Laser machining apparatus, laser machining method, and data generation method

A laser processing apparatus configured to irradiate a substrate including a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface with processing laser light, comprising:

• a processing irradiation unit configured to irradiate the substrate with the processing laser light from the second main surface side;
• an observation irradiation unit configured to irradiate the substrate with observation transmission light from the second main surface side;
• an imaging element configured to image the observation transmission light from the substrate;
• and
• a controller configured to execute a processing process of irradiating the substrate with the processing laser light by controlling the processing irradiation unit, and a characteristic acquisition process of irradiating the substrate with the observation transmission light, imaging the observation transmission light from the substrate, and acquiring processing characteristics on the substrate in the processing process by controlling the observation irradiation unit and the imaging element,
• wherein the controller presents information relating to comparison between reference data including a reference pulse width and reference processing characteristics associated with the reference pulse width, and the processing characteristics acquired in the characteristic acquisition process.

A laser processing method of irradiating a substrate including a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface with processing laser light, comprising:

• a processing process of irradiating the substrate with the processing laser light from the second main surface side;
• a characteristic acquisition process of irradiating the substrate with observation transmission light from the second main surface side, imaging the observation transmission light from the substrate, and acquiring processing characteristics on the substrate in the processing process;
• and
• an adjustment process of adjusting a pulse width of the processing laser light in correspondence with the processing characteristics,
• wherein in the adjustment process, on the basis of reference data including a reference pulse width and reference processing characteristics associated with the reference pulse width, in a case where the processing characteristics acquired in the characteristic acquisition process do not match the reference processing characteristics, the pulse width of the processing laser light is adjusted so that the processing characteristics match the reference processing characteristics.

A data generation method of generating reference data that becomes an adjustment reference of a pulse width of processing laser light in laser processing of irradiating a substrate with the processing laser light, including:

• a reference processing process of irradiating a reference target object with the processing laser light;
• a reference characteristic acquisition process of irradiating the reference target object with observation transmission light and imaging the observation transmission light from the reference target object to acquire reference processing characteristics as processing characteristics on the reference target object in the reference processing process;
• and
• a generation process of associating the reference processing characteristics obtained in the reference characteristic acquisition process with a pulse width of the processing laser light when obtaining the reference processing characteristics as a reference pulse width to generate the reference data including the reference processing characteristics and the reference pulse width associated with the reference processing characteristics.