Laser processing machine and laser processing method

Abstract

To provide a laser processing machine capable of achieving highly accurate and highly efficient patterning processing even when an ultrashort pulse laser beam is transmitted through space.SOLUTION: There is a provided a laser processing machine that, while delivering a film wound in a roll shape, performs laser processing on a processing target film that is a part of the film being delivered. The lase processing machine comprises: a suction table which has a suction port on its upper surface side, and can suction-hold the processing target film in a flat state; a driving mechanism which reciprocates the suction table in a conveying direction of the film; an unwinding device which is positioned upstream of the suction table in the conveying direction of the film, and holds the film wound in a roll shape; a winding device which is positioned downstream of the suction table in the conveying direction of the film, and winds the film after processing; and a plurality of irradiation units which irradiate laser beams toward a surface to be processed of the processing target film suction-held on the suction table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser processing machine for patterning thin-film solar cells. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of thin-film solar cells, a laser processing machine is used to process several hundred patterns on a film-like substrate. Normally, to improve productivity, multiple processing heads are arranged to process several patterns simultaneously, but since the number of processing heads that can be arranged is limited due to space constraints, several hundred patterns are efficiently processed by moving the film to be processed or the processing head back and forth (for example, Patent Document 1). There are two supply formats for the film to be processed: a "sheet format" where the film is supplied one sheet at a time, and a "roll format" where the film is supplied in roll form. Conventionally, by using a nanosecond laser oscillator that can be transmitted via optical fiber, efficient patterning has been achieved in either case by moving the film to be processed back and forth when the film is supplied in sheet form, or by moving the processing head back and forth when the film is supplied in roll form. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-66281 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in order to improve processing quality and narrow processing line widths, ultrashort pulse lasers with pulse widths on the order of femtoseconds to picoseconds have been used instead of nanosecond lasers. Ultrashort pulse lasers have less thermal impact on panels than nanosecond lasers, making them suitable for high-precision microprocessing. However, ultrashort pulse lasers are prone to fiber damage and laser distortion, making them unsuitable for fiber transmission. Lasers are generally transmitted via a spatial transmission method. This increases the optical path length from the oscillator to the processing head. Furthermore, in laser processing machines with multiple processing heads, as described above, each processing head is moved in increments of several millimeters perpendicular to the laser scanning direction while processing multiple patterns. This vertical movement changes the optical path length. For these reasons, using an ultrashort pulse laser with a spatial transmission method makes it difficult to move the processing head back and forth. This makes it difficult to ensure reliable processing accuracy and quality, especially when the film is supplied in roll form. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a laser processing machine that can achieve highly accurate and efficient patterning processing using an ultrashort pulse laser, even when the film is supplied in roll form. In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the laser processing machine of the present invention is a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on a film to be processed, which is a part of a film wound in a roll, while unwinding the film, and is characterized by comprising: an adsorption table having a suction port formed on its upper surface that can adsorb and hold the film to be processed flat; a drive mechanism that moves the adsorption table back and forth in the film transport direction; an unwinding device that is located upstream of the adsorption table in the film transport direction and holds the film wound in a roll; a winding device that is located downstream of the adsorption table in the film transport direction and winds up the film after processing; and a plurality of irradiation units that irradiate laser light toward the processing surface of the film to be processed that is adsorbed and held by the adsorption table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] By being equipped with the above-described configuration, the laser processing machine of the present invention can achieve highly accurate and efficient patterning processing using an ultrashort pulse laser, even when the film is supplied in roll form. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a laser processing machine 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram for explaining a processing target film 51 and vertical processing and horizontal processing. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of the laser device 3. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view for explaining the configuration of the laser device 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an optical path during vertical processing. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an optical path during lateral processing. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the unwinding device 2 and the winding device 4. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of suction plates 7a and 7b. [Figure 9] 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the suction table 6. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of a control device 5. [Figure 11] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the laser processing machine 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation during laser processing (vertical processing). [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation during laser processing (horizontal processing). [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation after one page has been processed. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation after one page has been processed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] <Summary> Here, a laser processing machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A laser processing machine according to one aspect of the present invention is a laser processing machine that performs laser processing on a film to be processed, which is a part of a film wound in a roll, while unwinding the film, and is characterized by comprising: an adsorption table having a suction port formed on its upper surface that can adsorb and hold the film to be processed flat; a drive mechanism that moves the adsorption table back and forth in the film transport direction; an unwinding device that is located upstream of the adsorption table in the film transport direction and holds the film wound in a roll; a winding device that is located downstream of the adsorption table in the film transport direction and winds up the film after processing; and a plurality of irradiation units that irradiate laser light toward the processing surface of the film to be processed that is adsorbed and held by the adsorption table.

