Laser patterning apparatus for three-dimensional free curved surface

Abstract

Disclosed is a laser patterning apparatus for a three-dimensional free curved surface. The laser patterning apparatus includes: a laser source for generating a laser beam; a three-dimensional motion travel controller for generating an encoder signal for three-dimensional motion travel; a three-dimensional motion travel driver for driving three-dimensional motion travel by means of the encoder signal generated by the three-dimensional motion travel controller; a laser scanner that moves due to the driving of the three-dimensional motion travel driver, and performs laser patterning using the laser beam generated by the laser source. The three-dimensional motion travel driver is configured to drive three-dimensional motion travel on a three-dimensional free curved surface shape. The laser scanner is configured as a galvanometer laser scanner.

Description

Laser patterning device for 3D free-form surfaces

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser patterning device, and more specifically, to a laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface.

[0002] Laser patterning is a technology that removes or sinteres materials such as glass, metal, and plastic by scanning a laser. It can be used in various industrial fields such as semiconductors, displays, automobiles, jewelry, machinery, and metal processing.

[0003] Laser patterning to remove or sinter material is generally performed by scanning a laser on a two-dimensional plane. In the case of a three-dimensional curved surface, an optical drive system capable of adjusting the focus in the z direction is used as shown in Fig. 7. In the case of a three-dimensional curved surface, the process is performed within a shallow laser depth range, assuming that the surface is a two-dimensional plane when the curvature is not large.

[0004] There are two types of laser patterning: a stop-and-go method, which performs laser patterning on a specific area and then moves the laser scanner to another area to perform laser patterning, and an on-the-fly method, which performs laser patterning on a continuous area. On-the-fly control is a method that controls the laser path by considering the relative speed of the travel path. As shown in Fig. 1, when a pattern is created in a direction perpendicular to the travel path direction of the laser scanner, if on-the-fly control is not performed, the pattern is formed slantedly, forming a certain angle rather than a right angle, due to the relative speed of the travel path.

[0005] When patterning with a laser scanner, there is a scanner position point where the laser is output and a laser contact point where the laser is focused on the shape. When patterning on a two-dimensional plane, the two-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the scanner position point and the laser contact point, for example, the x and y coordinate values, are the same. Therefore, there is no problem with on-the-fly control on a two-dimensional plane, which directly transmits the coordinate values ​​of the scanner position point calculated by the motion driving controller to the laser scanner controller.

[0006] However, when performing laser patterning on a 3D curved shape, the following problems arise.

[0007] When the scanner's posture is positioned in the normal direction of a three-dimensional curved surface as shown in Fig. 6, the two-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the scanner position point and the laser contact point become different, so the laser controller cannot utilize the encoder signal of the two-axis drive shaft indicating the scanner position point, making on-the-fly control impossible. Since the laser process characteristics often require scanning the laser in the normal direction of the curved surface, continuous patterning using on-the-fly control is problematic when the scanner or shape's posture is tilted.

[0008] Additionally, when the height value of a three-dimensional curved shape changes, a focus adjustment mechanism can be used as shown in Fig. 7. This focus adjustment mechanism adjusts the focal length by moving the lens via a motor. A focus adjustment mechanism using an optical drive system can scan at a speed of several hundred millimeters per second, but has limitations when scanning at a high speed of several to tens of meters per second.

[0009] Accordingly, an additional means is required to perform continuous laser patterning using on-the-fly control on a three-dimensional curved shape and to perform this at high speed.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface.

[0011] A three-dimensional free-form surface laser patterning device according to the purpose of the present invention described above may be configured to include: a laser source that generates a laser beam; a three-dimensional motion driving controller that generates an encoder signal for three-dimensional motion driving; a three-dimensional motion driving driver that drives three-dimensional motion driving by the encoder signal generated by the three-dimensional motion driving controller; and a laser scanner that moves by driving the three-dimensional motion driving driver and performs laser patterning by using a laser beam generated by the laser source.

[0012] Here, the three-dimensional motion driving actuator can be configured to drive three-dimensional motion driving on a three-dimensional free-form surface shape.

[0013] And the above laser scanner may be configured as a galvanometer laser scanner.

[0014] According to the laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface described above, it is configured to enable patterning on a three-dimensional free-form surface as well as patterning on a simple two-dimensional plane, thereby having the effect of enabling a material removal or sintering process on a three-dimensional free-form surface.

[0015] Figure 1 is a drawing showing the results of conventional laser patterning on a three-dimensional free-form surface shape.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a two-dimensional projection laser patterning path generation unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 is a drawing showing the laser scanner position and laser optical depth range of a 3D motion driving path.

