Pattern Forming Device

Abstract

To provide a pattern formation device that can form a pattern having excellent visibility, while securing mechanical strength of a base material.SOLUTION: A pattern formation device according to one embodiment of the present invention, which forms a pattern on a base material, comprises a light source part that emits pulse laser light, a light scanning part that scans the pulse laser light, in a predetermined direction, and a light irradiation part that irradiates the base material with scanned light by the light scanning part, where when an oscillation wavelength of the light source part is 300 nanometer or more and 400 nanometer or less and a pulse width is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, fluence per one pulse [J / cm2] of the pulse laser light in the base material satisfies the following formula: 0.01≤t<1, 0.61t+0.15≤F≤64.1t+32, where t represents a thickness of the base material by millimeter and F represents the fluence.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pattern forming device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, containers such as PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) bottles have been known to have labels affixed to them indicating the product name, ingredients, expiration date, barcode, QR code (registered trademark), recycle mark, logo mark, etc. Attempts have also been made to display designs or pictures that appeal to consumers on the labels in order to demonstrate the individuality of the product and increase its competitiveness.

[0003] On the other hand, marine pollution caused by plastic waste has recently come under scrutiny, and there has been a global movement to eliminate pollution caused by plastic waste, leading to a growing demand for closed-loop recycling of containers. Here, closed-loop recycling of containers refers to recycling companies turning used containers that have been separated and collected into flakes, which are the raw material for containers, and then manufacturing containers again.

[0004] To smoothly advance this type of circular recycling, it is desirable to thoroughly separate and collect containers, labels, etc. by material. However, the task of removing labels from containers for separate collection is time-consuming, and this is one of the constraints to thorough separate collection.

[0005] In response to this, a technique has been disclosed in which a pattern for displaying information such as the name and ingredients is directly formed on the surface of a container using a carbon dioxide gas laser (see, for example, Patent Document 1). however, Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a pattern forming apparatus that can form a pattern with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A pattern forming device according to one aspect of the present invention is a pattern forming device that forms a pattern on a substrate, and includes a light source unit that emits pulsed laser light, an optical scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser light in a predetermined direction, and an optical irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with the scanned light from the optical scanning unit, wherein the oscillation wavelength of the light source unit is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, and at least one of the following (A) to (C) is satisfied: (A) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formula (1-1) and formula (1-2): 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (1-1) 0.61t+0.15≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (1-2) (wherein, in formulas (1-1) and (1-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (B) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (2-1), (2-2), and (2-3): 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (2-1) 0.1≦s<10 ··· Formula (2-2) 0.31s+0.023≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (2-3) (wherein, in equations (2-1) to (2-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.) (C) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 nanosecond or more and 100 nanoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2] satisfies the following formulas (3-1) and (3-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (3-1) 5t+1.7≦F≦67.7t+26.5 ··· Formula (3-2) (In formulas (3-1) and (3-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pattern forming apparatus that can form a pattern with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a view of the container as seen from the direction of arrow D in FIG. 2. [Figure 4A] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing examples of experimental results of the relationship between the thickness of the substrate and the fluence of the pulsed laser light, where (a) shows the results under the first condition, (b) shows the results under the fourth condition, and (c) shows the results under the third condition. [Figure 4B] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of experimental results of the relationship between the pulse width and fluence of pulsed laser light, where (a) shows the results under the second condition, (b) shows the results under the fifth and sixth conditions, and (c) shows the results under the seventh and eighth conditions. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a pattern forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a first example of a pattern formed by a pattern forming apparatus according to a second embodiment, in which (a) shows a scan line obtained by one scan, and (b) shows a scan line obtained by three scans. [Figure 8]FIG. 7B is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of region E in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a pattern formed by the pattern forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 9B is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of region F in FIG. [Figure 11] A figure of a third example of a pattern of the pattern forming device of the second embodiment, where (a) shows the scanning line at time t0, (b) shows the scanning line at time t1, (c) shows the scanning line at time t2, and (d) shows the scanning line at time t3. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a container manufacturing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a laser irradiation unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating irradiation of pulsed laser light by a processed laser beam array. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a manufacturing method according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of pattern data. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table between types of first patterns and processing parameters. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing parameters. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing data. [Figure 22] These are diagrams of examples of irradiation with processing laser beams. (a) shows a state where there is a gap between the beams in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. (b) shows the state of high-speed scanning in (a). (c) shows a state where the beams overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. (d) shows the state of high-speed scanning in (c). (e) shows a state where the beams touch in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. (f) shows the state of high-speed scanning in (e). [Figure 23]10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of changes in the properties of the base material of a container, where (a) is a diagram of shape change due to evaporation, (b) is a diagram of shape change due to melting, (c) is a diagram of change in crystallization state, and (d) is a diagram of change in foaming state. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a container according to a third embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between a first pattern and a second pattern. [Figure 26] 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 14. [Figure 27] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing various examples of machining depth, where (a) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth is shallower than the non-machined portion depth, (b) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth is deeper than the non-machined portion depth, (c) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth and the non-machined portion depth are approximately the same, and (d) is a diagram showing a case where the machining depth and the non-machined portion depth are changed. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a container according to an embodiment. [Figure 29] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of gradation expression using a second pattern. [Figure 30] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another example of gradation expression using a second pattern, in which (a) is a diagram showing processing data for a non-periodic second pattern, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the second pattern obtained by crystallization, and (c) is a plan view of the second pattern obtained by crystallization. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a container according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are illustrative of a pattern formation apparatus for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0011] In the drawings of the embodiment, a predetermined direction in a plane horizontal to the ground is defined as the X-axis direction, a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the plane is defined as the Y-axis direction, and a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (height direction) is defined as the Z-axis direction.

[0012] The pattern forming device according to the embodiment is a device for forming a pattern on a substrate such as plastic, and includes a light source unit that emits pulsed laser light, an optical scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser light in a predetermined direction, and an optical irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with the scanned light from the optical scanning unit.

[0013] In the embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the light source unit is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, at least one of the following (A) to (C) is satisfied. (A) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (1-1) and (1-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (1-1) 0.61t+0.15≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (1-2) (wherein, in formulas (1-1) and (1-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (B) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (2-1), (2-2), and (2-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (2-1) 0.1≦s<10 ··· Formula (2-2) 0.31s+0.023≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (2-3) (wherein, in equations (2-1) to (2-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.) (C) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 nanosecond or more and 100 nanoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (3-1) and (3-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (3-1) 5t+1.7≦F≦67.7t+26.5 ··· Formula (3-2) (In formulas (3-1) and (3-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0014] In the embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the light source unit is 500 nanometers or more and 600 nanometers or less, at least one of the following (D) to (F) is satisfied. (D) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (4-1) and (4-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (4-1) 10.4t+3.2≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (4-2) (In formulas (4-1) and (4-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (E) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (5-1) and (5-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (5-1) 0.17≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (5-2) (In formulas (5-1) and (5-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (F) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 picosecond or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (6-1), (6-2), and (6-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (6-1) 1≦s<10... Formula (6-2) 0.76s-0.59≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (6-3) (wherein, in equations (6-1) to (6-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0015] In addition, in an embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the light source unit is 1,000 nanometers or more and 1,100 nanometers or less, the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 millimeters or more and less than 1 millimeter, and at least one of the following (G) and (H) is satisfied. (G) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following equation (7-1). 1≦F≦8 ··· Formula (7-1) (In formula (7-1), F represents the fluence.) (H) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 picosecond or more and 3 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] satisfies the following formulas (8-1) and (8-2). 1≦s≦3 ··· Formula (8-1) 0.89s+0.11≦F≦8 ··· Formula (8-2) (In equations (8-1) and (8-2), s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0016] Conventional techniques for forming patterns directly on the surface of a container using a carbon dioxide laser (see, for example, JP 2011-011819 A) leave room for improvement in forming patterns with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate. In contrast, by adopting the above-described configuration, the present invention can suppress a decrease in the mechanical strength of the substrate when irradiating the substrate with pulsed laser light to form a pattern on the substrate, thereby making it possible to form a pattern with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate.

[0017] Here, the substrate refers to the material portion of an object. An example of the object is a container for storing beverages. Another example of the container is a PET bottle made of a resin such as PET and used to store beverages. However, there are no particular limitations on the object, and it can be any object. There are also no limitations on the shape or material of the container, and it can be a container of any shape and made of any material.

[0018] The surface of the substrate means the surface of the material that is in contact with the external air, etc. In the embodiment, the term "surface of the substrate" is used as a term that is symmetrical to the interior of the substrate, so that, for example, in the case of a plate-shaped substrate, both the front and back surfaces of the substrate correspond to the surface of the substrate. In addition, in the case of a cylindrical substrate, both the outer and inner surfaces of the substrate correspond to the surface of the substrate.

[0019] The pattern may include characters, codes such as barcodes, figures, images, etc., and may display information about the container or the contents thereof, such as the name, identification number, manufacturer, and manufacturing date and time of the container or the contents thereof, such as a beverage.

[0020] In containers such as PET bottles, the information may be displayed by attaching a recording medium (label) on which the information is recorded to the surface of the container. In an embodiment, a pattern indicating the information is formed on the surface of a substrate constituting the container, so that the information is displayed on the substrate in a so-called label-less manner without using a recording medium.

[0021] [First embodiment] <Configuration Example of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200> First, a pattern forming apparatus 200 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a top view illustrating an example of the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 200, Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is a view of the container as viewed from the direction of arrow D in Fig. 2.

[0022] The pattern forming device 200 is a device that irradiates a container 1 such as a PET bottle transported in the direction of arrow A with a scanning beam 202 of pulsed laser light to form a pattern on at least one of the surface or the interior of a base material constituting the container 1. The pattern forming device 200 can change the properties of at least one of the surface or the interior of the base material by so-called laser processing using the scanning beam 202 of pulsed laser light, thereby forming a pattern.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pattern forming device 200 includes a pulse laser 21, a beam expander 22, a Z-axis direction deflection mirror 221, a polygon mirror 231, and an fθ lens 241.

[0024] The pulsed laser 21 is an example of a light source unit that emits pulsed laser light. The pulsed laser 21 emits a substantially parallel pulsed laser beam in the positive direction of the Y axis in Fig. 1. The pulsed laser 21 is configured to be able to switch between and emit pulsed laser light of three oscillation wavelengths: a fundamental wave with an oscillation wavelength of 1,064 nanometers, a second harmonic with an oscillation wavelength of 532 nanometers, and a third harmonic with an oscillation wavelength of 355 nanometers.

[0025] Regardless of the oscillation wavelength, the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 15 picoseconds or less. The repetition frequency of the pulsed laser light can be selected appropriately from a single shot to 200 kHz. The beam diameter of the pulsed laser light is approximately 2.0 mm for the fundamental wave, approximately 1.4 mm for the second harmonic, and approximately 1.3 mm for the third harmonic.

[0026] For example, a fiber laser-based Talisker Ultra355-4 manufactured by Coherent Corporation can be applied as such a pulse laser 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and pulse lasers other than those mentioned above can also be used as long as they satisfy the fluence conditions described below.

[0027] The pulse laser 21 is configured so that it can be switched between emission (ON) and non-emission (OFF) based on the pattern data of the pattern to be formed on the container 1.

[0028] The beam expander 22 is an optical system arranged on the positive side of the Y axis of the pulsed laser 21, and emits an approximately parallel laser beam in the positive side of the Y axis, the beam diameter of the pulsed laser light emitted by the pulsed laser 21 being expanded by a predetermined expansion factor.

[0029] The Z-axis direction deflection mirror 221 is disposed on the Y-axis positive side of the beam expander 22, and is a mirror that deflects, toward the Z-axis positive side, the pulsed laser light whose beam diameter has been expanded by the beam expander 22. However, a diffraction element or the like may be used instead of the Z-axis direction deflection mirror 221 as long as it has the function of deflecting in the Z-axis direction.