[0009] In another aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the unwinding device and the winding device are characterized by being equipped with an absorption mechanism that operates in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the suction table and absorbs the flexure of the film to be processed. In another aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the laser processing machine is characterized by comprising: a first suction unit that is arranged upstream of the suction table in the film transport direction, has a suction port formed on its upper surface, and has an suction surface that is equal to or larger than the width of the film; a second suction unit that is arranged downstream of the suction table in the film transport direction, has a suction port formed on its upper surface, and has an suction surface that is equal to or larger than the width of the film; and a film transport control unit that controls the suction state and non-suction state of the suction table, the first suction unit, and the second suction unit.

[0010] In another aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the suction table, the first suction section, and the second suction section are equipped with a switching mechanism that switches between an suction state and a non-suction state, and the film transport control section controls the switching mechanism so that, during processing of the film to be processed, the suction table is placed in an suction state to suction and hold the film to be processed, and the first suction section and the second suction section are placed in a non-suction state to allow the absorption mechanism to absorb any deflection of the film to be processed, and when processing of the film to be processed is completed, the suction table is placed in a non-suction state, the first suction section and the second suction section are placed in an suction state, and the suction table is moved. In a laser processing machine according to another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the suction table, the first suction mechanism, and the second suction mechanism has an air outlet on an upper surface for blowing out air.

[0011] In another aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the air outlet is the suction port, and at least one of the suction table, the first suction mechanism, and the second suction mechanism blows out the air from the suction port. A laser processing machine according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a laser oscillator that emits laser light having a pulse width on the order of picoseconds or femtoseconds, and a beam transmission unit that spatially transmits the laser light from the laser oscillator to the multiple irradiation units. In a laser processing machine according to another aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of irradiation units includes a processing nozzle that faces the film and emits the laser light toward the film.

[0012] In another aspect of the laser processing machine of the present invention, the multiple irradiation sections are spread out in a direction intersecting the film transport direction and each is movable in the same direction, the control section causes the suction table to move back and forth in a direction parallel to the film transport direction and moves each of the multiple processing nozzles in a direction intersecting the film transport direction, and the laser processing machine performs multiple patterning processes parallel to the film transport direction on the processing surface of the film to be processed. A laser processing machine according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a second irradiation unit arranged at a position spaced apart from the plurality of irradiation units and performing patterning processing in a direction intersecting the film transport direction, and a second beam transmission unit that spatially transmits the laser light from the laser oscillator to the second irradiation unit.

[0013] A laser processing machine according to another aspect of the present invention is further characterized in that it includes an optical path switching unit that guides the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator to either the multiple processing nozzles or the second processing nozzle. A laser processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a laser processing method in which, while unwinding a roll of film, laser processing is performed on a part of the film to be processed, that is, a film to be processed, using laser light having a pulse width on the order of picoseconds or femtoseconds, and is characterized by including a transmission step of spatially transmitting the laser light to the position of the film to be processed; a film transport step of suction-holding the film to be processed flat and moving it back and forth in the film transport direction; an absorption step of absorbing deflection of the film to be processed that occurs in conjunction with the back and forth movement of the film to be processed; and a laser processing step of irradiating the laser light toward the processing surface of the film to be processed that is held by suction.

