Patent · US Expired

Laser machining of a workpiece through adjacent mask by optical elements creating parallel beams

US5585019A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
11References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 10, 1995
Grant dateDec 17, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 10, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB23K26/066
  • WIPO fieldMachine tools
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A laser machining system employs a perforated proximity mask placed on or near a generally planar workpiece surface. Holes in the mask define a pattern of holes in the workpiece or marks on its surface to be formed by laser beam pulses passing through the mask. The beam is indexed from hole to hole or between groups of holes in the mask, between the pulses (or groups of pulses) of the laser. This indexing can be carried out by a pair of rotatable mirrors that direct the beam to a series of different holes in the mask via an optical element, e.g. a concave mirror or a telecentric lens assembly. This optical element converts the beams received from the indexing mirrors to a series of parallel beams that are directed to strike the mask and hence the workpiece generally normal to the workpiece surface. The optical element also serves the purpose of focusing each beam.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.