Laser irradiation device and laser processing device

Abstract

Laser irradiation device and laser processing device. The irradiation amount of laser light can be controlled with high precision. The laser processing device has: a laser irradiation section that irradiates laser light obtained by converging first light and second light at a convergence point; a light receiving section that includes a first light receiving element and a second light receiving element; a moving mechanism; and a control section, in a plan view, the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element are disposed at different positions, the position of the light receiving section at which the laser light is received is different from the convergence point in a direction in which the laser irradiation section and the light receiving section are arranged, when the light receiving section is viewed in the direction along the arrangement direction, the position at which the first light receiving element receives the first light and the position at which the second light receiving element receives the second light are different, the control section irradiates the laser light to the light receiving section in a state in which the laser irradiation section and the light receiving section face each other, and corrects the output of the laser light based on the light receiving result of the light receiving section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to laser irradiation devices and laser processing devices. Background Technology

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a laser processing device that irradiates a workpiece with a laser, supplies metal powder to the irradiated area, and uses the energy of the laser to melt the metal powder, causing it to accumulate on the workpiece to form a cladding.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-251480

[0004] In the aforementioned laser processing apparatus, since the lasers emitted from multiple semiconductor lasers are converged into the irradiation area, it is difficult to individually correct the output of each semiconductor laser and to control the amount of laser irradiation with high precision. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, according to one aspect of the present invention, a laser irradiation unit is provided, comprising: a laser irradiation unit including a first laser element emitting a first light beam and a second laser element emitting a second light beam, irradiating a laser beam formed by the convergence of the first and second light beams toward a convergence point; a light-receiving unit including a first light-receiving element receiving the first light beam and a second light-receiving element receiving the second light beam; a moving mechanism for changing the relative position of the laser irradiation unit and the light-receiving unit; and a control unit for controlling the driving of the laser irradiation unit and the moving mechanism, wherein, when the laser irradiation unit is viewed from above the convergence point, the first laser beam... The first light-receiving element and the second laser element are arranged in different positions. The position where the light-receiving part receives the laser light irradiated by the laser irradiation part is different from the convergence point when the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part are facing each other. When the light-receiving part is viewed from above along the arrangement direction, the first position where the first light-receiving element receives the first light ray and the second position where the second light-receiving element receives the second light ray are different. The control unit irradiates the light-receiving part with the laser light while the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part are facing each other, and corrects the output of the laser based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving part.

[0006] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, a laser processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a laser irradiation device of the above-described manner; and a worktable on which a workpiece to be processed is irradiated by the laser from the laser irradiation section of the laser irradiation device. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a laser processing apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the laser irradiation section.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the laser irradiation device of the first modified example.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the laser irradiation device of the second modified example.

[0012] Label Explanation

[0013] 1 Laser processing device; 2, 2A, 2B Laser irradiation device; 3 Worktable; 4 Moving mechanism; 5 Control unit; 20 Laser irradiation unit; 22 Light receiving unit; 30 Parallelizing lens; 40 Light reduction element; 211 Laser element; 211a First laser element; 211b Second laser element; 212 Converging lens; 220 Light receiving element; 221 First light receiving element; 222 Second light receiving element; L Laser; LB1 First ray; LB2 Second ray; P1 First position; P2 Second position; SP Convergence point; W Object to be processed. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings.

[0015] In the following figures, to facilitate observation of the constituent elements, the scale of the dimensions is sometimes changed according to the constituent elements.

[0016] (Implementation Method)

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the schematic structure of the laser processing apparatus of this embodiment.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the laser processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a laser irradiation device 2 and a worktable 3. The laser processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a metal 3D printer that utilizes SLM (Selective Laser Melting).

[0019] The laser irradiation device 2 irradiates the workpiece W with laser L from the laser irradiation unit 20. The worktable 3 has a mounting surface 3a for placing the workpiece W.

[0020] In the following description, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system will be used as needed.

[0021] In the figures, the X-axis is the axis along the direction of movement of the laser irradiation unit 20 relative to the worktable 3. The Y-axis is an axis orthogonal to the X-axis, and the XY plane is a plane parallel to the mounting surface 3a of the worktable 3. The Z-axis is an axis orthogonal to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, and is an axis along the vertical direction.

[0022] In addition, in this embodiment, the direction along the Z-axis is called "vertical direction Z", +Z is called "upper side", -Z is called "lower side", the direction along the X-axis is called "left-right direction X", +X is called "right side", -X is called "left side", the direction along the Y-axis is called "front-back direction Y", +Y is called "front side", and -Y is called "rear side".

