An adjustment collar for a laser machine tool includes a first actuator between an outer housing and an inner collar, the first actuator operable to move the inner collar with respect to the outer housing in the X-axis and a second actuator between the outer housing and the inner collar, the second actuator operable to move the inner collar with respect to the outer housing in the Y-axis.

An adjustment collar for a laser machine tool includes a first actuator between an outer housing and an inner collar, the first actuator operable to move the inner collar with respect to the outer housing in the X-axis and a second actuator between the outer housing and the inner collar, the second actuator operable to move the inner collar with respect to the outer housing in the Y-axis.

A process system is a process system performing a processing process on an object by irradiating at least a part of the object with processing light from a processing light source, and includes a combining optical system combining optical path of measurement light from a measurement light source and optical path of the processing light from the processing light source; an irradiation optical system irradiating the object with the processing light and the measurement light from the combining optical system; a position change apparatus changing a relative positional relationship between the object and a light concentration position of the processing light from the irradiation optical system; an light reception apparatus receiving, through the irradiation optical system, light generated by the measurement light with which a surface of the object is irradiated; and a control apparatus controlling the position change apparatus by using output from the light reception apparatus.

A process system is a process system performing a processing process on an object by irradiating at least a part of the object with processing light from a processing light source, and includes a combining optical system combining optical path of measurement light from a measurement light source and optical path of the processing light from the processing light source; an irradiation optical system irradiating the object with the processing light and the measurement light from the combining optical system; a position change apparatus changing a relative positional relationship between the object and a light concentration position of the processing light from the irradiation optical system; an light reception apparatus receiving, through the irradiation optical system, light generated by the measurement light with which a surface of the object is irradiated; and a control apparatus controlling the position change apparatus by using output from the light reception apparatus.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a laser treatment head comprising an input for a laser bundle, and further provided with a lens system for focusing the laser bundle and a scanning system for deflecting the laser bundle according to a one-dimensional or two-dimensional touch pattern. In particular, the laser treatment head further comprises an directional body configurable relative to the casing between at least a first position and a second position, for variably emitting the deflected laser bundle with said touch pattern, in at least a first or a second emission direction. In further aspects, the invention relates to a laser treatment device and a laser treatment process.

A laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that holds an SiC ingot on a holding surface, a laser beam irradiation unit that positions the focal point of a laser beam to a depth equivalent to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from a first surface and that irradiates the SiC ingot with the laser beam to form a separation layer arising from separation of SiC into Si and C and extension of cracks along a c-plane. A movement unit relatively moves the chuck table and the laser beam irradiation unit, and a separation layer inspecting unit executes irradiation with inspection light with such a wavelength as to have transmissibility with respect to the SiC ingot and be reflected by the separation layer, and inspects the separation layer from the intensity of reflected light. The holding surface has a color that absorbs the inspection light.

A laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table that holds an SiC ingot on a holding surface, a laser beam irradiation unit that positions the focal point of a laser beam to a depth equivalent to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from a first surface and that irradiates the SiC ingot with the laser beam to form a separation layer arising from separation of SiC into Si and C and extension of cracks along a c-plane. A movement unit relatively moves the chuck table and the laser beam irradiation unit, and a separation layer inspecting unit executes irradiation with inspection light with such a wavelength as to have transmissibility with respect to the SiC ingot and be reflected by the separation layer, and inspects the separation layer from the intensity of reflected light. The holding surface has a color that absorbs the inspection light.

There is provided a method of determining whether or not a result of a processing process of a laser processing apparatus is acceptable including a laser processing step of applying a laser beam to predetermined processing regions of a workpiece held on a chuck table, thereby performing a piercing process on the workpiece, an image capturing step of capturing images of all the processing regions while moving the image capturing unit and the workpiece relatively to each other, a detecting step of detecting regions where light is not transmitted through the workpiece among the processing regions in the image captured in the image capturing step, and a determining step of determining that the laser processing apparatus needs to be readjusted if the regions where light is not transmitted through the workpiece is equal to or more than the predetermined quantity.

There is provided a method of determining whether or not a result of a processing process of a laser processing apparatus is acceptable including a laser processing step of applying a laser beam to predetermined processing regions of a workpiece held on a chuck table, thereby performing a piercing process on the workpiece, an image capturing step of capturing images of all the processing regions while moving the image capturing unit and the workpiece relatively to each other, a detecting step of detecting regions where light is not transmitted through the workpiece among the processing regions in the image captured in the image capturing step, and a determining step of determining that the laser processing apparatus needs to be readjusted if the regions where light is not transmitted through the workpiece is equal to or more than the predetermined quantity.

A computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machine is configured to (i) measure a power of a beam of electromagnetic energy at a location between a source of the electromagnetic energy and a destination in the CNC machine, the beam of electromagnetic energy traveling from the source to the destination being susceptible to one or more interferences, and the one or more interferences being capable of altering the power of the beam of electromagnetic energy by at least diverting, away from an intended path for the beam of electromagnetic energy, at least a portion of the beam of electromagnetic energy, (ii) detect, based at least on the measured power of the beam of electromagnetic energy being less than a threshold value, an interference of the beam of electromagnetic energy, and (iii) in response to detecting the interference of the beam of electromagnetic energy, perform one or more actions.