Light output device, light output method, and method of manufacturing processed body

Abstract

To provide a light output device, a light output method, and a method of manufacturing a processed body, which make it possible to perform a joining process quickly, and perform the joining properly even when a gap exists between the two joined components.SOLUTION: A light output device 1 includes a combining unit 31 and an amplifying unit 32. The combining unit 31 is configured to combine a first laser L1, which is a pulse laser oscillated by a first laser device, and a second laser L2 oscillated by a second laser device, to output a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser. The amplifying unit 32 is configured to propagate the combined light, thereby amplifying both the component of the first laser and the component of the second laser included in the combined light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light output device, a light output method, and a method for manufacturing a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a joining method that allows for rapid joining processing and also allows for proper joining even when a gap exists between two members to be joined.

[0003] The joining method described in Patent Document 1 includes the steps of: arranging a first member to be joined and a second member to be joined to form an assembly; irradiating the assembly with first and second lasers, wherein the first laser forms a light-absorptive region that serves as a processing starting point on the surface of the first member to be joined or the second member to be joined, and the second laser is irradiated to include the position that will be the processing starting point, thereby generating a molten material from the light-absorptive region; and continuing the irradiation of the second laser, wherein gas is generated inside the molten material, and the first member to be joined and the second member to be joined are joined via the molten material by the pressure of the gas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-133390 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above method has room for further improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical output device. The optical output device includes a combining unit and an amplifying unit. The combining unit is configured to combine a first laser, which is a pulsed laser oscillated from a first laser device, with a second laser oscillated from a second laser device, to output a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser. The amplifying unit is configured to propagate the combined light, thereby amplifying both the component of the first laser and the component of the second laser included in the combined light.

[0007] Such a configuration can provide a better technique. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of an overview of a light output device 1. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of light output device 1 shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the waveform of synthetic light L3 and the number of excited electrons. FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the synchronization timing of the first laser and the second laser and the number of excited electrons. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the synchronization timing of the first laser and the second laser and the number of excited electrons. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is an activity diagram showing an example of the flow of a light output method etc. related to light output device 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 shows a modified example of light output device 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 shows a modified example of light output device 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various characteristic features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be provided so as to be downloadable from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] In addition, in this embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, in this embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation can be performed on the circuit in the broad sense.

[0012] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. In other words, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the outline of the light output device 1. The light output device 1 outputs a first laser L1 and a second laser L2, combines them into one composite light L3, and irradiates the composite light L4 onto a workpiece W as an irradiating object, thereby performing laser processing. The light output device 1 can function as a laser processing device using a transient selective laser processing method (TSL) in particular. TSL is a processing method in which an ultrashort pulse laser is irradiated onto the workpiece W, and a laser, for example, a continuous wave (CW) laser or a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) laser, is selectively absorbed by a region in which the electronic state of the workpiece W is transiently excited, thereby performing laser processing of the workpiece W.

[0014] The light output device 1 includes a stage ST, a laser unit 2, and a propagation unit 3. The stage ST is configured to be able to place a workpiece W, and is configured to be able to move the workpiece at least in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the synthetic light L4. This allows the irradiation range of the synthetic light L4 on the workpiece W to be changed, and the desired processing can be realized. The movement of the workpiece W can be realized by, for example, an electronically controllable driving mechanism such as a stepping motor. Note that the light output device 1 is not limited to one including a stage ST that can move the workpiece W, as long as it is able to change the irradiation area of ​​the synthetic light L4 on the workpiece W. For example, the light output device 1 may be configured to be able to control the irradiation area of ​​the synthetic light L4 by changing the propagation direction of the synthetic light L4, like a galvano scanner.

[0015] The laser unit 2 is a mechanism for outputting a first laser L1 and a second laser L2. The laser unit 2 includes a first laser device 21, a detection unit 22, an AOM 23 as an example of a shutter unit, a pulse driver 24 as a generation unit, and a second laser device 25.

[0016] The first laser device 21 is configured to oscillate a first laser L1. The first laser L1 is a pulsed laser having a first pulse width. The first pulse width may be, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 ps, ​​1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 fs, or may be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. The number N1 of pulses of the first laser L1 output per unit time is arbitrary, but specifically, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 MHz, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. In other words, the first laser device 21 is not limited to an ultrashort pulse laser, and may be configured to be capable of outputting a pulse laser with any pulse width. The first laser device 21 is, for example, a mode-locked laser device capable of outputting an ultrashort pulse laser. Note that the first laser device 21 is not limited to a mode-locked laser device, and any type of laser device, such as a Q-switched laser device or a gain-switched laser device, can be applied.

[0017] The first laser L1 is configured to be capable of exciting the electronic state of the workpiece W. The first laser L1 preferably has an intensity required to excite the electronic state of the workpiece W to a predetermined energy level while suppressing damage to the workpiece W. For this reason, the first pulse width is preferably on the order of 1 ps. The wavelength (photon energy) of the first laser L1 may be appropriately set according to the material of the workpiece W, and examples of the wavelength include the microwave region, infrared region, visible light region, ultraviolet region, and terahertz region. Specifically, the wavelength of the first laser L1 is, for example, 10 -9 ,10 -8 ,10 -7 ,10 -6 ,10 -5 ,10 -4 ,10 -3 ,10 -2 ,10 -1m, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. For example, the first laser L1 may be output so as to cause multiphoton absorption in the workpiece W by amplifying it. This allows the first laser L1 to be absorbed even if the workpiece W is a material having a band gap wider than the single photon energy of the first laser L1, for example, a material transparent to visible light. The first laser L1 may be composed of a plurality of light pulses output at regular time intervals, or may be composed of a plurality of light pulses output irregularly. The first laser L1 may also be composed of a single pulse. The first laser L1 is configured to be absorbed by the workpiece W. This allows the first laser L1 to change the absorption mode of the second laser L2 by the workpiece W from the absorption of the first laser L1 by the workpiece W until the lapse of the excitation period.

[0018] The first laser device 21 includes a first laser light source 211 , a laser medium 212 , and a first resonator 213 .

[0019] The first laser light source 211 is an excitation light source for the first laser device 21, and is configured to be able to output light by being supplied with electric power.

[0020] The laser medium 212 is configured to be excited by the first laser light source 211 and generate seed light. The light amplified in the laser medium 212 is output as the first laser L1. As the laser medium 212, various materials such as titanium sapphire single crystal and YAG single crystal can be used.