[0030] The polygon mirror 231 is an example of an optical scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser beam in a predetermined direction. The polygon mirror 231 is a rotating polygonal mirror that can be rotated using a motor (not shown) as a drive source, and is configured to include multiple (six here) reflective surfaces. The polygon mirror 231 is disposed on the positive Z-axis side of the Z-axis deflection mirror 221, and rotates around an axis parallel to the X-axis (in the direction of arrow B) to change the angle of the reflective surfaces, thereby scanning the pulsed laser beam incident from the Z-axis deflection mirror 221 in the direction of arrow C (an example of a predetermined direction) that is approximately parallel to the Z-axis. Note that the optical scanning unit may use a galvanometer mirror, an acousto-optical element, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) mirror, or the like in addition to the polygon mirror 231, but it is preferable that the mirror be durable against the pulse energy of the pulsed laser beam.

[0031] The fθ lens 241 is an example of a light irradiation unit that irradiates the scanning light 202 of the pulsed laser light emitted by the polygon mirror 231 onto a base material that constitutes the container 1. The fθ lens 241 is a lens that is designed and manufactured so that the scanning speed of the scanning light 202 that passes through the peripheral and central parts of the fθ lens 241 is approximately constant. The fθ lens 241 is also designed and manufactured so as to focus the pulsed laser light on a base material that constitutes the container 1 and is placed at a predetermined position. In FIG. 1, the fθ lens 241 that is made up of a single lens is shown as an example of a light irradiation unit, but the light irradiation unit may be configured to include multiple lenses or may be configured to include optical elements other than lenses, such as mirrors.

[0032] The container 1 is disposed on the positive Y-axis side of the fθ lens 241, and the scanning light 202 is irradiated onto the irradiation surface 400 of the container 1 that faces the fθ lens 241. The container 1 is placed on a transport unit such as a belt conveyor (not shown), and is transported in the direction of arrow A that is perpendicular to the Y-axis.

[0033] 1, a transport detection unit 300 that detects the transported container 1 is provided upstream in the direction of arrow A, which corresponds to the transport direction of the container 1. The transport detection unit 300 has a transport detection light emitting element 301 and a transport detection light receiving element 302, and detects the timing when the container 1 blocks light emitted from a transport detection laser diode (LD) serving as the transport detection light emitting element 301 toward a transport detection photo diode (PD) serving as the transport detection light receiving element 302. The pattern forming device 200 detects the timing when the transported container 1 enters the irradiation position of the scanning light 202 based on this light blocking timing and information about the distance between the irradiation position of the scanning light 202 and the transport detection unit 300, and determines the start timing of pattern formation in the transport direction.

[0034] 2, a synchronization detection unit 25 is provided near the polygon mirror 231. The synchronization detection unit 25 has a synchronization detection LD 251 and a synchronization detection PD 252, and the synchronization detection PD 252 receives reflected light of the laser light emitted by the synchronization detection LD 251 toward the polygon mirror 231. The pattern formation device 200 determines the start timing of pattern formation in the scanning direction based on the light reception signal of the synchronization detection PD 252.

[0035] The pattern forming device 200 is triggered by the start timing of pattern formation in each of the transport direction and the scanning direction, and irradiates the container 1 transported in the transport direction with a line-shaped scanning light 202 extending in the scanning direction while controlling the on / off of the pulse laser 21 based on pattern data. As a result, a desired two-dimensional pattern 401 can be formed on the irradiated surface 400 of the container 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0036] Furthermore, the pattern forming device 200 can sequentially form patterns on the respective substrates of a plurality of containers 1 that are sequentially transported by a transport unit such as a belt conveyor.

[0037] <Fluence conditions of pulsed laser light according to the embodiment> Next, the fluence conditions of the pulsed laser beam according to the embodiment will be described.

[0038] The fluence F of the pulsed laser light can be expressed as follows: P=E·ν F=E / S where P [W] represents the average output (light intensity) of the pulsed laser, E [J] represents the pulse energy per pulse of the pulsed laser light, and ν [Hz] represents the repetition frequency of the pulsed laser light emission. F [J / cm 2 ] represents the fluence, and S [cm 2 ] represents the area of ​​the laser beam spot. The fluence F corresponds to the value obtained by dividing the pulse energy by the area of ​​the laser beam spot. The fluence at the substrate constituting the container 1 is the value obtained by dividing the pulse energy of the pulse laser light emitted by the pulse laser 21 by the area of ​​the laser beam spot on the substrate constituting the container 1.

[0039] Pulsed laser light with a nanosecond-scale pulse width creates patterns (laser processing) through thermal denaturation according to the absorption spectrum of the substrate. On the other hand, pulsed laser light with a picosecond-scale pulse width creates patterns (laser processing) through thermal denaturation according to the absorption spectrum and multiphoton absorption. Multiphoton absorption is a nonlinear phenomenon in which, upon irradiation with pulsed laser light, a material is excited by light with a wavelength corresponding to half or one-third of the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser light, and multiple photons are absorbed, causing the electron and atomic states to transition to higher energy levels. When pulsed laser light with a picosecond-scale pulse width is used, the substrate is sublimated from a solid state without passing through a molten state, leaving processing marks on the substrate.

[0040] Here, we conducted experiments in which the fluence was changed according to the thickness (wall thickness) of the substrate for multiple combinations of the oscillation wavelength and pulse width of the pulsed laser light. As a result, we found that by satisfying the following first to eighth conditions, it is possible to form a pattern with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate.

[0041] (First condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, and the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (1-1) and (1-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (1-1) 0.61t+0.15≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (1-2) (wherein, in formulas (1-1) and (1-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0042] (Second condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser light is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less and the pulse width is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (2-1), (2-2), and (2-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (2-1) 0.1≦s<10 ··· Formula (2-2) 0.31s+0.023≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (2-3) (wherein, in equations (2-1) to (2-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0043] (Third condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, and the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 1 nanosecond or more and 100 nanoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (3-1) and (3-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (3-1) 5t+1.7≦F≦67.7t+26.5 ··· Formula (3-2) (In formulas (3-1) and (3-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0044] (Fourth condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 500 nanometers or more and 600 nanometers or less, and the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (4-1) and (4-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (4-1) 10.4t+3.2≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (4-2) (In formulas (4-1) and (4-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0045] (Fifth condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 500 nanometers or more and 600 nanometers or less, and the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (5-1) and (5-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (5-1) 0.17≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (5-2) (In formulas (5-1) and (5-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0046] (Sixth condition) When the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 500 nanometers or more and 600 nanometers or less, and the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 1 picosecond or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following equations (6-1), (6-2), and (6-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (6-1) 1≦s<10... Formula (6-2) 0.76s-0.59≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (6-3) (wherein, in equations (6-1) and (6-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0047] (Seventh condition) The oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 1,000 nanometers or more and 1,100 nanometers or less, and the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 millimeters or more and less than 1 millimeter, When the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formula (7-1). 1≦F≦8 ··· Formula (7-1) (In formula (7-1), F represents the fluence.)

[0048] (Eighth condition) The oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 1,000 nanometers or more and 1,100 nanometers or less, and the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 millimeters or more and less than 1 millimeter, When the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 1 picosecond or more and 3 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] must satisfy the following formulas (8-1) and (8-2). 1≦s≦3 ··· Formula (8-1) 0.89s+0.11≦F≦8 ··· Formula (8-2) (In equations (8-1) and (8-2), s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0049] (Example of experimental results) Here, Fig. 4A is a diagram showing an example of experimental results of the relationship between the thickness of the substrate and the fluence of the pulsed laser light. (a) shows the results under the first condition, (b) shows the results under the fourth condition, and (c) shows the results under the third condition. In each of Fig. 4A(a) to (c), the horizontal axis shows the thickness of the substrate [mm], and the vertical axis shows the fluence [J / cm 2 4A shows the results obtained using a picosecond laser (model name: Talisker Ultra355-4, manufactured by Coherent).

[0050] In Figure 4A, the area shown by the grid hatching indicates the range that satisfies the first, fourth, or third condition. When the fluence is below the lower limit, it means that a pattern with good visibility is no longer formed on the substrate. When the fluence is above the upper limit, it means that the surface of the substrate is oxidized, causing discoloration of the substrate, or that through-holes are formed in the substrate by irradiation with pulsed laser light.

[0051] The upper and lower limits of the fluence were determined by forming patterns on the substrate while changing the average output (light intensity) of a laser light source such as a pulsed laser 21 (see Figure 1) using an attenuator, and evaluating the results of forming each pattern.

[0052] 4A(a) shows experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser 21 is 355 nanometers, the pulse width is 15 picoseconds, and the substrate thickness is 0.11 mm, 0.39 mm, and 0.55 mm. In the range of 0.01≦t<1, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 0.15 [J / cm ] depending on the substrate thickness. 2 ] to approximately 0.76 [J / cm 2 The upper limit of the fluence was approximately 40 [J / cm ] depending on the thickness of the substrate. 2] to approximately 80 [J / cm 2 The result was that the change was approximately linear within the range of

[0053] The first condition was derived from experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 300 to 400 nanometers and a pulse width of 10 to 200 picoseconds. Figure 4A(a) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0054] 4A(b) shows experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser 21 is 532 nanometers, the pulse width is 15 picoseconds, and the substrate thickness is 0.11 mm, 0.39 mm, and 0.55 mm. In the range of 0.01≦t<1, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 3.3 [J / cm ] depending on the substrate thickness. 2 ] to approximately 13.6 [J / cm 2 The upper limit of the fluence was approximately 800 [J / cm ] depending on the thickness of the substrate. 2 ] to approximately 3,300 [J / cm 2 The result was that the change was approximately linear within the range of

[0055] The fourth condition, like the first condition, was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with oscillation wavelengths of 500 to 600 nanometers and pulse widths of 10 to 200 picoseconds. Figure 4A(b) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0056] 4A(c) shows experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser 21 is 355 nanometers, the pulse width is 12 nanoseconds, and the substrate thickness is 0.11 mm, 0.39 mm, and 0.55 mm. In the range of 0.01≦t<1, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 1.75 [J / cm 2 ] to approximately 6.7 [J / cm 2 The upper limit of the fluence was approximately 70 [J / cm ] depending on the thickness of the substrate. 2 ] to approximately 480 [J / cm 2 The result was that the change was approximately linear within the range of

[0057] The third condition, like the first condition, was derived from experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with wavelengths between 300 and 400 nanometers and pulse widths between 1 and 100 nanoseconds. Figure 4A(c) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0058] Next, Figure 4B shows an example of experimental results on the relationship between the pulse width and fluence of pulsed laser light. (a) shows the results under the second condition, (b) shows the results under the fifth and sixth conditions, and (c) shows the results under the seventh and eighth conditions. In each of Figures 4B(a) to (c), the horizontal axis shows the pulse width [picoseconds (ps)], and the vertical axis shows the fluence [J / cm 2 Note that Figure 4B shows the results obtained using a femtosecond laser (model name: Yuja, manufactured by Amplitude Systemes).

[0059] In Figure 4B, the area shown by the grid hatching indicates the range that satisfies the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth condition. When the fluence is below the lower limit, it means that a pattern with good visibility is no longer formed on the substrate. When the fluence is above the upper limit, it means that the surface of the substrate is oxidized, causing discoloration of the substrate, or that through-holes are formed in the substrate by irradiation with pulsed laser light.

[0060] The upper and lower limits of the fluence were determined by forming patterns on the substrate while changing the average output (light intensity) of a laser light source such as a pulsed laser 21 (see Figure 1) using an attenuator, and evaluating the results of forming each pattern.

[0061] Figure 4B(a) shows the experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulse laser 21 is 343 nanometers, the thickness of the substrate is 0.39 mm, and the pulse width is 0.5 picoseconds, 0.9 picoseconds, 1 picosecond, 3 picoseconds, 5 picoseconds, 7 picoseconds, and 9 picoseconds. In the pulse width range of 0.1 s < 10, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 0.05 [J / cm2] depending on the pulse width. 2] to approximately 3 [J / cm 2 The result was that the fluence varied approximately linearly within the range of [0.05]. The upper limit of the fluence was the same as in the first condition. Note that the "s" above represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds.

