# US 2018/0323567 A1 · Laser beam generation apparatus, laser machining device, and laser machining method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0323567 A1 - Document ID: US20180323567A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/773,763 - Filed: 2016-11-04 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-12 - Inventors: Yoshio WADA; Yasuhiro HIGASHI; Shinsuke SHIBATA; Masayuki NUMATA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323567A1 ## CPC - H01S 3/06758: {Tandem amplifiers} - H01S 3/10015: {by monitoring or controlling, e.g. attenuating, the input signal} - H01S 5/4012: {Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms} - H01S 5/423: {having a vertical cavity} - H01S 3/0071: {Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction} - H01S 3/1618: {ytterbium} - H01S 3/2375: {Hybrid lasers (H01S3/07 takes precedence)} - H01S 3/2383: {Parallel arrangements} - H01S 5/06216: {Pulse modulation or generation} - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract A laser beam generation apparatus includes a light source section including a plurality of seed lasers each emitting laser light, an optical amplification section disposed to face the seed lasers of the light source section and configured to amplify the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and received at an incidence surface to output the amplified laser light from an emission surface, and a control unit configured to control each of the seed lasers of the light source section. The optical amplification section is configured to combine the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and output the combined laser light as a laser beam. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-10. (canceled) ### Claim at position 2 11: A laser beam generation apparatus comprising: a light source section including a surface emitting laser array in which a plurality of seed lasers, each emitting laser light, are arrayed in a two-dimensional formation on a surface of the light source section; an optical amplification section disposed to face the seed lasers of the light source section and configured to amplify the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and received at an incidence surface to output the amplified laser light from an emission surface; and a control unit configured to control the seed lasers of the light source section independently of each other, wherein the optical amplification section is configured to combine the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and output the combined laser light as a laser beam. ### Claim at position 3 (depends on 11) 12: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical amplification section comprises a plurality of optical amplifiers which are connected in series. ### Claim at position 4 (depends on 11) 13: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the light source section comprises a plurality of surface emitting lasers which are arrayed in a two-dimensional formation on a surface perpendicular to a direction of an optical axis of the laser light. ### Claim at position 5 (depends on 11) 14: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to control the seed lasers of the light source section to perform pulsed oscillation independent of each other. ### Claim at position 6 (depends on 11) 15: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the seed lasers of the light source section to perform continuous oscillation, and configured to control other seed lasers to perform pulsed oscillation. ### Claim at position 7 (depends on 11) 16: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical amplification section comprises an optical fiber amplifier. ### Claim at position 8 (depends on 14) 17: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to set up a pulse width of each of the seed lasers which are controlled to perform pulsed oscillation. ### Claim at position 9 (depends on 14) 18: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to set up a pulse height value of each of the seed lasers which are controlled to perform pulsed oscillation. ### Claim at position 10 (depends on 14) 19: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to set up a pulse delay of each of the seed lasers controlled to perform pulsed oscillation, by bringing the pulse delay forward or backward from an arbitrary reference time. ### Claim at position 11 (depends on 11) 20: The laser beam generation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the laser light emitted by each of the seed lasers is of single mode output type. ### Claim at position 12 21: A laser machining device comprising: a laser beam generation apparatus, the laser beam generation apparatus including: a light source section including a surface emitting laser array in which a plurality of seed lasers, each emitting laser light, are arrayed in a two-dimensional formation on a surface of the light source section; an optical amplification section disposed to face the seed lasers of the light source section and configured to amplify the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and received at an incidence surface to output the amplified laser light from an emission surface; and a control unit configured to control the seed lasers of the light source section independently of each other, wherein the optical amplification section is configured to combine the laser light emitted by the seed lasers and output the combined laser light as a laser beam, and wherein the laser machining device is configured to machine a target object by the laser beam output from the laser beam generation apparatus. ### Claim at position 13 (depends on 21) 22: The laser machining device according to claim 21, wherein the control unit is configured to control the seed lasers of the light source section to perform pulsed oscillation independently of each other. ### Claim at position 14 (depends on 21) 23: The laser machining device according to claim 21, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the seed lasers of the light source section to perform continuous oscillation, and configured to control other laser beams to perform pulsed oscillation. ### Claim at position 15 24: A laser machining method comprising: combining laser light emitted by a plurality of seed lasers which are controlled to perform pulsed oscillation independently of each other; outputting the combined laser light as a laser beam; and machining a target object by the laser beam. ### Claim at position 16 (depends on 24) 25: The laser machining method according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the seed lasers is controlled to perform continuous oscillation, and other seed lasers are controlled to perform the pulsed oscillation, and the combining includes combining the laser light emitted by the other seed lasers and laser light emitted by the at least one of the seed lasers.