[0021] The first resonator 213 is an optical system that makes the light generated from the laser medium 212 go back and forth between a plurality of mirrors and amplifies the light by stimulated emission that occurs in the process. In this embodiment, the first resonator 213 includes, for example, a plurality of mirrors. The plurality of mirrors are arranged so as to include the laser medium 212 on the resonant optical path. The first laser L1 output from the laser medium 212 is amplified by propagating on the resonant optical path of the first resonator 213. A part of the first laser L1 propagating on the resonant optical path is output outside the resonant optical path. This allows the first laser device 21 to output the first laser L1 output from the first resonator 213 to the outside. Note that the specific aspect of the first resonator 213 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in an optical fiber.

[0022] The detection unit 22 is configured to detect the first laser L1. For example, the detection unit 22 is configured to distribute a part of the first laser L1 output from the first laser device 21 using a half mirror or the like, and detect the intensity of the distributed part of the first laser L1. The detection unit 22 is, for example, a photodetector such as a photodiode or a CCD device. The detection unit 22 is configured to generate a detection signal S1 at the timing of detecting the first laser L1. The intensity of the detection signal S1 increases according to the intensity of the detected first laser L1. The detection signal S1 indicates the detection timing of the first laser L1.

[0023] The AOM23 is configured to absorb, diffract, or reflect at least a portion of the first laser L1 before being combined by the combining unit 31, thereby reducing the number of pulses of the first laser L1 propagated to the combining unit 31. The AOM23 of this embodiment is an optical element capable of changing the diffraction mode of the first laser L1 in response to application of a voltage, and thus the AOM23 can temporarily change the optical path of the first laser L1 output from the first laser device 21 and select the pulses contained in the first laser L1 input to the propagation unit 3. In this embodiment, the AOM23 is configured to obtain the detection signal S1 as a clock signal, and apply a voltage when the measured number of the clock signal reaches a predetermined value. This allows the propagation mode of the pulses contained in the first laser L1 to be periodically changed, and the pulse interval of the first laser L1 to be adjusted. The AOM23 is disposed downstream of the detection unit 22 on the optical path of the first laser L1. In other words, the detection unit 22 is configured to detect the first laser L1 propagated to the AOM23 after oscillation. With this configuration, the number of pulses of the second laser L2 can be adjusted while maintaining high time synchronization accuracy by the number of pulses of the first laser L1 per unit time. In addition, the AOM23 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to a voltage that specifies the timing for changing the diffraction mode of light as a synchronization signal S2. The AOM23 of this embodiment is configured to guide the first laser L1 to the propagation unit 3 when a voltage is applied. Note that the AOM23 may be configured to guide the first laser L1 to the propagation unit 3 when no voltage is applied.

[0024] The pulse driver 24 is configured to generate a predetermined drive signal S3 in response to the detection timing of the first laser L1. For example, the pulse driver 24 acquires the synchronization signal S2 as an input signal, and generates the drive signal S3 by modulating the pulse width of the synchronization signal S2. The drive signal S3 is a signal for oscillating a second laser light source 251 described later. The second laser light source 251 is an element capable of converting an electric signal into light, for example, a semiconductor laser diode. The pulse driver 24 of this embodiment converts each of the input synchronization signals S2 into a drive signal S3. The drive signal S3 may have a pulse width longer than the synchronization signal S2, or may have a pulse width shorter than the synchronization signal S2.

[0025] The second laser device 25 is configured to oscillate the second laser L2 at a timing synchronized with the oscillation timing of the first laser L1 based on the drive signal S3. For example, the second laser device 25 includes a second laser light source 251. The second laser light source 251 is a light-emitting element included in the second laser device. In this embodiment, the second laser light source 251 is configured to oscillate the second laser L2 so as to synchronize with the timing at which a part of the pulse of the first laser L1 output from the first laser device 21 is periodically guided to the propagation section 3 by the AOM 23. Specifically, the second laser light source 251 is configured to oscillate using the drive signal S3 as a direct trigger signal. This improves the response speed of the second laser light source 251 and further improves the synchronization accuracy between the first laser L1 and the second laser L2.

[0026] The second laser L2 of the present embodiment is a pulsed laser having a second pulse width, which is longer than the first pulse width and is determined by the pulse width of the drive signal S3 described above. The second pulse width is arbitrary, but specifically, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 ns, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 μs, and may be within or outside the range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. In particular, the ratio of the first pulse width to the second pulse width is specifically, for example, 10, 10 2 ,10 3 ,10 4 ,10 5 ,10 6 ,10 7 ,10 8 and may be within a range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here. In this embodiment, the second laser L2 is a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) laser having a sufficiently long pulse width relative to the first laser L1.

[0027] The number N2 of pulses of the second laser L2 outputted per unit time is arbitrary, but may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 kHz, and may be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here. The number N1 of pulses of the first laser L1 outputted from the first laser device 21 per unit time is greater than the number N2 of pulses of the second laser L2 outputted from the second laser light source 251 per unit time. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the time accuracy of the oscillation timing of the second laser L2 represented by the drive signal S3. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the synchronization accuracy between the first laser L1 and the second laser L2. The value of the ratio of the number of these pulses, N1 / N2, is arbitrary, but specific examples include 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000, and may be within a range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here.

[0028] The wavelength of the first laser L1 and the wavelength of the second laser L2 are substantially the same. For example, the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 have substantially the same wavelength as a main component. With this configuration, the configuration of the amplifier 32 can be simplified compared to the case where lasers of multiple wavelengths are amplified. Note that the "wavelength" here is a length corresponding to the energy of the laser, and is not a pulse width or a pulse interval.

[0029] The propagation unit 3 is configured to generate a composite light L3 by combining the input first laser L1 and second laser L2. The propagation unit 3 in this embodiment is further configured to generate a composite light L4 by amplifying the generated composite light L3, and to irradiate the composite light L4 to the workpiece W after concentrating the composite light L4. For example, the propagation unit 3 includes a combination unit 31, at least one amplification unit 32, and an irradiation unit 33.

