The optical transmission system is configured such that the starting point of the laser beam pointing vector and the exit face of the intensity-converting element are mutually conjugated with respect to the optical transmission system. This structure offers stable machining by ensuring that the laser beam always enters the intensity-converting element at its center, even if the pointing vector of the laser beam shifts.

Laser irradiation apparatus and method

A CO laser beam is converted into a beam of uniform intensity at the position of a phase matching element by an intensity converting element and the phase matching element . Then, the uniform intensity beam irradiates a mask containing an aperture variable in size via a variable-magnification projecting optical system . At the time of irradiation, the laser beam at the position of the phase matching element is projected onto the mask at a magnification factor most suited to the size of the aperture formed in the mask . Further, the pattern of the mask is projected onto a workpiece . Thus, a uniform intensity distribution of the laser beam is obtained on the workpiece and high quality laser processing becomes possible.

Growing community of inventors

Toyonaka, Japan

Koki Ichihashi