KR20230010096A - laser cutting device and cutting method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A laser cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a laser irradiation unit including a laser light source unit and a scanner unit capable of irradiating a laser beam, and a first stage unit, wherein the first stage unit includes a first stage having an upper surface on which materials can be loaded, and a rotation unit capable of rotating the first stage based on a rotation axis. An extension of the rotation axis is located above the upper surface of the first stage. The present disclosure is to provide the laser cutting device capable of cutting thick materials with a small cutting work space and a short working time without increasing the number of scanner units and light sources of the laser cutting device.

Description

Laser cutting device and cutting method using the same {laser cutting device and cutting method using the same}

The present disclosure relates to a laser cutting device and a cutting method using the same.

Display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode display (OLED display) include a display panel including a plurality of pixels capable of displaying an image.

A display panel includes a plurality of layers, for example, a substrate, at least one layer on which a transistor is formed, a layer on which a pixel electrode is located, a plurality of inorganic or organic insulating layers, or a film.

The manufacturing step of the display panel includes cutting a display panel or film including a plurality of layers, and a laser cutting device may be used for this purpose.

The present disclosure is to provide a laser cutting device capable of cutting thick materials with a small cutting work space and a short working time without increasing the number of scanner units and light sources of the laser cutting device.

A laser cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a laser irradiation unit including a laser light source unit and a scanner unit and capable of irradiating a laser beam, and a first stage unit, wherein the first stage unit has an upper surface on which materials can be loaded. The branch includes a first stage and a rotating part capable of rotating the first stage based on a rotating shaft, and an extension of the rotating shaft is located above the upper surface of the first stage.

The first stage may have a first opening through which the laser beam passes and having a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut on the material.

It may further include a second stage that can be loaded on top of the first stage.

The second stage may have a second opening through which the laser beam passes and having a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut in the material.

The second opening and the first opening may include portions having shapes corresponding to each other.

The second stage is located on a lower surface of the second stage and may have a groove into which the rotating part can be inserted.

The first stage may include at least one electromagnet capable of fixing the second stage.

The second stage may include metal.

The first stage unit may further include an outer frame positioned around the first stage and fixed when the first stage rotates.

It may further include a rotation drive unit capable of rotating the first stage by driving the rotation unit.

The rotation unit may include a rotation shaft unit connected to the rotation driving unit.

A laser cutting device according to an embodiment includes a laser irradiation unit including a laser light source unit and a scanner unit capable of irradiating a laser beam, and a first stage unit and a second stage unit, wherein the first stage unit includes a material loading unit. A first stage having an upper surface and a rotating part capable of rotating the first stage based on a rotational axis, the second stage part including a second stage that can be loaded on the upper part of the first stage, The first stage has a first opening through which the laser beam can pass and has a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut on the material, and the second stage can pass through the laser beam and has a shape to be cut on the material. It has a second opening having a corresponding planar shape.

The second opening and the first opening may include portions having shapes corresponding to each other.

The second stage is located on a lower surface of the second stage and may have a groove into which the rotating part is fitted.

The first stage may include at least one electromagnet capable of fixing the second stage.

The second stage may include metal.

The first stage unit may further include an outer frame positioned around the first stage and fixed when the first stage rotates.

It may further include a rotation drive unit capable of rotating the first stage by driving the rotation unit.

A cutting method according to an embodiment includes loading and seating a material on the upper surface of a first stage having a first opening, irradiating a laser beam on a first surface of the material using a laser irradiator to first cut the material, Step, rotating the material and the first stage by 180 degrees based on a rotational axis, and irradiating a laser beam to a second surface of the material through the first opening using the laser irradiator to perform secondary cutting of the material and the extension line of the rotating shaft is located above the upper surface of the first stage.

The method may further include loading a second stage having a second opening on the loaded material.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a thick material can be cut with a small cutting work space and a short work time without increasing the number of scanner units and light sources of the laser cutting device.

1 shows a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
2 shows a first stage unit of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
3 shows a second stage unit of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
4 shows a state in which first and second stage parts of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment are attached;
5 is a flowchart of a method of cutting a material using a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
6 and 7 show the step of loading the material to the first stage unit of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment,
Figure 8 shows the step of loading the second stage portion of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment,
9 and 10 show the steps of first cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
Figure 11 shows the step of rotating the stage portion of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment,
12 and 13 show steps of secondary cutting the material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
Figure 14 shows the step of rotating the stage unit of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment,
15 shows a step of separating the second stage unit and the cut material from the first stage unit of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment,
16 is a plan view of a material according to one embodiment;
17 is a plan view of a material cut by a laser cutting device according to an embodiment;
18 shows a step of first cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment,
19 illustrates a step of secondary cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. This invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

Since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the shown bar. In the drawings, the thickness is shown enlarged to clearly express the various layers and regions. And in the drawings, for convenience of explanation, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated.