[0030] The combiner 31 is configured to combine the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 to output a combined light L3 including a component of the first laser L1 and a component of the second laser L2. The combiner 31 is, for example, an optical combiner (for example, a multiplexer or a polarized beam combiner). This allows the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 to be combined in a manner suitable for propagating the combined light L3 through an optical fiber. The combiner 31 is not limited to an optical combiner, and may be realized by an optical system including a reflecting mirror and a transmitting mirror. The optical combiner of this embodiment is configured to be able to combine lasers of approximately the same wavelength. When an optical fiber amplifier is used downstream of the combiner 31, the combiner 31 may be a coupler connected to the optical fiber amplifier described later. The approximately same wavelength may mean, for example, that the difference in wavelength between the two lights is less than a predetermined value, for example, 100 nm, 50 nm, 10 nm, etc., within a range that can be complemented by amplification of the optical fiber amplifier.

[0031] The amplifier 32 is configured to amplify both the first laser L1 component and the second laser L2 component contained in the composite light L3. With this configuration, the amplification path can be simplified compared to a case where the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 are amplified separately and then the amplified lasers are combined to generate the composite light. In detail, the amplifier 32 is configured to amplify both the frequency components in a specific range that are included as main components among the components of the first laser L1 and the components of the second laser L2 included in the composite light L3. It is preferable that the amplification factor of the component of the first laser L1, the amplification factor of the component of the first laser L1, and the amplification factor of the component of the second laser L2 are substantially equal. The amplifier 32 includes at least one optical fiber amplifier 321 and at least an excitation light source 322.

[0032] The optical fiber amplifier 321 is configured to propagate the composite light L3. The propagated light is output as the composite light L4. The optical fiber amplifier 321 is configured to be connected to the output terminal of the combiner 31, and the composite light L3 output from the combiner 31 propagates through the optical fiber amplifier 321, which may be any type, such as a rare-earth doped amplifier, a multi-core optical amplifier, or a double-clad fiber amplifier. In particular, the optical fiber amplifier 321 is preferably one that includes a rare-earth doped amplifier. With this configuration, the multiple laser beams can be amplified while aligning their optical axes during amplification. The specific form of the amplifier 32 is not limited to one that includes an optical fiber amplifier, and may be any type, such as an optical parametric amplifier or a semiconductor optical amplifier.

[0033] The pumping light source 322 is connected to the optical fiber amplifier 321 and is configured to be capable of outputting, for example, pumping light capable of exciting rare earth ions added to the optical fiber amplifier 321. The pumping light source 322 may be a CW laser or a QCW laser.

[0034] The amplifier 32 is disposed downstream of the detector 22 on the optical path of the first laser L1. In other words, the detector 22 is configured to detect the first laser L1 before it is amplified by the amplifier 32. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the energy efficiency of the amplified first laser L1 due to the detection of the first laser L1. In addition, the amplifier 32 is disposed downstream of the combiner 31 on each of the optical paths of the first laser L1 and the second laser L2. The interval of the combined light L3 is longer than the time required for re-excitation of the optical fiber amplifier 321 from the completion of amplification of the previous combined light L3.

[0035] The irradiation unit 33 is configured to irradiate the composite light to the workpiece W. In this embodiment, the irradiation unit 33 is configured to irradiate the composite light L4 to the workpiece W. The combination unit 31 and the irradiation unit 33 are physically and optically connected to each other by an optical fiber amplifier 321.

[0036] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific configuration of light output device 1 shown in Fig. 1. Note that the same components as those of light output device 1 described in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof may be omitted.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the propagation section 3 of the light output device 1 includes three amplifiers 32 and four isolators IS1 to IS4. Each amplifier 32 further includes an optical coupler C1 for introducing light from the pumping light source 322 into the optical fiber amplifier 321. For convenience of explanation, the three amplifiers 32 are hereinafter referred to as amplifiers 32a, 32b, and 32c. The three amplifiers 32 are arranged in the following order: combiner 31, amplifier 32a, amplifier 32b, amplifier 32c, and irradiation section 33. The amplifier 32a includes one pumping light source 322, and is configured so that the optical fiber amplifier 321 is a forward pumping type. The amplifier 32b includes two pumping light sources 322, and is configured so that the optical fiber amplifier 321 is a forward pumping type. The amplifier 32c includes two pumping light sources 322, and is configured so that the optical fiber amplifier 321 is a backward pumping type. The forward pumping type amplifiers 32a and 32b are configured so that the propagation direction of the pumping light is the same as the propagation direction of the composite light L3. The backward pumping type amplifier 32c is configured so that the propagation direction of the pumping light is the opposite direction to the propagation direction of the composite light L3. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the amplifiers 32a and 32b while increasing the stability of the operation of the amplifiers 32a and 32b with respect to the return light.

[0038] The isolator IS1 is disposed between the first laser device 21 and the combining unit 31, specifically, between the first laser device 21 and the AOM 23 (or the detection unit 22). The isolator IS2 is disposed between the second laser device 25 and the combining unit 31. The isolator IS3 is disposed between the amplifier unit 32a and the amplifier unit 32b. The isolator IS4 is disposed between the amplifier unit 32b and the amplifier unit 32c.

[0039] 2 includes a fiber end cap 331 and a condenser lens 332. The fiber end cap 331 is configured to output the composite light L3 amplified and propagated through the optical fiber amplifier 321 and the optical fiber as composite light L4 to the outside of the optical fiber. The condenser lens 332 is configured to condense the composite light L4 output from the fiber end cap 331 and irradiate the workpiece W. This narrows the laser diameter of the composite light L4 irradiated to the workpiece W, allowing for more precise machining. The condenser lens 332 can be realized by, for example, a single lens, a doublet lens, an objective lens, or a combination of these lenses.

[0040] In addition, in the light output device 1 of this embodiment, the optical path from the first laser device 21 and the second laser device 25 to the irradiation section 33 (specifically, to the fiber end cap 331) is formed using optical fibers. This allows the optical axes of the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 to be aligned, so that the irradiation area of ​​the first laser L1 and the irradiation area of ​​the second laser L2 can be appropriately aligned. Note that the entire optical path does not have to be formed by optical fibers, and at least a part of the optical path may be formed by optical fibers.

[0041] Here, the flow of laser propagation in light output device 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0042] First, the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 are input to the combining unit 31 via isolators IS1 and IS2. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the amplifying units 32a and 32b while increasing the stability of the operation of the amplifying units 32a and 32b with respect to the return light.

[0043] Next, the combined light L3 combined by the combiner 31 propagates through the optical fiber and is input to the amplifier 32a. The combined light L3 input to the amplifier 32a is combined with pumping light from the pumping light source 322 by the optical coupler C1 and input to the optical fiber amplifier 321. The combined light L3 is amplified through the optical fiber amplifier 321 excited by the pumping light, and is output.

