The present invention relates to a process for cutting and separating interior contours in thin substrates of transparent materials, in particular glass. The method involves the utilization of an ultra-short pulse laser to form perforation or holes in the substrate, that may be followed by use of a CO.sub.2 laser beam to promote full separation about the perforated line.

A laser hole drilling system includes a laser source that generates a laser beam along an optical axis; a spherical lens along the optical axis downstream of the laser source; and a control system in communication with the spherical lens and the laser source, the control system operable to locate the spherical lens with respect to the laser source to produce a light distribution in polar coordinates of a real portion of the Fourier Transform to generate an asymmetric teardrop shaped energy distribution at a focal plane.

A glass container that includes a base defining a hole, and methods of manufacturing and using the glass container, is disclosed. The glass container is manufactured by providing the container and cutting a hole in a wall of the container. The hole may be cut into the wall by any technique in which glass material is separated from the wall including by mechanical shearing, thermal energy, and/or fluid impingement. To use the glass container, a deformable blow-out plug may be inserted into the hole to fluidly seal the hole, a liquid beverage may be introduced into the container, a closure may be coupled to the container to close the container and provide a pressurizable package, and thereafter the package may be internally pressurized by introducing a pressurizing gas into the package.

The present disclosure provides a laser drilling method and a laser drilling system. The laser drilling method includes a hole-boundary formation step of outputting a pulse laser beam and scanning a substrate to be drilled, to form a boundary cutting groove of a preformed hole; a material-in-hole heating step of outputting a CO.sub.2 laser beam, aligning the CO.sub.2 laser beam with the preformed hole, and heating a substrate material of the preformed hole for a predetermined period of time; and a hole formation step of cooling the substrate material of the preformed hole, to deform the substrate material and enable the substrate material to fall off from the substrate to be drilled.

Provided are a combined machining apparatus and a combined machining method capable of performing machining with higher accuracy and at a high speed. The apparatus has a stage unit; a mechanical machining unit including a mechanical machining head having a tool configured to machine a workpiece; a laser machining unit including a laser machining head configured to emit laser for machining the workpiece; a moving unit; and a control unit that controls the operation of each unit, in which the laser machining head has a laser turning unit that turns laser relative to the workpiece, and a condensing optical system that focuses the laser turned by the laser turning unit, and a position at which the workpiece is irradiated with the laser is rotated by the laser turning unit.

A scrap removal device for a laser processing device includes a gas deflector having an optical channel; a looped gas channel; and a looped gas outlet. The looped gas outlet is connected to the looped gas channel, the optical channel is configured for a laser beam to transmit through, the looped gas channel surrounds the optical channel, and a section of the looped gas channel close to the looped gas outlet is inclined. The scrap removal device further includes a gas source furnished on the gas deflector and in communication with the looped gas channel for providing a gas flow to flow into the looped gas channel. The gas flow is joined with the laser beam transmitting along a looped processing path when flowing out of the gas deflector through the looped gas channel and the looped gas outlet.

A method for forming a laser processed hole in a workpiece configured by bonding a transparent first member formed of a first material and a second member formed of a second material. The method includes holding the workpiece by a chuck table with a side of the first member directed upward; applying a pulsed laser beam to the workpiece from the upward side of the first member; detecting a wavelength of plasma light generated by applying the pulsed laser beam to the workpiece; and controlling the laser beam according to a detection signal from the plasma light. The plasma is detected by: passing only the wavelength of plasma light generated from the first material, and detecting the plasma light generated from the first material and outputting a light intensity signal based on the detection. The processed hole extends entirely through the first member without melting the second member.

A method for producing a bonded functionally graded Material (FGM) structure, includes the steps of providing a plurality of dissimilar material layers; forming a first group and a second group of through holes alternately on a plurality of intermediate dissimilar material layers and on a bottom dissimilar material layer, wherein the first group of through holes has a diameter larger than a diameter of the second group of through holes; stacking the plurality of dissimilar material layers on top of one another. A first group of through holes on any dissimilar material layer is arranged corresponding to a second group of through holes on a dissimilar material layer stacked above, and a second group of through holes on any dissimilar material layer is arranged corresponding to a first group of through holes on a dissimilar material stacked right below; and bonding the plurality of dissimilar material layers.

Provided is a laser processing machine that processes a workpiece W using a laser beam. The laser processing machine comprises: first to fourth prisms 37, 47, 57, 67 that are disposed in order along an optical path of the laser beam from an upstream side; first to fourth spindles 32, 42, 52, 62 that respectively and independently hold the first to fourth prisms 37, 47, 57, 67; first to fourth holding means 31, 41, 51, 61 that respectively and rotatably hold the first to fourth spindles 32, 42, 52, 62; first to fourth motors 35, 45, 55, 65 that are respectively composed of rotors 35b, 45b, 55b, 65b that are respectively fixed to the first to fourth spindles 32, 42, 52, 62, and stators 35a, 45a, 55a, 65a that are respectively fixed to the first to fourth holding means 31, 41, 51, 61; and prism moving means 101, 102 that move the first prism 37 and/or the second prism 47.

A workpiece dividing method includes: a laser processing step of forming along each street a plurality of minute holes extending in a pulsed laser beam application direction; and a dividing step of pressing the streets by a pressing member to divide a wafer along the streets. The minute hole has one end opening at least one of a front surface and a back surface of the wafer and is decreased in diameter from the one end toward the other end. In the dividing step, the pressing member is pressed against that surface of the front surface and the back surface of the wafer at which the one end of the minute hole is not opening.