[0062] The second condition, like the first condition, was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 300 to 400 nanometers and a pulse width of 0.1 to 10 picoseconds. Figure 4B(a) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0063] FIG. 4B(b) shows the experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulse laser 21 is 515 nanometers, the thickness of the substrate is 0.39 mm, and the pulse widths are 0.5 picoseconds, 0.9 picoseconds, 1 picosecond, 3 picoseconds, 5 picoseconds, 7 picoseconds, and 9 picoseconds. When the pulse width is in the range of 0.1≦s<1, the lower limit of the fluence is 0.17 [J / cm 2 The upper limit of the fluence was the same as in the fourth condition. When the pulse width is in the range of 1 ≤ s ≤ 10, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 0.17 [J / cm 2 ] to approximately 7 [J / cm 2 The result was that the change was approximately linear within the range of

[0064] The fifth condition, like the fourth condition, was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 500 to 600 nanometers and a pulse width of 0.1 to less than 1 picosecond. The sixth condition, like the fourth condition, was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 500 to 600 nanometers and a pulse width of 1 to less than 10 picoseconds. Figure 4B(b) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0065] FIG. 4B(c) shows the experimental results when the oscillation wavelength of the pulse laser 21 is 1,030 nanometers, the thickness of the substrate is 0.39 mm, and the pulse widths are 0.5 picoseconds, 0.9 picoseconds, 1 picosecond, 3 picoseconds, 5 picoseconds, 7 picoseconds, and 9 picoseconds. When the pulse width is in the range of 0.1 ≦ s < 1, the lower limit of the fluence is 1 [J / cm ] regardless of the pulse width. 2 The upper limit of the fluence was also 8 [J / cm ], regardless of the pulse width. 2 ] was. When the pulse width is in the range of 1 ≤ s ≤ 3, the lower limit of the fluence is approximately 1 [J / cm 2 ] to approximately 2.7 [J / cm 2 The result was that the change was approximately linear within the range of

[0066] The seventh condition was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 1,000 to 1,100 nanometers and a pulse width of 0.1 to 1 picoseconds. Similarly to the seventh condition, the eighth condition was derived based on experimental results using multiple pulsed laser beams with an oscillation wavelength of 1,000 to 1,100 nanometers and a pulse width of 1 to 3 picoseconds. Figure 4B(c) shows a representative example of such experimental results.

[0067] The reason why the range of fluence that satisfies the conditions varies for each combination of the oscillation wavelength and pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is because the mechanism of modification differs depending on the scale of the pulse width. Also, the reason why the upper limit of the fluence that satisfies the conditions increases as the thickness of the substrate increases is because the temperature of the substrate irradiated with the pulsed laser beam increases more slowly as the substrate becomes thicker, making it more difficult for the substrate to melt, and therefore requiring a larger pulse energy.

[0068] As an example of the fluence that satisfies the conditions in the embodiment, when the average output is 100 [W] and the repetition frequency is 200 [kHz], the pulse energy is 500 [μJ]. If the beam spot diameter of the pulsed laser light on the substrate is 50 [μm], the fluence per pulse is 25.5 [J / cm2]. 2 ].

[0069] The fluence that satisfies the conditions is 25.5 [J / cm 2 In the case of 1 pulse of pulsed laser light, a pattern that satisfies the conditions can be formed. The fluence that satisfies the conditions is 51 [J / cm 2 In the case of [1], a pattern that satisfies the conditions can be formed by irradiating two pulses of pulsed laser light.

[0070] Therefore, even if the pulse energy of one pulse is insufficient to satisfy the fluence condition, the fluence condition can be satisfied by increasing the number of pulses. However, increasing the number of pulses slows down the pattern formation speed by the number of pulses.

[0071] <Functions and Effects of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200> Next, the effects of the pattern forming apparatus 200 will be described. A technique for forming a pattern using pulsed laser light on a transparent substrate made of a transparent resin or the like that is transparent to visible light has been known. Also, because transparent substrates hardly absorb wavelengths in the visible light range, a configuration has been disclosed for forming a pattern using a CO2 laser or the like that can emit invisible light such as infrared light with a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers or ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 355 nanometers.

[0072] However, when infrared light is used, the beam spot diameter cannot be narrowed sufficiently, which can result in a decrease in resolution and poor visibility of the pattern.In addition, when ultraviolet light is used, the visibility of the pattern can be reduced depending on the thickness of the substrate, and excessive energy can penetrate the substrate, reducing the mechanical strength of the substrate.

[0073] In this embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, the pattern formation device is configured to satisfy at least one of the following (A) to (C). (A) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (1-1) and (1-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (1-1) 0.61t+0.15≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (1-2) (wherein, in formulas (1-1) and (1-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (B) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (2-1), (2-2), and (2-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (2-1) 0.1≦s<10 ··· Formula (2-2) 0.31s+0.023≦F≦64.1t+32 ··· Formula (2-3) (wherein, in equations (2-1) to (2-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.) (C) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 nanosecond or more and 100 nanoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (3-1) and (3-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (3-1) 5t+1.7≦F≦67.7t+26.5 ··· Formula (3-2) (In formulas (3-1) and (3-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 500 nanometers or more and 600 nanometers or less, the pattern formation device is configured to satisfy at least one of the following (D) to (F). (D) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (4-1) and (4-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (4-1) 10.4t+3.2≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (4-2) (In formulas (4-1) and (4-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (E) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (5-1) and (5-2). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (5-1) 0.17≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (5-2) (In formulas (5-1) and (5-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (F) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 picosecond or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (6-1), (6-2), and (6-3). 0.01≦t<1 ··· Formula (6-1) 1≦s<10... Formula (6-2) 0.76s-0.59≦F≦196.2t ··· Formula (6-3) (wherein, in equations (6-1) and (6-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the oscillation wavelength of the pulsed laser is 1,000 nanometers or more and 1,100 nanometers or less, the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 millimeters or more and less than 1 millimeter, and the pattern forming device is configured to satisfy at least one of the following (G) and (H): (G) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formula (7-1). 1≦F≦8 ··· Formula (7-1) (In formula (7-1), F represents the fluence.) (H) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 picosecond or more and 3 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm 2 ] configures the pattern forming device so as to satisfy the following formulas (8-1) and (8-2). 1≦s≦3 ··· Formula (8-1) 0.89s+0.11≦F≦8 ··· Formula (8-2) (In equations (8-1) and (8-2), s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

[0076] With this configuration, it is possible to form a pattern with good visibility for each thickness of the substrate, and the pattern can be formed on the substrate within a range of fluence that does not reduce the mechanical strength of the substrate, making it possible to form a pattern with good visibility while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate.

[0077] In this embodiment, a rectangular container having a flat surface is exemplified, but this embodiment can also be applied to containers having other shapes, such as a cylindrical shape.

[0078] [Second embodiment] Next, a pattern forming apparatus 200a according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same components as those described in the first embodiment are given the same part numbers, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. This also applies to the following embodiments.

[0079] In this embodiment, pulsed laser light emitted from each of a plurality of pulsed lasers provided in the light source unit is scanned in a predetermined direction, and the scanning light of each pulsed laser light is irradiated onto different positions on the substrate in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

[0080] Alternatively, pulsed laser light emitted from each of a plurality of pulsed lasers is scanned in a predetermined direction, and the scanning light of each pulsed laser light is superimposed and irradiated onto the same position on the substrate in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

[0081] As a result, even when a pulse laser with a small pulse energy or a low emission repetition frequency is used, the fluence conditions are satisfied, and a pattern with good visibility can be formed while ensuring the mechanical strength of the substrate.

[0082] <Configuration Example of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200a> First, the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 200a will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a top view illustrating an example of the configuration of the pattern forming apparatus 200a, and Figure 6 is a side view.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pattern forming device 200a includes a pulse laser group 21a, a beam expander group 22a, an X-axis deflection mirror group 222, a Z-axis deflection mirror group 221a, and a polygon mirror 231a.

[0084] The pulse laser group 21a includes a pulse laser 21A, a pulse laser 21B, and a pulse laser 21C. The beam expander group 22a includes a beam expander 22A, a beam expander 22B, and a beam expander 22C. The X-axis deflection mirror group 222 includes an X-axis deflection mirror 222A, an X-axis deflection mirror 222B, and an X-axis deflection mirror 222C. The Z-axis deflection mirror group 221a includes a Z-axis deflection mirror group 221A, a Z-axis deflection mirror group 221B, and a Z-axis deflection mirror group 221C.

[0085] The pulsed laser light emitted by pulsed laser 21A has its beam diameter expanded by beam expander 22A, is deflected in the positive X-axis direction by X-axis deflection mirror 222A, is deflected in the positive Z-axis direction by Z-axis deflection mirror 221A, and then is incident on the reflecting surface of polygon mirror 231a.

[0086] Similarly, the pulsed laser light emitted by pulsed laser 21B has its beam diameter expanded by beam expander 22B, is deflected in the positive X-axis direction by X-axis deflection mirror 222B, is deflected in the positive Z-axis direction by Z-axis deflection mirror 221B, and then is incident on the reflecting surface of polygon mirror 231a.

[0087] The pulsed laser light emitted by pulsed laser 21C has its beam diameter expanded by beam expander 22C, is deflected in the positive X-axis direction by X-axis deflection mirror 222C, is deflected in the positive Z-axis direction by Z-axis deflection mirror 221C, and then is incident on the reflecting surface of polygon mirror 231a.

[0088] Polygon mirror 231a is configured with a thickness that allows it to reflect the three pulsed laser beams incident from Z-axis deflection mirrors 221A, 221B, and 221C in parallel toward the positive Y-axis direction, and scans the three pulsed laser beams in parallel in the direction of arrow C. Scanning beams 202A, 202B, and 202C of the three pulsed laser beams are irradiated in parallel onto a substrate constituting container 1 via fθ lens 241, and a pattern is formed on the substrate.

[0089] In pattern forming device 200a, the arrangement of each component is determined so that scanning light 202A, 202B, and 202C are irradiated onto the substrate at predetermined intervals in the transport direction (direction of arrow A) of container 1. Note that it is preferable to arrange each component so that the optical path length from pulse laser 21A to the position on the substrate where scanning light 202A is irradiated, the optical path length from pulse laser 21B to the position on the substrate where scanning light 202B is irradiated, and the optical path length from pulse laser 21C to the position on the substrate where scanning light 202C is irradiated are approximately equal.

[0090] <Example of pattern formation by pattern forming apparatus 200a> Next, examples of pattern formation by the pattern forming device 200a will be described. In the first and second examples, the fθ lens 241 (irradiation unit) irradiates different positions on the substrate in the transport direction (direction intersecting with the predetermined direction) with scanning beams 202A, 202B, and 202C of pulsed laser beams emitted by the plurality of pulsed lasers 21A, 21B, and 21C, respectively, by the polygon mirror 231a (light scanning unit).

[0091] On the other hand, in the third example, the fθ lens 241 irradiates the scanning beams 202A, 202B, and 202C of the pulsed laser beams emitted by the plurality of pulsed lasers 21A, 21B, and 21C by the polygon mirror 231a onto the same position of the base material in the transport direction in an overlapping manner.

[0092] (Example 1) 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a first example of pattern formation by the pattern forming apparatus 200a. (a) is a diagram of a scan line obtained by one scan, and (b) is a diagram of a scan line obtained by three scans. Note that FIG. 7 shows the container 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow D in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the vicinity of region E in FIG. 7B.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 7(a), one scan performed by the rotation of one surface of polygon mirror 231a causes one scan line to be irradiated parallel to the substrate by each of scanning beams 202A, 202B, and 202C. As shown in Fig. 7(b), three scans performed by the rotation of three surfaces of polygon mirror 231a cause three scan lines to be irradiated onto the substrate by each of scanning beams 202A, 202B, and 202C, shifted in the conveying direction by a distance corresponding to the conveying speed of container 1.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 8, scanning line 203A indicates the scanning line by the scanning light on the first surface of polygon mirror 231a, scanning line 203B indicates the scanning line by the scanning light on the second surface of polygon mirror 231a, and scanning line 203C indicates the scanning line by the scanning light on the third surface of polygon mirror 231a.