[0044] The combined light L3 output from the amplifier 32a propagates through the optical fiber and is input to the amplifier 32b via the isolator IS3. The combined light L3 input to the amplifier 32b is further amplified and output.

[0045] The combined light L3 output from the amplifier 32b propagates through the optical fiber and is input to the amplifier 32c via the isolator IS4. The combined light L3 input to the amplifier 32c is further amplified and output to a fiber end cap 331 of the irradiation unit 33. The combined light L4 output from the fiber end cap 331 is focused by a focusing lens 332 and irradiated onto a desired irradiation area of ​​the workpiece W.

[0046] Next, the relationship between the waveform of the synthetic light L3 and the number of excited electrons will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the waveform of the synthetic light L3 and the number of excited electrons. For convenience of explanation, the output time of the first laser L1 is set to t1, the output time of the second laser L2 is set to t2, and the time when the electrons excited by the first laser L1 relax is set to t3. The output time t2 of the second laser L2 is determined by the input timing of the drive signal S3.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the workpiece W is irradiated with the component of the first laser L1 contained in the synthetic light L3, and thus the material constituting the workpiece W is temporarily excited. As a result, the number of excited electrons increases rapidly according to the intensity (number of photons) of the first laser L1. Since the first laser L1 is a short-pulse laser, the increase in the number of excited electrons stops at the timing when the irradiation of the first laser L1 ends, and the excited electrons exponentially relax to the ground state, and at time t3, almost all of the electrons excited by the first laser L1 reach the ground state. Therefore, from time t1 to time t3, when such excited electrons are sufficiently present, the absorption rate of the second laser L2 by the workpiece W changes. As a result, from time t1 to time t3, even if the workpiece W had difficulty absorbing the second laser L2 before being irradiated with the component of the first laser L1 contained in the synthetic light L3, it becomes easier to absorb the second laser L2 due to the change in the electronic state. To achieve such an irradiation mode, the oscillation timing of the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 is synchronized. Such a change in the absorptance is caused by a temporary change in the state of the workpiece W, and the generation of an electronically excited state and further the change in the number of excited electrons are merely exemplified as one of the indicators showing the change in the electronic state of the workpiece W. For example, the state change may include an irreversible or permanent change, such as the workpiece W being altered by multiphoton absorption.

[0048] The first laser L1 and the second laser L2 do not need to be output at the same time, and any timing may be used as long as the component of the second laser L2 is irradiated before all of the excited states formed by the first laser L1 are relaxed. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the synchronization timing of the first laser and the second laser and the number of excited electrons. As shown in FIG. 4, the output time t1 of the first laser L1 is before the output time t2 of the second laser L2. In addition, the output time t2 of the second laser L2 is before the time t3 at which almost all of the electrons excited by the first laser L1 are relaxed. Even in this case, the second laser L2 is absorbed by the workpiece W between the time t2 and the time t3, so that the temperature of the workpiece W rises, and the TSL processing of the workpiece W becomes possible. In other words, the pulse driver 24 is configured to generate the drive signal S3 so that the pulse component of the second laser L2 included in the composite light is output before the excitation period has elapsed after the timing when the portion of the composite light L3 including the pulse component of the first laser L1 is output. With this configuration, the second laser L2 synchronized with the first laser L1 can be irradiated to the workpiece W in which the absorption mode of the second laser L2 has been changed using the first laser L1. Therefore, the effect of the second laser L2 on the workpiece W can be controlled with higher temporal precision. The second laser L2 may be irradiated before the start of irradiation of the first laser L1. In addition, the pulse driver 24 is configured to generate the drive signal S3 so that the pulse component of the second laser L2 included in the composite light is output before the excitation period has elapsed after the timing when the portion of the composite light including the pulse component of the first laser L1 is output, thereby causing the workpiece W to absorb the second laser L2 until the excitation period has elapsed, thereby performing laser processing on the workpiece W. According to this configuration, more delicate processing can be performed using the second laser L2.

[0049] Furthermore, the first laser L1 may be output while the second laser L2 is being output. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the synchronization timing of the first laser and the second laser and the number of excited electrons. In the graph showing the change in the number of excited electrons in FIG. 5, the non-hatched part indicates that the absorption of the second laser L2 by the workpiece W does not occur even if electronic excitation occurs. As shown in FIG. 5, by appropriately adjusting the time difference D1=(t2-t1) between the output timing of the synchronized first laser L1 and the output timing of the second laser L2 and the pulse width of the first laser L1, the light output device 1 can output the first laser L1 while the second laser L2 is being output. Therefore, the second laser L2 irradiated to the workpiece W during the excitation of the workpiece W by a certain first laser L1 does not have to be synchronized with the first laser L1.

[0050] In addition, the user may set the generation mode of the drive signal S3 so that the oscillation timing of the first laser L1 and the oscillation timing of the second laser L2 are a desired time interval (t2-t1) depending on the usage mode of the combined light L3.

[0051] According to the above-described configuration, the second laser L2 is oscillated from the second laser light source 251 by the drive signal S3 generated according to the detection result of the first laser L1, so that the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 that are synchronized with high accuracy can be combined, compared to the case where the first laser device 21 and the second laser device 25 are oscillated independently.

[0052] In order to oscillate a laser, it is necessary to adjust the optical system such as a resonator with high accuracy so as to satisfy the resonance condition according to the wavelength of the laser. For example, in adjusting such an optical system, feedback control may be performed to adjust the position of a mirror included in the resonator based on the detection result of the laser output. However, very complicated control is required to perform feedback control independently for each of the multiple laser devices. However, due to circumstances such as differences in delay times inherent in the feedback control system, there is room for improvement in synchronizing the oscillation timing of multiple lasers with higher time accuracy. Therefore, in the above-mentioned light output device 1, for example, a drive signal S3 is generated due to the oscillation of the first laser L1, and the second laser light source 251 is oscillated by the drive signal S3. Therefore, since the second laser light source 251 is oscillated by chance in conjunction with the control of the oscillation timing of the first laser L1, the control system can be simplified. As a result, the fluctuation of the optical system in the light output device 1 can be absorbed to improve the synchronization accuracy between the oscillation timing of the first laser L1 and the oscillation timing of the second laser light source 251. Therefore, for example, when the light output device 1 is used for TSL processing, it is possible to suppress variations in the irradiation mode for each pulse of the first laser L1, for example, the irradiation timing, and to realize processing with higher accuracy.

