Laser processing apparatus

A laser processing apparatus comprising:

• an excitation light generation section that generates excitation light;
• a laser light output section that generates laser light based on the excitation light generated by the excitation light generation section and emits the laser light;
• a focus adjustment section that adjusts a focal position of the laser light emitted from the laser light output section;
• a laser light scanning section that irradiates a workpiece with the laser light whose focal position has been adjusted by the focal adjustment section and performs two-dimensional scanning within a processing area set on a surface of the workpiece;
• an imaging section that captures the workpiece, without the laser light scanning section, to generate a captured image including at least a part of the processing area;
• a setting section that sets each of a correction area for identification of a position of the workpiece and a distance measurement position for measurement of a distance to the surface of the workpiece on the captured image generated by the imaging section;
• a storage section that stores image information in the correction area set by the setting section;
• a position correction section that detects a misalignment of a new workpiece using the image information stored in the storage section on a captured image newly generated by the imaging section for the new workpiece different from the workpiece used to set the correction area, and corrects, based on a detection result of the misalignment, a distance measurement position on the new workpiece corresponding to the distance measurement position set by the setting section;
• a distance measuring light emitting section that emits distance measuring light for measurement of a distance from the laser processing apparatus to a surface of the new workpiece;
• a scanning control section that controls the laser light scanning section such that the distance measurement position corrected by the position correction section is irradiated with the distance measuring light emitted by the distance measuring light emitting section;
• a distance measuring light receiving section that receives the distance measuring light which has been reflected on the surface of the new workpiece and returned via the laser light scanning section;
• and
• a distance measurement section that measures a distance from the laser processing apparatus to the distance measurement position corrected by the position correction section based on a light reception position of the distance measuring light in the distance measuring light receiving section,
• wherein the focus adjustment section adjusts a focal position based on a measurement result of the distance measurement section prior to irradiation of the new workpiece with the laser light.