# US 2010/0167431 A1 · Laser processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167431 A1 - Document ID: US20100167431A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/571,559 - Filed: 2009-10-01 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-25 - Inventors: Hironaru YAMAGUCHI; Mikio Hongo; Mitsuyoshi Koizumi; Masaki Araki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167431A1 ## CPC - H10F 19/31: having multiple laterally adjacent thin-film photovoltaic cells deposited on the same substrate - B23K 26/0853: {Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least two axial directions, e.g. in a plane} - B23K 26/364: for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove - B23K 26/40: taking account of the properties of the material involved - B23K 26/702: {Auxiliary equipment} - B23K 2103/172: {wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic} - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A laser processing apparatus which achieves both shorter TAT and reduction in processing defects. In the apparatus, a laser radiation section, an undulation measurement section for measuring undulation of a substrate or a film thickness measuring section for measuring the thickness of a thin film formed on the substrate, and an optical inspection section for optically inspecting grooves formed by laser-processing the thin film on the substrate are fixed so that their positional relationship is kept constant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A laser processing apparatus comprising: a stage for carrying a substrate on which a thin film is formed; a laser radiation section for irradiating laser light on the thin film formed on the substrate placed on the stage to form grooves in the thin film; and a drive for scanning the substrate for the laser radiation section; the apparatus further comprising: a measurement section or inspection section for making a measurement or inspection of the substrate or the thin film; wherein the laser radiation section irradiates laser light on the substrate being scanned; and wherein the measurement section or the inspection section makes a measurement or an inspection of the substrate being scanned and irradiated with laser light, simultaneously with the laser radiation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, Wherein, during the measurement or inspection, the laser radiation section, which is performing the laser radiation, and the measurement section or the inspection section are kept in a given positional relationship; and wherein a point of laser radiation on the substrate and the point of measurement or the point of inspection on the substrate are kept in a given positional relationship. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the inspection section, wherein the inspection section inspects a groove formed by the laser radiation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the laser radiation section forms a plurality of grooves in the substrate; and wherein the inspection section inspects a groove that is under the laser radiation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the laser radiation section forms a plurality of grooves in the substrate; and wherein the inspection section inspects a groove other than a groove under the laser radiation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inspection section is an optical inspection section for inspecting the grooves optically; and wherein the optical inspection section includes a confocal laser scanning microscope or dark-field microscope. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inspection section is an electrical inspection section for inspecting the grooves electrically; and wherein the electrical inspection section, with two probes contacting both sides of film sandwiching a laser-processed groove, measures electric resistance between the probes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a groove judged as defective by the inspection is reprocessed by the laser radiation section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement section is a measurement section which measures the substrate's undulation or the thin film's thickness; and wherein a focal position or laser light intensity of the laser radiation section is determined according to a result of measurement by the measurement section at a point on the substrate where the measurement section has made a measurement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thin film is transparent conductive film, silicon film or a laminate of transparent conductive film and silicon film. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The laser processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the transparent conductive film is ZnO film or SnO film and the silicon film is amorphous silicon film or microcrystal silicon film. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing thin-film solar cells, comprising the steps of: preparing a substrate; forming transparent conductive film on the substrate; forming a first groove in the transparent conductive film; forming an electricity-generating layer on the transparent conductive film having the first groove; forming a second groove in the electricity-generating layer; forming a conductive film on the electricity-generating layer having the second groove; and forming a third groove in a laminate of the conductive film and the electricity-generating layer; wherein the laser processing apparatus according to claim 1 is used to form at least one of the first, second and third grooves. ### Claim 13 A laser processing method comprising the steps of: placing a substrate on which a thin film is formed, on a stage; and performing laser radiation and measurement or inspection of the substrate simultaneously while scanning the substrate on the stage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The laser processing method according to claim 13, wherein laser radiation and measurement or inspection are performed while a point of laser radiation and a point of measurement or inspection on the substrate are kept in a given positional relationship.