JP2005169397A - Laser irradiation device, droplet discharge device, laser irradiation method, droplet discharge method, and position controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a position controller capable of performing high speed gap adjustment to the surface of an objective body, and to provide a position controller in a laser irradiation device or the like capable of realizing a wide dynamic range. <P>SOLUTION: The layer irradiation device 1 is provided with: a laser generating apparatus 100 generating a light beam 102; a condensing means 110 condensing the light beam 102 on the body 104 to be irradiated; a moving means 112 for relatively moving the light beam 102 along a movement predetermined path almost parallel to the surface of the body 104 to be irradiated; a detecting means 114 detecting ruggedness or waviness in the surface of the body 104 to be irradiated along the movement predetermined path; and a supporting means 116, for adjusting the focal position of the light beam 102, provided with a plurality of positioning apparatuses enabling the condensing means to move to the optical axis direction of the light beam in accordance with the detected ruggedness or waviness in a stacked shape and supporting the condensing means 110. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a position control technique in which one object is moved by following an unevenness on the surface of another object via a predetermined gap.

  In recent years, in order to realize a large screen display device, there are increasing cases of applying laser processing. The surface of the substrate generally has minute irregularities (undulations), and it is necessary to adjust the focal position of the laser in accordance with the undulations during laser processing. Particularly when a large substrate is processed at high speed, it is necessary to perform high-speed focusing in accordance with the undulation of the substrate.

  As a method of adjusting the focal position of the laser light beam, a method of moving the condenser lens in the optical axis direction is common.

  As a method for adjusting the position of such a condenser lens, there is a method using a single motor such as a stepping motor.

  On the other hand, there is also a method of adjusting the focal position by deforming a mirror or a lens in the middle of the optical path from the light beam to the irradiated object. As such a method, for example, JP-A-6-167646 (Patent Document 1), JP-A-8-124196 (Patent Document 2), JP-A-9-230252 (Patent Document 3), No. 10-269599 (Patent Document 4) and JP-A 2000-171242 (Patent Document 5).

  In addition, in the ink jet type droplet discharge method, if the gap (distance) between the ink jet head and the target to be discharged is not appropriate, the landing position of the droplet is shifted, or the droplet is scattered during the flight, There is a risk of mixing. Therefore, it is necessary to perform positioning control at high speed even in the ink jet head.

JP-A-6-167646 JP-A-8-124196 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-230252 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-269599 JP 2000-171242 A

  However, the method using a single motor can achieve a wide range of strokes, but the acceleration is not sufficient for positioning at high speed. Further, in this case, since the position signal is a pulse and the displacement amount is an integration of the pulse, it takes time from when the drive command is transmitted from the controller via the driver until it is actually operated. Therefore, this point is not suitable for high-speed positioning.

  Further, in the method of adjusting the focal position by deforming a mirror or a lens, there is a possibility that the beam shape is broken due to aberration or the like, and the focused spot is enlarged.

  On the other hand, when moving the condensing lens with a single motor, the movement is complicated and the positioning is performed at a high speed because the single motor performs the movement that matches both the fine irregularities and large undulations on the surface of the object. It was difficult.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a position control device capable of matching a gap at a high speed with respect to the surface of an object. Another object of the present invention is to provide a position control device capable of realizing a wide dynamic range.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a laser irradiation apparatus capable of focusing on an object to be irradiated with high accuracy at high speed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a laser irradiation apparatus capable of realizing a wide dynamic range.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a droplet discharge device that can accurately match a gap to an object to be discharged at high speed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a droplet discharge device capable of realizing a wide dynamic range.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention includes a laser generator that generates a light beam, a condensing unit that condenses the light beam on an irradiated object, and the light beam that is irradiated to the object. A moving means for relatively moving along the planned movement path substantially parallel to the surface of the irradiated body, a detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the irradiated body along the planned moving path, and The condensing means comprising a plurality of stacked positioning devices for the condensing means for moving the condensing means in the optical axis direction of the light beam in accordance with the detected unevenness in order to adjust the focal position. And a support mechanism that supports the laser irradiation apparatus.

  According to such a configuration, since the position of the light collecting means is adjusted using a plurality of positioning devices stacked in a stacked manner, various operations such as a fine operation and a large operation can be assigned to each of the plurality of positioning devices. Can do. Accordingly, since it is possible to follow at a higher speed than in the case where all the operations are borne by a single positioning device, it is possible to more accurately focus the light beam at a higher speed. Therefore, high-speed machining is possible and work efficiency can be improved. Also, by using a plurality of positioning devices, it is possible to move up to the sum of the distances that can be moved by each positioning device, and a wide dynamic range (a wide range of strokes, a large focal position displacement amount) can be realized. Is possible.

  The support mechanism includes at least a first positioning device and a second positioning device, and the first positioning device mounts the light collecting means and makes the light collecting means movable. In addition, the second positioning device includes the first positioning device, and the first positioning device is movable.

  The first positioning device is fine adjustment means for finely adjusting the condensing means in the optical axis direction of the light beam, and the second positioning device is configured to adjust the condensing means to the optical axis direction of the light beam. It is preferable that it is a rough adjustment means for performing rough adjustment.