[0019] Figure 5 is a drawing showing the motion driving path and the laser patterning path corresponding to three dimensions and two dimensions.

[0020] Figure 6 is a drawing showing the change in position of the scanner position point and the laser contact point when the posture of the laser scanner is positioned in the normal direction of the three-dimensional curved surface, and the two-dimensional projected motion driving path and laser pattern path.

[0021] Figure 7 is a drawing showing a method of patterning a three-dimensional shape by changing the focal length using an optical drive system.

[0022] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and detailed descriptions of specific embodiments for carrying out the invention are provided. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Throughout the description of each drawing, similar reference numerals have been used to designate similar components.

[0023] Terms such as first, second, A, and B may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related items described herein or any of multiple related items described herein.

[0024] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0025] The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0027] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of a two-dimensional projection laser patterning path generation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a laser scanner position and a laser optical depth range of a three-dimensional motion driving path, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a motion driving path and a laser patterning path corresponding to three dimensions and two dimensions, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a change in the position of a scanner position point and a laser contact point when positioning a laser scanner in a normal direction of a three-dimensional curved surface, and a motion driving path and a laser pattern path projected in two dimensions, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a method of patterning a three-dimensional shape by changing a focal length using an optical drive system.

[0029] First, referring to FIG. 2, a laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a laser source (100), an optical magnification module (200), a lens optical device (300), a path generator (400), a path controller (500), a three-dimensional motion driving controller (600), a three-dimensional motion driving driver (700), a signal converter (800), and a laser scanner (900).

[0030] Below, the detailed configuration is explained.

[0031] The laser source (100) may be configured to generate a laser beam.

[0032] The optical magnification module (200) can be configured to magnify and reflect a laser beam generated from a laser source (100).

[0033] The lens optical device (300) can be configured to adjust the focal length of the laser beam reflected from the optical magnification module (200) or to output it by changing the optical depth to be deeper.

[0034] One way to control the focal length of a laser beam is to use an optical drive system that moves an optical lens with a motor. However, when using an optical drive system to respond to changes in the z-direction height of a 3D free-form surface, the low optical depth of field requires frequent movement of the optical lens, and the optical lens movement speed, at several hundred mm / sec, makes it difficult to support high-speed scanning on the order of several m / sec.

[0035] Therefore, the deep laser optical depth has the advantage of increasing the process effective range of the laser in the z direction in a 3D free-form shape as shown in Fig. 4, and the speed of the laser scanner can be utilized as is in the 3D free-form shape, so that high-speed laser patterning can be performed.

[0036] A lens optical device (300) that deeply changes the optical depth of field may be configured to include an axicon lens (310), a convex lens (320), and a mirror (330).

[0037] Below, the detailed configuration is explained.

[0038] The exicon lens (310) can be configured to generate a first-order Bessel beam using a laser beam reflected from the optical magnification module (200).

[0039] The convex lens (320) can be configured to pass the first-order Bessel beam generated from the axicon lens (310).

[0040] The mirror (330) can be configured to reflect the first-order Bessel beam passed through the convex lens (320).

[0041] The path generator (400) can be configured to generate a three-dimensional motion driving path and a two-dimensional laser patterning path of a laser beam. Here, the three-dimensional motion driving path refers to a three-dimensional path on a three-dimensional free-form surface shape of the laser scanner (900), and the two-dimensional laser patterning path is a path generated after projecting the three-dimensional shape path into two dimensions, and enables the laser scanner (900) to perform on-the-fly patterning on the three-dimensional free-form surface shape.

[0042] The path generator (400) may be configured to include a three-dimensional shape path generator (410), a three-dimensional motion driving path generator (420), and a two-dimensional projection laser patterning path generator (430).

[0043] Below, the detailed configuration is explained.

[0044] The 3D shape path generation unit (410) can be configured to receive a 3D free-form surface shape and generate a 3D shape path in the received 3D free-form surface shape.

[0045] The 3D motion driving path generation unit (420) can be configured to generate a 3D motion driving path from the 3D shape path generated by the 3D shape path generation unit (410).

[0046] The 2D projection laser patterning path generation unit (430) may be configured such that, as shown in FIG. 3, the 2D projection unit (431) projects the 3D shape path generated by the 3D shape path generation unit (410) into 2D, and then the 2D motion driving path extraction unit (432) extracts the 2D motion driving path from the 3D shape path, and the 2D laser patterning path extraction unit (433) extracts the 2D laser patterning path. In addition, the 2D laser patterning path modification unit (434) may be configured such that, as shown in FIG. 6, the 2D motion driving path projected into 2D is compared with the 2D laser patterning path, and the difference is reflected to generate a final modified laser patterning path. FIG. 5 shows that the 3D motion driving path is projected onto a 2D plane to form a 2D laser patterning path.

