A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include providing a powder bed and directing a shaped laser beam pulse train consisting of one or more pulses and having a flux greater than 20 kW/cm.sup.2 at a defined two dimensional region of the powder bed. This minimizes adverse laser plasma effects during the process of melting and fusing powder within the defined two dimensional region.

A laser processing device comprising: a light source configured to output laser light; a spatial light modulator configured to display a modulation pattern for modulating the laser light output from the light source; a condenser lens configured to condense the laser light modulated by the spatial light modulator, on an object; and a control unit configured to control the spatial light modulator to adjust the modulation pattern in accordance with a traveling direction of a condensing point of the laser light with respect to the object.

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a chamber providing a treating space; a substrate support unit provided in the treating space; a window provided at a top of the chamber; and an optical module provided over the window and configured to transmit a laser beam to a substrate through the window, and wherein the optical module includes: a homogenizing optics configured to homogenize the laser beam to a uniform beam profile; and an imaging optics configured to control the size of the laser beam.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

A laser crystallizing apparatus includes a first light source unit configured to emit a first input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A second light source unit is configured to emit a second input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A polarization optical system is configured to rotate the first input light and/or the second input light at a predetermined rotation angle. An optical system is configured to convert the first input light and the second input light, which pass through the polarization optical system, into an output light. A target substrate is seated on a stage and output light is directed onto the target substrate. A monitoring unit is configured to receive the first input light or the second input light from the polarization optical system and measure a laser beam quality thereof.

A laser crystallizing apparatus includes a first light source unit configured to emit a first input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A second light source unit is configured to emit a second input light having a linearly polarized laser beam shape. A polarization optical system is configured to rotate the first input light and/or the second input light at a predetermined rotation angle. An optical system is configured to convert the first input light and the second input light, which pass through the polarization optical system, into an output light. A target substrate is seated on a stage and output light is directed onto the target substrate. A monitoring unit is configured to receive the first input light or the second input light from the polarization optical system and measure a laser beam quality thereof.

A method of laser machining a workpiece includes the steps of: radiating a laser beam onto at least one workpiece, the laser beam having a core beam and a ring beam extending coaxially with one another, wherein the laser beam is moved over the workpiece along a pre-determined machining path, and adjusting a laser power of the core beam and/or a laser power of the ring beam as a function of a position of the laser beam on the workpiece. An associated laser machining system is also disclosed.

A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a first splitting unit that causes a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator to branch into a first optical path and a second optical path, a first beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the first optical path, and a second beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the second optical path. The laser beam irradiation unit further includes a second splitting unit on the first optical path between the first splitting unit and the first beam condenser that splits the laser beam into at least two laser beams, and a laser beam scanning unit on the second optical path between the first splitting unit and the second beam condenser that executes scanning with the laser beam and introduces the laser beam to the second beam condenser.

A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a first splitting unit that causes a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator to branch into a first optical path and a second optical path, a first beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the first optical path, and a second beam condenser that focuses the laser beam having been introduced to the second optical path. The laser beam irradiation unit further includes a second splitting unit on the first optical path between the first splitting unit and the first beam condenser that splits the laser beam into at least two laser beams, and a laser beam scanning unit on the second optical path between the first splitting unit and the second beam condenser that executes scanning with the laser beam and introduces the laser beam to the second beam condenser.