[0095] By forming a pattern by irradiating the substrate with three scanning beams in parallel in this way, compared to forming a pattern with one scanning beam, the pattern formation area on the substrate covered by one scanning beam is reduced to one-third, and the number of scans required to form the pattern for one container 1 is also reduced to one-third. Reducing the number of scans to one-third makes it possible to triple the formation time for one given dot in the pattern.

[0096] For example, when the transport speed of the container 1 is determined to ensure a predetermined productivity, an expensive pulse laser with a large pulse energy per pulse or a high repetition frequency may be required to ensure a fluence that satisfies the conditions described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, there may be limitations on the continuous operation time of the pulse laser or the need to cool the pulse laser, which may be undesirable from the viewpoints of cost, productivity, and associated equipment.

[0097] As in this embodiment, if the formation time of one dot can be increased by three times, the pulse energy or repetition frequency required for the pulse laser can be reduced to one-third, making it possible to configure a pattern formation device using a relatively inexpensive pulse laser, thereby improving the pattern formation device in terms of cost, productivity, and associated equipment.

[0098] (Example 2) 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a second example of pattern formation by the pattern forming apparatus 200a, in which (a) shows a scan line formed by one scan by rotating one face of the polygon mirror 231a, and (b) shows a scan line formed by three scans by rotating three faces of the polygon mirror 231a. Also, Fig. 10 is a partial enlarged view of the vicinity of region F in Fig. 9B.

[0099] In the second example, the pattern forming device 200a is configured so that three scanning lines 204A, 204B, and 204C are arranged on the substrate at intervals corresponding to the pixel density (resolution) of the pattern in the transport direction.

[0100] FIG. 10 shows scanning lines 205A-1, 205B-1, and 205C-1 formed by the rotation of the first surface of polygon mirror 231a, scanning lines 205A-2, 205B-2, and 205C-2 formed by the rotation of the second surface, and scanning lines 205A-3, 205B-3, and 205C-3 formed by the rotation of the third surface.

[0101] Scanning lines 205A-1, 205A-2, and 205A-3 are formed by scanning light 202A (see FIG. 5), and scanning lines 205B-1, 205B-2, and 205B-3 are formed by scanning light 202B (see FIG. 5). Scanning lines 205C-1, 205C-2, and 205C-3 are formed by scanning light 202C (see FIG. 5). The spacing between each scanning line in the transport direction (direction of arrow A) corresponds to the pixel density of the pattern.

[0102] In the first example described above, the spacing between the three scanning lines on the substrate corresponds to the length of the pattern formation area divided into three. For example, if the width of the pattern formation area in the transport direction of the container 1 is 100 mm, the fθ lens 241 used in the pattern formation device is required to have an effective diameter that is 66.6 mm (33.3 × 2) larger than when a pattern is formed with a single scanning beam. This may result in an increase in the size of the pattern formation device and an increase in the device cost.

[0103] In contrast, in the second example, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, three scan lines 204A, 204B, and 204C are arranged at intervals corresponding to the pixel density. By reducing the intervals between the scan lines, the fθ lens 241 does not require a large effective diameter. For example, when the pixel density is 600 dpi (dots per inch), the effective diameter only needs to be increased by 0.084 millimeters (0.042 x 2) compared to when a pattern is formed with a single scanning beam. This makes it possible to prevent the pattern forming device 100a from becoming larger and more costly.

[0104] (Example 3) 11 is a diagram illustrating a third example of pattern formation by the pattern forming device 200a, in which (a) shows the scan line at time T0, (b) shows the scan line at time T1, (c) shows the scan line at time T2, and (d) shows the scan line at time T3.

[0105] The container 1 is transported in the transport direction corresponding to the direction of arrow A, and in the transport direction, the position of the container 1 relative to the scanning lines 205A, 205B, 205C of the scanning beams 202A, 202B, 202C (see FIG. 5) varies from time to time.

[0106] Each of the scanning lines 205A, 205B, and 205C is made up of three scanning lines corresponding to the scanning lines formed by the three surfaces of the polygon mirror 231a. From the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction, they correspond to the first line formed by the first surface of the polygon mirror 231a, the second line formed by the second surface, and the third line formed by the second surface.

[0107] At time t0 shown in Fig. 11(a), none of the scanning lines 205A, 205B, and 205C is irradiated onto the container 1. At time t1 shown in Fig. 11(b), only the third line of the scanning line 205A among the scanning lines 205A, 205B, and 205C is irradiated onto the vicinity of the end of the container 1 in the positive direction of the X axis.

[0108] 11(c), the first to third scan lines 205A and the third scan line 205B are irradiated onto the substrate. The third scan line 205B is irradiated onto the same position as the position irradiated by the third scan line 205A at time T1, overlapping the third scan line 205B.

[0109] 11(d), the first to third scan lines 205A, the first to third scan lines 205B, and the third scan line 205C are irradiated onto the substrate. The first to third scan lines 205B are irradiated and overlapped at the same positions as the irradiation positions of the first to third scan lines 205A at time T2. Furthermore, the third scan line 205C is irradiated and overlapped at the same position as the irradiation position of the third scan line 205B at time T2.

[0110] Here, in the second example described above, although an increase in the diameter of the fθ lens 241 can be suppressed, the set magnification of the fθ lens 241 may affect the beam spacing of the incident pulsed laser beam. For example, when a light beam with an incident beam diameter of 2 millimeters is condensed to 50 micrometers and a pattern with a pixel density of 600 dpi (42 micrometers) is formed using multiple pulsed laser beams, the spacing in the transport direction of the scanning beam on the substrate is 2.1 millimeters (0.04 × 2.5 / 0.05). If the spacing in the transport direction of the multiple pulsed laser beams is narrow, it may be difficult to arrange components such as the Z-axis deflection mirror 221a.

[0111] Furthermore, depending on the material or thickness of the substrate constituting the container 1, there are cases where it is desired to increase or decrease the influence of heat during pattern formation. When the influence of heat is large, the line width of the pattern tends to increase. There are also cases where it is desired to form a fine pattern by decreasing the influence of heat and narrowing the line width. When a new pattern is formed in an adjacent position immediately after pattern formation, it is more susceptible to the influence of heat.

[0112] In contrast to this, in the third example, the intervals between the scanning beams of the multiple pulsed laser beams in the transport direction can be set arbitrarily, which allows for flexible arrangement of the components and makes them less susceptible to the effects of heat.

[0113] Furthermore, by irradiating the scanning lines 205A, 205B, and 205C in the same position in an overlapping manner, the pulse energy or repetition frequency required for the pulse laser can be reduced to about one-third, making it possible to configure a pattern formation device using a relatively inexpensive pulse laser, thereby improving the pattern formation device in terms of cost, productivity, and associated equipment.

[0114] <Operation and Effects of Pattern Forming Apparatus 200a> As described above, in this embodiment, pulsed laser light emitted from each of a plurality of pulsed lasers included in the light source unit is scanned in the scanning direction (predetermined direction), and different positions on the substrate in the transport direction (direction intersecting the predetermined direction) are irradiated with the scanned light of each pulsed laser light. Alternatively, pulsed laser light emitted from each of a plurality of pulsed lasers is scanned in the scanning direction, and the scanned light of each pulsed laser light is irradiated in an overlapping manner at the same position on the substrate in the transport direction.

[0115] As a result, even when using a pulsed laser with a low pulse energy or a low repetition rate, it is possible to ensure fluence and form a pattern with good visibility, thereby improving the pattern formation device in terms of cost, productivity, and associated equipment.

[0116] Here, when the number of pulse lasers is N, it is more preferable to set the fluence of the pulse laser light emitted from one pulse laser equal to F / N, because the fluence of one pulse can be secured with pulse laser light from three pulse lasers.

[0117] Other effects than these are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

[0118] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, a container manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method will be described. Here, the container manufacturing apparatus corresponds to an example of a pattern forming apparatus. Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus according to each embodiment described below has the configuration and function of either one of the pattern forming apparatus 200 or 200a described above, and can obtain the same effects as the pattern forming apparatus 200 or 200a.

[0119] <Configuration example of manufacturing apparatus 100> First, the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 100. The manufacturing apparatus 100 changes the properties of the substrate constituting the container, thereby forming a first pattern composed of an aggregate of second patterns on at least one of the surface or interior of the substrate. Here, the properties of the substrate refer to the properties or state of the substrate.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 12, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a laser irradiation unit 2, a rotation mechanism 3 that collects the workpiece, a holding unit 31, a movement mechanism 4, a dust collection unit 5, and a control unit 6. The manufacturing apparatus 100 holds a cylindrical container, namely, a container 1, via the holding unit 31 so that the container 1 can rotate about a cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. The laser irradiation unit 2 then irradiates the container 1 with pulsed laser light to change the properties of the base material that constitutes the container 1, thereby forming a first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns on the surface of the container 1. Note that, hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity, the first pattern composed of an assembly of second patterns may be referred to as the first pattern as appropriate.

[0121] The laser irradiation unit 2 scans the pulsed laser light emitted from the pulsed laser in the Y direction of Fig. 12 and irradiates the container 1 arranged in the positive Z direction with a processing laser beam 20. The laser irradiation unit 2 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 13.

[0122] The rotation mechanism 3 holds the container 1 via a holding part 31. The holding part 31 is a coupling member connected to the motor shaft of a motor (not shown) that serves as a drive part of the rotation mechanism 3, and one end of the holding part 31 is inserted into the opening of the container 1 to hold the container 1. Rotation of the motor shaft rotates the holding part 31, and thereby rotates the container 1 held by the holding part 31 around the cylindrical axis 10.

[0123] The moving mechanism 4 is a linear stage equipped with a table, and the rotation mechanism 3 is placed on the table of the moving mechanism 4. The moving mechanism 4 moves the table back and forth in the Y direction, thereby moving the rotation mechanism 3, the holding part 31, and the container 1 together in the Y direction.

[0124] The dust collection unit 5 is an air suction device arranged near the portion of the container 1 that is irradiated with the processing laser beam 20. By collecting the plume and dust that are generated when the first pattern is formed by irradiating the processing laser beam 20 by air suction, the manufacturing apparatus 100, the container 1, and the surrounding area are prevented from being contaminated by the plume and dust.

[0125] The control unit 6 is electrically connected to each of the pulse laser 21, the scanning unit 23, the rotation mechanism 3, the movement mechanism 4, and the dust collection unit 5 via cables or the like, and controls the operation of each by outputting a control signal.

[0126] In the manufacturing apparatus 100, while rotating the container 1 using the rotation mechanism 3 under the control of the control unit 6, the laser irradiation unit 2 irradiates the container 1 with a processing laser beam 20 that scans in the Y direction. Then, a first pattern is two-dimensionally formed on at least one of the front and back surfaces or the interior of the base material in the container 1.

[0127] Here, the scanning area in the Y direction of the processing laser beam 20 by the laser irradiation unit 2 may be limited in range. Therefore, when forming the first pattern in an area wider than the scanning area, the manufacturing apparatus 100 moves the container 1 in the Y direction using the movement mechanism 4, thereby shifting the irradiation position of the processing laser beam 20 on the container 1 in the Y direction. Thereafter, while rotating the container 1 again using the rotation mechanism 3, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans the processing laser beam 20 in the Y direction, thereby forming the first pattern on at least one of the surface or interior of the base material in the container 1. This allows the first pattern to be formed in a wider area of ​​the container 1 (any area from the mouth to the bottom of the bottle).

[0128] <Configuration example of laser irradiation unit 2> Next, we will explain the configuration of the laser irradiation unit 2. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the laser irradiation unit 2. As shown in Fig. 13, the laser irradiation unit 2 includes a pulse laser 21, a beam expander 22, a scanning unit 23, a scanning lens 24, and a synchronization detection unit 25.