  According to this, the second positioning device (e.g., the lower layer positioning device with a large load due to the load) copes with the gentle movement, and the first positioning device (e.g., the upper layer positioning device with a small load) moves quickly. Therefore, the followability is improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laser generator for generating a light beam, a plurality of condensing means for condensing the light beam on an irradiated object, and the surface of the irradiated object. In order to adjust the focal position of the light beam, a moving means for moving relatively in parallel along the planned movement path, a detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the irradiated object along the planned movement path, and In addition, the light collecting means includes a plurality of positioning devices arranged in parallel to enable the plurality of light collecting means to move independently in the optical axis direction of the light beam according to the detected unevenness. And a supporting mechanism for providing a laser irradiation apparatus.

  According to such a configuration, the focal position of the light beam is adjusted, for example, by dividing it into a large movement and a fine movement by the plurality of light collecting means mounted on the plurality of positioning devices that are driven independently. Therefore, it is possible to accurately perform high-speed focus alignment. Therefore, high-speed machining is possible and work efficiency can be improved. Further, by using a plurality of positioning devices, a wide dynamic range (a wide range of strokes) can be realized.

  Means for extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal representing the irregularities obtained by the measuring means, and each positioning device is driven by an individual electrical signal extracted by the frequency component extracting means. Is preferred.

  In this way, by driving each positioning device with signals having different frequency characteristics, it is possible to share adjustments (coarse adjustment and fine adjustment) according to each frequency characteristic with each positioning device. The followability to the body surface can be further improved.

  It is preferable that the plurality of individual electrical signals have high frequency components cut off.

  According to this, components due to the presence of fine irregularities, noise, and fine foreign matter that have a high frequency that is difficult for the positioning device to follow (for example, the resonance frequency of the device) are cut. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in followability, a deviation from the trajectory, and the like due to resonance and the like.

  The frequency components of the plurality of individual electric signals may be different.

  If the frequency components are different, each positioning device can share the fine adjustment corresponding to the high frequency component and the rough adjustment corresponding to the low frequency component, thereby improving the followability of the light beam to the surface of the irradiated object. Can be made.

  The frequency components of the plurality of individual electric signals may be the same.

  For example, by supplying a signal having the same frequency component to two positioning devices, it becomes possible to share the movement distance necessary for focus positioning between the two positioning devices. High-speed tracking is possible.

  The frequency component extracting means is preferably a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, and / or a band-pass filter.

  The laser irradiation device preferably includes an attenuation circuit and / or an amplification circuit for adjusting the level of a signal input to the positioning device as necessary.

  Examples of the laser irradiation apparatus include a laser processing apparatus such as laser drilling or an exposure apparatus. Laser irradiation may be continuous or intermittent.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a droplet discharge head that discharges droplets onto a discharge target object, and a relative movement of the droplet discharge head along a planned movement path substantially parallel to the surface of the discharge target object. A detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the object along the planned movement path, and the droplet discharge head and the target object to be ejected according to the detected irregularities. The present invention provides a droplet discharge device including a support mechanism for supporting the droplet discharge head, which includes a plurality of positioning devices that adjust the distance to a target distance in a stacked manner.

  According to such a configuration, the position of the droplet discharge head can be adjusted using a plurality of positioning devices stacked in a stack, so that the distance (gap) between the droplet discharge head and the surface of the discharge target object Can be adjusted at high speed. Accordingly, continuous work can be performed at high speed, and work efficiency can be improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laser irradiation method for adjusting a focal position of a light beam so as to follow the unevenness of the surface of the irradiated object. A process of acquiring irregularities as an electrical signal, a process of extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal to obtain a plurality of individual electrical signals for each frequency component, and a plurality of layers corresponding to each of the plurality of individual electrical signals And adjusting the focal position of the light beam by adjusting the position of the light collecting means mounted on the positioning device in the direction of the optical axis of the light beam. A laser irradiation method is provided.

  According to this, since the position of the light condensing means is adjusted by the plurality of positioning devices stacked in a stacked manner, it becomes possible to follow the light beam to the surface of the irradiated object with high speed and accuracy.

  The process of obtaining the plurality of individual electrical signals is a process of obtaining the first individual electrical signal and the second individual electrical signal, and the process of adjusting the focal position constitutes the plurality of stacked positioning devices. The first positioning device on which the light condensing means is mounted is driven by the first individual electrical signal to form the plurality of stacked positioning devices, and the second positioning device on which the first positioning device is mounted. Preferably, this is a process of adjusting the focal position of the light beam by driving the apparatus with the second individual signal.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laser irradiation method for adjusting a focal position of a light beam so as to follow the unevenness of the surface of an object to be irradiated. A process of acquiring unevenness or undulation as an electrical signal, a process of extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal to obtain a plurality of individual electrical signals for each frequency component, and a plurality of the individual electrical signals for the light Transmitting to a plurality of corresponding positioning devices mounted on each of the plurality of condensing means positioned on the optical axis of the beam, and adjusting the positions of the plurality of condensing means in the optical axis direction of the light beam, respectively Thereby adjusting the focal position of the light beam.

  According to this, since the focal position of the light beam is adjusted by the plurality of condensing means respectively mounted on the plurality of positioning devices that are driven independently, the focal position can be accurately adjusted at high speed. It becomes possible.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process of acquiring irregularities on the surface of an ejection target body as an electrical signal along a planned movement path for moving the droplet ejection head, and extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal. A process of obtaining a plurality of individual electric signals for each frequency component, and transmitting each of the plurality of individual electric signals to a corresponding plurality of stacked overlapping positioning devices, and a droplet discharge head mounted on the positioning device Adjusting the gap between the nozzle of the droplet discharge head and the surface of the discharge target body to a predetermined distance by adjusting the position in the gap direction between the droplet discharge head and the discharge target body. This is a droplet discharge method.

  According to this, since the position of the droplet discharge head is adjusted by a plurality of positioning devices stacked in a stacked manner, the gap (distance) between the discharge target object and the droplet discharge head can be adjusted accurately, It is possible to follow the surface of the discharge target body at high speed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first object including irregularities on a surface, a second object facing the surface of the first object via a gap, and the second object. The first and second position adjusting means (positioning device) for adjusting the position in the gap direction and the second object relative to each other along a path assumed on the surface of the first object. Scanning means for moving, unevenness detecting means for detecting unevenness of the first object along the path, and outputting a distance signal including a modulation component according to the surface state of the first object, and the distance signal Driving means for driving the first and second position adjusting means by a first frequency component signal extracted from the first frequency component and a second frequency component signal extracted from the second frequency component. It is a position control device.

  According to such a configuration, since a plurality of positioning means are used, the gap between the first object surface and the second object can be adjusted at high speed and with high accuracy.

  The present invention provides a gap between a first object (eg, a metal plate) having irregularities on the surface and a second object such as a lens that moves on the surface of the first object. By using a positioning device as a position adjusting means for a plurality of stacked or parallel second objects, adjustment is possible at high speed. Note that unevenness includes minute changes in the surface shape such as swell, warpage, and deflection.

  Specifically, for example, a first positioning device mounted with a second object and movable in the gap direction, and a second positioning device mounted with the first positioning device and movable in the gap direction are provided. By using it, the driving force in the gap direction is improved, and the followability at a high speed to the surface of the first object is improved.

  As another example, when a light collecting means or the like is used as the second object, for example, the first positioning device mounted with one light collecting means and movable in the gap direction and the other light collecting means And a second positioning device that is movable in the gap direction are arranged in parallel in the gap direction, thereby improving the driving force for focusing in the gap direction, and the position of the focal position on the surface of the first object. This improves the follow-up performance at high speed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 schematically shows a laser irradiation apparatus 1.

  As shown in the figure, a laser irradiation apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a laser generator (laser light source) 100, a condensing unit (condensing lens) 110 for condensing a laser light beam 102, and a light beam 102. A moving means 112 that moves relatively parallel to the surface of the object to be irradiated (worked object) 104, unevenness or waviness on the surface of the irradiated object along the planned movement path of the light beam 102 (hereinafter, simply uneven for simplicity) And a support mechanism 116 provided with a plurality of stacked positioning devices (see FIG. 2) to be described later.

The laser generator 100 generates the light beam 102 in accordance with a signal sent from the control unit 122 via the oscillation circuit 124. The control unit 122 adjusts irradiation timing, irradiation intensity, and the like including ON / OFF control of the light beam. The laser generator 100 is not particularly limited, and is appropriately selected according to the type, material, processing purpose, etc. of the irradiated object 104. Typical lasers include, for example, a CO ₂ laser and a YAG laser. The light beam 102 generated from the laser generator 100 is condensed on the irradiated object 104 via the reflection mirror 101, the condensing lens 110, and the like.

  The irradiated body 104 may be a metal substrate or an exposure film such as a photoresist coated on the substrate.

  The condensing lens 110 condenses the light beam 102 emitted from the laser generator 100, and for example, a convex lens is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a spherical lens or the like may be used. Moreover, you may use what gave the condensing property by the combination of several lenses, such as a convex lens and a concave lens.

  The moving means 112 relatively moves the light beam along the planned movement path of the light beam substantially parallel to the surface of the irradiated object 104. The moving means 112 may include means for roughly moving the surface of the irradiated object 104 approximately in the vertical direction so that the surface of the irradiated object 104 is approximately positioned near the focal point of the light beam.

  The moving means 112 may be a means for moving the irradiated object 104 side, or a means for moving the light beam irradiated on the surface of the irradiated object 104. Moreover, the means to move both may be sufficient. Examples of the means for moving the irradiation object 104 include an XY stage that can move the irradiation object 104 in the XY axis direction. As a means for moving the light beam, for example, an optical system for condensing the light beam on the irradiated object 104 or a moving table for moving the optical system in front of the condensing lens including the laser light source can be cited. Such moving means 112 such as an XY stage or a moving table operates in synchronization with a signal (not shown) supplied from a control unit 122 configured by a control computer system. In the present embodiment, an example in which an XY stage is used as the moving unit 112 as shown in FIG.

  The detection means 114 is a device that detects irregularities on the surface of the irradiated object 104, and detects irregularities along the planned movement path of the light beam 102. As the detection means 114, for example, an optical distance detection device as shown in FIG. 1 is used. In such an apparatus, the light beam output from the laser device 115a is reflected by the irradiated object 104, and the reflected light beam is detected by a CCD sensor, and the amount of unevenness on the surface of the irradiated object 104 is measured. Specifically, for example, the return position of the light beam to the CCD sensor 115b differs depending on the size of the unevenness, so that the gap (distance) between the optical distance detection device and the surface of the irradiated object 104 depends on the detection position of the return light of the CCD sensor 115b. Can be measured. Further, it is possible to calculate the displacement amount of the unevenness (the modulation component of the surface state) from this gap.

  The detecting means 114 is not limited to the optical distance detecting device, but a metal rod that moves up and down by the unevenness of the surface of the irradiated object 104 is placed in the coil, and a mechanical-electrical converter that detects a change in impedance of the coil portion is used. It may be by a device.

  The support mechanism 116 supports the condenser lens 110 so as to be movable.

  FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the support mechanism 116 of the condenser lens 110.

  The support mechanism 116 includes a first positioning device 121a and a second positioning device 121b.

  The first positioning device 121a is equipped with a condensing lens 110 and is configured to be able to move the condensing lens 110 in the optical axis direction. As such a first positioning device 121a, for example, a piezo element can be used. Thus, when a piezo element is used as an actuator, the positioning accuracy is good and it is suitable for high-speed driving. However, the actuator is not limited to this, and may be a motor type such as a stepping motor or an electromagnetic coil type.

  The second positioning device 121b includes the first positioning device 121a, and is configured to be movable in the optical axis direction. Similarly, an actuator such as a piezo element, a motor, or an electromagnetic coil can be used as the second positioning device 121b. The second positioning device 121b is installed on a support 123 fixed to the device mounting member 125, for example. In addition, it is preferable to install the 2nd positioning device 121b in the front-end | tip part on the opposite side to the side joined to the apparatus attachment member 125 of the support body 123. FIG. As described above, it is possible to prevent the support 123 from coming into contact with the surface of the irradiated body 104 by attaching the second positioning device 121b to the distal end portion.

  Further, the detection means 114 may be integrally attached to the device attachment member 125. In this case, since the unevenness information detected in real time can be sent to the positioning device, it is possible to follow the unevenness on the surface of the irradiated object 104 with higher accuracy.

  The first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b may use the same type of actuator, or may use different types of actuators.

  Further, the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b are independently driven in accordance with electrical signals individually supplied from the control unit 122 described later via the drive circuit 120.

  In the laser irradiation apparatus 1 described above, the focal position of the light beam is adjusted by the following focal position control mechanism.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the laser irradiation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The unevenness of the surface of the irradiated object 104 is obtained as a wave frequency component of the electric signal by the CCD sensor 115b in the detector 114.

  In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which a plurality of different frequency component signals are extracted from such a swell frequency component signal and each positioning device is driven for each frequency component signal.

  FIG. 4 shows a schematic graph for explaining the swell frequency component detected by the CCD sensor 115b. In the figure, (a) is a swell frequency component signal, and (a1) to (a3) are respectively extracted from the swell frequency component signal, a high frequency component signal (a1), a medium frequency component signal (a2), This is a low frequency component signal (a3).

  This electrical signal (swell frequency component signal (a)) is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 130, and then a high frequency component (a1) is cut by a high cut filter (high frequency attenuator) 132 (see FIG. 4). . Thereby, components due to the presence of minute irregularities, noise, and minute foreign matters that become high frequency (resonance frequency) components that are difficult to follow by the positioning device as shown in FIG. 4 are cut. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a decrease in followability, a deviation from the trajectory, and the like due to resonance and the like.

  In the configuration of the laser irradiation apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the unevenness is measured by a distance (positional deviation) L before the laser irradiation position. Therefore, it is necessary to delay the timing of the drive signal transmitted to the positioning device by the time difference T corresponding to the positional deviation L.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the electrical signal in which the high frequency component is attenuated delays transmission of the drive signal by a time difference T corresponding to the positional deviation L between the unevenness detection position of the detector 114 and the laser irradiation position by the delay circuit 134. . This makes it possible to correct the focal position adjustment timing of the condenser lens 110 according to the positional deviation L. When the time difference T due to the positional deviation L is so small that it can be ignored, the delay circuit may not be provided.

  Next, the electrical signal that has passed through the delay circuit 134 is distributed by the distributor 136 into a first frequency component signal from which the first frequency component has been extracted and a second frequency component signal from which the second frequency component has been extracted. . The first frequency component signal and the second frequency component signal correspond to individual electric signals. The first frequency component signal and the second frequency component signal are amplified by the amplifiers 140 and 144, and then transmitted as drive signals to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, respectively. The positioning is performed according to each frequency component signal.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the high frequency component is cut, and the electric signal distributed by the distributor 136 is passed through the low pass filter (LPF) 138 and the band pass filter (BPF) 142, respectively. The signal (a3) (second frequency component) and the medium frequency component signal (a2) (first frequency component) are extracted. In this way, the low frequency component (a3) and the middle frequency component (a2) are extracted, and a large (slow) movement according to the low frequency component (a3) and a fine (fast) according to the middle frequency component (a2). ) By adjusting the position of the condensing lens 110 separately for each movement, it becomes possible to further improve the follow-up of positioning at high speed.

  The first positioning device 121a on which the condenser lens 110 is mounted is preferably driven by the low frequency component signal (a3), and the second positioning device 121b is driven by the medium frequency component signal (a2). Since the lower layer positioning device (second positioning device 121b) is affected by the load of the upper layer positioning device (first positioning device 121a), the load during movement increases and the resonance frequency decreases. Accordingly, since the allowable response speed is slower than that of the upper layer positioning device, the lower layer side positioning device is preferably driven by a low-frequency component signal instructing a gentler operation. The upper layer positioning device is preferably driven by a higher frequency component signal because it has less load than the lower layer positioning device and can easily follow high-speed operation.

  Next, the operation of the light beam apparatus according to this embodiment will be briefly described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a planned movement path of the light beam.

  FIG. 5A is a top view of the irradiated object for explaining a planned movement path of the light beam at the time of laser drilling, and FIG. 5B is an AA ′ in FIG. It is sectional drawing. In the figure, reference numeral 150 denotes a planned movement path, and 152 denotes an irradiation trace of the light beam.

  In the present embodiment, the unevenness on the surface of the irradiated object 104 is detected by the detector 114 as an electric signal along the planned movement path 150 for moving the light beam as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the obtained electric signal is divided by wavelength characteristics such as frequency or amplitude as described above to obtain individual electric signals. This individual electric signal is transmitted to each positioning device (first positioning device 121a and second positioning device 121b), and each positioning device is driven independently to adjust the focal position of the light beam. .

  According to the laser irradiation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the first positioning device 121a for movably mounting the lens and the second positioning device 121b for movably mounting the first positioning device 121a are provided. Since the positioning device can be moved independently, it is possible to follow the unevenness of the surface of the irradiated object 104 at high speed.

  Further, different frequency component signals are transmitted to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, respectively, and a slow operation and a fast operation are performed individually, so that the follow-up accuracy and follow-up on the surface of the irradiated object 104 are further increased. The speed can be increased.

  Further, by transmitting signals having the same frequency component and different amplitudes to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, the moving distance necessary for the focal position alignment of the condenser lens 110 can be determined. It becomes possible to bisect by 121a and the second positioning device 121b. Therefore, since it is possible to move the target movement distance in a short time, it is possible to perform focus alignment at high speed. In addition, the limit value of the movement distance can be increased by using two positioning devices.

  In addition, since the focal position of the light beam is adjusted by a single condenser lens, no complicated adjustment is required, and the positioning device is configured in a stacked manner, so that a large space for installation is not required. It is possible to reduce the size.

  In this embodiment, two positioning devices are used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more positioning devices may be used. Also in this case, it is preferable that the frequency components be lowered in order from the uppermost positioning device on which the lens is mounted to the lowermost positioning device. That is, it is preferable that the uppermost positioning device is driven at a high speed according to the highest frequency component and the lowermost positioning device is driven at a low speed according to the lowest frequency component.

  Such a laser irradiation apparatus 1 may be used for laser processing such as drilling, or may be used for exposure of a photoresist. Further, it may be used as an optical pickup device such as a CD player.

  Specifically, the drilling is suitably used for pinhole processing or the like required in the process of forming a micro lens array (MLA) for rear projection.

  In the present embodiment, a single light beam is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light beam may be irradiated with a plurality of branched beams by a diffraction grating, an optical fiber, or the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the example in which the unevenness information on the surface of the irradiated object is transmitted to each positioning device as a drive signal in real time has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Therefore, the unevenness information on the surface of the irradiated object acquired once is accumulated as a memory in the control unit 122 configured by, for example, a control computer system, and the condensing lens 110 is changed according to the relative position of the light beam 102 and the irradiated object 104. The position may be controlled by transmitting a driving signal for positioning.

  In addition, the position of the condensing lens is based on information other than the unevenness of the surface to be irradiated, such as when the depth of arrival of the light beam is changed according to the irradiation position of the irradiated object or when various types of laser light sources are used. You may want to change In such a case, each positioning device is provided with a driving signal that includes information such as the depth change information or the focal length variation value of the condensing lens according to the type of laser light source in the unevenness information on the surface to be irradiated. You may comprise so that it may supply.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, two component signals (low frequency component signal and medium frequency component signal) having different frequencies are used as drive signals transmitted to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b. It is not limited to this, You may use the thing of the same frequency component.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic graph for explaining the swell frequency component detected by the CCD sensor. The figure shows an example in which the swell frequency component is divided into two components having the same frequency but different amplitudes. In the figure, (b) is a swell frequency component signal, and (b1) to (b3) are a high frequency component signal (b1) and a low / medium frequency component signal 1) (each extracted from the swell frequency component signal). b2), low and medium frequency component signals 2) and (b3).

  In this way, the electric signal is divided into two identical frequency component signals, and the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b are driven at the same time, so that the same time is used as compared with the case where one positioning device is used. It is possible to increase the perimeter movement distance (dynamic range). Further, since the distance required for focusing can be shared by the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, the position can be adjusted in a short time.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a difference in moving distance between the case where one positioning device is used and the case where two positioning devices are used.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when only one positioning device is used, the condenser lens 110 can move only l _{1 in} a predetermined time.

However, as shown in FIG. 7B, when two positioning devices are used, the condenser lens 110 is the sum of the movement distances of the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b in a predetermined time. l Can move ₂ minutes. Therefore, since the amount of movement can be increased even within the same time, it is possible to increase the follow-up performance at high speed. Further, since the two positioning devices can move by the limit moving amount, the limit value of the moving distance of the condenser lens 110 can be increased. In FIG. 7B, the same components as those in FIG. 7A are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the figure, 139 and 139 ′ are low-pass filters, and 141 and 141 ′ are amplifiers for amplifying signals from the low-pass filters.

  In the second embodiment, the electric signal is divided into two identical frequency component signals, and the first positioning device and the second positioning device are driven at the same time, which is the same as in the case of using one positioning device. It is possible to increase the moving distance (dynamic range) per time. In addition, since the distance required for focusing can be shared between the first positioning device and the second positioning device, position adjustment can be performed in a short time. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the follow-up performance at high speed.

  The first positioning device and the second positioning device may share the movement distance necessary for positioning, and at the same time, may share the operation divided into the high frequency component and the low frequency component. That is, you may carry out combining 1st embodiment and 2nd embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the first positioning device 121c on which the first condensing lens 110a is mounted and the second positioning device 121d on which the second condensing lens 110b is mounted are driven independently. The focal position of the beam is adjusted. In addition, the 1st condensing lens 110a and the 2nd condensing lens 110b correspond to a condensing means.

  FIG. 8 shows a method of adjusting the focal position of the light beam using the first positioning device 121c equipped with the first condenser lens 110a and the second positioning device 121d equipped with the second condenser lens 110b. It is a figure for demonstrating. As the first positioning device 121c and the second positioning device 121d, the same positioning device (121a or 121b) used in the first embodiment is used. In FIG. 8, portions corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of such portions is omitted.

  The condenser lens 110a and the condenser lens 110b are disposed on the optical axis of the light beam.

  The condensing lens 110a and the condensing lens 110b may use the same basic characteristics such as the focal length or may use different ones.

  Hereinafter, the case where a long focal length is used as the condenser lens 110a and a short focal length is used as the condenser lens 110b will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram for explaining a laser irradiation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The swell frequency component signal detected by the CCD 115b is sent to the distributor 136 via the amplifier 130, the high cut filter 132, and the delay circuit 134 as in the case of FIG. The transmitted signal is divided into a medium frequency component signal and a low frequency component signal by a distributor 136 (see FIG. 4). That is, only one intermediate frequency component signal is extracted from the one signal by the band-pass filter 146 and amplified by the amplifier 140, and then sent to the first positioning device 121c. As for other signals, only the low frequency component signal is extracted by the low-pass filter 148 and amplified by the amplifier 144, and then sent to the second positioning device 121d. Therefore, fine adjustment is performed with the first condensing lens 110a having a long focal length, and coarse adjustment is performed with the second condensing lens 110b having a short focal length, so that the light beam accurately follows the surface of the irradiated object 104. The focal position can be adjusted.

  The detected signal and the distance for actually moving the positioning device between the band pass filter 146 (and / or the low-pass filter 148) and the first positioning device 121c (and / or the second positioning device 121d). A circuit for adjusting the above may be arranged. In other words, the detection signal is matched with the detection signal by referring to a table of detection signals versus the movement amount of the positioning device determined in advance according to the basic characteristics of the lens (e.g., focal length of each lens, distance between two lenses). The signal having the movement amount information may be set to be transmitted to the positioning device.

  According to the present embodiment, the swell frequency component signal is divided into signals having different frequency characteristics (a high frequency component signal and a fixed income are component signals), and the two positioning devices are independently driven in accordance with each signal to thereby generate a light beam. Since the focal position is adjusted, it is possible to accurately adjust the focal position of the light beam that follows the surface of the irradiated object.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a droplet discharge device according to the fourth embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, a microarray manufacturing apparatus will be described as an example of a droplet discharge apparatus.

  The microarray manufacturing apparatus 500 of this embodiment includes a carrier 400 that carries a droplet discharge head, and a table 510 on which an object to be discharged 550 is placed.

  In FIG. 10, reference numeral 530 denotes an X direction drive shaft that drives the carrier 400, and 530 denotes a Y direction drive shaft that drives the table 510. The X-direction drive shaft 530 and the Y-direction drive shaft 520 use, for example, a timing belt mechanism or a ball screw mechanism, and move the carrier 400 and the table 510 by obtaining a driving force from a driving motor (not shown) included in the driving unit 540. Can be made. The X-direction drive shaft 530 and the Y-direction drive shaft 520 are driven based on predetermined travel route (scheduled travel route) information from the control unit 600 configured by a control computer system included in the drive unit 540. The Note that the X-direction drive shaft 530, the Y-direction drive shaft 520, the carrier 400, and the table 510 correspond to the moving means.

  FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the positioning mechanism of the droplet discharge head of the present embodiment. 11, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of such parts is omitted.

  In this embodiment, a support mechanism 116 that supports the droplet discharge head 410 to be movable in the Z-axis direction and a detector 114 as detection means are mounted on the carrier 400.

  Here, the droplet discharge head 410 discharges a biological sample solution such as DNA, RNA, or protein onto a microarray substrate as the discharge target body 550. The droplet discharge head 410 is formed as a separate body, even if a head portion that discharges droplets to the outside and a reservoir (tank) that supplies a biological sample solution to the head portion are integrally formed. It may be.

  The support mechanism 116 adjusts such a gap (height of the droplet discharge head) between the droplet discharge head 410 (or the nozzle portion of the droplet discharge head 410) and the discharge target object to be a target distance. To do.

  If the gap between the droplet discharge head 410 and the target to be discharged is large, the flight distance of the droplet becomes long, the landing position shifts, or the droplet scatters during the flight and scatters to an adjacent spot. There is a risk of liquid contamination. Further, if the gap is narrow, there is a risk of colliding with or rubbing the protrusion on the surface of the discharge target body 550. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the gap to an appropriate interval.

  As one of the parameters that determine the target distance of the gap, for example, physical properties of the solution to be used and environmental conditions can be cited. This is because the size and shape of the ejected droplets change. Examples of the physical properties of the solution include surface tension and viscosity. Moreover, as environmental conditions, the temperature at the time of discharge, humidity, etc. are mentioned, for example.

  By setting the target distance of the gap thus determined, the gap is adjusted.

  The support mechanism 116 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the droplet discharge head 410 is mounted on the first positioning device 121a. The support mechanism 116 operates in the same manner as described above. The ejection head 410 can be operated.

  Further, the droplet discharge device of the present embodiment may discharge a plurality of types of solutions using a single droplet discharge head. In such a case, a target distance is determined according to the type of solution, In addition to the unevenness (swell) information on the surface of the discharge target 550, adjustment between the gaps according to the type of the solution may be performed.

  According to the droplet ejection device of the present embodiment, the first positioning device 121a for movably mounting the droplet ejection device and the second positioning device 121b for movably mounting the first positioning device 121a are provided. Since these two positioning devices can be moved independently, it is possible to follow the unevenness (or undulation) on the surface of the ejection target 550 at high speed.

  Further, when different frequency component signals are transmitted to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, gradual adjustment (coarse adjustment) and quick adjustment (fine adjustment) are performed by different devices. In addition, it is possible to increase the tracking accuracy and the tracking speed with respect to the surface of the irradiated object 104.

  Further, when signals having the same frequency component and different amplitudes are transmitted to the first positioning device 121a and the second positioning device 121b, the moving distance necessary for the gap adjustment of the droplet discharge head 410 is set to the first positioning device. It becomes possible to bisect the apparatus 121a and the second positioning apparatus 121b. Therefore, since it is possible to move the target movement distance in a short time, it is possible to perform focus alignment at high speed. In addition, the limit value of the movement distance can be increased by using two positioning devices.

  In addition, since the positioning device is configured in a layered manner and does not require a large space for installation, it is possible to reduce the size of the device.

  In the above example, the microarray manufacturing apparatus has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The droplet discharge device of the present invention may be a printing device that uses ink as the discharge liquid, for example. Moreover, the discharge apparatus which discharges wiring film | membrane liquid, a semiconductor material solution, the solution for organic EL films, etc. may be sufficient.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a laser irradiation apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a support mechanism for the condenser lens. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the laser irradiation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic graph for explaining the swell frequency component detected by the CCD sensor. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a planned movement path of the light beam. FIG. 6 is a schematic graph for explaining the swell frequency component detected by the CCD sensor. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a difference in movement distance between the case where one positioning device is used and the case where two positioning devices are used. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of adjusting the focal position of the light beam using the first positioning device and the second positioning device arranged side by side. FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram for explaining a laser irradiation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a droplet discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the positioning mechanism of the droplet discharge head according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser irradiation apparatus, 100 Laser generator, 101 Reflection mirror, 102 Light beam, 104 Subject to be irradiated, 110 Condensing lens, 112 Moving means, 114 Detection means, 115a Laser apparatus, 115b Sensor, 116 Support mechanism, 120 Drive circuit 121a to d Positioning device, 122 Control unit, 123 Support body, 124 Oscillator circuit, 125 Device mounting member, 130 Amplifier, 132 High cut filter, 134 Delay circuit, 136 Distributor, 140, 144 Amplifier, 146 Band pass filter, 148 Low-pass filter, 150 planned movement path, 400 carrier, 410 droplet ejection head, 500 microarray manufacturing apparatus, 510 table, 520 Y-axis direction drive axis, 530 X-axis direction drive axis, 540 drive unit, 550 ejected pair Body, 600 control unit

