Laser Beam Splitting for Precise Thin-Material Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser cutting technologies face inefficiencies when cutting materials with smaller thickness, such as MINI LEDs, due to large distances between focal points and difficulties in adjusting the number of focal points without replacing optical diffractive elements, which affects cutting accuracy and symmetry.
Innovation Solution
A laser cutting device equipped with a beam expanding element and a spectroscopic element that converts a laser beam into multiple annular light beams with focal points spaced less than 20 μm apart, allowing for the formation of modified layers within the material for precise cutting, and a method that adjusts the spot size of the laser beam to optimize the number of focal points for efficient cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional laser cutting uses a single focal point at a certain depth, then cutting can be performed on materials, but the distance between focal points is large and cutting accuracy deteriorates for thin materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single laser beam into multiple separate beams using a diffractive optical element, creating multiple focal points (at least two) within the processed material. This segmentation allows each focal point to be positioned at optimal depths, reducing the effective distance between focal points and improving cutting accuracy for thin materials like MINI LEDs with thickness of 50 μm or less.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single focal point in one dimension to multiple focal points distributed in three-dimensional space within the material. The diffractive optical element creates focal points at different depths and positions, enabling precise control over the modified layers formed inside the material, thereby improving cutting accuracy without requiring large adjustments in focal point spacing.
2Manufacturing precision
If the number of focal points is increased for thin materials, then cutting accuracy improves, but optical diffractive elements must be replaced which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a diffractive optical element with adjustable parameters that can dynamically change the number and distribution of focal points without physical replacement. The element can be adjusted to produce different numbers of annular light beams (e.g., 2-10 beams), allowing the system to adapt to different material thicknesses and cutting requirements while maintaining the same optical component, thus reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffractive optical element's parameters (such as groove depth, groove width, or refractive index distribution) can be modified to change the number of focal points generated. This parameter adjustment capability allows the system to optimize cutting accuracy for different material thicknesses without replacing the optical element, thereby avoiding increased device complexity while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If laser beam spot size is not adjusted, then the beam may not pass through the spectroscopic element completely, but adjusting the spot size requires additional beam expanding elements which increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The diffractive optical element serves multiple functions: it not only creates multiple focal points for improved cutting accuracy but also acts as a beam shaping element that ensures complete transmission of the laser beam through the spectroscopic element. By integrating these functions into a single component, the patent avoids adding separate beam expanding elements, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient and accurate cutting of materials with smaller thickness by forming multiple focal points within the material, improving cutting efficiency and reducing the risk of diagonal cracks in the crystal lattice, thereby enhancing the cutting process for MINI LEDs and similar thin materials.
Implementation Method 1
a beam expanding element provided with a plurality of lens sets, and wherein optical axes of the plurality of lens sets are on the same straight line, each lens set is provided with at least one lens, the beam expanding element converts an incident light beam into a first light beam
Implementation Method 2
a spectroscopic element arranged on a light path of an emitted light of the beam expanding element, and wherein the spectroscopic element converts the first light beam into multiple second light beams that are annular and spaced apart from each other
Implementation Method 3
passing the multiple annular light beams through a focusing lens and forming the multiple annular light beams into multiple focal points arranged spaced away on an optical axis of the focusing lens
Implementation Method 4
distributing the multiple focal points formed by the focusing lens inside a processed material. The multiple focal points are capable of forming a plurality of modified layers inside the processed material
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a laser cutting device and a laser cutting method. The laser cutting device comprises a beam expanding element provided with a plurality of lens sets, wherein optical axes of the plurality of lens sets are located in the same line and each lens set comprises at least one lens; the beam expanding element is configured to convert an incident beam into a first beam; and a spectroscopic element arranged on a light path of an emitted light of the beam expanding element, and wherein the spectroscopic element is configured to convert the first beam into multiple second beams that are annular and spaced apart from each other.