[0129] The pulsed laser 21 is, for example, a laser light source that emits pulsed laser light. The pulsed laser 21 emits pulsed laser light with an output (light intensity) suitable for changing the properties of at least one of the surface and the interior of the base material in the container 1 irradiated with the pulsed laser light.

[0130] The pulse laser 21 is capable of controlling the on / off of pulse laser light emission, emission frequency, light intensity, etc. An example of the pulse laser 21 is a pulse laser with a wavelength of 532 nm, a pulse width of 16 picoseconds, and an average output of 4.9 W. The diameter of the pulse laser light in the region in the container 1 where the properties of the base material are changed is preferably 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less.

[0131] The pulse laser 21 may be configured with one pulse laser or multiple pulse lasers. When multiple pulse lasers are used, the on / off control, emission frequency control, light intensity control, etc. may be performed independently for each pulse laser, or may be shared.

[0132] The diameter of the parallel pulsed laser light emitted from the pulsed laser 21 is expanded by the beam expander 22 and enters the scanning unit 23 .

[0133] The scanning unit 23 includes a scanning mirror whose reflection angle is changed by a driving unit such as a motor. By changing the reflection angle of the scanning mirror, the incident pulsed laser light is scanned in the Y direction. This scanning mirror can be a galvanometer mirror, a polygon mirror, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) mirror, or the like.

[0134] In the embodiment, the scanning unit 23 performs one-dimensional scanning with the pulsed laser beam in the Y direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The scanning unit 23 may perform two-dimensional scanning with the pulsed laser beam in the X and Y directions using a scanning mirror that changes the reflection angle in two orthogonal directions.

[0135] However, when irradiating the surface of the cylindrical container 1 with pulsed laser light, two-dimensional scanning in the X and Y directions causes the beam spot diameter on the surface of the container 1 to change depending on the scanning in the X direction, so one-dimensional scanning is preferable in such cases.

[0136] The pulsed laser light scanned by the scanning unit 23 is irradiated as a processing laser beam 20 onto at least one of the surface and the interior of the base material in the container 1 .

[0137] The scanning lens 24 is an fθ lens that keeps constant the scanning speed of the processing laser beam 20 scanned by the scanning unit 23 and converges the processing laser beam 20 at a predetermined position on at least one of the surface and the interior of the substrate in the container 1. It is preferable that the scanning lens 24 and the container 1 are arranged so that the beam spot diameter of the processing laser beam 20 is minimized in the region in the container 1 where the properties of the substrate are changed. Note that the scanning lens 24 may be configured by combining multiple lenses.

[0138] The synchronization detector 25 outputs a synchronization detection signal used to synchronize the scanning of the processing laser beam 20 with the rotation of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3. The synchronization detector 25 includes a photodiode that outputs an electrical signal according to the intensity of the received light, and outputs the electrical signal from the photodiode to the controller 6 as a synchronization detection signal.

[0139] Although Fig. 13 shows an example of scanning a processing laser beam, it is also possible to provide a number of processing laser beams within the range of the printing width to form a processing laser beam array, and by rotating the container 1, scan the container 1 in one direction with a number of laser beams. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of this, showing a processing laser beam array consisting of a number of laser beams arranged in parallel on the container 1.

[0140] <Example of hardware configuration of control unit 6> Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the control unit 6 included in the manufacturing apparatus 100. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 6. The control unit 6 is implemented by a computer.

[0141] 15, the control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a HD (Hard Disk) 504, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, and a display 506. The control unit 6 also includes an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a data bus 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0142] Of these, the CPU 501 is a processor that controls the overall operation of the control unit 6. The ROM 502 is a memory that stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader).

[0143] The RAM 503 is a memory used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 is a memory that stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501.

[0144] The display 506 displays various types of information such as a cursor, menu, window, text, or image. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various types of external devices. In this case, the external devices include the pulse laser 21, the scanning unit 23, the synchronization detection unit 25, the rotation mechanism 3, the movement mechanism 4, and the dust collection unit 5. However, other devices such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer can also be connected.

[0145] The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using a communication network. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

[0146] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc.

[0147] The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from and to a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the medium is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from and to a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0148] <Example of functional configuration of control unit 6> Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the control unit 6. Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 6.

[0149] 16, the control unit 6 includes a first pattern data input unit 61, a second pattern parameter designation unit 62, a storage unit 63, a processing data generation unit 64, a laser irradiation control unit 65, a laser scanning control unit 66, a container rotation control unit 67, a container movement control unit 68, and a dust collection control unit 69. The material data of the workpiece stores processing parameter information according to the material, such as resin.

[0150] Of these, the functions of the first pattern data input unit 61, second pattern parameter designation unit 62, processing data generation unit 64, laser irradiation control unit 65, laser scanning control unit 66, container rotation control unit 67, container movement control unit 68, and dust collection control unit 69 are all realized by the CPU 501 in Fig. 15 executing a predetermined program and outputting a control signal via the external device connection I / F 508. However, electronic or electric circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) may be added to the hardware configuration of the control unit 6 to realize some or all of the functions of the above components by the electronic or electric circuits. The function of the storage unit 63 is realized by the HD 504, etc.

[0151] The first pattern data input unit 61 inputs, from an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a scanner, pattern data of the first pattern to be formed on at least one of the surface and the interior of the base material in the container 1. The pattern data of the first pattern is electronic data including information indicating a pattern such as a code, such as a barcode or a QR code, or a character, a figure, or a photograph, and information indicating the type of the first pattern.

[0152] However, the pattern data is not limited to data input from an external device. A user of manufacturing apparatus 100 can also input pattern data of the generated first pattern using keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of control unit 6.

[0153] The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs the input pattern data of the first pattern to the processing data generation unit 64 and the second pattern parameter designation unit 62, respectively.

[0154] The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 designates processing parameters for forming the second pattern. As described above, the second pattern is a line or a dot having a smaller length or width than the first pattern, or a smaller length and width than the first pattern, and acts to increase the contrast of the first pattern and improve visibility.

[0155] The processing parameters of the second pattern are information that specifies the type, length, thickness, and processing depth of the lines of the second pattern, or the spacing, arrangement, and density of adjacent lines in a collection of lines, or the type, size, and processing depth of the dots of the second pattern, or the spacing, arrangement, and density of adjacent dots in a collection of dots.

[0156] The line type is information indicating a straight line, a curve, etc. The point type is information indicating the shape of the point, such as a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, a diamond, etc. In the collection of second patterns, the second patterns may be configured to have periodicity or may be configured to be non-periodic. However, configuring the second patterns to have periodicity is preferable because it simplifies the specification of parameters.

[0157] Processing parameters for the second pattern suitable for improving visibility corresponding to the type of first pattern, such as characters, codes, figures, or photographs, are determined in advance through experiments and simulations. The storage unit 63 stores a table showing the correspondence between such first pattern types and processing parameters. The outer frame of the first pattern may or may not be processed. Processing makes the outline clearer. Not processing improves drawing efficiency.

[0158] The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 can refer to the storage unit 63 based on information indicating the type of the first pattern input from the first pattern data input unit 61, and acquire and designate processing parameters for the second pattern.

[0159] However, the method of designation by the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 is not limited to the above-described one. The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 may receive a user instruction via the keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of the control unit 6, and may refer to the storage unit 63 based on this instruction to acquire the processing parameters of the second pattern.

[0160] The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 may also acquire processing parameters for the second pattern that are generated by the user of the manufacturing apparatus 100 using the keyboard 511 or pointing device 512 of the control unit 6.

[0161] The processing data generating unit 64 generates processing data for forming the first pattern constituted by a collection of the second patterns, based on the pattern data of the first pattern and the processing parameters of the second pattern.

[0162] The processing data includes rotation condition data for the rotation mechanism 3 to rotate the container 1, scanning condition data for the laser irradiation unit 2 to scan the processing laser beam 20, and irradiation condition data for the laser irradiation unit 2 to irradiate the processing laser beam 20 in synchronization with the rotation of the container 1. The processing data also includes movement condition data for the movement mechanism 4 to move the container 1 in the Y direction and dust collection condition data for the dust collection unit 5 to perform a dust collection operation.

[0163] The processing data generation unit 64 outputs the generated processing data to the laser irradiation control unit 65, the laser scanning control unit 66, the container rotation control unit 67, the container movement control unit 68, and the dust collection control unit 69, respectively.

[0164] The laser irradiation control unit 65 includes a light intensity control unit 651 and a pulse control unit 652, and controls the irradiation of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1 by the pulse laser 21 based on the irradiation condition data. Furthermore, the laser irradiation control unit 65 controls the irradiation timing of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1 in synchronization with the rotation of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3 based on a synchronization detection signal from the synchronization detection unit 25.

[0165] When the pulse laser 21 is configured with a plurality of pulse lasers, the laser irradiation control unit 65 performs the above control independently for each of the plurality of pulse lasers.

[0166] The light intensity control unit 651 controls the light intensity of the processing laser beam 20 , and the pulse control unit 652 controls the pulse width and irradiation timing of the processing laser beam 20 .

[0167] The laser scanning control unit 66 controls the scanning of the processing laser beam 20 by the scanning unit 23 based on the scanning condition data. Specifically, it controls the on / off of driving the scanning mirror, controls the driving frequency, and so on.

[0168] Based on the rotation condition data, the container rotation control unit 67 controls the on / off of the rotation drive of the container 1 by the rotation mechanism 3, the rotation angle, rotation direction, rotation speed, etc. Note that the container rotation control unit 67 may continuously rotate the container 1 in a predetermined rotation direction, or may rotate (swing) the container 1 back and forth within a predetermined angle range such as ±90 degrees while switching the rotation direction.

[0169] The container movement control unit 68 controls the on / off, movement direction, movement amount, movement speed, etc. of the movement drive of the container 1 by the movement mechanism 4 based on the movement condition data.

[0170] The dust collection control unit 69 controls the on / off of dust collection by the dust collection unit 5, the amount of air to be sucked, and the flow velocity, based on the dust collection condition data. Note that a mechanism for moving the dust collection unit 5 may be provided, and the movement of the dust collection unit 5 by the mechanism may be controlled so that the dust collection unit 5 is positioned near the position where the processing laser beam 20 is irradiated.

[0171] <Example of manufacturing method using manufacturing apparatus 100> Next, a description will be given of a manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 100. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus 100.

[0172] First, in step S51, the first pattern data input unit 61 inputs pattern data of the first pattern from an external device such as a PC, a scanner, etc. The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs the input pattern data of the first pattern to the processing data generation unit 64 and the second pattern parameter designation unit 62, respectively.

[0173] Subsequently, in step S52, the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 designates processing parameters for forming the second pattern. The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 acquires and designates processing parameters for the second pattern by referring to the storage unit 63 based on the information indicating the type of the first pattern input from the first pattern data input unit 61.

[0174] The order of the operations in steps S51 and S52 may be changed as appropriate, or these steps may be executed in parallel.

[0175] Next, in step S53, the processing data generation unit 64 generates processing data for forming a first pattern composed of an aggregate of second patterns based on the pattern data of the first pattern and the processing parameters of the second pattern, and outputs the generated processing data to the laser irradiation control unit 65, the laser scanning control unit 66, the container rotation control unit 67, the container movement control unit 68, and the dust collection control unit 69.

[0176] Next, in step S54, the laser scan control unit 66, based on the scanning condition data, causes the scanning unit 23 to start scanning in the Y direction with the processing laser beam 20. In this embodiment, in response to this start of scanning, the scanning unit 23 continues scanning in the Y direction with the processing laser beam 20 until an instruction to stop it is given.

[0177] Next, in step S55, the container rotation control unit 67, based on the rotation condition data, causes the rotation mechanism 3 to start rotating the container 1. In this embodiment, in response to the start of the rotation drive, the rotation mechanism 3 continues to rotate the container 1 until an instruction to stop it is given.

