JP2012135782A - Apparatus and method for laser light irradiation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method for laser light irradiation, wherein output fluctuation is inhibited and the output of laser light to be emitted is stabilized.SOLUTION: The apparatus 10 for laser light irradiation irradiates a film with laser light to cut the film. The apparatus includes: a laser light oscillator 1 for oscillating the laser light L; a beam splitter 3 for splitting the laser light L oscillated from the laser light oscillator 1 into two to irradiate the film with a laser light being a reflected light L1; a power sensor 4 for measuring the intensity of a laser light being a transmitted light L2; and a processing board 5 for calculating an output value of the laser light oscillator 1 from the intensity thus measured, for determining the magnitude of the output value in relation to a set value, and for correcting the output value of the laser light oscillator 1 to bring the output value thereof close to the set value.

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser beam irradiation apparatus and a laser beam irradiation method capable of appropriately cutting a film by suppressing output fluctuation, stabilizing the output of laser beam to be irradiated.

  Polarizing films are widely used in various products such as liquid crystal panels. Conventionally, although a cutting tool is used for cutting a polarizing film, foreign matter such as film scraps is likely to be generated from the object to be cut, and this foreign matter adheres to the polarizing film, so that the yield of the product as the object to be cut is increased. It will decline.

  Therefore, in recent years, laser light is used instead of the blade for cutting the polarizing film. By performing the cutting process with laser light, it becomes difficult to generate foreign matters such as film scraps from the object to be cut as compared with the cutting process with the blade, so that it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of the product that is the object to be cut. . For this reason, the cutting method by a laser beam is useful, and various methods have been proposed as described in Patent Documents 1 to 5, for example.

JP 2008-284572 A (released November 27, 2008) JP 2008-302376 A (released on December 18, 2008) JP 2009-22978 A (published February 5, 2009) JP 2009-167321 A (published July 30, 2009) JP 2010-53310 A (published March 11, 2010)

  By the way, in general, a laser beam oscillator has a characteristic that the output of the laser beam is not constant, and the output value fluctuates with a constant amplitude with a set value sandwiched in a very short period (for example, 1 millisecond). Yes. Therefore, even if the output value of the laser beam is set to a value necessary for cutting the polarizing film due to output fluctuation of the laser light oscillator, the polarizing film cannot actually be cut appropriately. There is a problem that there is a case. The problem will be specifically described below.

  Usually, the cutting process of a polarizing film is continuously performed by irradiating a laser beam while conveying the elongate thing of a polarizing film at a fixed speed. Here, when the output value of the laser beam is set to a value necessary (and lower) for the cutting processing of the polarizing film, the polarization value is changed when the output value becomes lower than a certain value (smaller) than the set value by output fluctuation. The film will not be cut. Therefore, when winding the polarizing film after cutting, there is an inconvenience that the end (cutting portion) of the polarizing film is torn off or torn from the end toward the inside of the polarizing film. Will occur. On the other hand, in order to eliminate the above inconvenience, that is, when the output value is lower than the set value by a certain amount or more, the laser beam output value is set to a value that is necessary for the polarizing film cutting process. If the output value becomes higher than a certain value (larger) than the set value due to output fluctuation, the output value becomes too high, and the end (cut portion) of the polarizing film is irradiated by laser light. It dissolves with excessive heat, or it expands and warps due to thermal expansion. Therefore, another inconvenience that quality deterioration occurs in the polarizing film after the cutting process occurs.

  However, in the cutting methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 5, there are no special considerations or countermeasures for the above characteristics of the laser light oscillator, that is, the characteristics that the output of the laser light fluctuates in a very short period. Not done. That is, the cutting methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 have a problem that the polarizing film may not be appropriately cut. Therefore, there is a need for a laser beam irradiation apparatus and a laser beam irradiation method that can always appropriately cut a polarizing film.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main object is to provide a laser beam irradiation apparatus and a laser beam irradiation method in which output fluctuation is suppressed and the output of the laser beam to be irradiated is stabilized. It is in.