[0023] Furthermore, the vertical direction Z, the horizontal direction X, and the front-back direction Y are merely names used to describe the configuration relationship of the various structural components of the laser processing device 1, and do not specify the actual orientation and direction of the laser processing device 1.

[0024] The laser irradiation apparatus 2 of this embodiment includes a laser irradiation unit 20, a moving mechanism 21, a light-receiving unit 22, and a control unit 25. The laser irradiation unit 20 irradiates a laser L downwards. The moving mechanism 21 moves the laser irradiation unit 20 in the left-right direction X. In this embodiment, the control unit 25 controls the movement of the moving mechanism 21 and the drive of the worktable 3.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the laser irradiation unit 20.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the laser irradiation unit 20 includes a substrate 210, a plurality of laser elements 211 supported by the substrate 210, and a converging lens 212. The plurality of laser elements 211 are arranged in a matrix on the substrate 210. Each laser element 211 emits a laser beam LB. Figure 2 In the example, the planar shape of the laser element 211 is a circle.

[0027] Laser element 211 is, for example, a photonic crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) element utilizing the photonic crystal effect. The laser beam LB emitted from laser element 211, which is composed of a PCSEL element, has a narrow emission angle and high light output.

[0028] The laser beams LB from the multiple laser elements 211 are emitted in parallel directions. The emission direction of the laser beams LB from the laser elements 211 is perpendicular to the imaginary plane in which the multiple laser elements 211 are arranged and along the Z-axis, which is consistent with the optical axis AX of the laser irradiation section 20.

[0029] The converging lens 212 is a convex lens that generates a high-output laser L by converging the laser beams LB from multiple laser elements 211 toward the convergence point SP. The surface of the workpiece W is positioned at the convergence point SP of the laser L.

[0030] The laser irradiation unit 20 irradiates the surface of the workpiece W with multiple laser beams LB converged to form a laser L.

[0031] The laser irradiation unit 20 in this embodiment also includes a material supply unit 23. The material supply unit 23 is, for example, a tubular component capable of supplying material powder, and ejects material powder 23a toward the workpiece W. As the material powder, for example, metal powders such as stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, or titanium are used. Furthermore, the material supplied from the material supply unit 23 to the workpiece W is not limited to powder; for example, it may be a filamentous material, metal wire, etc.

[0032] According to this structure, the laser irradiation unit 20 can perform an application process in which a laser L formed by the convergence of multiple laser beams LB is irradiated onto the surface of the workpiece W, and metal powder is provided to the workpiece W, thereby melting the metal and forming a metal layer on the surface of the workpiece W.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the moving mechanism 21 changes the relative position of the laser irradiation unit 20 and the worktable 3, as well as the relative position of the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22. In this embodiment, the movement of the moving mechanism 21 is controlled by the control unit 25.

[0034] The moving mechanism 21, for example, moves the laser irradiation unit 20, resulting in a first state where the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22 are facing each other. In this first state, the laser processing apparatus 1 performs calibration processing on the laser irradiation apparatus 2. The calibration processing will be described later.

[0035] Furthermore, the moving mechanism 21, for example, moves the laser irradiation unit 20, resulting in a second state where the laser irradiation unit 20 is positioned opposite the workpiece W. In this second state, the laser processing apparatus 1 performs the aforementioned processing by irradiating the workpiece W on the worktable 3 with laser L from the laser irradiation unit 20 of the laser irradiation apparatus 2.

[0036] The light-receiving unit 22 receives laser light L irradiated from the laser irradiation unit 20. The light-receiving unit 22 includes a plurality of light-receiving elements 220. Each of the plurality of light-receiving elements 220 is correspondingly arranged with respect to a plurality of laser elements 211. That is, the number of light-receiving elements 220 and laser elements 211 is the same. Each light-receiving element 220 receives the laser light beam LB emitted from its corresponding laser element 211 and detects the intensity of the received laser light beam LB. The detection value of the light-receiving element 220 is sent to the control unit 25. The light-receiving element 220 may be, for example, a photodiode. The light-receiving element 220 may be, for example, a laser power meter or a laser energy meter. Alternatively, the light-receiving element 220 may also be an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. In this case, the light-receiving element 220 can detect the two-dimensional intensity distribution of the laser light beam LB emitted from the laser element 211.