[0178] Next, in step S56, the container movement control unit 68 causes the movement mechanism 4 to move the container 1 to an initial position in the Y direction based on the movement condition data so that the processing laser beam 20 is irradiated onto a predetermined position on the container 1. After the container 1 has been moved to the initial position, the container movement control unit 68 stops the movement mechanism 4.

[0179] The order of the operations from step S54 to step S56 may be changed as appropriate, or these steps may be executed in parallel.

[0180] Subsequently, in step S57, the laser irradiation control unit 65 starts controlling the irradiation of the processing laser beam 20 onto the container 1.

[0181] Specifically, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans one line along the Y direction and irradiates the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20. Thereafter, the rotation mechanism 3 rotates a predetermined angle around the cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. After rotating by the predetermined angle, the laser irradiation unit 2 scans the next line and irradiates the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20. Thereafter, the rotation mechanism 3 rotates a predetermined angle around the cylindrical axis 10 of the container 1. By repeating these operations, a first pattern is sequentially formed on at least one of the surface and the interior of the substrate in the container 1.

[0182] Subsequently, in step S58, the laser irradiation control unit 65 determines whether or not the formation of the first pattern has been completed in a predetermined region of the container 1 in the Y direction.

[0183] If it is determined in step S58 that the process has not ended (step S58, No), the process from step S56 onwards is repeated again.

[0184] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S58 that the process has ended (Yes in step S58), then in step S59, the rotation mechanism 3 stops the rotation of the container 1 in response to a stop instruction from the container rotation control unit 67.

[0185] Subsequently, in step S60, the scanning unit 23 stops scanning with the processing laser beam 20 in response to a stop instruction from the laser scan control unit 66. The pulse laser 21 stops irradiating the processing laser beam 20 in response to a stop instruction from the laser irradiation control unit 65.

[0186] The order of the operations in steps S59 and S60 can be changed as appropriate, and these steps may be performed in parallel.

[0187] In this way, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can form a first pattern made up of an aggregate of second patterns on at least one of the surface and the interior of the base material in the container 1.

[0188] <Examples of various data> Next, an example of various data used in manufacturing the container 1 will be described.

[0189] (Example of pattern data) FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of pattern data of the first pattern input by the first pattern data input unit 61. As shown in FIG.

[0190] 18, pattern data 611 includes character data 612, "LABEL-LESS," and character data 612 is to be formed on container 1 as a first pattern. A set of multiple lines that make up the five characters of "LABEL-LESS" corresponds to the data for the first pattern. Data in pattern data 611 other than character data 612 is not to be formed on container 1.

[0191] The pattern data 611 is provided as an image file such as a bitmap, for example. The header information of the image file that provides the pattern data 611 includes information indicating the type of the first pattern. In this example, the type of the first pattern is "character."

[0192] The first pattern data input unit 61 outputs pattern data 611 including information indicating "characters" to the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 and the processed data generation unit 64, respectively.

[0193] (Example of a table showing the correspondence between the first pattern type and processing parameters) Fig. 19 shows an example of a correspondence table stored in storage unit 63. Correspondence table 631 shown in Fig. 19 shows the correspondence between the type of first pattern, such as a character, code, graphic, or photograph, and processing parameters for a second pattern suitable for improving the visibility of the first pattern. This correspondence is determined in advance through experiments and simulations.

[0194] The numerical values ​​shown in the "IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION" column of the correspondence table 631 indicate information indicating the type of first pattern, the information shown in the "TYPE" column indicates the type of first pattern, and the information shown in the "PARAMETER" column indicates the file name in which the processing parameters corresponding to the type of first pattern are recorded.

[0195] The second pattern parameter designation unit 62 refers to the correspondence table 631, reads the file corresponding to the information indicating the type of the first pattern, and acquires the processing parameters. In the example of Fig. 18, the type of the first pattern is "character", so the second pattern parameter designation unit 62 reads the file "para1" corresponding to the identification information "1" indicating "character", acquires the processing parameters, and outputs them to the processing data generation unit 64.

[0196] (Example of processing parameters) 20 is a diagram showing an example of processing parameters acquired by the second pattern parameter designation unit 62. The parameters are shown in the "parameter" column according to the items in the "item" column of the processing parameters 621.

[0197] (Example of processed data) 21 is a diagram showing an example of processing data generated by the processing data generation unit 64. Character data 642 in the processing data 641 is composed of a plurality of line data corresponding to the second pattern. The black area in the processing data 641 corresponds to the area where the properties of the base material of the container 1 are changed by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

[0198] <Example of processing laser beam 20> Next, FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of irradiation of the container 1 with the processing laser beam 20, and shows three examples of irradiation.

[0199] Figure 22 also shows the beam spot 201 of the processing laser beam 20 on the surface of the container 1, and also shows the state in which three beam spots 201 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (Y direction) of the processing laser beam 20 are scanned in the Y direction.

[0200] Such three beam spots 201 can be obtained by arranging three pulse lasers 21 side by side in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction and irradiating the processing laser beam 20 from each of the three pulse lasers 21.

[0201] 22(a) and (b) show a first example in which there are gaps between the beam spots 201 in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. FIG. 22(a) shows a state in which there are gaps between the beam spots 201 in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and FIG. 22(b) shows a state in which the beam spots 201 of FIG. 22(a) are scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scan lines are formed by the three beam spots 201, and there are gaps between the scan lines in the Y direction. Irradiating the beam spots 201 with the arrangement shown in FIGS. 22(a) and (b) can improve the efficiency of pattern formation.

[0202] Figures 22(c) and (d) show a second example in which the beam spots 201 overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. Figure 22(c) shows a state in which the beam spots 201 overlap in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and Figure 22(d) shows a state in which the beam spots 201 of Figure 22(c) are scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scanning lines are formed by the beam spots 201, and the scanning lines in the Y direction overlap. By irradiating the beam spots 201 in the arrangements shown in Figures 22(c) and (d), the contrast of the pattern can be increased.

[0203] Figures 22(e) and (f) show a third example, in which the beam spots 201 are in contact with each other in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction. Figure 22(e) shows a state in which the beam spots 201 are in contact with each other in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction, and Figure 22(f) shows a state in which the beam spot 201 of Figure 11(e) is scanned at high speed in the Y direction. By scanning at high speed, three scanning lines are formed by the beam spots 201, and the scanning lines are in contact with each other in the Y direction. By irradiating the beam spots 201 in the arrangements shown in Figures 22(e) and (f), it is possible to achieve a balance between pattern formation efficiency and contrast.

[0204] By combining these three examples of irradiation with the processing laser beam 20, a first pattern consisting of a collection of second patterns can be formed on the container 1. The number of processing laser beams 20 is not limited to three, and may be one or more. The more the number of processing laser beams 20 is increased, the more the time required for pattern formation can be reduced.

[0205] The diameter of the beam spots 201 is, for example, 42.3 μm, and the gap between the beam spots 201 in the direction perpendicular to the Y direction in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b) is, for example, 21.2 μm.

[0206] Furthermore, although FIG. 22 shows an example in which the processing laser beams are arranged periodically, the present invention is not limited to this, and non-periodic arrangement is also possible.

[0207] <Examples of changes in the properties of the substrate> Next, a description will be given of changes in the properties of the base material of the container 1 due to irradiation with the processing laser beam 20. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example of changes in the properties of the base material of the container 1 due to irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

[0208] Fig. 23(a) shows a recessed shape formed by evaporating the base material on the surface of the container 1, and Fig. 23(b) shows a recessed shape formed by melting the base material on the surface of the container 1. In the case of Fig. 23(b), the periphery of the recessed portion is raised compared to Fig. 23(a).

[0209] 23(c) shows the change in the crystallization state on the surface of the base material of the container 1, and FIG. 23(d) shows the change in the foaming state inside the base material of the container 1.

[0210] In this way, by changing the shape of the surface of the container 1, or by changing the properties such as the crystallization state of the substrate surface or the foaming state inside the substrate, a first pattern consisting of an aggregate of second patterns can be formed on the surface or inside the container 1.

[0211] To change the crystallization state, for example, if the substrate is PET, a CW laser with a wavelength of 355 nm to 1064 nm is irradiated to raise the temperature of the substrate in one go, and then the PET substrate can be brought into a crystallized state and made opaque by gradually cooling it by, for example, weakening the power. Note that if the PET is cooled rapidly by turning off the laser beam after raising the temperature, it will become amorphous and transparent.

[0212] The change in the properties of the base material of the container 1 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 23. The properties of the base material may be changed by yellowing of the base material made of a resin material, oxidation reaction, surface modification, etc.

[0213] <An example of the container 1 according to the third embodiment> Next, a container 1 according to a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the container 1. The container 1 is a cylindrical bottle whose base material is a resin (transparent resin) that is transparent to visible light. FIG. 24 shows the container 1 placed in front of a black screen as the background. The black screen in the background can be seen through the transparent container 1. Alternatively, it can be considered that a black liquid is contained in the container 1, and the black liquid in the container 1 can be seen through the transparent container 1.

[0214] The characters 11, "Labelless," are formed on the surface of the container 1. The characters 11 appear opaque against the black background or the black liquid inside the container 1 due to the diffusion of ambient light by the characters 11. The collection of multiple lines that make up the five characters of "Labelless" corresponds to the characters 11, and the characters 11 are an example of a first pattern and an example of a first region. The region of the container 1 where the characters 11 are not formed is an example of another region.

[0215] The resin for the base material of the container 1 can be polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polybutylene adipate / terephthalate (PBAT), polyethylene terephthalate succinate, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polyurethane, epoxy, biopolybutylene succinate (PBS), polylactic acid blend (PBAT), starch blend polyester resin, polybutylene terephthalate succinate, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate / hydroxyhexanoate (PHBH), polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA), bioPET30, biopolyamide (PA) 610, 410, 510, bioPA1012, 10T, bioPA11T, MXD10, biopolycarbonate, biopolyurethane, bioPE, bioPET100, bioPA11, bioPA1010, etc.

[0216] Among these, biodegradable resins such as polyvinyl alcohol, polybutylene adipate / terephthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate succinate are suitable because they reduce environmental impact. While it is desirable for the resin to be 100% biodegradable, partial biodegradability is also acceptable. For example, a combination of 5%, 10%, or 30% biodegradable resin with other proportions of conventional resin can also be expected to reduce environmental impact.

[0217] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the first pattern and the second pattern formed on the container 1. The enlarged view 111 in FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of a portion of the character 11. As shown in FIG. 25, the character 11, "Labelless," is formed on the surface of the container 1, and as shown in the enlarged view 111, the character 11 is made up of a plurality of straight lines 12. In other words, the character 11 is made up of a collection of straight lines 12. Note that, in FIG. 25, the straight lines 12 are shown only in the area corresponding to the enlarged view 111, but the entire character 11 is made up of a collection of straight lines 12.

[0218] The white area in the collection of straight lines 12 indicates an area where the properties of the base material have changed, and the straight line 12 corresponding to one of the multiple straight lines indicated in the white area is an example of a second pattern and also an example of a second area. The multiple straight lines 12 are an example of a collection of straight lines 12. The straight lines 12 are a pattern that is smaller than the character 11. More specifically, the straight lines 12 are a pattern in which the area of ​​the straight line portion is smaller than the sum of the areas of the multiple line portions that make up the character 11. In this way, the character 11 is formed including a collection of straight lines 12 that are smaller (fine) than the character 11.

[0219] Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA cross-sectional shape in the enlarged view 111 of Figure 25. An outer surface portion 121 indicates the substrate surface on the outside of the container 1. A recess 122 indicates a portion formed by evaporation of the surface of the substrate of the container 1 by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20, and corresponds to the line 12. An inner surface portion 123 indicates the substrate surface on the inside of the container 1 (the interior side of the container 1).

[0220] The thickness t indicates the thickness of the base material of the container 1, and the processing depth Hp indicates the depth of the recess 122. The non-processed portion depth Hb indicates the depth of the non-processed portion. The depth of the non-processed portion is the depth obtained by subtracting the processing depth Hp from the thickness t of the base material of the container 1.