[0053] Next, an example of a light output method that can be implemented using the light output device 1 and the like will be described. FIG. 6 is an activity diagram showing an example of the flow of the light output method and the like related to the light output device 1. Note that this light output method can be implemented using any optical system other than the light output device 1 described above. Note that this light output method is also a manufacturing method for a processed body of any workpiece W by irradiating the composite light L3 onto the workpiece W. The laser unit 2, the propagation unit 3, and the stage ST are appropriately controlled by a control terminal (not shown) and the like. Also, the order of the activities described below can be appropriately changed.

[0054] [Activity A1] First, in activity A1, a workpiece W is prepared as an irradiation object. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is prepared by placing the workpiece W on a stage ST.

[0055] [Activity A2] Next, in activity A2, settings related to processing are made. The settings related to processing include settings related to the processing schedule for the workpiece W, such as the irradiation time of the composite light L3, the irradiation area, and the movement schedule of the stage ST.

[0056] [Activity A3] Next, the process proceeds to activity A3, where the propagation unit 3 oscillates the pumping light source 322. This pumps the optical fiber amplifier 321, and the amplifying unit 32 prepares for amplification.

[0057] [Activity A4] Next, the process proceeds to activity A4, where the first laser device 21 oscillates the first laser light source 211. As a result, the first laser L1 is output.

[0058] [Activity A5] Next, the process proceeds to activity A5, where the detector 22 detects the first laser L1 output from the first laser device 21 and generates a detection signal S1. The output detection signal S1 is converted by the AOM 23 into a synchronization signal S2.

[0059] [Activity A6] Next, the process proceeds to activity A6, where the pulse driver 24 generates the drive signal S3 from the synchronization signal S2. The drive signal S3 may be generated after a predetermined delay time has elapsed from the acquisition of the synchronization signal S2.

[0060] [Activity A7] Next, the process proceeds to activity A7, where the second laser device 25 causes the second laser light source 251 to oscillate based on the drive signal S3, and outputs the second laser L2.

[0061] [Activity A8] Next, the process proceeds to activity A8, where the combiner 31 combines the output first laser L1 and second laser L2, and the amplifier 32 amplifies the combined light L3, thereby generating a combined light L4.

[0062] [Activity A9] Next, the process proceeds to activity A9, where the synthetic light L4 is irradiated from the irradiation unit 33 onto the workpiece W. This performs TSL processing on the area of ​​the workpiece W irradiated with the synthetic light L4, and a machined workpiece W is produced as a machined body.

[0063] In summary, the manufacturing method of the processed body includes a preparation step, a first laser oscillation step, a detection step, a generation step, a second laser oscillation step, a synthesis step, and an irradiation step. In the preparation step, an irradiation body is prepared. In the first laser oscillation step, a first laser is oscillated from a first laser light source, and the first laser is a pulse laser having a first pulse width. In the detection step, the first laser is detected. In the generation step, a predetermined drive signal is generated according to the detection timing of the first laser. In the second laser oscillation step, a second laser is oscillated from a second laser light source at a timing synchronized with the oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal, and the second laser is a pulse laser having a second pulse width. In the synthesis step, the first laser and the second laser are synthesized to output a synthetic light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser. The first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiated body, thereby changing the absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiated body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiated body until the lapse of the excitation period. In the irradiation step, the irradiated body is irradiated with the synthetic light to absorb the second laser, thereby performing laser processing of the irradiated body and manufacturing a processed body of the irradiated body.

[0064] [others] Light output device 1 etc. is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0065] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the light output device 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the second laser device 25 may include components other than the second laser light source 251. For example, the second laser device 25 may further include a laser medium 252 and a second resonator 253. For example, the second laser light source 251 is configured to emit light based on a drive signal S3 from the pulse driver 24, and the light from the second laser light source 251 excites the laser medium 252, and the seed light generated thereby is output as the second laser L2 via the second resonator 253.

[0066] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the light output device 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the second laser device 25 may further include an AOM 254. The AOM 254 is implemented by the AOM 23 or the like. The AOM 254 is an example of a shutter unit, similar to the AOM 23. The AOM 254 is configured to block a part of the light emitted by the second laser light source 251 based on the drive signal S3 from the pulse driver 24. This allows the second laser device 25 to output the second laser as a pulse laser even if the second laser light source 251 is a light source that outputs a continuous wave laser. Therefore, the second laser light source 251 is not limited to a light source that outputs a pulse laser, and may be a light source configured to output a continuous wave. In addition, when the second laser device shown in FIG. 8 further includes a laser medium 252 and a second resonator 253 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the AOM 254 may further block the light passing through the laser medium 252 and the second resonator 253, thereby synchronizing the oscillation timing of the second laser L2.

[0067] The first laser light source 211 is not limited to one that excites the laser medium 212, and may be a light emitting element that can oscillate the first laser L1 itself. The light emitting element is, for example, a semiconductor laser diode.

[0068] The number of pulses of the second laser L2 may not be equal to the number of pulses of the first laser L1 reduced by the AOM23. In other words, the number of pulses of the drive signal S3 may not be equal to the number of pulses of the first laser L1 reduced by the AOM23. For example, the pulse driver 24 may subdivide the input interval of the synchronization signal S2 and generate the drive signal S3 according to the subdivided timing, so that the number of pulses of the drive signal S3 may be greater than the number of pulses of the first laser L1 reduced by the AOM23. Also, the number of the drive signal S3 does not need to be equal to the number of pulses of the second laser L2.

[0069] It is not necessary that the pulses of the first laser L1 and the pulses of the second laser L2 correspond one-to-one, and one pulse of the second laser L2 may correspond to a plurality of pulses of the first laser L1.

[0070] The second laser L2 is not limited to a pulsed laser, but may be a continuous wave (CW) laser.

[0071] The pulse width of the first laser L1 may be equal to or greater than the pulse width of the second laser L2. In addition, both the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 may be ultrashort pulse lasers on the order of fs or ps.

[0072] The above-mentioned embodiment may be omitted from the one in which the oscillation timing of the first laser L1 and the oscillation timing of the second laser L2 are individually controlled. Also, the above-mentioned embodiment may be omitted from the one in which the synchronization between the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 is performed by controlling the position of an optical element such as the first resonator 213. In particular, the synchronization between the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 is performed by controlling only the position of an optical element such as the first resonator 213.