[0037] The worktable 3 is a dual-axis worktable that allows the mounting surface 3a of the workpiece W to move along two axes: the left-right direction (X) and the front-back direction (Y). The worktable 3 can also adjust the position of the workpiece W relative to the laser irradiation unit 20 by moving the mounting surface 3a. This enables high-precision irradiation of the workpiece W with the laser L.

[0038] In this embodiment, the drive of the worktable 3 is controlled by the control unit 25.

[0039] The control unit 25 may be configured as a computer, for example, having a processor, main memory, and an input / output interface for signal input / output with external devices. The control unit 25 performs various functions, for example, by executing programs loaded into the main memory via the processor. Thus, the control unit 25 controls the operation of the laser irradiation device 2 and the worktable 3. Alternatively, the control unit 25 may not be configured as a computer, but rather as a combination of multiple circuits.

[0040] Here, the output of the laser L irradiated by the laser irradiation device 2 in this embodiment sometimes deviates from the design value due to factors such as the deterioration of the laser element 211 over time. If the output of the laser L changes, it becomes difficult to control the amount of irradiation of the laser L onto the workpiece W. As a result, the processing accuracy of the workpiece W may decrease.

[0041] In contrast, in the laser processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the irradiation amount of laser L changes relative to the design value, the irradiation amount of laser L is corrected by performing a correction process in the laser irradiation device 2. Therefore, by accurately controlling the irradiation amount of laser L for the workpiece W, the processing accuracy of the workpiece W can be improved.

[0042] The following describes the correction process in the laser irradiation device 2 of this embodiment.

[0043] The control unit 25 controls the moving mechanism 21, such as Figure 1As shown, this is the first state in which the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22 are positioned opposite each other. Then, in the first state, the laser irradiation unit 20 irradiates the light-receiving unit 22 with laser L.

[0044] Specifically, the control unit 25 moves the laser irradiation unit 20 via the moving mechanism 21, positioning the laser irradiation unit 20 opposite the light-receiving unit 22. Then, the control unit 25 emits laser light L from the laser irradiation unit 20. The laser light L from the laser irradiation unit 20 irradiates the light-receiving unit 22.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22 during the correction process. Figure 3 In this context, any two of the plurality of laser elements 211 in the laser irradiation unit 20 are referred to as the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b. Furthermore, the laser beam LB emitted from the first laser element 211a is referred to as the first beam LB1, and the laser beam LB emitted from the second laser element 211b is referred to as the second beam LB2. Additionally, the light-receiving element 220 among the plurality of light-receiving elements 220 in the light-receiving unit 22 that receives the first beam LB1 from the first laser element 211a is referred to as the first light-receiving element 221, and the light-receiving element 220 that receives the second beam LB2 from the second laser element 211b is referred to as the second light-receiving element 222.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, the first laser ray LB1 and the second laser ray LB2, together with other laser rays LB, are converged by the converging lens 212 toward the convergence point SP, thereby generating laser L. At the convergence point SP, after all laser rays LB converge at point 1, they diverge as they move away from SP. That is, the laser rays LB become spatially separated as they move away from SP. Therefore, the first laser ray LB1 and the second laser ray LB2 also intersect at the convergence point SP and then become spatially separated as they move away from SP.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b are arranged at different positions in the left-right direction X. In the laser irradiation device 2 of this embodiment, when viewing the laser irradiation unit 20 from the convergence point SP, the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b are arranged at different positions. That is, when viewing the laser irradiation unit 20 from the convergence point SP, multiple laser elements 211 are arranged at different positions.

[0048] In the laser irradiation apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the position of the light-receiving part 22 receiving the laser L irradiated from the laser irradiation part 20 is different from the convergence point SP when the laser irradiation part 20 and the light-receiving part 22 are facing each other, as their arrangement direction (vertical direction Z) is different. Specifically, the convergence point SP is located between the laser irradiation part 20 and the light-receiving part 22 in the arrangement direction (vertical direction Z).

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, the first light-receiving element 221 and the second light-receiving element 222 of the light-receiving section 22 are arranged at a position separated from the convergence point SP in the vertical direction Z towards the side opposite to the laser irradiation section 20. As described above, the first light ray LB1 and the second light ray LB2 are spatially separated at the arrangement position of the light-receiving section 22 separated from the convergence point SP. Therefore, the incident position of the first light ray LB1 in the first light-receiving element 221 and the incident position of the second light ray LB2 in the second light-receiving element 222 are offset in the horizontal direction X. That is, when viewing the light-receiving section 22 from above along the arrangement direction (vertical direction Z), the first position P1 where the first light-receiving element 221 receives the first light ray LB1 and the second position P2 where the second light-receiving element 222 receives the second light ray LB2 are different.