  In order to solve the above problems, a laser beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention is a laser beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates a laser beam on the film in order to cut the film, and a laser beam oscillator that oscillates a laser beam; The laser beam oscillated from the laser beam oscillator is branched into two, and a beam splitter that irradiates the film with one of the branched laser beams and the other of the branched laser beams A measurement device for measuring the intensity of the laser beam, and calculating the output value of the laser beam oscillator from the measured intensity, judging the magnitude of the output value relative to the set value, and the output value of the laser beam oscillator And a correction device for correcting the value so as to approach the set value.

  According to the above configuration, the intensity of the other laser beam among the laser beams branched by the beam splitter is measured by the measuring device, the output value of the laser beam oscillator is calculated from the intensity by the correcting device, and the set value It is possible to correct the output value of the laser beam oscillator so as to approach the set value by determining the magnitude of the output value with respect to. Therefore, even if the output value of the laser light oscillated from the laser light irradiation device is set to a value necessary (and lower) for cutting the film, the output fluctuation is suppressed, so that the output value is The film can be appropriately cut without being lower (smaller) than a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light irradiation apparatus that can suppress the output fluctuation (fluctuation with respect to the set value), stabilize the output of the laser light to be irradiated, and appropriately cut the film.

More preferably, the measuring device is configured to measure the intensity of transmitted light of the branched laser light. More preferably, the measuring device is a power sensor. Furthermore, the laser beam oscillator is more preferably a CO ₂ laser beam oscillator.

  In order to solve the above problems, a laser beam irradiation method according to the present invention is a laser beam irradiation method for irradiating a laser beam to the film to cut the film, and the laser beam oscillated from a laser beam oscillator The laser beam is irradiated with one of the branched laser beams and the intensity of the other laser beam is measured, and the output value of the laser oscillator is calculated from the measured intensity. It is characterized in that it calculates, determines the magnitude of the output value relative to the set value, and performs full-time correction so that the output value of the laser beam oscillator approaches the set value.

  According to the above configuration, the intensity of the other of the branched laser lights is measured, the output value of the laser oscillator is calculated from the intensity, and the magnitude of the output value with respect to the set value is determined. Thus, full-time correction is performed so that the output value of the laser beam oscillator approaches the set value. Therefore, even if the output value of the laser light oscillated from the laser light irradiation device is set to a value necessary (and lower) for cutting the film, the output fluctuation is suppressed, so that the output value is The film can be appropriately cut without being lower (smaller) than a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light irradiation method in which output fluctuation (fluctuation with respect to a set value) is suppressed, the output of the laser light to be irradiated is stabilized, and the film can be appropriately cut.

  According to the laser beam irradiation apparatus and the laser beam irradiation method according to the present invention, even if the output value of the laser beam is set to a value necessary (and lower) for cutting the film, output fluctuation is suppressed. Therefore, the output value does not become lower than a certain value (smaller) than the set value, and the film can be cut appropriately. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light irradiation apparatus and a laser light irradiation method capable of suppressing output fluctuation (fluctuation with respect to a set value), stabilizing the output of the laser light to be irradiated, and appropriately cutting the film. There is an effect.

  The film cut by the laser beam irradiation apparatus and the laser beam irradiation method according to the present invention may be in a state where the end (cut portion) is torn off or torn from the end toward the inside of the polarizing film. In addition, since the output value of the laser beam is not set higher than necessary, it does not melt or expand due to thermal expansion and warp. Therefore, there is no risk of quality deterioration in the film after cutting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a block diagram which shows an example of the laser beam irradiation apparatus which concerns on this invention, and shows a schematic structure. (A), (b), and (c) show an example in which the output value of the laser beam is stabilized by the laser beam irradiation device, and the output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiated by the laser beam irradiation device is shown. It is a graph to show. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus, and shows a schematic structure. (A), (b), (c) is a graph which shows the output fluctuation | variation of the laser beam irradiated by the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus. In each of (a), (b), and (c), the output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiated by the laser beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention is compared with the output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiated by the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus. It is a graph.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  In the following description, the case where the film to be cut is a polarizing film is taken as an example. Further, in the present invention, “cutting” the film means not only dividing the film into at least two parts but also making a cut through the film and forming a groove (cut) having a predetermined depth in the film. "To cut at least part of" is also included. More specifically, “cutting” includes, for example, cutting (cutting off) an end portion of the film, half-cutting, marking processing, and the like.

[Laser irradiation device]
An example of the laser beam irradiation apparatus according to the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that irradiates a laser beam to the polarizing film in order to cut the polarizing film (film). A mirror 2, a beam splitter 3, a power sensor (measurement device) 4, a processing board (correction device) 5, and a condensing lens (not shown), and an optical member such as a beam expander (not shown) as necessary. It has more.

The laser beam oscillator 1 is a member that oscillates a laser beam L. For example, a CO ₂ laser beam oscillator (carbon dioxide laser beam oscillator), a UV laser beam oscillator, a semiconductor laser beam oscillator, a YAG laser beam oscillator An oscillator such as an excimer laser beam oscillator or the like can be used, but the specific configuration is not particularly limited. Among the oscillators exemplified above, a CO ₂ laser light oscillator is more preferable because it can oscillate laser light at a high output suitable for, for example, cutting processing of a polarizing film.

  In general, a laser beam oscillator has a characteristic that the output of a laser beam is not constant, the output value fluctuates with a constant amplitude with a set value sandwiched in a very short period (for example, 1 millisecond), and the output is When it is low, the output value of the laser beam is likely to be unstable (the higher the output, the smaller the fluctuation range of the output value). For this reason, in order to further stabilize the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1, it is desirable to set the output of the laser beam oscillator 1 to a relatively high output. However, if the output value is too high, the polarizing film may melt due to excessive heat due to laser light irradiation, or may expand and warp due to thermal expansion, which may cause deterioration in quality in the polarizing film after cutting. There is. Therefore, the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 may be set in advance to an appropriate setting value according to conditions such as the material and thickness of the polarizing film. That is, the specific output value of the laser light oscillator 1 is an appropriate set value according to the material and thickness of the polarizing film, the conveyance speed of the polarizing film, and the ratio of transmitted light and reflected light by the beam splitter 3. It is desirable to set to.

  The frequency of the laser beam L to be irradiated may be appropriately set according to conditions such as the output of the laser beam oscillator 1, the material and thickness of the polarizing film, and the conveyance speed of the polarizing film, but is generally 5 kHz or more and 100 kHz or less. Can do.

  The laser light oscillator 1 outputs laser light in accordance with a preset setting value, and the processing board 5 that is a correction device corrects the output value so that the output value approaches the set value. ing.

  The laser light irradiation device 10 is more preferably provided with a beam expander on the optical path from the beam splitter 3 toward the polarizing film. The beam expander is a member that spreads the laser beam L1 into a parallel light beam, and a known beam expander can be used. Specifically, it is more preferable to widen the diameter of the laser beam L1 by, for example, about 2 to 10 times with a beam expander. By enlarging the diameter of the laser beam, the spot diameter of the laser beam irradiated on the polarizing film can be further reduced (reduced).

  The bend mirror 2 is a member that reflects the laser light L oscillated from the laser light oscillator 1 toward the beam splitter 3. The bend mirror 2 is preferably a plane reflecting mirror, for example, but may be any configuration that can reflect the laser light L toward the beam splitter 3. Moreover, the number is not specifically limited.

  A beam splitter 3 is a member that divides the laser light L oscillated from the laser light oscillator 1 and reflected by the bend mirror 2 into two at a certain ratio (ratio). That is, the beam splitter 3 is a member that branches the laser light L into the reflected light L1 and the transmitted light L2 at a constant ratio. The beam splitter 3 irradiates the polarized film with the reflected light L1 (one of the laser beams) out of the branched laser beam through an optical member such as a condenser lens, and is used for cutting the polarizing film. At the same time, the transmitted light L2 (the other laser beam) is applied to the power sensor 4 to adjust the output of the laser beam oscillator 1. A known beam splitter can be used as the beam splitter 3.