When a part such as a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "on" or "on" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly on" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly on" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. In addition, being "above" or "on" a reference part means being located above or below the reference part, and does not necessarily mean being located "above" or "on" in the opposite direction of gravity. .

Throughout the specification, when a certain component is said to "include", it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

Throughout the specification, "planar" means when a subject part is viewed from above, and "cross-section" means a cross section of a subject part cut vertically when viewed from the side.

Throughout the specification, when "connected" is used, this does not mean only the case where two or more components are directly connected, but when two or more components are indirectly connected through another component, or physically connected. In the case of being electrically connected, as well as being referred to by different names depending on location or function, it may include connecting each part that is substantially integral with each other.

First, a laser cutting device 1000 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

1 shows a laser cutting device according to one embodiment.

A laser cutting device 1000 according to an embodiment includes a laser irradiation unit 100 and a stage unit 200 .

Laser The laser irradiation unit 100 includes a laser light source unit 110 , an optical unit 120 , and a scanner unit 130 .

The laser light source unit 110 generates and outputs a laser beam LA1.

The optical unit 120 may include at least one reflection mirror 121 , 122 , or 123 that changes a direction of the laser beam LA1 to adjust an optical path of the laser beam and/or a focal position of the laser beam.

The scanner unit 130 is located below the optical unit 120 and can irradiate the laser beam LA2 to the stage unit 200 by adjusting the vertical and horizontal positions of the laser beam incident from the optical unit 120. there is. Here, the vertical position may be parallel to the first direction DR1, and the horizontal position may be a position on a plane perpendicular to the first direction DR1.

The scanner unit 130 may also perform a function of adjusting a focal position of a laser beam.

The stage unit 200 supports the material 300 to be cut and is configured to move the material 300 in a predetermined direction.

The stage unit 200 includes a first stage unit 210 and a second stage unit 220 . The first stage unit 210 and the second stage unit 220 are spaced apart from each other in the first direction DR1. In the first cutting step of the laser cutting device 1000, the first stage part 210 is located below the second stage part 220, and in the second cutting step, the second stage part 220 is the first stage part ( 210) may be located below.

The distance between the first stage portion 210 and the second stage portion 220 can be controlled so that the second stage portion 220 can be loaded onto or detached from the first stage portion 210 . A material to be cut 300 may be loaded on the first stage unit 210 and the second stage unit 220 may be loaded thereon.

The first stage part 210 of the stage part 200 includes a rotating part 213 . Although not shown, the rotating unit 213 includes a rotating shaft that can rotate. The rotation unit 213 is configured to rotate 180 degrees based on the rotation axis.

The extension line of the rotating shaft 213C of the rotating part 213 may be configured to be aligned between the upper and lower surfaces of the loaded material 300 in cross section. More precisely, the extension line of the rotating shaft 213C may be configured to be positioned substantially aligned on an imaginary center line CL on the cross section of the loaded material 300 . Accordingly, the relative position of the rotating shaft 213C with respect to the material 300 may be constant before and after the rotation of the stage unit 200 . Accordingly, even if the focal position of the laser beam LA2 is the same both before and after the stage unit 200 rotates 180 degrees, the material 300 is cut at the same position and depth with respect to the upper and lower surfaces of the material 300. can be performed. This will be explained in more detail later.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 together with FIG. 1 , a detailed structure of the stage unit 200 of the laser cutting device according to an embodiment will be described.

2 shows a first stage portion of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, FIG. 3 shows a second stage portion of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows a laser cutting device according to an embodiment. A state in which the first and second stage parts are attached is shown.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first stage unit 210 includes a first stage 211 having an upper surface on which materials 300 can be loaded, an outer frame 212, a rotation unit 213, and a rotation driving unit 214. includes

The first stage 211 has an opening 215 through which a laser beam can pass. The opening 215 may have a width sufficient for a laser beam to pass through, and may include a portion having the same planar shape as the shape to be cut on the upper surface of the material 300 .

The first stage 211 may further include an electromagnet 216 as an example of means for fixing the second stage unit 220 on the first stage 211 .