[0050] Therefore, the first light-receiving element 221 can detect the first light ray LB1 separated from the laser L, and the second light-receiving element 222 can detect the second light ray LB2 separated from the laser L. Other light-receiving elements 220 can also receive laser rays LB emitted from their respective laser elements 211.

[0051] The light-receiving unit 22 can receive the laser beams LB from each of the multiple laser elements 211, thus enabling the output of each laser element 211 to be detected individually and at the same time. In this way, the light-receiving unit 22 can simultaneously drive each laser element 211 during light reception, thereby enabling light reception processing to be performed in a shorter time compared to sequentially driving each laser element for light reception. The light-receiving unit 22 sends the light reception results to the control unit 25.

[0052] The control unit 25 controls the driving of the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving unit 22, thereby correcting the output of the laser L to a reference value. That is, the laser irradiation unit 20 corrects the output of the laser L irradiating the workpiece W based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving unit 22. Furthermore, the reference value of the laser L output is stored in a storage unit or the like provided in the control unit 25.

[0053] Here, we take the case where the control unit 25 determines, based on the light reception result, that the output of the first light beam LB1 is lower than the output of the second light beam LB2. In this case, the control unit 25 controls the driving of the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b in a manner that relatively increases the output of the first laser element 211a or relatively decreases the output of the second laser element 211b, thereby correcting the output of the laser L.

[0054] Thus, the laser irradiation device 2 of this embodiment includes: a laser irradiation unit 20, which includes a first laser element 211a emitting a first light beam LB1 and a second laser element 211b emitting a second light beam LB2, irradiating a laser L formed by the convergence of the first light beam LB1 and the second light beam LB2 towards a convergence point SP; a light-receiving unit 22, which includes a first light-receiving element 221 receiving the first light beam LB1 and a second light-receiving element 222 receiving the second light beam LB2; a moving mechanism 21, which changes the relative position of the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22; and a control unit 25, which controls the driving of the laser irradiation device 2 and the moving mechanism 21. When the laser irradiation unit 20 is viewed from above the convergence point SP, a plurality of laser elements 211, including the first laser element 211a and the second laser element 211b, are arranged in different positions. The position at which the light-receiving unit 22 receives the laser L irradiated from the laser irradiation unit 20 differs from the convergence point SP in the arrangement direction of the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22 when they are facing each other. When viewed from above along the arrangement direction, the first position P1 at which the first light-receiving element 221 receives the first light ray LB1 and the second position P2 at which the second light-receiving element 222 receives the second light ray LB2 are different. The control unit 25 irradiates the light-receiving unit 22 with the laser irradiation unit 20 and the light-receiving unit 22 facing each other, and corrects the output of the laser L based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving unit 22.

[0055] According to the laser irradiation apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the laser beams LB of each of the multiple laser elements 211 can be received individually by a light-receiving unit 22 located at a position different from the convergence point SP of the laser L. Therefore, the laser irradiation unit 20 can individually control the output of each laser element 211 based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving unit 22, thereby correcting the output of the laser L. Therefore, the laser irradiation apparatus 2 of this embodiment can control the irradiation amount of the laser L with high precision.

[0056] The laser processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes: the laser irradiation apparatus 2 described above; and a worktable 3, which holds the workpiece W to be processed by laser L irradiated by the laser irradiation section 20 of the laser irradiation apparatus 2.

[0057] According to the laser processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, even if the characteristics of the laser element 211 deviate from the design value and the irradiation amount of the laser L changes, the deviation in irradiation amount can be corrected through correction processing. Therefore, the workpiece W can be processed with high precision during processing.

[0058] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0059] For example, in the above embodiment, the case in which the light receiving unit 22 receives the laser L emitted from the convergence point SP is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0060] (First variation)

[0061] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the laser irradiation device of the first modified example.

[0062] like Figure 4 As shown, the laser irradiation device 2A of this modified example includes a laser irradiation section 20, a light receiving section 22, and a parallelizing lens 30.

[0063] The parallelizing lens 30 is a convex lens, also known as a converging lens, and is positioned between the convergence point SP and the light-receiving part 22 in the same arrangement direction (vertical direction Z) as the laser irradiation part 20 and the light-receiving part 22. The convergence point SP is the focal point of the parallelizing lens 30. The parallelizing lens 30 brings multiple laser rays LB, including a first ray LB1 and a second ray LB2 that diverge and expand from the convergence point SP, into near-parallel light. Furthermore, the parallelizing lens 30 is fixed to the light-receiving part 22 via a component not shown.