[0014] <Embodiment> 1. Thin-film solar cell manufacturing process The laser processing machine 1 is used, for example, in a manufacturing process for thin-film solar cells. The manufacturing process for thin-film solar cells includes the following steps (a) to (f): (a) deposition of a first electrode film, (b) formation of separation grooves in the first electrode film (P1 processing), (c) deposition of a power generation layer, (d) formation of separation grooves in the power generation layer (P2 processing), (e) deposition of a second electrode film, and (f) formation of separation grooves in the second electrode film (P3 processing). The laser processing machine 1 is a device that performs the P1 processing, P2 processing, and P3 processing, and irradiates each layer deposited in the previous process with laser light to cut and form multiple separation grooves that divide the layer into cell units. Cutting and forming separation grooves using laser light is sometimes referred to as "patterning processing" or "scribing processing." In this embodiment, a film-type perovskite solar cell will be described as an example of a thin-film solar cell.

[0015] 3. Configuration of laser processing machine 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a laser processing machine 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, a high-power ultrashort pulse laser is used as the laser oscillator 8. High-power ultrashort pulse lasers have high peak outputs, which make them prone to fiber damage and laser changes, making them unsuitable for fiber transmission. If a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is used, fiber transmission may be possible depending on the wavelength of the laser light used, but fiber transmission is difficult for laser light with a short wavelength of 532 nm or less.

[0016] Therefore, the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment uses a spatial transmission method. With the spatial transmission method, the optical path length from the laser oscillator 8 to the irradiation units 10a and 10b is long, which can cause unstable laser quality such as beam size and a complex optical device configuration. This increases the number of objects operated by the servo motor, which can cause various technical issues such as insufficient servo motor capacity, optical axis misalignment due to vibration, and tact delays. Furthermore, when the film to be processed is moved back and forth, there are concerns about the processing quality, such as meandering and instability of the feed or return speed. In this embodiment, a laser processing machine 1 that solves these technical problems and achieves high-quality patterning processing will be described.

[0017] 1, the laser processing machine 1 is a roll-to-roll device that applies patterning processing to the upper surface of a long film 50 using a laser device 3 while transporting the film from an upstream unwinding device 2 to a downstream winding device 4. The control device 5 is a computer system that controls the unwinding device 2, the laser device 3, and the winding device 4. The unwinding device 2 includes an unwinding shaft 21, multiple guide rolls 22, and one or more accumulation rolls 23. Similarly, the winding device 4 includes a winding shaft 41, multiple guide rolls 42, and one or more accumulation rolls 43. The guide rolls 22 and 42 reduce the tension on the substrate (film 50) and act as guides when the film is transported. The accumulation rolls 23 and 43 are mechanisms for absorbing deflection of the film 50 caused by the reciprocating motion of the suction table 6, which will be described later.

[0018] In addition to these components, the unwinding device 2 and the winding device 4 may also include other components such as a servo motor, a tension measuring device, and a control panel for controlling each component. As shown in Figure 2, the laser processing machine 1 performs patterning processing on a predetermined unit of a long film 50. This predetermined unit of film 50 is referred to as the film to be processed 51. The laser processing machine 1 performs vertical processing on the film to be processed 51, cutting several hundred grooves (vertical processing lines 52) in a direction parallel to the film transport direction (X-axis direction), and horizontal processing on the film to be processed 51, cutting one or two grooves (horizontal processing line 53) in a direction intersecting the film transport direction (Y-axis direction).

[0019] The configuration of the laser device 3 will be described using Figures 3 and 4. The laser device 3 is composed of two parallel rails 12 supported by a main body 11, a suction table 6 that is movable in the X-axis direction on the two rails 12, a suction plate 7a located downstream of the suction table 6, a suction plate 7b located upstream of the suction table 6, a laser oscillator 8 and a vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a fixed to a support base 13, multiple vertical processing irradiation units 10a that are movable in the Y-axis direction by being movably attached to rails attached to the support base 13, a horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b fixed to a support base 14, and one horizontal processing irradiation unit 10b that is movable in the Y-axis direction by being movably attached to a rail attached to the support base 14. Note that the vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a, the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b, the irradiation units 10a, and the irradiation units 10b are each stored in a housing.