The electromagnet 216 may be located inside the first stage 211 and may be located at at least one corner of the first stage 211 or formed along the periphery of the opening 215 . FIG. 2 shows an example in which electromagnets 216 are positioned at four corners of the first stage 211 around the opening 215, respectively.

The rotation unit 213 is configured to rotate the first stage 211 with respect to the outer frame 212 . A pair of rotating parts 213 may be located on both sides of the first stage 211 .

The outer frame 212 may have a shape surrounding the periphery of the first stage 211 . When the first stage 211 rotates, the outer frame 212 may be fixed without rotating.

The rotation unit 213 includes a rotation shaft unit 213A that can rotate based on a rotation shaft 213C.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, as described above, the rotational part 213, more specifically, the extension line of the rotational shaft 213C of the rotational shaft 213A is aligned between the upper and lower surfaces of the loaded material 300 in cross section. can be configured. In other words, the first stage part 210 is configured so that the extension line of the rotating shaft 213C is positioned higher than the upper surface of the first stage 211 on which the material 300 is loaded, and is higher than the upper surface of the material 300 to be cut. It is not located higher.

The rotation driving unit 214 may rotate the first stage 211 by driving the rotation unit 213 . The rotation drive unit 214 may be connected to the rotation shaft unit 213A of the rotation unit 213 . The rotation driving unit 214 may be fixed to the outer frame 212 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the second stage unit 220 includes a second stage 221 .

The second stage 221 has an opening 225 through which a laser beam can pass. The opening 225 may have a width that allows a laser beam to pass therethrough. The opening 225 of the second stage 221 may include a portion having the same planar shape as the shape to be cut with respect to the lower surface of the material 300 .

When laser cutting is to be performed at the same location and in the same shape on the upper and lower surfaces of the material 300, the opening 225 of the second stage 221 has the same shape as the opening 215 of the first stage 211. can include 2 and 3 show an example in which the opening 225 of the second stage 221 and the opening 215 of the first stage 211 have substantially the same planar shape.

A pair of grooves 223 into which the rotating part 213 can be inserted may be positioned on the lower surface of the second stage 221 .

The second stage 221 may include a metal such as iron that can be fixed to the upper surface of the first stage 211 through the electromagnet 216 of the first stage 211 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , a second stage 221 may be loaded and fixed on the first stage 211 . At this time, the electromagnet 216 of the first stage 211 may be turned on to attract the second stage 221 . When the second stage 221 is to be separated, the electromagnet 216 is turned off.

Unlike this, the first stage 211 and the second stage 221 may be attached using a vacuum adsorption method. In this case, the first stage 211 may not include the electromagnet 216 .

Now, a method of cutting a material using a laser cutting device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 17 together with the drawings described above.

5 is a flowchart of a method of cutting a material using a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show steps of loading a material into a first stage unit of the laser cutting device according to an embodiment. And, Figure 8 shows the step of loading the second stage portion of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment, Figures 9 and 10 shows the step of first cutting the material with the laser cutting device according to one embodiment, 11 shows a step of rotating the stage of a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, and FIGS. 12 and 13 show steps of secondary cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 14 Shows a step of rotating the stage part of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment, Figure 15 shows the step of separating the second stage part and the cut material from the first stage part of the laser cutting device according to one embodiment 16 is a plan view of a material according to an embodiment, and FIG. 17 is a plan view of a material cut by a laser cutting device according to an embodiment.

First, referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a material 300 to be laser cut is loaded and placed on the first stage 211 of the first stage unit 210 (S10). As shown in FIG. 7 , the loaded material 300 is loaded so as to overlap the opening 215 of the first stage 211 . The material 300 is aligned and loaded on the first stage 211 so that the part to be cut and the opening 215 of the material 300 coincide.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, the second stage 221 is loaded on the material 300 (S20). The second stage 221 may be attached to and fixed to the first stage 211 with the material 300 interposed therebetween through the electromagnet of the first stage 211 or a vacuum suction device.

As described above, the extension line of the rotating shaft 213C of the rotating part 213 may be located within the thickness region on the first direction DR1 of the loaded material 300, more precisely, the virtual cross-section of the material 300 It may be aligned and positioned on the center line CL. According to this, the shortest distance between the extension line of the rotation shaft 213C and the upper surface of the material 300 may be substantially the same as the shortest distance between the extension line of the rotation shaft 213C and the lower surface of the material 300.