[0221] Here, the interval between adjacent second patterns refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent second patterns. In Fig. 26, interval P indicates the interval between adjacent straight lines 12. Furthermore, width W indicates the thickness of straight lines 12. In this embodiment, straight lines 12 are formed periodically, so interval P also corresponds to the period at which straight lines 12 are formed.

[0222] Here, the spacing P is preferably set to 0.4 μm or more and 130 μm or less. By setting the spacing P to 0.4 μm or more, ambient light can be diffused without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, and the contrast of the character 11 formed by a collection of straight lines 12 can be improved.

[0223] Furthermore, by setting the interval P to 130 μm or less, a resolution of 200 dpi (dots per inch) is guaranteed, the lines 12 themselves are prevented from being visible, and the characters 11 can be viewed with high contrast as a cloudy pattern. Setting the interval P to 50 μm or less is more preferable because it can reliably prevent the second pattern itself from being visible.

[0224] In the above example, the preferred values ​​for the interval P are explained, but if the second pattern has periodicity, the preferred values ​​can also be applied to the period. While Fig. 26 shows an example in which the interval P is constant, there may be multiple different intervals P, rather than a constant interval. For example, P1 = 50 µm, P2 = 30 µm, P3 = 60 µm, and P4 = 100 µm.

[0225] It should be noted that Fig. 25 shows an example of a second pattern with narrower spacing than the processed data of the second pattern shown in Fig. 21. In other words, the character data 642 in Fig. 21 does not correspond to the character 11 in Fig. 25.

[0226] Furthermore, although the enlarged view 111 shows a collection of straight lines 12 formed periodically at equal intervals, the collection of the second pattern is not limited to this. The collection of the second pattern may be formed of a plurality of straight lines 12 formed non-periodically at different intervals, or may be formed of a plurality of dots formed periodically or non-periodically. If the second pattern is a dot pattern, the dot pattern should be smaller than the first pattern such as the characters 11.

[0227] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second pattern is formed in an uneven shape including outer surface portions 121 and recesses 122 corresponding to the protrusions. When forming the second pattern in an uneven shape like this, it is preferable to set the difference in depth between the outer surface portions 121 and the recesses 122 to 0.4 μm or more. By setting the difference to 0.4 μm or more, ambient light can be diffused without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, and the contrast of the characters 11 formed by a collection of straight lines 12 can be improved. Note that although the outer surface portions 121 are shown as an example of protrusions, the protrusions may be the portions of the outer surface of the container 1 vaporized by irradiating the processing laser beam 20, as long as the protrusions are shallower than the recesses 122.

[0228] Next, FIG. 27 is a diagram showing various examples of the machining depth Hp.

[0229] 27(a) shows a case where the processing depth Hp is shallower than the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate. More specifically, this is the case where the ratio of the processing depth Hp to the non-processed portion depth Hb is from 1 to 9 or less to 3 to 7. In this case, the rigidity (mechanical strength) of the second pattern is improved. As an example, when the thickness of the substrate of the container 1 is 100 μm to 500 μm, the processing depth Hp is 10 μm.

[0230] 27(b) shows the case where the processing depth Hp is deeper than the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate. More specifically, this is the case where the ratio of the processing depth Hp to the non-processed portion depth Hb is from 7:3 to 9:1 or more.

[0231] 27(c) shows the case where the processing depth Hp and the non-processed portion depth Hb of the substrate are approximately the same. More specifically, this is the case where the ratio of the processing depth Hp to the non-processed portion depth Hb changes from 4:6 to 6:4.

[0232] FIG. 27(d) is a diagram showing the case where the processed depth Hp and the unprocessed portion depth Hb of the substrate are changed.

[0233] The processing depth Hp as shown in FIGS. 27(a) to 27(d) can be adjusted by controlling the light intensity of the pulsed laser light emitted by the pulsed laser 21 with the light intensity control unit 651 in the laser irradiation control unit 65.

[0234] In the case of a bottle (container 1) for carbonated beverages, strength is required compared to a bottle (container 1) for non-carbonated beverages, and therefore the thickness of the base material may be thicker than that of a bottle (container 1) for non-carbonated beverages. In such cases, it is preferable to ensure a sufficient unprocessed portion depth Hb to obtain sufficient strength. For example, it is preferable to set the unprocessed portion depth Hb to 200 μm to 450 μm. Furthermore, if a processing depth Hp that ensures drawability is required, it is preferable to further increase the thickness of the resin to ensure a sufficient unprocessed portion depth Hb and processed portion depth Hp.

[0235] <Example of pulse laser and processing parameters> The pulse laser 21 used in the manufacturing apparatus 100 may have a wavelength of, for example, 355 nm, 532 nm, or 1,064 nm, and the pulse width may be from several tens of fs to several hundreds of ns. A CW laser may also be used, and may be modulated before use.

[0236] The shorter the wavelength of the pulsed laser 21 used, the smaller the beam spot diameter can be, which is suitable for forming a first pattern made up of a collection of finer second patterns.

[0237] <Effects of container 1> Containers such as PET bottles are widely used due to their various advantages, such as their shelf life, in the distribution and sale of beverages and other products. Containers in circulation on the market are often affixed with labels displaying the product name, ingredients, expiration date, barcode, QR code, recycle mark, logo mark, etc. for management and sales promotion purposes. Labels can provide useful information to consumers. Furthermore, displaying designs on labels to appeal to consumers can help to demonstrate the individuality of the product and increase its competitiveness.

[0238] On the other hand, in recent years, the problem of marine plastic waste has come under scrutiny, and there has been a growing global movement to eliminate environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. Containers such as PET bottles are no exception, and measures to reduce plastic waste are being implemented from the perspective of environmentally friendly reduction.

[0239] Under these circumstances, there is a growing demand for closed-loop recycling of containers. Here, closed-loop recycling of containers means that recyclers convert used containers that have been separated and collected into flakes, which are the raw material for containers, and then manufacture containers again.

[0240] To smoothly advance this circular recycling, it is preferable to thoroughly separate and collect different materials, such as container bodies, labels, and caps, of PET bottles and other containers, during the recycling process. Separation requires consumers to separate the caps and labels from each container, and removing the labels is particularly time-consuming for both consumers and local government resource recovery companies, as it requires manual labor. Therefore, the task of removing labels from containers is one of the constraints to thoroughly implementing separate collection.

[0241] In response to this, research is being conducted into technologies to provide containers without labels, such as by printing patterns displaying information on the container body using an inkjet method.

[0242] However, if the ink applied by printing remains in the bottle during the recycling process after collection, the amount of impurities increases, which can be undesirable. Also, if the ink is removed from the container body during the recycling process to reduce impurities, the management information will be lost, which can be undesirable.

[0243] Another method being considered is to use a CO2 laser (carbon dioxide laser) to form a pattern that displays information on the container body.

[0244] However, because the wavelength of a pulsed laser such as a CO2 laser is long, the beam spot diameter becomes large, which reduces the resolution of the pattern formed on the container body. As a result, when a pattern with a large amount of information, such as an image, is formed on the container, the contrast of the pattern decreases, which can reduce visibility.

[0245] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, a container 1 is provided in which a first pattern constituted by a second pattern is formed on at least one of the front surface, rear surface, or interior of the base material.

[0246] The first pattern formed by the second pattern has a higher diffusion of ambient light compared to a first pattern formed in a single stroke. The term "single stroke" used here refers to drawing a line or a figure while continuously irradiating the pulsed laser beam without interruption. As a result, the contrast of the first pattern relative to the area of ​​the container 1 where the first pattern is not formed is improved. In this embodiment, the light diffusion effect of the second pattern makes the first pattern appear cloudy compared to the area where the first pattern is not formed, and the improved contrast makes the cloudy area appear whiter.

[0247] As a result, even if the first pattern is a pattern with a large amount of information including fine lines, characters, etc., the first pattern can be clearly seen with high contrast, and a container 1 can be provided in which a pattern with a large amount of information is formed with good visibility. Also, in the material that serves as the base material of the container 1, a base material can be provided in which an image, drawing, etc. is formed with good visibility.

[0248] Furthermore, since the first pattern can be formed without applying impurities such as ink to the container 1 body, the process of removing impurities within the circular recycling process is unnecessary, and the loss of management information due to removing ink as an impurity can also be prevented.

[0249] Furthermore, by coloring, whitening, or opacifying the first pattern, the first pattern can be seen with good contrast even when transparent plastic or transparent glass that is transparent to visible light is used as the base material of the container 1.

[0250] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a first pattern consisting of a collection of second patterns is formed using a processing laser beam 20, but this is not limited to this, and other processing methods such as mechanical cutting processing can also be applied.

[0251] Furthermore, by changing at least one of the properties of the base material, such as the shape, crystallization state, or foaming state, a laser processing method in which a laser beam is irradiated can be applied as a means for changing the properties of the base material. Laser processing allows for high-speed processing and can suppress the generation of cutting dust, etc., so it is possible to form the first pattern composed of an aggregate of the second pattern in a cleaner environment.

[0252] In this embodiment, the processing depth Hp of the second pattern is adjusted by controlling the light intensity of the processing laser beam 20 based on the irradiation condition data, thereby optimizing the contrast of the first pattern or the rigidity of the second pattern.

[0253] It is also preferable to set the diameter of the processing laser beam 20 to 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less in the area where the properties of the base material are changed on the surface or inside of the container 1. This can improve the diffusion of ambient light by the first pattern formed by the collection of second patterns, and also ensure the efficiency of forming the first pattern.

[0254] If the beam spot diameter is smaller than 1 μm, it will be close to the wavelength of visible light, and the structure processed with that beam spot diameter will not be able to scatter light and will not become opaque. Furthermore, if it is larger than 200 μm, the structure will be visible to the human eye. For the above-mentioned purposes, it is preferable that the diameter of the processing laser beam 20 be 1 μm or more and 200 μm or less. Furthermore, to ensure that the structure is not visible even to people with good eyesight, it is even more preferable that the diameter of the processing laser beam be 1 to 100 μm or less.

[0255] Furthermore, the spacing between adjacent second patterns is preferably 0.4 μm or more and 130 μm or less. By setting the spacing to 0.4 μm or more, ambient light can be diffused without being restricted by the wavelength limit of visible light, improving the contrast of the first pattern. Furthermore, by setting the spacing to 130 μm or less, a resolution of 200 dpi (dots per inch) can be guaranteed, and the second pattern itself can be prevented from being visible, allowing the first pattern to be visible with high contrast as a cloudy pattern.

[0256] Furthermore, if the second pattern is formed at a predetermined period, period information can be used as a processing parameter, which is preferable because it simplifies the processing parameters for forming the second pattern.

[0257] Furthermore, when the second pattern is configured with a concave-convex shape, it is preferable that the difference in depth between the concave and convex parts in the concave-convex shape be 0.4 μm or more, which can ensure the second pattern's ability to diffuse ambient light and improve the contrast of the first pattern.

[0258] Furthermore, it is more preferable to configure the aggregate by including two or more and five or less second patterns, since this allows the second patterns to effectively achieve opacification.

[0259] Furthermore, using a biodegradable resin as the base material of the container 1 is more preferable because it does not generate resin waste and therefore reduces the environmental impact. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio of biodegradable resin in the resin constituting the container 1 is 100%, but even if it is around 30%, the environmental impact is significantly reduced.

[0260] The embodiment also includes a container configured to include the container 1 and an object contained in the container 1. Figure 28 is a diagram showing an example of such a container 7. The container 7 is configured to include the container 1, a sealing member 8 such as a cap, and an object 9 such as a liquid beverage contained in the container 1. The words "Labelless" 11 are printed on the surface of the container 1.

[0261] The contained object 9 is often black, brown, yellow, or the like. A threaded portion is provided at the mouth of the container 7 to be screwed onto and fixed to the sealing member 8. In addition, a threaded portion is provided inside the sealing member 8 to be screwed onto the threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container 7.