[0064] According to the laser irradiation apparatus 2A of this modified example, the multiple laser beams LB constituting the laser L can be received as parallel beams by each light-receiving element 220 of the light-receiving unit 22. Therefore, each light-receiving element 220 can receive the laser beams LB as parallel beams with high precision. Therefore, according to the laser irradiation apparatus 2A of this modified example, the light-receiving accuracy of the light-receiving unit 22 is improved, and the irradiation amount of the laser L can be controlled with higher precision.

[0065] (Second variation)

[0066] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the laser irradiation device of the second modified example.

[0067] like Figure 5 As shown, the laser irradiation device 2B of this modified example includes a laser irradiation section 20, a light receiving section 22, a parallelizing lens 30, and a light-reducing element 40.

[0068] The light-reducing element 40 is disposed between the convergence point SP and the light-receiving part 22 in the same arrangement direction (vertical direction Z) as the laser irradiation part 20 and the light-receiving part 22. The light-reducing element 40 is, for example, a light-reducing filter. In this modified example, the light-reducing element 40 is disposed between the parallelizing lens 30 and the light-receiving part 22. The light-reducing element 40 reduces the light intensity of a plurality of laser beams LB including the first light beam LB1 and the second light beam LB2 that have passed through the parallelizing lens 30.

[0069] According to the laser irradiation apparatus 2B of this modified example, the intensity of the laser L incident on the light-receiving part 22 can be reduced by passing through the light-reducing element 40. As a result, damage to each light-receiving element 220 of the light-receiving part 22 can be suppressed.

[0070] Furthermore, the specific descriptions of the shape, quantity, configuration, materials, etc. of each component of the laser irradiation device and the laser processing device are not limited to the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example is taken where the convergence point SP is located between the laser irradiation section 20 and the light-receiving section 22 in the arrangement direction (vertical direction Z). That is, the example is taken where the light-receiving section 22 is arranged at a position far away from the convergence point SP. However, the light-receiving section 22 can also be arranged at a position closer to the laser irradiation section 20 than the convergence point SP, and at a position where it can receive each laser beam before convergence.

[0072] In addition, in the laser irradiation unit 20 of the above embodiment, a plurality of laser elements 211 are arranged in a matrix on the substrate 210, but the plurality of laser elements 211 may also be arranged in a concentric circle on the substrate 210.

[0073] The following is a summary published in this note.

[0074] (Postscript 1)

[0075] A laser irradiation device includes: a laser irradiation unit comprising a first laser element emitting a first light beam and a second laser element emitting a second light beam, irradiating a laser beam formed by the convergence of the first and second light beams toward a convergence point; a light-receiving unit comprising a first light-receiving element receiving the first light beam and a second light-receiving element receiving the second light beam; a moving mechanism for changing the relative position of the laser irradiation unit and the light-receiving unit; and a control unit for controlling the driving of the laser irradiation unit and the moving mechanism, wherein, when viewed from above the convergence point, the first laser element and the second laser element... The components are arranged in different positions. The position where the light-receiving part receives the laser light irradiated by the laser irradiation part is different from the convergence point when the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part are facing each other. When the light-receiving part is viewed from above along the arrangement direction, the first position where the first light-receiving element receives the first light ray and the second position where the second light-receiving element receives the second light ray are different. The control unit irradiates the light-receiving part with the laser light when the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part are facing each other, and corrects the output of the laser light based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving part.

[0076] According to this laser irradiation device, by positioning the laser irradiation unit and the light-receiving unit opposite each other, the light-receiving unit, located at a position different from the convergence point of the laser, can receive the first and second rays emitted from the first and second laser elements respectively. Therefore, based on the light-receiving results of the light-receiving unit, the laser irradiation unit can individually control the output of each laser element, thereby enabling simple and high-precision correction of the laser irradiation amount.

[0077] Therefore, the laser irradiation device based on this structure can control the amount of laser irradiation with high precision.

[0078] (Postscript 2)

[0079] According to the laser irradiation apparatus described in Appendix 1, the laser irradiation unit further includes a converging lens, which generates the laser by converging the first light emitted from the first laser element and the second light emitted from the second laser element.

[0080] According to this structure, by using a converging lens, it is possible to easily and with high precision generate a laser beam in which the first and second rays converge toward the convergence point.