Next, referring to FIGS. 5, 9, and 10, a laser beam LA2 is irradiated to a material 300 through a laser irradiator 100 to perform primary cutting of laser cutting the material 300 (S30). . At this time, the laser beam LA2 may be irradiated to the first surface 300a of the material 300 through the opening of the second stage 221 . The first surface 300a is the upper surface of the material 300 and the second surface 300b opposite to it may be the lower surface of the material 300.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the laser beam LA2 may be focused at a predetermined focal point FP and cut from the first surface 300a of the material 300 to a predetermined depth DP. The predetermined depth DP to be cut may be equal to, smaller than, or larger than the distance from the first surface 300a to the center line CL.

The material 300 may be in the form of a single film, but may include a plurality of layers 301 to 306 as shown in FIG. 10 . For example, when the material 300 is a display panel, the layer 301 may be a film or a substrate, and the layers 302 to 306 thereon include at least one layer on which a transistor is formed, a layer on which a pixel electrode is located, It may include a plurality of inorganic or organic insulating layers, or various optical films, protective films, and the like.

5 and 11, the stage including the material 300, the first stage 211, and the second stage 221 rotates 180 degrees relative to the rotation axis 213C of the rotation unit 213 ( S40). Accordingly, the second surface 300b of the material 300 faces upward and the first surface 300a faces downward.

Even after rotation of the stage unit, the extension line of the rotating shaft 213C of the rotation unit 213 is located within the thickness area of the loaded material 300 in the first direction DR1. If the extension line of the rotation axis 213C is aligned on the imaginary center line CL on the cross-section of the material 300 in the primary cutting step, the extension line of the rotation axis 213C is still the virtual cross-section view of the material 300 even after rotation of the stage part. are aligned on the center line (CL) of That is, the relative position of the rotating shaft 213C with respect to the material 300 may be constant even before and after the rotation of the stage unit.

In other words, the distance between the scanner unit 130 of the laser irradiation unit 100 and the material 300 may be substantially the same both before and after rotation of the stage unit.

Next, referring to FIGS. 5, 12, and 13, a laser beam LA2 is irradiated to the material 300 through the laser irradiator 100 to perform secondary cutting of laser cutting the material 300 (S50). . At this time, the laser beam LA2 may be irradiated to the second surface 300b of the material 300 through the opening of the first stage 211 .

The laser irradiation unit 100 may be the same laser irradiation unit 100 having the same conditions as in the first cutting.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the laser beam LA2 may be focused at the same focal position FP as in the first cutting to cut from the second surface 300b of the material 300 to a predetermined depth DP. The distance from the first surface 300a of the material 300 to the focal position FP in the primary cutting is substantially the same as the distance from the second surface 300b of the material 300 to the focal position FP in the secondary cutting. can be the same as That is, conditions of the laser irradiation unit 100 may not be changed.

The cutting depth DP in the second cutting may be substantially the same as the cutting depth DP in the first cutting.

The cutting depth DP in the secondary cutting may be equal to, smaller than, or larger than the distance from the second surface 300b to the center line CL.

As such, according to the present embodiment, the first surface 300a and the second surface 300b of one material 300 are substantially the same through primary cutting and secondary cutting using one laser irradiation unit 100. It can be laser cut by depth (DP). Therefore, a thick material 300 including a plurality of layers can be cut with an increased processing thickness using one laser irradiation unit 100 . In addition, since both sides of the material 300 can be cut by rotating one stage, both sides of the thick material 300 can be effectively cut without increasing the number of scanner units 130 and light source units 110 of the laser irradiation unit 100. can do. Therefore, the space for cutting work can also be reduced.

In particular, the first surface 300a and the second surface of the material 300 (300a) and the second surface ( Since laser cutting can be performed at substantially the same depth (DP) from 300b), a thick material 300 can be cut with less working time.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 14, the stage including the material 300, the first stage 211, and the second stage 221 rotates 180 degrees again with respect to the axis of rotation 213C of the rotation unit 213. (S60). Accordingly, the first surface 300a of the material 300 faces upward again and the second surface 300b faces downward, returning to the same position and state as in the first cutting.

5 and 15, the second stage 221 is separated (S70), and the cut material 300 is also separated from the first stage 211 (S80).

16 and 17, the cutting line CUTL in the material 300 is the same as the openings 215 and 225 of the first stage 211 and the second stage 221 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 It may have a flat shape. Through the primary cutting and secondary cutting described above, the material 300 may be divided into a first portion 310 and a second portion 320 . The first part 310 may be removed and the second part 320 may constitute a display panel of one cell, for example.

Next, a laser cutting device 1000a according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 together with the previously described drawings.

18 illustrates a step of firstly cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 19 illustrates a step of secondarily cutting a material with a laser cutting device according to an embodiment.

