A laser device includes a laser oscillator configured to emit a laser beam, and an optical unit configured to receive the laser beam and emit the laser beam outside. The optical unit includes: a partially transmissive mirror configured to reflect a part of the laser beam toward the outside and transmit a remaining part of the laser beam; a diffusion plate configured to diffuse the laser beam which has passed through the partially transmissive mirror and deflect the laser beam in a predetermined direction, at a predetermined diffusion angle; and a photodiode configured to receive the laser beam deflected by the diffusion plate, and output an electric signal. The laser device is configured such that deviation of an optical axis of the laser beam is monitored based on the electric signal of the photodiode.

A method of monitoring an additive manufacturing process in which one or more energy beams are used to selectively fuse a powder to form a workpiece, in the presence of one or more plumes generated by interaction of the one or more energy beams with the powder. The method includes using at least one sensor to generate at least one signal representative of a trajectory of one or more of the plumes.

Methods and systems for photopatterning and miniaturization. In some examples, a method for patterning a substrate includes irradiating a pattern onto the substrate with ultraviolet light and heating the substrate, causing the substrate and the pattern to shrink in at least one dimension to form a miniaturized pattern on the substrate. In some examples, a system for patterning a substrate includes an ultraviolet light source, a heater, and a controller configured for irradiating a pattern onto the substrate with ultraviolet light and heating the substrate, causing the substrate and the pattern to shrink in at least one dimension to form a miniaturized pattern on the substrate.

A cutting method includes: forming a reformed region in a workpiece; and after forming the reformed region in the workpiece, cutting the workpiece along an intended cut line. In the cutting the workpiece, a dry etching process is performed from a front surface toward a rear surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is fixed on a support member at least under its own weight or by suction, to form a groove from the front surface to reach the rear surface of the workpiece.

Laser processing device (100) includes laser oscillator (10) that generates laser light beam (LB), optical fiber (30) that transmits laser light beam (LB), laser head (40) that emits laser light beam (LB) to workpiece (W), and chiller (50) that passes and circulates cooling water through laser oscillator (10) to cool laser oscillator (10). Laser oscillator (10) includes: a plurality of laser diodes; and a base having a cooling water channel therein and having the laser diodes mounted on a surface thereof. Laser processing device (100) is configured to change the incident angle of laser light beam (LB) entering optical fiber (30) by changing the water pressure of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel.

Provided are a variable pulse width flat-top laser device and an operation method therefor. A variable pulse width flat-top laser device includes a light source unit including first and second laser light sources driven at different times to respectively emit pulse-type first and second laser beams, a beam shaping unit configured to shape the first and second laser beams emitted from the light source unit into flat-top laser beams, a combination/split unit located between the light source unit and the beam shaping unit, and including a first beam combination/split unit configured to combine optical paths of the first and second laser beams and split a combined optical path into at least two optical paths so that the split at least two optical paths are directed to different regions of an incident surface of the beam shaping unit, and an imaging optical system configured to time-sequentially overlay the flat-top laser beams shaped by the beam shaping unit on a target object to form an image.

A semi-finished product for manufacturing an electrical contact element includes a first workpiece having a front side and a rear side opposite the front side, a second workpiece, and a window extending through the first workpiece. The first workpiece and the second workpiece are both metallic. The rear side of the first workpiece is closer to the second workpiece than the front side. Through the window, a surface of the second workpiece is accessible from the first workpiece. The window has a base area that, starting at the front side of the first workpiece, increases toward the second workpiece.

An irradiation device for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include a beam generation device configured to generate an energy beam, an optical modulator including a micromirror array disposed downstream from the beam generation device, and a focusing lens assembly disposed downstream from the optical modulator. The micromirror array may include a plurality of micromirror elements configured to reflect a corresponding plurality of beam segment of the energy beam along a beam path incident upon the focusing lens assembly. The focusing lens assembly may include one or more lenses configured to focus the plurality of beam segments such that for respective ones of a plurality of modulation groups including a subset of micromirror elements, a corresponding subset of beam segments are focused to at least partially overlap with one another at a combination zone corresponding to the respective modulation group.

A laser machining device includes a laser light source, a spatial light modulator which includes a display unit, an objective lens, an image-transfer optical system, a camera and a controller. The controller executes first display processing and second display processing. According to first display processing, when the camera captures the image, the display unit displays a first phase pattern for adjusting a condensing position of laser light condensed by the objective lens to a first condensing position. According to second display processing, when the camera captures the image, the display unit displays a second phase pattern for adjusting the condensing position of the laser light condensed by the objective lens to a second condensing position different from the first condensing position in an irradiation direction of the laser light.

A device for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece. The device includes a focusing unit for focusing a machining beam, in particular a laser beam, onto the workpiece for the formation of a kerf on the workpiece. The device also includes an image acquisition unit to generate at least one image of a region of the workpiece, and an evaluation unit configured to determine, based on the at least one image, at least one measured variable for the course of the gap width of the kerf in a thickness direction of the workpiece. The invention also relates to an associated method for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece.