US 8,263,901 B2Granted

Method for laser micromachining

AssigneeOerlikon Solar AG, Truebbach

InventorsRobert Bann, Neil Sykes

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Abstract

A method of laser micro-machining, by means of a laser, a work piece (31) of the type described comprising the steps of: locating the workpiece on a carrier forming a part of a transport system whereby the carrier can be displaced along a path (P) parallel to an X-axis of the workpiece, a Y-axis lying transverse the path, and a Z-axis lying transverse the path; focusing an image generated by means of an output beam from the laser at a working datum position (A) defined relative to the path which path is established by means of the transport system to traverse the first datum position; a plane defined by the X- and Y-Axis lying substantially perpendicular to the output beam; and displacing the workpiece along the path by way of the transport system so as to enable the work-piece to be subject to micro-machining by way of the laser characterized by the steps of: maintaining distance between the datum position and a current first surface position of the work-piece in the vicinity of the datum position; and varying the working datum position to accord with local variations in thickness of the workpiece so that the working datum position is maintained at a fixed distance relative to a surface of the workpiece apparatus therefor.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A method of laser micro-machining a work-piece with a laser beam that is directed along an axis at a first surface of the work-piece, the laser beam comprising a datum position that is located along the axis, the method comprising the steps of:

securing a puck in relation to the laser beam such that a working face of the puck is aligned normal to the axis and is fixed in position along the axis in relation to the datum position;
aligning the first surface of the work-piece parallel to the working face of the puck, the work-piece being movable along the axis in relation to the puck and the datum position of the laser beam;
directing a constant flow of fluid through a duct in the working face of the puck towards the first surface of the work-piece to maintain the first surface of the work-piece at a certain axial distance in relation to the datum position of the laser beam regardless of changes of dimension of the work-piece along the axis;
aligning a surface of an air powered unit parallel to a second surface of the work-piece, the second surface being opposite the first surface of the work-piece and the work-piece being located along the axis between the puck and the air powered unit;
and
applying a pressure against the second surface of the work-piece by directing a constant flow of fluid through a duct in the surface of the air powered unit towards the second surface of the work-piece to maintain the first surface of the work-piece at the certain axial distance in relation to the datum position of the laser beam regardless of the changes of dimension of the work-piece along the axis.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/118,961Filed 12 May 2008 · division
Priority: GB 0307723.73 Apr 2003
Published: US 2008/0237206 A12 Oct 2008
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

B23K 26/04
Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam: automatically…
B23K
Soldering or unsoldering

Family

PCT/GB2004/001432Parent of this division · filed 1 Apr 2004
US 7,371,993 B2Parent of this division · filed 13 May 2008
US 2008/0237206 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Oct 2008
Application10/551,489Parent of this division
US 2006/0196852 A1Published application
US 8,263,901 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.