  The condensing lens may be a known lens such as a spherical lens or an aspherical lens, and is not particularly limited. In addition, since the cutting width (cutting distance) of the polarizing film is determined by the condensing diameter of the laser light that is the reflected light L1, the condensing diameter of the laser light on the polarizing film is 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less. Preferably, it is 10 μm or more and 400 μm or less.

  In the laser beam irradiation device 10 according to the present embodiment, the reflected light L1 is used for cutting the polarizing film, and the transmitted light L2 is used for adjusting the output of the laser beam oscillator 1, For example, by using a bend mirror (not shown), the transmitted light L2 can be used for cutting the polarizing film, and the reflected light L1 can be used for adjusting the output of the laser light oscillator 1.

  A power sensor 4 as a measuring device is an element that converts the transmitted light L2 into a thermoelectromotive force and measures the intensity of the laser light that is the transmitted light L2. That is, the power sensor 4 measures the electric power generated when the laser beam is irradiated, and thereby measures the intensity of the laser beam. The measurement interval by the power sensor 4 is more preferably short, for example, 10 milliseconds, but is not particularly limited. Note that a known power sensor can be used as the power sensor 4. Moreover, the measuring apparatus should just be the structure which can measure the intensity | strength of a laser beam.

  Then, the power sensor 4 transmits the measured laser beam intensity (measured value) data to the processing board 5 via an A / D converter (not shown). The A / D converter converts analog data of measurement values into digital data, and transmits the digital data of measurement values to the processing board 5.

  The processing board 5 as a correction device incorporates an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (central processing unit). The processing board 5 is based on the measured value digital data received from the power sensor 4 via the A / D converter and the ratio (ratio) of the transmitted light L2 at the branching of the beam splitter 3. The output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 is calculated, and the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 is judged to be large (over or short) with respect to a preset set value, and the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 is corrected to full time so as to approach the set value. It has become. That is, the processing board 5 feeds back the calculation result to the laser beam oscillator 1 in full time, specifically, for example, every 10 milliseconds, and the actual output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 approaches the set value. Adjustment (correction) is made as follows. More specifically, when the intensity of the laser beam that is the transmitted light L2 is small and the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 is smaller than the set value, the laser is set so that the actual output value of the laser beam L is increased. When the output of the optical oscillator 1 is adjusted, while the intensity of the laser light that is the transmitted light L2 is large and the output value of the laser optical oscillator 1 is larger than the set value, the actual output value of the laser light L The output of the laser beam oscillator 1 is adjusted so that becomes smaller. The processing board 5 only needs to have a configuration capable of performing the above calculation and determination, and therefore the specific configuration is not limited to a specific configuration.

  In the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the intensity of the transmitted light L2 is measured at a measurement interval of, for example, 10 milliseconds, and the output value of the laser beam L is adjusted by the power sensor 4 and the processing board 5 configured as described above. The so-called FTS (full time stabilizer) system is used to adjust (correct) the actual output value of the laser oscillator 1 so as to approach the set value, so that the polarizing film can be cut appropriately. .

  The laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is used as one apparatus that constitutes a slitter machine (not shown) that continuously cuts a polarizing film, for example. The slitter machine, in addition to the laser irradiation device 10, an unwinding unit for unwinding a long polarizing film (described later), a plurality of transport rolls for transporting the polarizing film, and a winding for winding the cut polarizing film A member such as a section is provided. Hereinafter, the slitter machine will be described. However, since the configuration other than the laser irradiation apparatus 10 in the slitter machine can employ a known configuration, the description thereof will be simplified.

  An unwinding part is a member which unwinds a polarizing film toward a conveyance roll by rotating with a rotating device while holding a long polarizing film, and specifically, a publicly known unwinding part is mentioned. In addition, the tension | tensile_strength added to a polarizing film and the conveyance speed of a polarizing film are adjusted with a rotating apparatus. In addition, one unwinding portion may be installed, but by installing two unwinding portions, before the polarizing film of one unwinding portion is completely unwound, the polarizing film is connected to the polarizing film of the other unwinding portion. Since it can connect, the time which replace | exchanges the raw material of a polarizing film can be reduced.

  A well-known conveyance roll is mentioned as a conveyance roll which conveys a polarizing film. Usually, the width | variety of a conveyance roll is about 1.5m-2.5m. Although the conveyance speed of a polarizing film should just be 1 m / sec or more and 100 m / sec or less, for example, it is not specifically limited. Moreover, the slitter machine may be provided with a touch roll that presses the polarizing film against the transport roll.

  Two winding units are installed, and are members that wind up the polarizing film that has been cut by being rotated by a rotating device. Specific examples include a known winding unit. The tension applied to the cut polarizing film and the conveying speed of the polarizing film are adjusted by a rotating device.

  The laser irradiation device 10 is disposed in the middle of a conveyance path of a polarizing film formed by a plurality of conveyance rolls, and continuously cuts the polarization film conveyed by the conveyance rolls. In addition, you may perform the cutting process of a polarizing film, moving the laser irradiation apparatus 10 instead of moving a polarizing film.

  Therefore, the polarizing film can be continuously cut by using the slitter machine having the above configuration.

〔the film〕
Although the film (cut object) which the laser irradiation apparatus 10 cut | disconnects is not specifically limited, A well-known polarizing film can be mentioned. Examples of the polarizing film include a long polarizing film (for example, a polarizing film having a length of 10 m or more in the cutting direction), but a short film (for example, a polarizing film having a length of 2 m or more and less than 10 m in the cutting direction) Or the polarizing film of plate shape (For example, the length of the polarizing film in a cutting direction is 10 cm or more and less than 2 m) may be sufficient.

  Specifically, for example, the polarizing film has a film such as a TAC (triacetyl cellulose) film or a COP (cycloolefin polymer) film as a protective film member on both surfaces of the polarizer film, and a laser. The structure by which the protective film was laminated | stacked through the adhesive on the TAC film of the reverse surface (back surface) with respect to the irradiation apparatus 10 can be mentioned. As a polarizer film located in the center of a polarizing film, the film by which the protective film members, such as TAC, were bonded to the film by which the polyvinyl alcohol film was dye | stained with dyeing agents, such as iodine, and was extended can be mentioned. . Further, in place of the polyvinyl alcohol film, hydrophilic polymer films such as partially formalized polyvinyl alcohol films, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer partially saponified films, and cellulose films, polyvinyl alcohol dehydrated products and polychlorinated A polyene oriented film such as a dehydrochlorinated product of vinyl can also be used.

  A film such as a polyester film or a polyethylene terephthalate film can also be used as the protective film. The thickness and width of the protective film are not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of being used as a protective film for a polarizing film, for example, the thickness is 5 μm or more and 60 μm or less, and the width is 200 mm or more and 1500 mm or less. It is preferable that

  The thickness of the polarizing film including the protective film is not particularly limited, but can be 100 μm or more and 500 μm or less. In addition, the thickness of the polarizer film is generally 10 μm or more and 50 μm or less. Furthermore, the polarizing film may further contain other layers in addition to the above three layers (polarizer film, TAC film and COP film, protective film) as long as there is no practical problem.

[Laser irradiation method]
The laser light irradiation method according to the present embodiment is a method of irradiating the polarizing film with a laser beam in order to cut the polarizing film (film), and two laser lights L oscillated from the laser light oscillator 1 are used. For example, the reflected light L1 (one laser light) of the branched laser light is irradiated to the polarizing film through an optical member such as a condenser lens and used for cutting the polarizing film. At the same time, the intensity of the laser light that is the transmitted light L2 (the other laser light) is measured, and the measured intensity (for example, digital data of the measured value) and the ratio (ratio) of the transmitted light L2 at the branching by the beam splitter 3 From the above, the output value of the laser light oscillator 1 is calculated, and the magnitude (excess or deficiency) of the output value with respect to a preset set value is determined. So as to approach the output value to the set value is a method for full-time correction.

As the laser beam L, a CO ₂ laser beam is more preferable because a high output suitable for, for example, a cutting process of a polarizing film can be obtained. Further, the frequency of the laser light L to be irradiated may be appropriately set depending on conditions such as the output of the laser light oscillator 1, the material and thickness of the polarizing film, and the conveying speed of the polarizing film, but is generally 5 kHz or more and 100 kHz or less. can do.

  In order to split the laser beam L into two, the beam splitter 3 may be used as described above. However, the branching method is not limited to the method using the beam splitter, and any method can be used as long as the laser light L can be branched into two. However, the ratio between the reflected light L1 and the transmitted light L2 may be set to an appropriate setting value according to conditions such as the output of the laser light oscillator 1, the material and thickness of the polarizing film, the conveyance speed of the polarizing film, It is not particularly limited.

  In the laser light irradiation method according to the present embodiment, the reflected light L1 is used for cutting the film and the transmitted light L2 is used for adjusting the output of the laser light oscillator 1. L2 may be used for cutting the film, and the reflected light L1 may be used for adjusting the output of the laser light oscillator 1.

  In order to measure the intensity of the laser beam that is the transmitted light L2, the power sensor 4 may be used as described above. However, the measuring method is not limited to the method using the power sensor, and any method that can measure the intensity of the laser beam may be used. The measurement interval is preferably shorter, for example, 10 milliseconds, but is not particularly limited.

  In order to perform full-time correction so that the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 approaches the set value, the processing board 5 may be used as described above. However, the correction method is not limited to the method using the processing board. The intensity of the measured laser beam (for example, digital data of the measured value), the ratio (ratio) of the transmitted light L2, and the preset settings The calculation result using the value is fed back to the laser beam oscillator 1 every 10 milliseconds, for example, and the actual output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 can be adjusted (corrected) so as to approach the set value. Any method can be used. More specifically, when the intensity of the laser beam that is the transmitted light L2 is small and the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 is smaller than the set value, the laser is set so that the actual output value of the laser beam L is increased. When the output of the optical oscillator 1 is adjusted, while the intensity of the laser light that is the transmitted light L2 is large and the output value of the laser optical oscillator 1 is larger than the set value, the actual output value of the laser light L Any method can be used as long as the output of the laser beam oscillator 1 can be adjusted so as to be small.

  In the laser light irradiation method according to the present embodiment, for example, a so-called FTS (full time stabilizer) system that measures the intensity of the transmitted light L2 at a measurement interval of 10 milliseconds and adjusts the output value of the laser light L is adopted. Since the actual output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 can be adjusted (corrected) so as to approach the set value, the polarizing film can be appropriately cut.

  The laser beam irradiation method according to the present embodiment can be suitably employed in, for example, a slitter machine that continuously cuts a polarizing film.

  In addition, since the laser beam irradiation apparatus and the laser beam irradiation method according to the present invention are an apparatus and a method that can appropriately cut a film, it can also be understood that they are a laser beam cutting apparatus and a laser beam cutting method. .

  The performance of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was examined. Moreover, in order to contrast with the performance of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 which concerns on this embodiment, the performance of the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus was examined. Specifically, the output fluctuation of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment and the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus was measured.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the laser beam irradiation apparatus whose performance has been examined. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20 includes a laser beam oscillator 1, a bend mirror 2, a bend mirror 8, and a condenser lens (not shown). That is, the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20 does not include a beam splitter, a power sensor, an A / D converter, and a processing board, and all of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 is sent to the bend mirror 2 and the bend. The light is reflected by the mirror 8 and used for cutting the film. Note that the laser beam irradiation apparatus 20 has a configuration (for example, an optical member such as a beam expander) other than the configuration for correcting the output value of the laser beam oscillator 1 to be close to a set value. As well as. Moreover, the laser beam oscillator 1 used the same oscillator by the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 and the laser beam irradiation apparatus 20.

  And the output fluctuation of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 was measured using the laser beam irradiation device 10 according to the present embodiment and the conventional laser beam irradiation device 20.

  That is, the output value of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 was set to 14.0 W, and the film was cut at a speed of 6 m / min. In the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the output value of the actually output laser beam L is generally within the range of 13.4 to 14.1 W (average). 13.8W, runout width 0.7W). On the other hand, in the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20, as shown in FIG. 4A, the output value of the actually output laser beam L generally varies within the range of 12.3 to 15.0 W. (Average 13.8W, runout 2.7W). Therefore, as is apparent from the result shown in FIG. 5A, when the output value of the laser beam L is set to 14.0 W, the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10. The output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was small, and it was found that the performance of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was remarkably superior to that of the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20.