Claims (13)

A laser generator for generating a light beam;
One condensing means for condensing the light beam on the irradiated body;
Moving means for relatively moving the light beam along a planned movement path substantially parallel to the surface of the irradiated object;
Detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the irradiated body along the planned movement path;
In order to adjust the focal position of the light beam, a plurality of positioning devices that can move the one condensing means in the direction of the optical axis of the light beam according to the detected unevenness are provided in a stack, A support mechanism for supporting the light collecting means;
A laser irradiation apparatus comprising: The support mechanism includes at least a first positioning device and a second positioning device;
The first positioning device is mounted with the light collecting means, and the light collecting means is movable,
The second positioning device is mounted with the first positioning device, and the first positioning device is movable.
The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1. The first positioning device finely adjusts the light condensing means in the optical axis direction of the light beam,
The second positioning device is for roughly adjusting the condensing means in the optical axis direction of the light beam.
The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 2. A laser generator for generating a light beam;
A plurality of condensing means for condensing the light beam on the irradiated body;
Moving means for relatively moving the light beam along a planned movement path substantially parallel to the surface of the irradiated object;
Detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the irradiated body along the planned movement path;
In order to adjust the focal position of the light beam, a plurality of positioning devices arranged in parallel to enable the plurality of condensing means to be individually moved in the optical axis direction of the light beam in accordance with the detected unevenness. A support mechanism for supporting the light collecting means,
A laser irradiation apparatus comprising: Means for extracting a plurality of frequency components from an electrical signal representing the irregularities obtained by the detection means;
5. The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each positioning device is driven by an individual electric signal extracted by the frequency component extraction unit. 6.   The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of individual electric signals are obtained by cutting a high frequency component.   The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein frequency components of the plurality of individual electric signals are different from each other.   The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein frequency components of the plurality of individual electric signals are the same. A laser irradiation method for adjusting a focal position of a light beam so as to follow unevenness of a surface of an irradiated object,
The process of acquiring the unevenness of the object surface as an electrical signal along the planned movement path for moving the light beam,
A process of extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal to obtain a plurality of individual electrical signals for each frequency component;
By transmitting each of the plurality of individual electrical signals to a corresponding plurality of stacked positioning devices, and adjusting the position of the focusing means mounted on the positioning device in the optical axis direction of the light beam, Adjusting the focal position of the light beam;
A laser irradiation method including: A laser irradiation method for adjusting a focal position of a light beam so as to follow unevenness of a surface of an irradiated object,
The process of acquiring the unevenness of the object surface as an electrical signal along the planned movement path for moving the light beam,
A process of extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal to obtain a plurality of individual electrical signals for each frequency component;
Each of the plurality of individual electric signals is transmitted to a corresponding plurality of positioning devices each mounting a plurality of light collecting means arranged in parallel on the optical axis of the light beam, and the positions of the plurality of light collecting means are respectively set. Adjusting the focal position of the light beam by individually adjusting in the optical axis direction of the light beam;
A laser irradiation method including: A liquid droplet ejection head for ejecting liquid droplets onto an object to be ejected;
Moving means for relatively moving the droplet discharge head along a planned movement path substantially parallel to the surface of the discharge target object;
Detecting means for detecting irregularities on the surface of the object along the planned movement path;
A support mechanism for supporting the droplet discharge head, comprising a plurality of positioning devices that adjust the distance between the droplet discharge head and the discharge target object to a target distance in accordance with the detected unevenness;
A droplet discharge device comprising: A process of acquiring irregularities on the surface of the discharge target body as electrical signals along the planned movement path for moving the droplet discharge head;
Extracting a plurality of frequency components from the electrical signal to obtain a plurality of individual electrical signals for each frequency component;
Each of the plurality of individual electrical signals is transmitted to a corresponding plurality of stacked overlapping positioning devices, and the position of the droplet discharging head mounted on the positioning device is determined between the droplet discharging head and the discharge target object. Adjusting the gap between the nozzle of the droplet discharge head and the surface of the target to be discharged to a target distance by adjusting in the gap direction;
A droplet discharge method comprising: A first object including irregularities on the surface;
A second object facing the surface of the first object through a gap;
First and second position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the second object in the gap direction;
Scanning means for relatively moving the second object along a path assumed on the surface of the first object;
Concavity and convexity detection means for detecting a concavity and convexity of the first object along the path and outputting a distance signal including a modulation component according to a surface state of the first object,
Driving means for driving the first and second position adjusting means by a first frequency component signal obtained by extracting a first frequency component from the distance signal and a second frequency component signal obtained by extracting a second frequency component; ,
A position control device comprising:

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