[0073] The detection unit 22 does not have to be disposed between the first laser device 21 and the AOM 23. For example, the detection unit 22 may be disposed between the AOM 23 and the synthesis unit 31. The detection unit 22 may also be disposed downstream of the irradiation unit 33. In short, the detection unit 22 is arbitrary as long as it can detect the components of the first laser L1.

[0074] The pulse driver 24 is not limited to generating the drive signal S3 based on the synchronization signal S2, and may generate the drive signal S3 based on the detection signal S1, for example. For example, when the pulse driver 24 detects the detection signal S1 a predetermined number of times, the pulse driver 24 may modulate the pulse of the last detected detection signal S1 to generate the drive signal S3. In this case, the detection signal S1 may be distributed to the AOM 23 and the pulse driver 24.

[0075] The shutter section is not limited to the AOM 23, and any configuration can be adopted as long as it can change the manner in which the first laser L1 is introduced from the first laser device 21 to the combining section 31. For example, the shutter section may be an optical element whose optical characteristics can be electrically controlled, such as a liquid crystal shutter, an optical element whose optical path can be mechanically changed, such as a galvanometer mirror, or a member that can block the first laser L1 by mechanically interposing it in the optical path, such as a beam chopper or an open / close shutter. The shutter section may also be an electro-optical modulator (EOM).

[0076] The laser unit 2 can be applied to other than laser processing such as TSL. For example, the light output device 1 can be used as a so-called pump probe measurement device in which the first laser L1 is used as pump light and the second laser L2 is used as probe light by appropriately adjusting the intensity and frequency of the first laser L1 and the second laser L2. The laser unit 2 can also be used as a coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurement device. That is, the laser unit 2 can be applied to any device that outputs multiple lasers in synchronization. Similarly, the light output method (in other words, the light synchronization method) related to the light output device 1 can be applied to any method of synchronizing the irradiation timing of multiple lasers, such as pump probe spectroscopy and CARS, in addition to the TSL method.

[0077] The light output device 1 may include only one of the laser unit 2 and the propagation unit 3. That is, the laser unit 2 and the propagation unit 3 may each constitute a technical concept independent of the other configuration. For example, the light output device 1 includes a synthesis unit 31 and an amplification unit 32. The synthesis unit 31 is configured to output a synthesized light including a component of the first laser L1 and a component of the second laser L2 by synthesizing a first laser L1, which is a pulse laser oscillated from the first laser device 21, and a second laser L2 oscillated from the second laser device 25. The amplification unit 32 is configured to amplify both the component of the first laser L1 and the component of the second laser L2 included in the synthesized light by propagating the synthesized light. With this configuration, the amplification path can be simplified compared to a case where the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 are amplified separately and then the amplified lasers are synthesized to generate the synthesized light. The amplification unit 32 may include at least one optical fiber amplifier 321. According to this configuration, by performing the amplification using an optical fiber amplifier, it is possible to improve the coaxiality of the two lasers L1, L2 with a relatively simple configuration while suppressing jitter that occurs in the combined light during amplification.

[0078] The output method of the first laser L1 and the second laser L2 is not limited to the method used in the above-mentioned light output device 1, and may be any method, for example, a method using a known laser light source. Similarly, the light output method can be implemented in the following manner. For example, the light output method includes a synthesis step and an amplification step. In the synthesis step, the first laser L1, which is a pulse laser oscillated from the first laser device 21, and the second laser L2 oscillated from the second laser device 25 are synthesized to output a synthesized light containing a component of the first laser L1 and a component of the second laser L2. In the amplification step, the synthesized light is propagated in at least one optical fiber amplifier, thereby amplifying both the component of the first laser L1 and the component of the second laser L2 contained in the synthesized light. The light output method can function as, for example, an optical amplification method.

[0079] The light output device 1 and the like may be provided in the following manner.

[0080] (1) An optical output device comprising a combining unit and an amplifying unit, the combining unit configured to combine a first laser, which is a pulsed laser oscillated from a first laser device, and a second laser oscillated from a second laser device, to output combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser, and the amplifying unit configured to amplify both the component of the first laser and the component of the second laser included in the combined light by propagating the combined light.

[0081] With this configuration, the amplification path can be simplified compared to a case in which the first laser and the second laser are amplified separately and then the amplified lasers are combined to generate combined light, thereby suppressing jitter that occurs in the combined light.

[0082] (2) The light output device according to (1) above, further comprising the first laser device, a detection unit, a generation unit, and the second laser device, wherein the first laser device is configured to oscillate the first laser, the first laser being a pulsed laser having a first pulse width, the detection unit is configured to detect the first laser, the generation unit is configured to generate a predetermined drive signal in response to a detection timing of the first laser, and the second laser device is configured to oscillate the second laser based on the drive signal at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser, and the second laser is a pulsed laser having a second pulse width.

[0083] According to this configuration, the second laser is oscillated from the second laser device by a drive signal generated in response to the detection result of the first laser, so that the first laser and the second laser can be combined to be synchronized with high accuracy compared to the case where the first laser device and the second laser device are oscillated independently.

[0084] (3) The light output device according to (2) above, wherein said detection section is configured to detect said first laser before it is amplified by said amplification section.

[0085] According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the energy of the first laser amplified by detection of the first laser.

[0086] (4) The light output device according to (2) or (3) above, further comprising a shutter unit configured to reduce a number of pulses of the first laser propagated to the combining unit by absorbing, diffracting, or reflecting at least a portion of the first laser before being combined by the combining unit, and the detection unit configured to detect the first laser propagated to the shutter unit after oscillation.

[0087] According to this configuration, it is possible to adjust the number of pulses of the second laser while maintaining high time synchronization accuracy by the number of pulses of the first laser per unit time.

[0088] (5) The light output device according to any one of (2) to (4) above, further comprising an irradiation unit, wherein the irradiation unit is configured to irradiate an irradiating body with the combined light, and the first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiating body, thereby changing an absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiating body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiating body until an excitation period has elapsed, and the generation unit is configured to generate the drive signal such that a pulse component of the second laser included in the combined light is output after a timing when a portion of the combined light including a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed.

[0089] According to this configuration, the second laser synchronized with the first laser can be irradiated to the irradiated body in which the absorption mode of the second laser is changed by using the first laser. Therefore, the effect of the second laser on the irradiated body can be controlled with high temporal accuracy.

[0090] (6) In the light output device described in (5) above, the generation unit generates the drive signal so that a pulse component of the second laser contained in the combined light is output after a timing when a portion of the combined light including a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed, thereby causing the irradiated body to absorb the second laser until the excitation period has elapsed, thereby performing laser processing on the irradiated body.

[0091] According to this configuration, more delicate processing can be performed using the second laser.

[0092] (7) The light output device according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein said amplifying section includes at least one optical fiber amplifier configured to propagate said combined light.

[0093] According to this configuration, the optical axes of the multiple laser beams can be aligned during amplification.

[0094] (8) The light output device according to (7) above, wherein the wavelength of the first laser and the wavelength of the second laser are substantially the same.

[0095] According to this configuration, the configuration of the amplifier section can be simplified compared to the case where lasers of a plurality of wavelengths are amplified.

[0096] (9) The light output device according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein a number of pulses of said first laser output per unit time is greater than a number of pulses of said second laser output per unit time.

[0097] According to this configuration, the time precision of the oscillation timing of the second laser represented by the drive signal can be improved, and therefore the synchronization precision between the first laser and the second laser can be further improved.

[0098] (10) A light output method comprising a combining step and an amplifying step, in which a first laser, which is a pulse laser oscillated from a first laser device, and a second laser oscillated from a second laser device are combined in the combining step to output combined light containing a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser, and in which the combined light is propagated in at least one optical fiber amplifier to amplify both the component of the first laser and the component of the second laser contained in the combined light.

[0099] According to this configuration, the amplification path can be simplified compared to a case where the first laser and the second laser are amplified separately and then the amplified lasers are combined to generate a combined light. Furthermore, by performing the amplification using an optical fiber amplifier, it is possible to suppress jitter that occurs in the combined light during amplification with a relatively simple configuration.

[0100] (11) A light output method comprising a first laser oscillation step, a detection step, a generation step, a second laser oscillation step, and a synthesis step, wherein in the first laser oscillation step, a first laser is oscillated from a first laser device, the first laser being a pulse laser having a first pulse width, in the detection step, the first laser is detected, in the generation step, a predetermined drive signal is generated according to a detection timing of the first laser, in the second laser oscillation step, a second laser is oscillated from a second laser device at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal, the second laser being a pulse laser having a second pulse width, and in the synthesis step, the first laser and the second laser are synthesized to output a synthetic light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser.

[0101] According to this configuration, the second laser is oscillated from the second laser device by a drive signal generated in response to the detection result of the first laser, so that the first laser and the second laser can be combined to be synchronized with high accuracy compared to the case where the first laser device and the second laser device are oscillated independently.

[0102] (12) A method for manufacturing a processed body, comprising a preparation step, a first laser oscillation step, a detection step, a generation step, a second laser oscillation step, a synthesis step, and an irradiation step, in which the preparation step includes preparing an irradiated body, the first laser oscillation step includes oscillating a first laser from a first laser device, the first laser being a pulsed laser having a first pulse width, the detection step includes detecting the first laser, the generation step includes generating a predetermined drive signal in accordance with a detection timing of the first laser, and the second laser oscillation step includes oscillating a second laser device at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal. a second laser is oscillated from a first laser, the second laser being a pulsed laser having a second pulse width; in the combining step, the first laser and the second laser are combined to output a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser; the first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiated body, thereby changing an absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiated body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiated body until an excitation period has elapsed; in the irradiation step, the combined light is irradiated to the irradiated body, thereby causing the second laser to be absorbed, thereby performing laser processing of the irradiated body and manufacturing a processed body of the irradiated body. Of course, this is not the case.

[0103] Furthermore, the following aspect may be adopted.

[0104] (1) A light output device comprising: a first laser light source, a detection unit, a generation unit, a second laser light source, and a synthesis unit, wherein the first laser light source is configured to oscillate a first laser, the first laser being a pulsed laser having a first pulse width, the detection unit is configured to detect the first laser, the generation unit is configured to generate a predetermined drive signal in response to a detection timing of the first laser, the second laser light source is configured to oscillate a second laser based on the drive signal at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser, the second laser being a pulsed laser having a second pulse width, and the synthesis unit is configured to output a synthetic light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser by synthesizing the first laser and the second laser.

[0105] According to this configuration, the second laser is oscillated from the second laser light source by a drive signal generated according to the detection result of the first laser, so that the first laser and the second laser can be combined to be synchronized with high accuracy compared to the case where the first laser light source and the second laser light source are oscillated independently.

[0106] (2) The light output device according to (1) above, further comprising an amplifier configured to amplify both the first laser component and the second laser component contained in the combined light.

[0107] With this configuration, the amplification path can be simplified compared to a case in which the first laser and the second laser are amplified separately and then the amplified lasers are combined to generate combined light, thereby suppressing jitter that occurs in the combined light.

[0108] (3) The light output device according to (2) above, wherein the amplifying section includes at least one optical fiber amplifier configured to propagate the combined light.

[0109] According to this configuration, the optical axes of the multiple laser beams can be aligned during amplification.

[0110] (4) The light output device according to (2) or (3) above, wherein the wavelength of the first laser and the wavelength of the second laser are substantially the same.

[0111] According to this configuration, the configuration of the amplifier section can be simplified compared to the case where lasers of a plurality of wavelengths are amplified.

[0112] (5) The light output device according to any one of (2) to (4) above, wherein said detection section is configured to detect said first laser before being amplified by said amplification section.

[0113] According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the energy of the first laser amplified by detection of the first laser.

[0114] (6) The light output device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the number of pulses of the first laser outputted per unit time is greater than the number of pulses of the second laser outputted per unit time.

[0115] According to this configuration, the time precision of the oscillation timing of the second laser represented by the drive signal can be improved, and therefore the synchronization precision between the first laser and the second laser can be further improved.

[0116] (7) The light output device according to any one of (1) to (6) above, further comprising a shutter unit, the shutter unit configured to reduce a number of pulses of the first laser propagated to the combining unit by absorbing, diffracting, or reflecting at least a portion of the first laser before being combined by the combining unit, and the detection unit configured to detect the first laser propagated to the shutter unit after oscillation.

[0117] According to this configuration, it is possible to adjust the number of pulses of the second laser while maintaining high time synchronization accuracy by the number of pulses of the first laser per unit time.

