Method and apparatus for cutting patterns of printed wiring boards and method and apparatus for cleaning printed wiring boards

A method of cutting an internal-layer pattern formed for wiring in a printed wiring board and covered with resin, by using a laser beam, comprising the steps of:

• irradiating the laser beam onto a region of the resin corresponding in position to a cutting spot of the internal-layer pattern to be cut, to volatilize and remove the region of the resin;
• irradiating the laser beam onto the cutting spot of the internal-layer pattern, to volatilize and remove the cutting spot;
• and
• irradiating the laser beam onto walls of a recess which is formed due to removal of the resin, to remove molten matter adhering to the walls of the recess.

A method of cutting an internal-layer pattern formed for wiring in a printed wiring board and covered with resin, by using a laser beam, comprising the steps of:

• irradiating the laser beam onto a region of the resin corresponding in position to a cutting spot of the internal-layer pattern to be cut, to volatilize and remove the region of the resin;
• irradiating the laser beam onto the cutting spot of the internal-layer pattern, to volatilize and remove the cutting spot;
• irradiating the laser beam onto another region of the resin which corresponds in position to another spot of the internal-layer pattern close to the cut spot, to volatilize and remove said another region of the resin;
• and
• irradiating the laser beam onto said another spot of the internal-layer pattern, to volatilize and remove said another spot of the internal-layer pattern.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board with a laser beam, comprising:

• a table for carrying the printed wiring board thereon and for moving the printed wiring board;
• a laser oscillator;
• laser beam masking means for adjusting a range of irradiation of a laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator;
• and
• laser beam masking control means for controlling the laser beam masking means such that an irradiation area of the laser beam is reduced during a pattern cutting and is enlarged during a removal of molten matter.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board with a laser beam, comprising:

• a table for carrying the printed wiring board thereon and for moving the printed wiring board;
• laser beam irradiation means for irradiating a laser beam onto a cutting spot of the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board on the table;
• and
• table control means for controlling the position of the table with respect to the direction of the laser beam such that an irradiation area of the laser beam is reduced during a pattern cutting and is enlarged during a removal of molten matter.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board with a laser beam, comprising:

• a table for carrying the printed wiring board thereon and for moving the printed wiring board;
• laser oscillator means;
• light converging means for converging a laser beam from the laser oscillator means to fall upon the printed wiring board placed on the table;
• and
• convergence control means for controlling the light converging means such that an irradiation area of the laser beam is reduced during a pattern cutting and is enlarged during a removal of molten matter.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board with a laser beam, comprising:

• a table for carrying the printed wiring board thereon and for moving the printed wiring board;
• a laser oscillator whose output is adjustable;
• laser beam irradiation means for irradiating a laser beam from the laser oscillator onto a cutting spot of the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board on the table;
• and
• laser oscillator control means for controlling the output of the laser oscillator such that the output is high during a pattern cutting and is low during a removal of molten matter.

A method of cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board by evaporating the wiring pattern, in which the wiring pattern is intermittently irradiated with a pulsed laser beam from a laser apparatus, and in which a suction nozzle including a rotary flat brush and suction means is provided, the method comprising the steps of:

• adjusting the width of the laser beam from the laser apparatus to be identical to the width of the wiring pattern to be cut;
• irradiating the laser beam onto a cutting spot of the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board;
• and
• removing particles scattered by the laser beam irradiation from the printed wiring board by using the rotary flat brush of the suction nozzle, and sucking up the particles by the suction means.

A method of cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board by evaporating the wiring pattern, in which the wiring pattern is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a laser apparatus, and in which a tape feeding apparatus is provided which includes a press roller for pressing an incombustible sheet or tape against the printed wiring board and a take-up roller for winding the sheet or tape thereon, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying the laser beam from the laser apparatus to a cutting spot of the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board from above the sheet or tape;
• receiving particles scattered by the laser beam irradiation on the sheet or tape;
• and
• winding the sheet or tape around the take-up roller after the laser beam irradiation.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board by irradiating a laser beam onto the wiring pattern to evaporate same, comprising:

• a laser apparatus for intermittently emitting a pulsed laser beam whose pulse width, pulse height, irradiation interval and number of times of irradiations are variable, the laser apparatus including a mask arranged midway in a path of the laser beam for adjusting the width of the laser beam to be identical to the width of the wiring pattern to be cut;
• a suction nozzle including a rotary flat brush and connected to an exhaust system, the rotary flat brush being rotated and moved along an axis of rotation thereof by a drive unit to sweep a surface region including a cut spot of the printed wiring board and including a vent hole;
• and
• a carrier mechanism including an XY table carrying the printed wiring board thereon and movable to a desired position on a plane, and a control unit for numerically controlling the movement of the XY table.

An apparatus for cutting a wiring pattern of a printed wiring board by irradiating a laser beam onto the wiring pattern to evaporate same, comprising:

• a laser apparatus for intermittently emitting a pulsed laser beam whose pulse width, pulse height. irradiation interval and number of times of irradiations are variable, the laser apparatus including a mask arranged midway in a path of the laser beam for adjusting the width of the laser beam to be identical to the width of the wiring pattern to be cut;
• a carrier mechanism including an XY table carrying the printed wiring board thereon and movable to a desired position on a plane, and a control unit for numerically controlling the movement of the XY table;
• and
• a tape feeding apparatus including a press roller for pressing an incombustible sheet or tape into close contact with a cutting spot of the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board, and a take-up roller for winding the sheet or tape thereon after the wiring pattern is cut by irradiation of the laser beam from above the sheet or tape, in such a manner that a surface of the sheet or tape to which particles scattered during cutting of the wiring pattern adhere is wound inside.

A method of cutting an internal-layer pattern of a printed wiring board by irradiating a laser beam whose width is adjustable, the internal-layer pattern being located below a resin layer of the printed wiring board, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying the laser beam to the resin layer on the internal-layer pattern;
• detecting a first change at the laser beam-irradiated portion from resin forming the resin layer to metal forming the internal-layer pattern;
• stopping the irradiation of the laser beam when the first change is detected;
• determining a width of the internal-layer pattern which is exposed due to removal of the resin layer;
• irradiating a laser beam, whose width is adjusted in accordance with the determined width of the internal-layer pattern, onto the internal-layer pattern;
• detecting a second change at the laser beam-irradiated portion from metal forming the internal-layer pattern and resin forming the resin layer;
• and
• stopping the irradiation of the laser beam when the second change is detected.

An apparatus for cutting an internal-layer pattern formed in a printed wiring board below a resin layer, comprising:

• laser oscillator means for emitting a laser beam to remove the resin layer on the internal-layer pattern and to cut the internal-layer pattern;
• imaging means for acquiring an image of a portion irradiated with the laser beam;
• state detecting means for detecting completion of removal of the resin layer on the internal-layer pattern and completion of cutting of the internal-layer pattern, based on information provided by the imaging means;
• determining means for determining a width of the internal-layer pattern, based on the information from the imaging means;
• and
• laser beam adjusting means for adjusting the width of the laser beam in accordance with the determined width of the internal-layer pattern.