A laser oscillator includes a first laser diode that emits first laser light, a second laser diode that emits second laser light having a wavelength different from a wavelength of the first laser light, a first current source that drives the first laser diode, a second current source that drives the second laser diode, a combiner that superimposes the first laser light with the second laser light, and an output mirror that emits laser light combined by the combiner to the outside.

A method for laser keyhole welding a stack of metal foils to a metal tab is disclosed. The method independently adjusts power in a focused center beam and power in a focused annular beam to form a weld through all the foils and the tab. The annular beam provides sufficient power to heat the metal to about melting temperature, widen a mouth of a keyhole, and stabilize a melt pool. The center beam provides sufficient additional power to form the keyhole. The power of the annular beam is sustained for a longer time than the power of the center beam. A plurality of such welds is formed to provide mechanical strength and electrical conductivity.

In various embodiments, emitter modules include a laser source and (a) a refractive optic, (b) an output coupler, or (c) both a refractive optic and an output coupler. Either or both of these may be situated on mounts that facilitate two-axis rotation. The mount may be, for example, a conventional, rotatively adjustable “tip/tilt” mount or gimbal arrangement. In the case of the refractive optic, either the optic itself or the beam path may be adjusted; that is, the optic may be on a tip/tilt mount or the optic may be replaced with two or more mirrors each on tip/tilt mount.

A light source device including: a first light source configured to coaxially combine a plurality of first laser beams, each having a peak wavelength within a first wavelength range, to thereby generate and emit a first wavelength-combined beam; a second light source configured to coaxially combine a plurality of second laser beams, each having a peak wavelength within a second wavelength range that defines a range of peak wavelengths shorter than the peak wavelengths in the first wavelength range, to thereby generate and emit a second wavelength-combined beam; and a wavelength filter configured to coaxially combine the first wavelength-combined beam and the second wavelength-combined beam to thereby generate and emit a third wavelength-combined beam.

A method for laser-based machining of a flat substrate, to separate the substrate into a plurality of sections, in which the laser beam of a laser is directed at the substrate using an optical arrangement, which is positioned in the beam path of the laser. The optical arrangement forms a laser beam focal line that is extended as viewed along the beam direction and the substrate is positioned relative to the laser beam focal line such that an induced absorption is produced in the material of the substrate along a section of the laser beam focal line that is extended as viewed in the beam direction.

Provided are a laser cutting device and a laser cutting method. The laser cutting device comprises a beam expanding element provided with a plurality of lens wherein optical axes of the plurality of lens sets are located in the same line and each lens set comprises at least one lens; the beam expanding element converts an incident beam into a first beam; and a laser splitting element and the first beam are arranged in an emitting optical path of the beam expanding element, and the laser splitting element converts the first beam into a plurality of second beams spaced from one another. In the laser cutting device, by means of providing the laser splitting element, the first beam is converted into the plurality of second beams, so as to obtain the effect of beam adjustment.

A stealth dicing apparatus may include a laser light source, and a linearly focusing lens configured to linearly focus a beam output from the laser light source. The linearly focusing lens includes a horizontal surface, and an inclined surface forming an inclination angle with the horizontal surface. The inclination angle satisfies an expression 34.97R.sup.2−146.6R+162.5<α<52.45R.sup.2−207.6R+224.9, where ‘α’ is the inclination angle and ‘R’ is a refractive index of the linearly focusing lens.

Laser processing of hard dielectric materials may include cutting a part from a hard dielectric material using a continuous wave laser operating in a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) mode to emit consecutive laser light pulses in a wavelength range of about 1060 nm to 1070 nm. Cutting using a QCW laser may be performed with a lower duty cycle (e.g., between about 1% and 15%) and in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen, argon or helium. Laser processing of hard dielectric materials may further include post-cut processing the cut edges of the part cut from the dielectric material, for example, by beveling and/or polishing the edges to reduce edge defects. The post-cut processing may be performed using a laser beam with different laser parameters than the beam used for cutting, for example, by using a shorter wavelength (e.g., 193 nm excimer laser) and/or a shorter pulse width (e.g., picosecond laser).

A three dimensional printing system includes a laser system, a beam splitter, a pinhole, a sensor, and a controller. The laser system emits a light beam of varying diameter carrying at least 100 watts of optical power along an optical path. The laser has an imaging plane along the optical path which can be coincident or close to a focal plane at which the beam has a minimum diameter. The beam splitter is positioned along the optical path to receive the beam and to transmit most of the optical power and to reflect remaining optical power. The pinhole is positioned along the optical path at the imaging plane to receive the reflected beam having a minimal diameter. The controller is configured to analyze a signal from the sensor to determine intensity and distribution parameters for the light beam.

A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a CO.sub.2 emitting at 10.6 m is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the CO.sub.2 radiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.