[0118] (8) The light output device according to any one of (1) to (7) above, further comprising an irradiation unit, wherein the irradiation unit is configured to irradiate an irradiating body with the combined light, and the first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiating body, thereby changing an absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiating body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiating body until an excitation period has elapsed, and the generation unit is configured to generate the drive signal such that a pulse component of the second laser included in the combined light is output after a timing when a portion of the combined light including a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed.

[0119] According to this configuration, the second laser synchronized with the first laser can be irradiated to the irradiated body in which the absorption mode of the second laser is changed by using the first laser. Therefore, the effect of the second laser on the irradiated body can be controlled with high temporal accuracy.

[0120] (9) In the light output device described in (8) above, the generation unit is configured to generate the drive signal so that a pulse component of the second laser contained in the combined light is output after a portion of the combined light containing a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed, thereby causing the irradiated body to absorb the second laser until the excitation period has elapsed, thereby performing laser processing on the irradiated body.

[0121] According to this configuration, more delicate processing can be performed using the second laser.

[0122] Finally, although various embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1: Optical output device 2: Laser section 3: Propagation section 21: First laser device 22: Detection unit 24: Pulse driver 25: Second laser device 31: Synthesis section 32: Amplification section 32a: Amplification section 32b: Amplification section 32c: Amplification section 33: Irradiation unit 211: First laser light source 212: Laser medium 213: First resonator 251: Second laser light source 252: Laser medium 253: Second resonator 254 :AOM 321: Optical fiber amplifier 322: Excitation light source 331: Fiber end cap 332: Condenser lens C1: Optical coupler IS1: Isolator IS2: Isolator IS3 : Isolator IS4 : Isolator L1: First laser L2: Second laser L3: Synthetic light L4: Synthetic light S1: Detection signal S2: Synchronization signal S3: Drive signal ST: Stage W: Work t1,t2,t3 :Time

Claims

1. 1. A light output device comprising: A synthesis unit and an amplification unit are provided, the synthesis unit is configured to synthesize a first laser, which is a pulse laser oscillated from a first laser device, and a second laser oscillated from a second laser device, to output a synthesized light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser; the amplifier section is configured to amplify both the first laser component and the second laser component contained in the combined light by propagating the combined light.

2. 2. The light output device of claim 1, The laser device further includes the first laser device, a detection unit, a generation unit, and the second laser device, the first laser device is configured to oscillate the first laser, the first laser being a pulsed laser having a first pulse width; The detector is configured to detect the first laser; the generating unit is configured to generate a predetermined drive signal in response to a detection timing of the first laser; the second laser device is configured to oscillate the second laser at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal, and the second laser is a pulsed laser having a second pulse width.

3. 3. The light output device of claim 2, An optical output device, wherein the detection section is configured to detect the first laser before it is amplified by the amplification section.

4. 3. The light output device of claim 2, It also has a shutter section, The shutter unit is configured to reduce the number of pulses of the first laser propagated to the combining unit by absorbing, diffracting, or reflecting at least a portion of the first laser before being combined by the combining unit; The detection section is configured to detect the first laser beam propagating to the shutter section after oscillation.

5. 3. The light output device of claim 2, Further, the device is provided with an irradiation unit. The irradiation unit is configured to irradiate an irradiation object with the synthetic light, The first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiating body, thereby changing the absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiating body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiating body until the lapse of an excitation period; the generation unit is configured to generate the drive signal such that a pulse component of the second laser contained in the combined light is output after a portion of the combined light including a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed.

6. 6. The light output device of claim 5, The generation unit generates the drive signal so that a pulse component of the second laser contained in the combined light is output after the timing when a portion of the combined light containing a pulse component of the first laser is output and before the excitation period has elapsed, thereby causing the second laser to be absorbed by the irradiated body until the excitation period has elapsed, thereby performing laser processing on the irradiated body.

7. 2. The light output device of claim 1, The optical output device, wherein the amplification section includes at least one optical fiber amplifier configured to propagate the combined light.

8. 8. The light output device of claim 7, A light output device, wherein the wavelength of the first laser and the wavelength of the second laser are substantially the same.

9. 2. The light output device of claim 1, 1. A light output device, wherein the number of pulses of said first laser outputted per unit time is greater than the number of pulses of said second laser outputted per unit time.

10. A light output method, comprising: The method includes a synthesis step and an amplification step, In the combining step, a first laser, which is a pulse laser oscillated from a first laser device, and a second laser oscillated from a second laser device are combined to output a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser; an optical output method, in which, in the amplifying step, the first laser component and the second laser component contained in the combined light are both amplified by propagating the combined light in at least one optical fiber amplifier.

11. A light output method, comprising: The method includes a first laser oscillation step, a detection step, a generation step, a second laser oscillation step, and a synthesis step; In the first laser oscillation step, a first laser is oscillated from a first laser device, and the first laser is a pulse laser having a first pulse width; The detecting step includes detecting the first laser; In the generating step, a predetermined drive signal is generated in response to a detection timing of the first laser; in the second laser oscillation step, a second laser is oscillated from a second laser device at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal, the second laser being a pulse laser having a second pulse width; The light output method, in the combining step, by combining the first laser and the second laser, a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser is output.

12. A method for manufacturing a processed body, comprising the steps of: The method includes a preparation step, a first laser oscillation step, a detection step, a generation step, a second laser oscillation step, a synthesis step, and an irradiation step; In the preparation step, an irradiation body is prepared; In the first laser oscillation step, a first laser is oscillated from a first laser device, and the first laser is a pulse laser having a first pulse width; The detecting step includes detecting the first laser; In the generating step, a predetermined drive signal is generated in response to a detection timing of the first laser; in the second laser oscillation step, a second laser is oscillated from a second laser device at a timing synchronized with an oscillation timing of the first laser based on the drive signal, the second laser being a pulse laser having a second pulse width; In the combining step, the first laser and the second laser are combined to output a combined light including a component of the first laser and a component of the second laser; The first laser is configured to be absorbed by the irradiating body, thereby changing the absorption mode of the second laser by the irradiating body from the absorption of the first laser by the irradiating body until the lapse of an excitation period; In the irradiation step, the irradiated body is irradiated with the synthetic light, thereby performing laser processing of the irradiated body by absorbing the second laser, and a processed body of the irradiated body is manufactured.

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