LASER PROCESSING APPARATUS, LASER PROCESSING HEAD AND LASER PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

A laser processing apparatus is provided. The laser processing apparatus includes a laser processing head having a transmission window, an opening portion, an outlet hole, a first vent hole and a second vent hole. The transmission window transmits laser light by which a processing object is irradiated. The opening portion passes the transmitted laser light to a bottom portion of the laser processing head. The outlet hole discharges an atmosphere in the vicinity of a laser light irradiation region of the processing object to the outside. The first vent hole directs gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiation region. The second vent hole discharges the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiation region. Debris generated from the processing object is discharged from the outlet hole and the second vent hole that are continuous with the opening portion provided at the bottom portion of the laser processing head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in the vicinity of an opening portion in a related art laser processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic constitutional diagram of a laser processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a decompression chamber according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view (1) of a decompression chamber according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of scattering debris according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a laser processing method according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a laser processing route according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view (2) of a decompression chamber according to an embodiment.

Claims

1. A laser processing apparatus for performing pattern processing of a transparent conductive film on a multilayer film formed on a processing object by using laser light, comprising a laser processing head includinga transmission window for transmitting laser light by which said processing object is irradiated;an opening portion for passing the laser light transmitted through said transmission window to a bottom portion of said laser processing head;an outlet hole for discharging an atmosphere in the vicinity of a laser light irradiated region of said processing object to the outside;a first vent hole for directing gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object; anda second vent hole provided at a position opposed to said first vent hole, for discharging the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object to the outside,wherein debris generated from the laser light irradiated region of said processing object is discharged from said outlet hole and said second vent hole which are continuous with said opening portion provided at the bottom portion of said laser processing head.

2. A laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amount of said debris deposited on said processing object is controlled by adjusting a diameter of the opening portion of said laser processing head and by adjusting a distance between said multilayer film surface of said processing object and the bottom portion of said laser processing head.

3. A laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after said processing object is irradiated by first laser light, a stage for mounting said processing object is moved a predetermined distance in the direction opposite to a gas flow directed from said first vent hole to said second vent hole of said laser processing head, and said processing object is irradiated by second laser light such that a first region irradiated by said first laser light is partially overlapped with a second region irradiated by the second laser light.

4. A laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first vent hole discharges the atmosphere in the vicinity of said laser light irradiated region and also directs the gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object,wherein said second vent hole directs the gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object and also discharges the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object, andwherein a gas inlet-to-outlet direction between said first vent hole and said second vent hole is changed corresponding with a change in the pattern processing direction of said processing object.

5. A laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said laser processing head further includes a third vent hole and a fourth vent hole that are provided opposing each other and positioned at approximately 90 degrees with respect to said first vent hole and second vent hole so as to direct the gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object or to discharge the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object, andwherein any one of a pair of said first vent hole and said second vent hole and a pair of said third vent hole and said fourth vent hole are selected and switched corresponding with a change in the pattern processing direction of said processing object.

6. A laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation mechanism that is provided with said first and second vent holes and that has a rotational axis approximately parallel with an optical path of said laser light is provided in part of said laser processing head, anda gas inlet-to-outlet direction between said first vent hole and said second vent hole in the vicinity of said laser light irradiated region of said processing object is changed by rotating said rotation mechanism correspondingly with a change in the pattern processing direction of said processing object.

7. A laser processing head for performing pattern processing of a transparent conductive film on a multilayer film formed on a processing object by using laser light, comprising: a transmission window for transmitting laser light by which said processing object is irradiated;an opening portion for passing the laser light transmitted through said transmission window to a bottom portion of said laser processing head;an outlet hole for discharging an atmosphere in the vicinity of a laser light irradiated region of said processing object to the outside;a first vent hole for directing gas into the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object; anda second vent hole provided at a position opposed to said first vent hole, for discharging the atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object,wherein debris generated from the laser light irradiated region of said processing object is discharged from said outlet hole and said second vent hole which are continuous with said opening portion provided at the bottom portion of said laser processing head.

8. A laser processing method of performing pattern processing of a transparent conductive film on a multilayer film formed on a processing object by using laser light, comprising: directing gas into the vicinity of a laser light irradiated region of said processing object;irradiating said processing object by a first laser light;moving a stage for mounting said processing object by a predetermined distance in the direction opposite to a flow of said gas;discharging an atmosphere in the vicinity of the laser light irradiated region of said processing object; andirradiating said processing object by second laser light during the discharge of the atmosphere in the vicinity of said laser irradiated region such that a first region irradiated by said first laser light is partially overlapped with a second region irradiated by the second laser light.