A workpiece-separating device includes: a holding member that detachably holds a workpiece among a layered body in which the workpiece that includes a circuit board and a supporting body that allows laser beams to pass therethrough are layered with each other via a separating layer that peelably alters with absorption of the laser beams; a laser irradiation part that performs irradiation of Gaussian beams pulse-oscillated as the laser beams toward the separating layer through the supporting body of the layered body held by the holding member; and a controlling part that controls an operation of the laser irradiation part, wherein the controlling part controls a distance between centers of the adjacent Gaussian beams of the laser beams pulse-oscillated from the laser irradiation part to be less than three times of a standard deviation when a relationship between a beam diameter and irradiation intensity is assumed as a normal distribution.

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.

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing using foil-based build materials. Such methods and apparatuses eliminate several drawbacks of conventional powder-based methods, including powder handling, recoater jams, and health risks. In addition, the present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for compensation of in-process warping of build plates and foil-based build materials, in-process monitoring, and closed loop control.

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.

A pressing system for a laser joining system for pressing together parts to be joined (storage cell, base plate) in the area of a joining point, includes a receptacle for accommodating the parts to be joined, a pressing element for locally pressing together the parts to be joined, in the area of the joining point, and a positioning system for the relative positioning of the pressing element and the receptacle and for pressing together the parts to be joined, during the joining process. The positioning system includes a parallel positioning device for the relative positioning of the receptacle and the pressing element in parallel to a plane (E), and an oblique positioning device for the relative positioning of the pressing element and the receptacle obliquely, in particular transversely, with respect to the plane (E) and for pressing together the parts to be joined, during the joining process.

A workpiece-separating device includes: a holding member that detachably holds a workpiece among a layered body in which the workpiece that includes a circuit board and a supporting body that allows laser beams to pass therethrough are layered with each other via a separating layer that peelably alters with absorption of the laser beams; a laser irradiation part that performs irradiation of Gaussian beams pulse-oscillated as the laser beams toward the separating layer through the supporting body of the layered body held by the holding member; and a controlling part that controls an operation of the laser irradiation part, wherein the controlling part controls a distance between centers of the adjacent Gaussian beams of the laser beams pulse-oscillated from the laser irradiation part to be less than three times of a standard deviation when a relationship between a beam diameter and irradiation intensity is assumed as a normal distribution.

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.

A laser irradiation method of irradiating, with a pulse laser beam, an irradiation object in which an impurity source film is formed on a semiconductor substrate includes: reading fluence per pulse of the pulse laser beam with which a rectangular irradiation region set on the irradiation object is irradiated and the number of irradiation pulses the irradiation region is irradiated, the fluence being equal to or larger than a threshold at or beyond which ablation potentially occurs to the impurity source film when the irradiation object is irradiated with pulses of the pulse laser beam in the irradiation pulse number and smaller than a threshold at or beyond which damage potentially occurs to the surface of the semiconductor substrate; calculating a scanning speed Vdx; and moving the irradiation object at the scanning speed Vdx relative to the irradiation region while irradiating the irradiation region with the pulse laser beam at the repetition frequency f.

A chuck table holding a frame unit including a workpiece is securely placed in an opening of an annular frame by a tape. A transparent holder having a holding surface holds the workpiece with the tape interposed therebetween. A frame body is erected around and surrounding the holder, the frame body having a plurality of suction holes that are open in an inner circumferential surface of the frame body. The frame body has an inside diameter equal to or smaller than an inside diameter of the annular frame. While an opening of the frame body is being covered by the tape, a suction force is transmitted through the suction holes into the frame body, discharging air from between the tape and the holding surface to bring the tape into intimate contact with the holding surface thereby securing the workpiece of the frame unit to the holding surface.

A build plate-clamping assembly may include a work station having a build plate-receiving surface and a lock-pin extending from the build plate-receiving surface of the work station. The lock-pin may include a hollow pin body, a piston disposed within the hollow pin body, with the piston axially movable from a retracted position to an actuated position, and a plurality of detents, with the plurality of detents radially extensible through respective ones of a plurality of detent-apertures in the hollow pin body responsive to the piston having been axially moved to the actuated position. A methods of working on workpieces may include lockingly engaging a build plate at a first work station, performing a first work-step, releasing the build plate from the first work station, lockingly engaging the build plate at a second work station, and performing a second work-step. An additive manufacturing system may include a vision system with a first build plate-receiving surface and an additive manufacturing machine with a second build plate-receiving surface.