[0081] (Note 3)

[0082] According to Appendix 1 or 2, the laser irradiation device further comprises a parallelizing lens disposed in the arrangement direction between the convergence point and the light-receiving part, so that the first light ray emitted from the first laser element and the second light ray emitted from the second laser element are parallelized.

[0083] According to this structure, the first and second rays constituting the laser can be parallelized and incident on each light-receiving element through the parallelizing lens. Therefore, each light-receiving element can receive each ray as parallel light with high precision. Thus, according to this structure, the light-receiving accuracy of the light-receiving part is improved, and the laser irradiation amount can be controlled with higher precision.

[0084] (Postscript 4)

[0085] According to the laser irradiation device described in Appendix 3, the convergence point is the focal point of the parallelizing lens.

[0086] According to this structure, the parallelizing lens can parallelize the first and second rays that diverge from the convergence point.

[0087] (Note 5)

[0088] The laser irradiation apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, wherein the laser irradiation apparatus further comprises a light-reducing element disposed in the arrangement direction between the convergence point and the light-receiving part, thereby reducing the light intensity of the first light emitted from the first laser element and the second light emitted from the second laser element.

[0089] According to this structure, the intensity of the laser incident on the light-receiving part can be reduced by passing through the light-reducing element. As a result, damage to the light-receiving elements of the light-receiving part can be suppressed.

[0090] (Note 6)

[0091] According to any one of Appendices 1 to 5, the laser irradiation apparatus wherein the convergence point is located between the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part in the arrangement direction.

[0092] According to this structure, it is possible to realize a structure in which the first ray and the second ray are received in a state where the light-receiving part is spatially separated.

[0093] (Note 7)

[0094] The laser irradiation apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 6, wherein the first laser element and the second laser element are photonic crystal surface-emitting laser elements.

[0095] This structure allows for a narrower emission angle of the laser from the laser element.

[0096] (Note 8)

[0097] A laser processing apparatus comprising: a laser irradiation device as described in any one of Annexes 1 to 7; and a worktable on which a workpiece to be processed is irradiated by the laser from the laser irradiation section of the laser irradiation device.

[0098] According to this laser processing apparatus, even if the characteristics of the laser irradiation device deviate from the design value and the laser irradiation amount changes, the deviation in irradiation amount can be corrected through a correction process. Therefore, it is possible to process the workpiece with high precision during the processing.

Claims

1. A laser irradiation device, comprising: A laser irradiation unit includes a first laser element that emits a first light beam and a second laser element that emits a second light beam, and irradiates a laser beam formed by the convergence of the first light beam and the second light beam toward a convergence point; The light-receiving part includes a first light-receiving element that receives the first light beam and a second light-receiving element that receives the second light beam; A moving mechanism that changes the relative position of the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part; and The control unit controls the driving of the laser irradiation unit and the moving mechanism. When viewed from above the convergence point, the first laser element and the second laser element are positioned at different locations. The position where the light-receiving part receives the laser light irradiated by the laser irradiation part is different from the convergence point when the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part are opposite each other. When the light-receiving portion is viewed from above along the arrangement direction, the first position where the first light-receiving element receives the first light ray and the second position where the second light-receiving element receives the second light ray are different. The control unit irradiates the laser onto the light-receiving unit while the laser irradiation unit is positioned opposite the light-receiving unit, and corrects the laser output based on the light-receiving result of the light-receiving unit.

2. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein, The laser irradiation unit further includes a converging lens, which generates the laser by converging the first light emitted from the first laser element and the second light emitted from the second laser element.

3. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein, The laser irradiation device also has a parallelizing lens, which is disposed in the alignment direction between the convergence point and the light-receiving part, so that the first light emitted from the first laser element and the second light emitted from the second laser element are parallelized.

4. The laser irradiation device according to claim 3, wherein, The convergence point is the focal point of the parallelized lens.

5. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein, The laser irradiation device also has a light-reducing element, which is arranged in the arrangement direction between the convergence point and the light-receiving part to reduce the light intensity of the first light emitted from the first laser element and the second light emitted from the second laser element.

6. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein, The convergence point is located between the laser irradiation part and the light-receiving part in the arrangement direction.

7. The laser irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein, The first laser element and the second laser element are both photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers.

8. A laser processing apparatus, comprising: The laser irradiation device according to claim 1; and A worktable on which a workpiece is subjected to laser light irradiated by the laser irradiation unit of the laser irradiation device.

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