Apparatus for forming micro-holes on cylindrical objects

An apparatus for forming micro-holes on cylindrical objects comprising:

• means for generating an input laser beam;
• means for dividing the input laser beam into first and second laser beams;
• means for moving the dividing means to change the ratio at which the laser beam is divided into the first and the second laser beams;
• first converging means for subdividing the first laser beam and focusing the subdivided first laser beam on the cylindrical objects to form first micro-holes thereon;
• second converging means for subdividing the second laser beam and focusing the subdivided second laser beam on the cylindrical objects to form second micro-holes thereon;
• means for applying pressure into each of the cylindrical objects, on which the first or second micro-holes have been formed, through one end thereof;
• detector means for detecting the pressure applied into each of the cylindrical objects through one end thereof by the applying means and detecting a pressure exiting each of the cylindrical objects through the other end thereof to generate first and second detection signals which represent a state of the first and second micro-holes, respectively, on the cylindrical objects;
• and
• processing means for processing the first and the second detection signals to generate a drive signal and driving the moving means responsive to the drive signal to move the dividing means to a position where the first and the second micro-holes formed on the cylindrical objects are substantially similar.

An apparatus for forming micro-holes on cylindrical objects comprising:

• means for generating an input laser beam;
• means for dividing the input laser beam into first and second laser beams;
• means for moving the dividing means to change the ratio at which the laser beam is divided to first and second laser beams;
• first and second detector means for detecting portions of the first and the second laser beams, respectively to generate first and second electric signals;
• first converging means for subdividing the remaining portion of the first laser beam and converging the subdivided first laser beam onto the cylindrical objects to form first micro-holes thereon;
• second converging means for subdividing the remaining portion of the second laser beam and converging the subdivided second laser beam onto the cylindrical objects to form second micro-holes thereon;
• means for applying pressure into each of the cylindrical objects on which the first or second micro-holes have been formed, through one end thereof;
• pressure detector means for detecting the pressure applied into each of the cylindrical objects through one end thereof by the pressure applying means and detecting a pressure exiting each of the cylindrical objects through the other end thereof to generate first and second detection signals which represent a state of the first and second micro-holes, respectively, on the cylindrical objects;
• and
• processing means for processing the first and second electric signals from the first and second detector means to generate a first drive signal and processing the first and second detection signals from the pressure detector means to generate a second drive signal, selecting one of the first and second drive signals and driving the moving means responsive to the selected one of the drive signals to move the dividing means to a position where the first and second laser beams are of substantially equal intensity.