[0262] The method for manufacturing the container 7 includes the following three modes. Aspect 1: A manufacturing method of a container 7 in which a pattern is formed on a container 1, an object to be contained 9 is contained, and then the container 7 is sealed with a sealing member 8. Aspect 2: A method for manufacturing a container 7 in which an object to be contained 9 is contained, and then sealed with a sealing member 8, and a pattern is formed on the container 1. Aspect 3: A method for manufacturing a container 7 in which a pattern is formed on a container 1 while containing an object 9 to be contained, and then the container 1 is sealed with a sealing member 8.

[0263] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

[0264] In the fourth embodiment, the first pattern formed on the container 1 is an image, and each of the multiple pixels that make up this image is made up of a collection of second patterns. Also, by varying the spacing between the pixels of the second patterns, the image as the first pattern can be expressed in multi-level gradation.

[0265] 29 is a diagram illustrating an example of gradation expression by varying the spacing of the second pattern between pixels, and shows processed image data 112 of an image corresponding to the first pattern to be formed on the container 1. Pixels 1121 shown as squares in FIG. 29 indicate pixels that make up the processed image data 112. The processed image data 112 is made up of a plurality of pixels 1121.

[0266] In this embodiment, the second pattern is a dot pattern, and each of the plurality of pixels 1121 is composed of a collection of point data 1122. The point data 1122 shown as a black area in the processing image data 112 corresponds to an area where the properties of the base material are changed by irradiation with the processing laser beam 20.

[0267] 29, the distance between adjacent point data 1122 increases upward along the arrow, and decreases downward along the arrow. The greater the distance between adjacent point data 1122, the lower the diffusion of the ambient light when a dot pattern is formed on the container 1, and the lower the density of the clouded first pattern. On the other hand, the smaller the distance between adjacent point data 1122, the higher the diffusion of the ambient light when a dot pattern is formed on the container 1, and the higher the density of the clouded first pattern.

[0268] In this way, by varying the intervals of the second pattern between pixels, the gradation (shade) of the image is expressed.

[0269] Here, Figure 29 shows an example in which gradation is expressed by the spacing of a periodic dot pattern, but the method of expressing gradation is not limited to this. For example, gradation can be expressed by making the uneven shape at an angle rather than perpendicular to the surface of the container. Processing of such an uneven shape can be performed by irradiating the processing laser beam 20 at an angle rather than perpendicular to the surface of the container 1. This maintains the strength of the container 1 and makes it possible to emphasize the pattern depending on the angle (viewing direction).

[0270] Furthermore, not only can one container 1 be inclined in one direction, but it can also be inclined in multiple directions (such as processing the shoulder portion and the side surface). It is also possible to perform inclination in multiple directions in one processing step.

[0271] 30A and 30B are diagrams illustrating another example of gradation expression using a second pattern. FIG. 30A shows processing data for a non-periodic second pattern. In FIG. 30A, pixel 180 represents one pixel, and pixel 180 is composed of rectangular point data arranged non-periodically. The direction of the arrows shown indicates the intensity of pixel density, and the greater the number of point data within pixel 180, the higher the density.

[0272] 30(a), intervals Pd1 to Pd4 indicate intervals between adjacent point data in the arrangement of various point data within the pixel 180, and correspond to intervals between point patterns when the point patterns are formed on the container 1.

[0273] On the other hand, Figure 30(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the second pattern formed by changing the crystallization state, and Figure 30(c) is a plan view of Figure 30(b).

[0274] 30(b) and (c) show an example in which the diffusion of ambient light by the second pattern is changed and the density of the first pattern is changed by changing the crystallization depth D at which the base material of the container 1 is crystallized. The deeper the crystallization depth D, the higher the diffusion of ambient light becomes, and the denser the density of the white of the cloudy white becomes (whittier).

[0275] Next, Fig. 31 is a diagram showing an example of a container 1a according to a fourth embodiment. Images 13 and 14 expressed in multi-level gradations are formed on the container 1a. Also, an image 15 in which characters are superimposed is formed.

[0276] Each of the images 13, 14, and 15 is composed of a plurality of pixels, and each pixel is composed of a collection of dot patterns as a second pattern. Gradation is expressed by varying the spacing between adjacent dot patterns between pixels. Each of these images 13, 14, and 15 is an example of a first pattern.

[0277] As described above, in this embodiment, the first pattern formed on the container 1 is an image, and each of the multiple pixels that make up this image is made up of a collection of second patterns, and the spacing between the second patterns is made different between pixels. This changes the diffusivity for each pixel, thereby changing the density of the first pattern formed on the container 1 for each pixel, and making it possible to express the first pattern in multi-level gradation.

[0278] The diffusion of ambient light is improved in the area other than the characters 220a, and the area other than the characters 220a is perceived as cloudy white. In the area of ​​the characters 220b, the black color of the background screen or the black color of the liquid in the container 1 is perceived. In this way, the first pattern such as the characters 220b can also be perceived.

[0279] Furthermore, in the embodiment, an example in which the container is cylindrical has been shown, but the container is not limited to this, and may be a box-shaped container, a cone-shaped container, or the like.

[0280] In addition, in the embodiment, an example is shown in which a first pattern consisting of an aggregate of second patterns is formed on the surface of a container, but it is also possible to form a first pattern consisting of an aggregate of second patterns inside a substrate that constitutes the container.

[0281] Furthermore, for the object contained in the container 1, by increasing the contrast of the first pattern with respect to the color of the object contained in the container that is transparent to visible light, it is possible to provide an object having a pattern with good visibility and a large amount of information. For example, if the object is black, forming a cloudy first pattern on the container makes the first pattern easier to see, and if the object is white, forming a blackened first pattern on the container makes the first pattern easier to see.

[0282] The container may have any shape, such as a cylindrical or rectangular prism without shoulders or slopes. The contents of the container may be any color, and may be cold or hot, carbonated, colloidal (such as yogurt), or anything that fits in the container. Examples of contents include, but are not limited to, coffee, tea, beer, water, juice, carbonated drinks, milk, etc., and anything that fits in the container may be used.

[0283] In addition, the processing state can be changed depending on the contents of the container. For example, depending on the contents of the container, the processing state can be changed to whiten or opaque by adjusting the laser intensity, etc., and the shade can be controlled.

[0284] The second pattern may be formed to match the shape of the embossed PET bottle.Furthermore, the above-mentioned inclined processing may also be used in combination to process the contours, interior, and periphery of the unevenness.

[0285] Note that ordinal numbers, quantitative numbers, and other figures used in the description of the embodiments are all provided as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated figures. Furthermore, the connection relationships between the components are provided as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the connection relationships that realize the functions of the present invention are not limited to these.

[0286] The division of blocks in the functional block diagram is an example, and multiple blocks may be realized as a single block, one block may be divided into multiple blocks, and / or some functions may be moved to another block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software. [Explanation of symbols]

[0287] 1 container 10 Cylindrical shaft 11 characters 111 Enlarged view 112 processed image data 1121 pixels 1122 points of data 12 straight line 121 Outer surface 122 recess 123 Inner surface part Images 13, 14, and 15 180 pixels 2 Laser irradiation unit 20 Processing laser beam 21 Pulse laser (example of light source) 202 Scanning Light 203 scan lines 204 scan lines 205 scan lines 22 Beam Expander 220 characters 221 Z-axis deflection mirror 222 X-axis deflection mirror 23 Scanning unit 231 Polygon mirror (an example of an optical scanning unit) 24 Scanning Lens 241 fθ lens (an example of a light irradiation part) 25 Synchronous detection unit 251 LD for synchronous detection 252 PD for synchronous detection 3 Rotation mechanism 31 Holding part 4 Moving mechanism 5 Dust collection section 6 Control Unit 501 CPU 502 ROM 503 RAM 504 HD 505 HDD 506 Display 508 External device connection I / F 509 Network I / F 510 Data Bus 511 keyboard 512 pointing device 514 DVD-RW drive 516 Media I / F 61 First pattern data input section 611 Pattern Data 612 Character Data 62 Second pattern parameter specification section 621 Processing parameters 63 Storage area 631 Compatible Table 64 Processing data generation unit 641 Processing Data 642 character data 65 Laser irradiation control unit 651 Light Intensity Control Unit 652 Pulse control section 66 Laser scanning control unit 67 Container rotation control unit 68 Container movement control unit 69 Dust collection control section 7 Containment Unit 8 Sealing member 9. Detainees 100 Manufacturing equipment (an example of a pattern forming device) 200 Pattern forming device 300 Conveyance detection unit 301 Light emitting element for transport detection 302 Light receiving element for transport detection 400 Irradiated surface 401 patterns P interval Pd1, Pd2, Pd3, Pd4 intervals W width Hp processing depth Hb Depth of unprocessed part t: thickness of substrate D Crystallization depth [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0288] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-011819

Claims

1. A pattern forming apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate, a light source unit that emits pulsed laser light; an optical scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser light in a predetermined direction; a light irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with the scanning light from the light scanning unit, The light source unit has an oscillation wavelength of 300 nanometers or more and 400 nanometers or less, A pattern forming apparatus characterized by satisfying at least one of the following (A) to (C): (A) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 10 picoseconds or more and 200 picoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm ２ ] satisfies the following formula (1-1) and formula (1-2): 0.01≦t<1... Formula (1-1) 0.61t+0.15≦F≦64.1t+32... Formula (1-2) (In the formulas (1-1) and (1-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.) (B) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 10 picoseconds, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm ２ ] satisfies the following formulas (2-1), (2-2), and (2-3): 0.01≦t<1... Formula (2-1) 0.1≦s<10... Formula (2-2) 0.31s+0.023≦F≦64.1t+32... Formula (2-3) (wherein, in formulas (2-1) to (2-3), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.) (C) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 1 nanosecond or more and 100 nanoseconds or less, the fluence per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate [J / cm ２ ] satisfies the following formulas (3-1) and (3-2). 0.01≦t<1... Formula (3-1) 5t+1.7≦F≦67.7t+26.5... Formula (3-2) (In the formulas (3-1) and (3-2), t represents the thickness of the substrate in millimeters, and F represents the fluence.)

2. A pattern forming apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate, comprising: a light source unit that emits pulsed laser light; an optical scanning unit that scans the pulsed laser light in a predetermined direction; a light irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with the scanning light from the light scanning unit, The oscillation wavelength of the light source unit is 1,000 nanometers or more and 1,100 nanometers or less, and the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 millimeters or more and less than 1 millimeter, A pattern forming apparatus that satisfies at least one of the following (G) and (H): (G) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam is 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 1 picosecond, the fluence [J / cm 2 ] per pulse of the pulsed laser beam at the substrate satisfies the following formula (7-1): 1≦F≦8... Formula (7-1) (In formula (7-1), F represents the fluence.) (H) When the pulse width of the pulsed laser light is 1 picosecond or more and 3 picoseconds or less, the fluence [J / cm 2 ] per pulse of the pulsed laser light at the substrate satisfies the following formulas (8-1) and (8-2). 1≦s≦3... Formula (8-1) 0.89s+0.11≦F≦8... Formula (8-2) (In equations (8-1) and (8-2), s represents the pulse width of the pulsed laser light in picoseconds, and F represents the fluence.)

3. The light source unit has a plurality of pulse lasers, the optical scanning unit scans the pulsed laser light emitted from each of the plurality of pulsed lasers in the predetermined direction; the light irradiation unit irradiates the scanned light of the pulsed laser light by the light scanning unit at different positions on the base material in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, 3. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The light source unit has a plurality of pulse lasers, the optical scanning unit scans the pulsed laser light emitted from each of the plurality of pulsed lasers in the predetermined direction; the light irradiation unit irradiates the scanned light of the pulsed laser light by the light scanning unit at the same position of the base material in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction in a superimposed manner.

3. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When the number of the pulse lasers is N, The pattern formation device according to claim 4 , wherein the fluence of the pulsed laser light emitted from one of the pulsed lasers is equal to F / N.

Images