Reflective detection method and reflectance detection apparatus

A reflectance detection method in which a workpiece is irradiated with a laser beam and reflectance is detected, the reflectance detection method comprising:

• a reflectance calculation step of causing a laser beam having a first wavelength X1 shorter than a detection-target wavelength X and a laser beam having a second wavelength X2 longer than the detection-target wavelength X to coalesce by a coupler, to irradiate the workpiece with a resulting laser beam with a light amount H0, and detecting a light amount H of reflected return light to calculate reflectance obtained when the workpiece is irradiated with a laser beam having the detection-target wavelength X based on H/H0,
• wherein
• if an output power that generates the light amount H0 of the irradiation of the workpiece is defined as W0, an output power of the laser beam having the first wavelength X1 is defined as W1, and an output power of the laser beam having the second wavelength X2 is defined as W2, the output power of the laser beams when the irradiation is carried out in the reflectance calculation step is set based on an expression shown below,
• W1=W0×(X2−X)/(X2−X1)
• W2=W0×(X−X1)/(X2−X1).

A reflectance detection apparatus that irradiates a workpiece with a laser beam and detects reflectance, the reflectance detection apparatus comprising:

• holding means for holding the workpiece;
• laser beam irradiation means for irradiating the workpiece held by the holding means with a laser beam;
• a light receiving element that receives reflected light reflected from the workpiece;
• and
• reflectance calculation means for comparing a light amount of the light received by the light receiving element and a light amount of the laser beam with which the workpiece is irradiated and calculating reflectance,
• wherein the laser beam irradiation means includes:
• a first laser oscillator that oscillates a first laser beam having a first wavelength X1 shorter than a detection-target wavelength X,
• first output power adjusting means for adjusting output power of the first laser beam having the first wavelength X1,
• a second laser oscillator that oscillates a second laser beam having a second wavelength X2 longer than the detection-target wavelength X,
• second output power adjusting means for adjusting output power of the second laser beam having the second wavelength X2,
• a coupler that causes the first laser beam adjusted by the first output power adjusting means and the second laser beam adjusted by the second output power adjusting means to coalesce, and
• a condenser that condenses a laser beam that results from the coalescence by the coupler to irradiate the workpiece held by the holding means with the laser beam,
• wherein output power W1 of the first laser beam and output power W2 of the second laser beam when output power that generates a light amount H0 of the laser beam with which the workpiece is irradiated and that results from the coalescence by the coupler is defined as W0 are set based on an expression shown below, and a laser beam having the detection-target wavelength X is generated in a pseudo manner by adjusting the first output power adjusting means to cause the output power of the first laser beam to become W1 and adjusting the second output power adjusting means to cause the output power of the second laser beam to become W2,
• W1=W0×(X2−X)/(X2−X1)
• W2=W0×(X−X1)/(X2−X1).