JPH05138387A - Solid-state laser device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The laser light is controlled so that a solid-state laser used in various industrial machines and medical machines can heat a minute area or a certain shape. [Structure] A liquid crystal light control device 13 is arranged between a first lens and a second lens of an emission end unit that collects laser light. With this configuration, the laser light incident on the emitting end unit with a certain spread becomes parallel light by the first lens of the emitting end unit, passes through the liquid crystal light control element film, and is condensed by the second lens. With this configuration, heating to an arbitrary shape and heating of a minute portion are possible.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a high-power solid-state laser device which is used as an industrial machine for local heating and which is excited and emits light from a flash lamp or an arc lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, solid-state laser devices have been used as industrial machines for marking, soldering, welding, and cutting such as trimming and scribing in the semiconductor field.

A conventional solid-state laser device will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an industrial application method of a solid-state laser device using a flash lamp and an arc lamp which have been conventionally used.

As shown in FIG. 3, a flash lamp and an arc lamp (xenon lamp, krypton lamp, etc.) 2 are arranged inside a cavity 1 which is a structure having a reflecting surface for reflecting the lamp light. The laser medium 3 is excited by the light emitted from the lamp 2 and is partially reflected and amplified by the total reflection mirrors 4 and the partial reflection mirrors 5 arranged on both sides of the laser medium. The light is emitted from the reflection mirror 5, and is condensed and emitted by the emission end unit 9. This laser light is used as industrial processing energy such as trimming, scribing, marking, soldering, welding, and cutting.

The operation of the solid-state laser device configured as described above will be described below. The laser light emitted from the partial transmission mirror is guided to an emission end unit 9 for condensing for processing by an optical system composed of a silica glass fiber 6 or a reflection mirror (not shown), and inside the emission end unit 9. Is collimated by the first lens 7 of
The light is focused on the object by the lens 8. The spot diameter of the laser beam condensed at this time is determined by the diameter of the laser beam emitted from the partial transmission mirror and the focal lengths of the first and second lenses, and can be set to an arbitrary shape or the optical system of the lens. It is difficult to make the beam diameter smaller than the beam diameter by the combination of.

[0006]

However, with such a conventional structure, it is difficult to effectively and effectively use laser light, and in particular, it is necessary to use it as a heat source having a minute region or a fixed shape. Had the problem of being difficult.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to facilitate the use of a solid-state laser device as a heat source having a minute region or a fixed shape.

[0008]

In order to achieve this object, a solid-state laser device of the present invention comprises a liquid crystal light control element between a first lens and a second lens of an emission end unit for condensing laser light. It was done like this.

[0009]

According to this structure, the laser light that has entered the emitting end unit while having a certain spread becomes parallel light by the first lens of the emitting end unit, passes through the liquid crystal light control device film, and passes through the second lens. Collected. At this time, the liquid crystal light control device film partially applies an electric field so as to transmit the laser light only in the minute transmission region or the region corresponding to the required shape, and transmits the laser light. The portion other than the required area scatters the laser light. This operation causes the laser beam to act as a shutter, and the laser beam to be emitted is focused into a beam diameter smaller than the original beam diameter by forming it into an arbitrary shape or combining it with the optical system of the lens. be able to.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a solid-state laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a lamp 2 (xenon lamp or arc lamp) is provided inside the cavity 1.
The laser medium 3 is excited by the light of the lamp 2, the light emission is amplified by the total reflection mirror 4 and the partial transmission mirror 5 arranged on both sides of the laser medium 3, and a part thereof is radiated from the partial transmission mirror 5. .. The laser light emitted from the partial transmission mirror 5 is sent to the emission end unit 10 by an optical system composed of a silica glass fiber 6 or a reflection mirror (not shown),
The emission end unit 10 condenses the light for processing into a beam having an arbitrary shape or a beam diameter smaller than the original laser beam diameter determined by the combination of lens optical systems.

The operation of the emission end unit of this embodiment constructed as above will be described with reference to FIG.
The liquid crystal light control device 13 disposed inside the emission unit of the present embodiment is a composite liquid crystal device dispersed in a resin matrix, and by applying an electric field to the liquid crystal light control device 13, the liquid crystal becomes transparent. To do. When the electric field is off, the liquid crystal is in a random state and the laser light is scattered and does not pass through. When an electric field is applied, the liquid crystal aligns in the direction of the electric field, becomes transparent, and transmits laser light. In this liquid crystal light control device 13, one device 14 forming a matrix can be formed to have a size of several microns, and by applying or removing an electric field to the formed device as necessary, The laser beam can be formed into an arbitrary shape or can be narrowed down to a beam diameter smaller than the original beam diameter determined by the combination of lens optical systems.

In this embodiment, an example in which a solid-state laser is used as a laser source has been described, but the same effect can be obtained by using various gas lasers.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiments, according to the solid-state laser device of the present invention, the dimming unit 1
By selectively applying an electric field to the liquid crystal light control element matrix provided in the 0, it is possible to provide a solid-state laser device which serves as a laser beam heat source focused in a minute region or a specific shape. According to this laser device, it is possible to freely change the heating of an arbitrary shape and the heating of a minute portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a solid-state laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the output end unit.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional solid-state laser device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 cavity 2 lamp 3 laser medium 4 total reflection mirror 5 partial transmission mirror 6 optical fiber 7 first lens 8 second lens 10 emission end unit 12 diameter of laser light inside emission end unit 13 liquid crystal light control element film plate 14 liquid crystal Matrix element

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A solid-state laser device for condensing solid-state laser light excited and emitted from a solid-state laser medium by a flash lamp or an arc lamp to perform heating processing and melting processing. A solid-state laser device including a liquid crystal light control device between a first lens and a second lens.