A micromachining device that utilizes a solid state laser beam scanner to steer and scan laser beams onto a moveable stage. There are no moving parts as in the galvometric scanner devices in current use. The laser beam scanner has two components, a variable frequency signal generator that is electrically connected to at least one substantially transparent and partially conductive substrate plate (hereinafter plate) with a generally planar face thereon that has a series of quantum dots (of an arbitrary size but narrow size distribution) affixed with the plate, where each of the quantum dots possess an inducible dipole moment, and each of the quantum dots are in electrical contact with the plate, where the quantum dots undergo an excitation and successive recombination (or relaxation) by the input of magnetic, optical or electrical signals.

A laser cutting head includes a controllable collimator with movable collimator lenses for controlling beam diameter and/or focal point location. The laser cutting head may be used in a laser cutting system with a control system for controlling the position of the movable collimator lenses. The lenses may be moved, for example, to adjust the beam spot size for cutting different types of material or material thicknesses. The lenses may also be moved to adjust a focal point back to the workpiece after changing the distance of the laser cutting head relative to the workpiece.

A laser light irradiation device includes: a laser light source; a spatial light modulator including a display unit configured to display a phase pattern; an objective lens configured to condense a laser light emitted from the spatial light modulator at the object; an image-transfer optical system configured to transfer an image of the laser light on the display unit to an entrance pupil plane of the objective lens; a reflected light detector configured to detect reflected light of the laser light which is incident in the object and reflected by an opposite surface opposite to a laser light entrance surface; and a controller configured to control the phase pattern. When the reflected light detector detects the reflected light, the controller displays a reflected light aberration correction pattern which is the phase pattern correcting aberration generated in the event of the laser light being transmitted through the object having twice the predetermined thickness.

A laser processing machine including: a laser source that emits a laser beam; a polarization rotator unit; a beam rotator unit; a lens; and a controller, which apply the laser beam to a workpiece, the polarization rotator unit includes a wave plate and first actuator that rotates the wave plate, the beam rotator unit includes an optical system that adjusts an irradiation angle of the laser beam to the workpiece by making an incident laser beam eccentric to output and making the laser beam incident on the lens at a position eccentric from a central axis, a second actuator rotates the optical system, the lens condenses the laser beam on the workpiece, the controller controls a rotational speed ratio between the first actuator and the second actuator, and adjusts a polarized state of the laser beam by controlling the rotational speed ratio.

A laser processing apparatus emits a laser light with a part of a focusing region being on an object to form a modified region along a virtual plane inside the object. The laser processing apparatus includes a support portion, an emission portion that emits the laser light onto the object, a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the support portion and the emission portion so that the part of the focusing region moves along the virtual plane inside the object, and a controller. The emission portion includes a shaping portion that shapes the laser light such that the shape of the part of the focusing region in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the laser light has a longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction is a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the part of the focusing region.

A method of joining a razor blade to a blade support to form a razor blade assembly, the method including: directing a laser beam having an adjustable power output at an upper surface of the razor blade; and while advancing the laser beam along the razor blade: a) applying the laser beam at a first power output to the razor blade; b) reducing the first power output of the laser beam to a second power output; and c) applying the laser beam at the second power output to the razor to form a weld area joining the razor blade to the blade support. The weld area may be elongated and may include (i) a ratio of depth:width that is greater than about 2:1, and/or (ii) a ratio of length:width that is greater than about 5:1.

A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form shield tunnels in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of heating the polyolefin sheet, pushing up each device chip through the polyolefin sheet, and picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

A processing method of a wafer in which a modified layer is formed inside the wafer. In the processing method, irradiation with a first laser beam is executed from a back surface side of the wafer and the modified layer is formed inside the wafer. Then, irradiation with a second laser beam is executed with the focal point thereof positioned to the inside or the front surface of the wafer and reflected light is imaged by an imaging unit. Furthermore, a processing state of the wafer is determined on the basis of a taken image. The second laser beam is shaped in such a manner that a sectional shape thereof in a surface perpendicular to a traveling direction thereof becomes asymmetric across the modified layer.

A laser processing system that can effectively blow out a material of a workpiece melted by a laser beam by effectively utilizing an assist gas emitted from a nozzle. The laser processing system comprising a nozzle including an emission opening configured to emit a jet of an assist gas along an optical axis of a laser beam, the nozzle being configured to form a maximum point of velocity of the jet at a position away from the emission opening; a measuring instrument configured to measure a sound generated by the jet impinging on an object; and a position acquisition section configured to acquire information representing the position of the maximum point based on output data of the measuring instrument.

Laser cutting systems and methods are described herein. One or more systems include a laser generating component, an optical component, a fixture for holding a support with a part positioned on the support, and a control mechanism for adjusting at least one of the laser generating component, the optical component, and the fixture such that a ratio of a laser energy applied to the part and a part material thickness is maintained within a predetermined acceptable range at each point along a cut path to cut through the part while maintaining the integrity of the support. Other systems and methods are disclosed herein.