[0020] The suction table 6 is rectangular in plan view, is larger than the workpiece film 51, and is capable of suction-holding the film 50. The suction plates 7a and 7b are rectangular in plan view, are larger than the width of the film 50, and are capable of suction-holding the film 50 in the same way as the suction table 6. The laser oscillator 8 is a semiconductor laser that emits ultrashort pulse laser light with a pulse width on the order of picoseconds or femtoseconds. The wavelength of the laser light may be a blue or green laser with a wavelength of 400 nm to 523 nm, or an infrared laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm.

[0021] The vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a and the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b transmit the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 8 through space to the irradiation unit 10a or the irradiation unit 10b. The vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a and the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b include multiple optical components to suppress deterioration in beam quality during spatial transmission. The irradiation units 10a and 10b include processing nozzles, from which the laser light is emitted toward the processing surface of the film 51 to be processed. The irradiation unit 10a for vertical processing is configured with multiple axes (eight axes in this embodiment).

[0022] When the laser device 3 performs vertical processing, as shown in Fig. 5, the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 8 is spatially transmitted by the vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a and enters the irradiation unit 10a. On the other hand, when the laser device 3 performs horizontal processing, as shown in Fig. 6, the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 8 is spatially transmitted by the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b and enters the irradiation unit 10b. The vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a includes an optical path switching mirror 33 with a mirror attached to a rotation mechanism unit, and other optical components 34. The horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b also includes multiple optical components 34. The optical path switching for vertical processing and horizontal processing is performed by the optical path switching mirror 33. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unwinding device 2 and the winding device 4. The unwinding device 2 includes a drive mechanism 24 implemented by a servo motor, for example. The drive mechanism 24 receives instructions from the control device 5 to rotate the unwinding shaft 21 and move the accumulation roll 23 up and down. The winding device 4 also includes a drive mechanism 44 implemented by a servo motor. The drive mechanism 44 receives instructions from the control device 5 to rotate the winding shaft 41 and move the accumulation roll 43 up and down.

[0023] 8 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the suction plates 7a and 7b. The suction plates 7a and 7b each have a plate 71, which is a plate-like member, with multiple suction ports 72 and multiple air outlets 73 drilled into the upper surface thereof. The suction ports 72 are connected to a suction device 75, such as a vacuum pump, via an on-off valve 74, and the air outlets 73 are connected to a compressed air device 77, which supplies compressed air, via an on-off valve 76. The position of the on-off valve 74 is not limited as long as it is located on the path connecting the suction ports 72 and the suction device 75. Similarly, the position of the on-off valve 76 is not limited as long as it is located on the path connecting the air outlets 73 and the compressed air device 77.

[0024] Open / close valves 74 and 76 are controlled to an open or closed state by control device 5. When open / close valve 74 is open, suction port 72 is connected to suction device 75, which vacuum-adsorbs film 50 placed on plate 71. When open / close valve 76 is open, blow-out port 73 is connected to compressed air device 77, which floats film 50 placed on plate 71 using compressed air.

[0025] 9 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the suction table 6. The suction table 6 has a plurality of suction ports 102 and a plurality of air outlets 103 drilled in the upper surface of a table 101, which is a plate-like member. The suction ports 102 are connected to a suction device 105, such as a vacuum pump, via an on-off valve 104, and the air outlets 103 are connected to an air compressor 107, which supplies compressed air, via an on-off valve 106. The position of the on-off valve 104 is not limited as long as it is located on the path connecting the suction ports 102 and the suction device 105. Similarly, the position of the on-off valve 106 is not limited as long as it is located on the path connecting the air outlets 103 and the air compressor 107.

[0026] Open / close valves 104 and 106 are controlled to an open or closed state by control device 5. When open / close valve 104 is in the open state, suction port 102 is connected to suction device 105, which vacuum-sucks film 50 placed on table 101. When open / close valve 106 is in the open state, blowout port 103 is connected to compressed air device 107, which air-floats film 50 placed on table 101. Table 101 is also connected to drive mechanism 108, which is composed of a servo motor or the like, and is moved back and forth in the film transport direction (X-axis direction) by drive mechanism 108.

[0027] 10 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 5. As shown in the figure, the control device 5 is made up of an input unit 201, a display unit 202, a communication unit 203, a control unit 204, and a storage unit 205. Specifically, the control device 5 is a computer system equipped with hardware resources such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), a display unit, a communication interface, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and controls each device included in the laser processing machine 1.

[0028] The input unit 201 is an input device that accepts user operations such as a keyboard, a mouse, various switches, etc. Data input via the input unit 201 is stored in the storage unit 205. The display unit 202 includes a display unit, a video codec, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a memory for screen data, etc., and generates a UI screen, etc., and displays it on the display unit. While the UI screen is displayed on the display unit 202, the user may input information about the film 50, laser processing conditions, various parameters of the laser oscillator 8, etc., via the input unit 201.

[0029] The communication unit 203 communicates information with the unwinding device 2, the laser device 3, and the winding device 4, which are connected wirelessly or by wire. The control unit 204 is composed of a CPU and a working memory such as RAM. The storage unit 205 is a so-called auxiliary storage device, and is composed of non-volatile memory such as an HDD, SSD, ROM (Read Only Memory), and flash memory. The storage unit 205 stores a computer program for controlling the laser processing machine 1 and various data input via the input unit 201. The CPU of the control unit 204 loads the computer program stored in the storage unit 205 into the working memory, RAM, and executes it, thereby controlling the unwinding device 2, the laser device 3, and the winding device 4 and performing patterning processing on the film 50.

[0030] The control unit 204 includes a film transport control unit 211 and a laser irradiation control unit 212 as functional components. The film transport control unit 211 has (a) a function to synchronously control the reciprocating movement of the suction table 6 and the up and down movement of the accumulator roll 23 and the accumulator roll 43 in order to reciprocate the suction table 6 while suppressing bending of the film 50 during vertical processing, (b) a function to control the suction state and non-suction state of the suction table 6, the suction plate 7a and the suction plate 7b, and (c) a function to control the rotation of the unwinding shaft 21 and the winding shaft 41 and the up and down movement of the accumulator roll 23 and the accumulator roll 43.

[0031] The laser irradiation control unit 212 has the function of controlling the laser oscillator 8, the vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a, the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b, the irradiation unit 10a, and the irradiation unit 10b. Specifically, the laser irradiation control unit 212 adjusts the beam power of the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator 8, switches the optical paths for vertical processing and horizontal processing, and the like. 2. Operation of laser processing machine 1 Next, the operation of the laser processing machine 1 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 11 and the schematic diagrams in Fig. 12 to 15. First, various processing conditions are input via the input unit 201 of the control device 5 (step S1). Next, steps S2 to S13 are repeated for each page of the film to be processed 51.

[0032] Film transport control unit 211 of control device 5 controls the opening and closing of valves to place suction table 6 in a suction state and suction plates 7a and 7b in a floating state (step S3). In this state, film transport control unit 211 controls drive mechanism 108 to move suction table 6 back and forth in the film transport direction (X-axis direction). At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, film transport control unit 211 moves accumulation rolls 23 and 43 up and down in conjunction with the back and forth movement of suction table 6 to absorb flexure of film 50. In addition, laser irradiation control unit 212 controls laser oscillator 8, vertical processing beam transmission unit 9a, and multiple irradiation units 10a to irradiate laser light in the X-axis direction (step S4).

[0033] Each irradiation unit 10a performs back-and-forth irradiation a predetermined number of times for processing one vertical processing line 52. After completing the predetermined number of back-and-forth irradiations, each irradiation unit 10a moves a pitch in the Y-axis direction under the control of the laser irradiation control unit 212 (step S5) and processes the next vertical processing line 52. The pitch movement in the Y-axis direction is a movement in units of several millimeters. Each irradiation unit 10a repeats steps S4 and S5 until vertical processing of one page is completed (NO in step S6). After vertical processing of one page is completed (YES in step S6), the laser irradiation control unit 212 rotates the optical path switching mirror 33 to switch the optical path so that the laser light enters the horizontal processing beam transmission unit 9b (step S7).

[0034] Then, laser irradiation control unit 212 moves irradiation unit 10b for horizontal processing in the Y-axis direction to irradiate laser light in the Y-axis direction, thereby processing horizontal processing line 53 (step S8). As shown in Fig. 13, even during horizontal processing, film transport control unit 211 keeps suction table 6 in the suction state and suction plates 7a and 7b in the floating state. Because film 50 does not move, accumulation rolls 23 and 43 are stopped. When the lateral processing is finished and the patterning processing for one page is completed, film transport control unit 211 raises suction table 6, suction plates 7a, and suction plates 7b (step S9), as shown in Fig. 14, and further controls unwinding shaft 21, winding shaft 41, accumulator roll 23, and accumulator roll 43 to transport the processed one page downstream (step S10). Next, as shown in Fig. 15, film transport control unit 211 raises suction plates 7a and 7b while maintaining suction table 6 in the raised state (step S11) and moves suction table 6 in the -X direction (upstream) (step S12). Note that here, film 50 is adsorbed to suction plates 7a and 7b and does not move, so unwinding shaft 21, winding shaft 41, and accumulator rolls 23 and 43 are stopped. At this time, the next page of film 51 to be processed is conveyed to the laser device 3, so the laser processing machine 1 returns to step S2 and continues the processing.

[0035] 3. Effects of the embodiment In the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment, the operation of the irradiation unit 10a is limited to pitch movement in the Y-axis direction, which is a short distance, while the film 50 is moved in the X-axis direction, thereby ensuring stable laser quality, which is an issue with spatial transmission methods. In particular, by configuring the film 50 to move back and forth while being sucked and held by the suction table 6, and absorbing slack in the film 50 with the accumulation rolls 23 and 43, it becomes possible to perform the reciprocating movement of a roll-form film, which was difficult to achieve with conventional devices. Furthermore, in the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment, the suction table 6, which is holding the film 50 by suction, performs a linear reciprocating motion along the X axis, making it possible to prevent meandering of the processing line.

[0036] Furthermore, in the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment, the suction table 6 has the function of vacuum-sucking the film 50 and the function of air-floating the film 50, and by further arranging fixed suction plates 7a and 7b with the same functions on both ends, it becomes possible to stably feed the film 50 one page at a time in a fixed amount. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress positional misalignment between pages. Furthermore, in the laser processing machine 1 of this embodiment, after transporting one processed page downstream, the suction plates 7a and 7b are placed in an adsorption state, while the suction table 6 is maintained in a floating state and moved in the -X direction (upstream). This makes it possible to suppress slack, misalignment, and meandering of the film 50 when the suction table is moved, and allows for more accurate control of the processing position of the processing line on the next page.

[0037] 4. Other Modifications The present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention, including the following modifications. (1) In this embodiment, the suction ports 72 and the air outlets 73 of the suction plates 7a and 7b do not simultaneously blow air and perform suction. Therefore, the suction ports 72 and the air outlets 73 may be realized by a common vent. Similarly, the suction table 6 does not simultaneously blow air and perform suction. Therefore, the suction ports 102 and the air outlets 103 may be realized by a common vent.

[0038] (2) The suction table 6 and the suction plates 7a and 7b do not necessarily need to be configured to blow compressed air. It is sufficient that the suction table 6 and the suction plates 7a and 7b can at least switch between suction and non-suction states. (3) In Fig. 1, the unwinding device 2 and the winding device 4 each include two stepped rollers (accumulation rolls 23, 43), but this is not essential. Only one accumulation roll 23, 43 is required.

[0039] (4) The method of transporting the film when one page's worth of processing is complete is not limited to the method described in the above embodiment. For example, the following method may be used: (a) When one page's worth of processing is complete, the suction table 6 is raised and the suction plates 7a and 7b are in a suction state, and the suction table 6 is moved upstream. (b) Next, the suction table 6 is placed in a suction state, and the suction plates 7a and 7b are raised, and the suction table 6 (and the film 50 held by suction) is transported downstream. At this time, the accumulator rolls 23 and 43 at both ends are moved up and down as the suction table 6 moves. (c) Finally, the take-up shaft 41 and the unwinding shaft 21 are rotated, and the accumulator rolls 43 and 23 are moved up and down to wind and unwind one page's worth of film. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Laser processing machine 2 Unwinding device 3. Laser device 4 Winding device 5. Control device 6 Vacuum table 7a, 7b Adsorption plates 8 Laser Oscillator 9a Beam transmission section for vertical processing 9b Beam transmission section for horizontal processing 10a Vertical processing irradiation unit 10b Irradiation section for horizontal processing

Claims

1. A laser processing machine that performs laser processing on a target film, which is a part of a roll of film, while unwinding the film, a suction table having a suction port formed on its upper surface side, capable of suction-holding the film to be processed in a flat state; a drive mechanism that reciprocates the suction table in the film transport direction; an unwinding device positioned upstream of the suction table in a film transport direction and holding the film wound in a roll; a winding device located downstream of the suction table in a film transport direction, the winding device winding up the processed film; a plurality of irradiation units that irradiate laser light toward a processing surface of the target film that is suction-held on the suction table; A laser processing machine equipped with:

2. The unwinding device and the winding device are An absorption mechanism is provided which operates in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the suction table and absorbs the bending of the film to be processed.

2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1.

3. a first suction unit disposed upstream of the suction table in the film conveyance direction, with a suction port formed on its upper surface and with a suction surface that is equal to or greater than the width of the film; a second suction unit disposed downstream of the suction table in the film transport direction, with a suction port formed on its upper surface and with a suction surface that is equal to or greater than the width of the film; a film transport control unit that controls the suction table, the first suction unit, and the second suction unit to be in a suction state or a non-suction state; The laser processing machine according to claim 2 , further comprising:

4. the suction table, the first suction unit, and the second suction unit each include a switching mechanism that switches between an adsorption state and a non-adsorption state, The film transport control unit controls the switching mechanism to During processing of the target film, the suction table is in a suction state to suction and hold the target film, and the first suction portion and the second suction portion are in a non-suction state to allow the absorption mechanism to absorb deflection of the target film, When the processing of the target film is completed, the suction table is put into a non-suction state, the first suction portion and the second suction portion are put into a suction state, and the suction table is moved.

4. The laser processing machine according to claim 3.

5. At least one of the suction table, the first suction mechanism, and the second suction mechanism has an air outlet on an upper surface thereof for blowing out air.

3. The laser processing machine according to claim 2.

6. The air outlet is the suction port, and at least one of the suction table, the first suction mechanism, and the second suction mechanism blows out the air from the suction port.

6. The laser processing machine according to claim 5.

7. The laser processing machine further includes: a laser oscillator that emits laser light having a pulse width on the order of picoseconds or femtoseconds; a beam transmission unit that spatially transmits the laser light from the laser oscillator to the plurality of irradiation units; 2. The laser processing machine according to claim 1.

8. Each of the plurality of irradiation units is a processing nozzle facing the film and emitting the laser light to the film; 8. The laser processing machine according to claim 7.

9. the plurality of irradiation units are spaced apart in a direction intersecting the film transport direction and are movable in the same direction; the control unit reciprocates the suction table in a direction parallel to the film transport direction and moves each of the plurality of processing nozzles in a direction intersecting the film transport direction; The laser processing machine includes: A plurality of patterning processes are performed on the processing surface of the processing target film in parallel with the film transport direction.

9. The laser processing machine according to claim 8.

10. The laser processing machine further includes: a second irradiation unit that is disposed at a position spaced apart from the plurality of irradiation units and that performs patterning processing in a direction intersecting the film transport direction; a second beam transmission unit that spatially transmits the laser light from the laser oscillator to the second irradiation unit; The laser processing machine according to claim 9.

11. The laser processing machine further includes: a light path switching unit that guides the laser light emitted from the laser oscillator to either the plurality of processing nozzles or the second processing nozzle; The laser processing machine according to claim 10.

12. A laser processing method in which a film wound in a roll is unwound and laser processing is performed on a processing target film, which is a part of the film, using laser light having a pulse width on the order of picoseconds or femtoseconds, a transmission step of spatially transmitting the laser light to the position of the target film; a film transport step of suction-holding the target film flat and reciprocating the target film in a transport direction of the film; an absorbing step of absorbing deflection of the target film that occurs in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the target film; and a laser processing step of irradiating the laser light toward the processing surface of the object film held by suction. A laser processing method characterized by:

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