18 and 19, the laser cutting device 1000a according to one embodiment is substantially the same as the laser cutting device 1000 described above, but the second stage unit 220 may be omitted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18 , in the first cutting, the laser beam LA2 from the laser irradiator 100 may be directly irradiated onto the first surface 300a of the material 300 without passing through the second stage.

The material 300 loaded on the first stage 211 may be fixed and seated on the upper surface of the first stage 211 through a separate fixing means, for example, a vacuum suction means.

After the primary cutting, the stage unit including only the first stage unit can be rotated 180 degrees as in the previous embodiment to perform secondary cutting on the second surface 300b of the material 300 as shown in FIG. there is. In this embodiment, the extension line of the rotating shaft 213C of the rotating part 213 is located on the imaginary center line CL of the material 300, and the relative position of the rotating shaft 213C with respect to the material 300 before and after rotation of the stage part. can be constant.

The laser cutting method using the laser cutting device 1000a according to this embodiment is mostly the same as the previous embodiment, but the step of loading and separating the second stage 221 on the first stage 211 may be omitted. .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also included in the scope of the present invention. that fall within the scope of the right.

100; laser irradiation unit
110: light source
120: optical unit
130: scanner unit
200: stage unit
210: first stage part
211: first stage
212: outer frame
213: rotating part
213A: rotating shaft
213C: rotary shaft
214: rotation drive unit
215, 225: opening
216: electromagnet
220: second stage part
221: second stage
300: material
1000, 1000a: laser cutting device

Claims (20)

A laser irradiation unit including a laser light source unit and a scanner unit capable of irradiating a laser beam, and a first stage unit,
The first stage unit includes a first stage having an upper surface on which materials can be loaded, and a rotation unit capable of rotating the first stage based on a rotation axis,
The extension line of the rotating shaft is located above the upper surface of the first stage.
laser cutting device. In paragraph 1,
The first stage has a first opening through which the laser beam passes and has a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut on the material. In paragraph 2,
Laser cutting device further comprising a second stage that can be loaded on top of the first stage. In paragraph 3,
The second stage is a laser cutting device having a second opening through which the laser beam passes and having a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut on the material. In paragraph 4,
The second opening and the first opening laser cutting device including a portion having a shape corresponding to each other. In paragraph 4,
The second stage is located on the lower surface of the second stage and has a groove into which the rotary part can be fitted. In paragraph 3,
The first stage is a laser cutting device including at least one electromagnet capable of fixing the second stage. In paragraph 7,
The second stage is a laser cutting device comprising a metal. In paragraph 1,
The first stage unit further includes an outer frame positioned around the first stage and fixed during rotation of the first stage. In paragraph 9,
The laser cutting device further comprises a rotation driving unit capable of rotating the first stage by driving the rotation unit. In paragraph 10,
The rotating unit, the laser cutting device including a rotating shaft connected to the rotary driving unit. A laser irradiation unit including a laser light source unit and a scanner unit capable of irradiating a laser beam, and a first stage unit and a second stage unit,
The first stage unit includes a first stage having an upper surface on which materials can be loaded, and a rotation unit capable of rotating the first stage based on a rotation axis,
The second stage unit includes a second stage that can be loaded on top of the first stage,
The first stage has a first opening through which the laser beam passes and having a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut in the material;
The second stage has a second opening through which the laser beam can pass and having a planar shape corresponding to a shape to be cut in the material
laser cutting device. In paragraph 12,
The second opening and the first opening laser cutting device including a portion having a shape corresponding to each other. In paragraph 12,
The second stage is located on the lower surface of the second stage and has a groove into which the rotary part can be fitted. In paragraph 12,
The first stage is a laser cutting device including at least one electromagnet capable of fixing the second stage. In clause 15,
The second stage is a laser cutting device comprising a metal. In paragraph 12,
The first stage unit further includes an outer frame positioned around the first stage and fixed during rotation of the first stage. In paragraph 17,
The laser cutting device further comprises a rotation driving unit capable of rotating the first stage by driving the rotation unit. Loading and seating a material on the upper surface of a first stage having a first opening;
Primary cutting of the material by irradiating a laser beam on the first surface of the material using a laser irradiator;
Rotating the material and the first stage by 180 degrees based on the axis of rotation, and
Secondary cutting of the material by irradiating a laser beam through the first opening to the second surface of the material using the laser irradiator
including,
The extension line of the rotating shaft is located above the upper surface of the first stage.
cutting method. In paragraph 19,
The cutting method further comprising the step of loading a second stage having a second opening on the loaded material.

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