  Further, the output value of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 was set to 49.5 W, and the film was cut at a speed of 30 m / min. In the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, the output value of the actually output laser beam L is generally within the range of 48.9 to 50.4 W (average). 49.5W, runout width 1.6W). On the other hand, in the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the output value of the actually output laser beam L generally varies within the range of 46.4 to 51.1W. (Average 49.2W, runout 4.7W). Therefore, as is apparent from the result shown in FIG. 5B, when the output value of the laser beam L is set to 49.5 W, the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10. The output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was small, and it was found that the performance of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was remarkably superior to that of the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20.

  Further, the output value of the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 was set to 100.0 W, and the film was cut at a speed of 60 m / min. In the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2C, the output value of the actually output laser beam L is generally within the range of 99.3 to 100.6 W (average). 99.9W, runout width 1.3W). On the other hand, in the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20, as shown in FIG. 4C, the output value of the actually output laser beam L generally varies within the range of 95.2 to 102.8W. (Average 99.1W, runout 7.6W). Therefore, as is apparent from the result shown in FIG. 5C, when the output value of the laser beam L is set to 100.0 W, the laser beam L oscillated from the laser beam oscillator 1 of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10. The output fluctuation of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was small, and it was found that the performance of the laser beam irradiation apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment was remarkably superior to that of the conventional laser beam irradiation apparatus 20.

  That is, from the results shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the performance of the laser light irradiation apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is higher than that of the conventional laser light irradiation apparatus 20 from the laser light oscillator 1. Since the output fluctuation of the oscillated laser beam L is small, it is clear that it is remarkably excellent.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in a mode in which various modifications are made within the described range. Accordingly, various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. Is possible.

  According to the laser beam irradiation apparatus and the laser beam irradiation method according to the present invention, even if the output value of the laser beam is set to a value necessary (and lower) for cutting the film, output fluctuation is suppressed. Therefore, the output value does not become lower than a certain value (smaller) than the set value, and the film can be cut appropriately. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser light irradiation apparatus and a laser light irradiation method capable of suppressing output fluctuation (fluctuation with respect to a set value), stabilizing the output of the laser light to be irradiated, and appropriately cutting the film. There is an effect.

  Therefore, the laser light irradiation apparatus and laser light irradiation method according to the present invention can be used for, for example, cutting processing of a polarizing film, so in the manufacturing process of various products such as a liquid crystal panel using the polarizing film, That is, it can be widely used in various industries using a polarizing film.

1 Laser oscillator 2 Bend mirror 3 Beam splitter 4 Power sensor (measuring device)
5 processing board (correction device)
10 Laser light irradiation device L Laser light L1 Reflected light (laser light)
L2 Transmitted light (laser light)

Claims (5)

A laser light irradiation device for irradiating the film with laser light to cut the film,
A laser beam oscillator that oscillates the laser beam;
A beam splitter that divides the laser light oscillated from the laser light oscillator into two, and irradiates the film with one of the branched laser lights;
A measuring device for measuring the intensity of the other of the branched laser beams;
A correction device that calculates the output value of the laser beam oscillator from the measured intensity, judges the magnitude of the output value relative to a set value, and corrects the output value of the laser beam oscillator so as to approach the set value; ,
A laser beam irradiation apparatus comprising: A laser light irradiation method for irradiating the film with laser light to cut the film,
The laser beam oscillated from the laser beam oscillator is branched into two, and one of the branched laser beams is irradiated onto the film, and the intensity of the other laser beam is measured,
Calculate the output value of the laser beam oscillator from the measured intensity, judge the magnitude of the output value relative to the set value, and perform full-time correction so that the output value of the laser beam oscillator approaches the set value. A laser light irradiation method characterized.   The laser beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus is configured to measure the intensity of transmitted light among the branched laser beams.   The laser beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus is a power sensor. Laser light irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, 3 or 4, wherein said laser beam oscillator is a CO ₂ laser beam oscillator.

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