[0047] In this way, when the 3D motion driving path and the 2D laser patterning path are used separately, as shown in FIG. 4, the position of the laser scanner (900) can be moved in the normal direction of the 3D free-form surface, and since the 2D laser patterning path is a 2D projected path, on-the-fly control becomes possible.

[0048] The path controller (500) can be configured to control the three-dimensional motion driving and two-dimensional laser patterning, respectively, according to the three-dimensional motion driving path and two-dimensional laser patterning path generated by the path generator (400).

[0049] The 3D motion driving controller (600) can be configured to generate an encoder signal for 3D motion driving under the control of the path controller (500).

[0050] The 3D motion driving actuator (700) can be configured to drive 3D motion driving by receiving feedback from an encoder signal generated from the 3D motion driving controller (600).

[0051] The signal converter (800) transmits the encoder signal for 3D motion driving generated by the 3D motion driving controller (600) to the 2D laser patterning control unit (910), and at this time, it can be configured to transmit the encoder signal of the 2-axis motor as is without conversion. At this time, the signal converter (800) can be configured to calculate the coordinates of the laser contact point from the encoder signal and transmit a virtual encoder signal that can express the calculated coordinates of the laser contact point. That is, the signal converter (800) can be configured to output coordinate information of the scanner position point or the laser contact point and provide it to the laser scanner (900). If the signal converter outputs a coordinate information signal of the laser contact point, the 2D motion driving path and the laser patterning path starting point in FIG. 5 are the same, and the process of comparing the 2D projected motion driving path and the laser patterning path in the 2D projection laser patterning path generation unit (430) can be eliminated.

[0052] The laser scanner (900) can be configured to move along a three-dimensional motion driving path of the path controller (500) by driving the three-dimensional motion driving driver (700), and perform laser patterning along a two-dimensional laser patterning path of the path controller (500) using a laser beam output from the lens optical device (300).

[0053] Here, the laser scanner (900) may be configured as a galvanometer laser scanner.

[0054] Meanwhile, the laser scanner (900) may be configured to include a two-dimensional laser patterning control unit (910), a motor (920), a scanner mirror (930), and a scanner lens (940).

[0055] Below, the detailed configuration is explained.

[0056] The two-dimensional laser patterning control unit (910) can be configured to control two-dimensional laser patterning by compensating the two-dimensional laser patterning path of the path controller (500) in real time according to the encoder signal or virtual encoder signal of the two-axis motor transmitted from the signal converter (800).

[0057] The motor (920) can be configured to operate under the control of the two-dimensional laser patterning control unit (910).

[0058] The scanner mirror (930) may be configured to be driven in a direction by a motor (920) to reflect a laser beam output from the lens optical device (300).

[0059] The scanner lens (940) may be configured to generate and output a secondary Bessel beam by passing the laser beam reflected by the scanner mirror (930). This secondary Bessel beam has the advantage of further increasing the optical depth of the laser beam, thereby overcoming height differences in a three-dimensional free-form surface shape.

[0060] Meanwhile, the 2D laser patterning control unit (910) of the laser scanner (900) may be configured to analyze in real time the 3D motion actual driving signal compared to the 3D motion driving path and the operation signal of the motor (920) compared to the 2D laser patterning path to control the speed of the 2D laser patterning in real time. That is, if it is determined that the speed of the 2D laser patterning is relatively slow compared to the 3D motion driving of the laser scanner (900), the operation speed of the motor (920) may be controlled to be faster, and if it is determined that the speed of the 2D laser patterning is relatively fast compared to the 3D motion driving of the laser scanner (900), the operation speed of the motor (920) may be controlled to be slower.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. A laser source that generates a laser beam; A 3D motion driving controller that generates encoder signals for 3D motion driving; A 3D motion driving driver that drives 3D motion driving by an encoder signal generated by the above 3D motion driving controller; A three-dimensional free-form surface laser patterning device including a laser scanner that moves by driving the three-dimensional motion driving actuator and performs laser patterning using a laser beam generated from the laser source.

2. In the first paragraph, the three-dimensional motion driving actuator, A laser patterning device for a three-dimensional free-form surface, characterized in that it is configured to drive three-dimensional motion driving on a three-dimensional free-form surface shape.

3. In the first paragraph, the laser scanner, A three-dimensional free-form surface laser patterning device characterized by comprising a galvanometer laser scanner.

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