IP Library Granted Patent US 12,397,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,397,367 · App. 17/286,502 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Processing system and processing method

Inventors: Shigeki Egami (Tokyo, JP); Yosuke Tatsuzaki (Kumagaya, JP)
Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
B23K26/03B23K26/04B23K26/0853B23K26/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,397,367
App. No.
17/286,502
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processing system has: an irradiation optical system irradiating an object with an energy beam from a light source; an object placing apparatus on which the object is placed; a light receiving apparatus that is disposed at the object placing apparatus and that optically receives the energy beam from the irradiation optical system; and a measurement apparatus that measures at least one of the light receiving apparatus and a part that is related to the light receiving apparatus. The processing system moves the object placing apparatus to a position at which the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam and moves the object placing apparatus to a position at which the measurement apparatus measures a position of the light receiving apparatus.

Claims (102)

1. A processing system comprising:

an irradiation optical system that irradiates an object with an energy beam from a light source;

an object placing apparatus on which the object is placed;

a light receiving apparatus that is disposed at the object placing apparatus and that optically receives the energy beam from the irradiation optical system;

a movement apparatus that moves the object placing apparatus along each of a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;

a measurement apparatus that measures at least one of the light receiving apparatus and a reference part the moves with the light receiving apparatus when the light receiving apparatus is moved by the movement apparatus moving the object placing apparatus; and

a control apparatus that controls at least the movement apparatus,

wherein

the control apparatus:

controls the movement apparatus to move the object placing apparatus to a position at which the light receiving apparatus is allowed to optically receive the energy beam from the irradiation optical system and move the object placing apparatus to a position at which the measurement apparatus is allowed to measure the at least one of the light receiving apparatus and the reference part;

controls the irradiation optical system to irradiate the at least one of the light receiving apparatus and the reference part with the energy beam while controlling the movement apparatus to move the object placing apparatus along the first direction;

controls the irradiation optical system to irradiate the at least one of the light receiving apparatus and the reference part with the energy beam while controlling the movement apparatus to move the object placing apparatus along the second direction; and

controls at least one of the position of the object placing apparatus at a time of the irradiation by the irradiation optical system and the position of the object placing apparatus at a time of the measurement by the measurement apparatus by using (a) first information relating to the position of the object placing apparatus when the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam that is acquired as a result of the energy beam being irradiated onto the light receiving apparatus while moving the object placing apparatus along each of the first and second directions, and (b) second information relating to the position of the object placing apparatus when the measurement apparatus measures the at least one of the light receiving apparatus and the reference part.

2. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the object is processed by the energy beam from the irradiation optical system.

3. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the measurement apparatus measures the object.

4. The processing system according to claim 3 , wherein

a shape of the object is measurable by using the measurement apparatus.

5. The processing system according to claim 3 , wherein

the control apparatus controls the movement apparatus to allow the measurement apparatus to measure an irradiation position on the object that is irradiated with the energy beam.

6. The processing system according to claim 3 , wherein

the control apparatus controls the movement apparatus so that at least a part of an area on the object that is measured by the measurement apparatus is irradiated with the energy beam.

7. The processing system according to claim 3 , wherein

the control apparatus calculates a positional relationship between an irradiation position of the energy beam and a measurement area of the measurement apparatus by using the first information and the second information.

8. The processing system according to claim 3 , wherein

the control apparatus allows the measurement apparatus to measure at least a part of an area on the object that is irradiated with the energy beam by using third information relating to an irradiation position of the energy beam in a movement coordinate system of the object placing apparatus and fourth information relating to a relationship between the movement coordinate system and a measurement area of the measurement apparatus.

9. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the object placing apparatus is movable on a surface plate, and

the object placing apparatus is located on the surface plate when the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam and when the measurement apparatus measures the light receiving apparatus.

10. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the measurement apparatus has a first measurement apparatus having a first measurement range and a second measurement apparatus having a second measurement range that is different from the first measurement range.

11. The processing system according to claim 10 , wherein

the first measurement range is wider than the second measurement range, and

a measurement resolution of the second measurement apparatus is higher than a measurement resolution of the first measurement apparatus.

12. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing system comprises a fiducial member that is measurable by the measurement apparatus.

13. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein

the measurement apparatus corrects a measured result of the object by using a measured result of the fiducial member.

14. The processing system according to claim 12 , wherein

the fiducial member has an indicator that is measurable by the measurement apparatus.

15. The processing system according to claim 14 , wherein

the indicator is disposed at the light receiving apparatus, and

the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam through the indicator.

16. The processing system according to claim 15 , wherein

the indicator has a light passing part through which the energy beam is allowed to pass.

17. The processing system according to claim 16 , wherein

the measurement apparatus is used to measure a position of the light passing part.

18. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam at a first position along an axis that intersects with a plane along which the object placing apparatus moves and optically receives the energy beam at a second position that is different from the first position along the axis.

19. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the light receiving apparatus measures an intensity distribution of the energy beam in a plane along which the object placing apparatus moves or a plane that is parallel to the plane along which the object placing apparatus moves.

20. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the reference part is on the object placing apparatus.

21. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the reference part is a marker.

22. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the control apparatus controls at least one of the position of the object placing apparatus at the time of the irradiation by the irradiation optical system and the position of the object placing apparatus at the time of the measurement by the measurement apparatus after the movement apparatus moved the object placing apparatus.

23. A processing method comprising:

irradiating, by an irradiation optical system, an object, which is placed on an object placing apparatus, with an energy beam from a light source;

optically receiving the energy beam from the irradiation optical system by using a light receiving apparatus that is disposed at the object placing apparatus;

measuring the object that is placed on the object placing apparatus by using a measurement apparatus;

moving the object placing apparatus to a position at which the light receiving apparatus is allowed to optically receive the energy beam from the irradiation optical system;

irradiating the light receiving apparatus with the energy beam while moving the object placing apparatus along a first direction;

irradiating the light receiving apparatus with the energy beam while moving the object placing apparatus along a second direction intersecting the first direction;

moving the object placing apparatus to a position at which the measurement apparatus is allowed to measure the light receiving apparatus; and

controlling at least one of the position of the object placing apparatus at a time of the irradiating by the irradiation optical system and the position of the object placing apparatus at a time of the measuring by the measurement apparatus by using (a) first information relating to the position of the object placing apparatus when the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam that is acquired as a result of the energy beam being irradiated onto the light receiving apparatus while moving the object placing apparatus along each of the first and second directions, and (b) second information relating to the position of the object placing apparatus when the measurement apparatus measures at least a part of the light receiving apparatus.

24. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

a shape of the object is measurable by using the measurement apparatus.

25. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the controlling includes controlling the movement apparatus to allow the measurement apparatus to measure an irradiation position on the object that is irradiated with the energy beam.

26. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the controlling includes controlling the movement apparatus so that at least a part of an area on the object that is measured by the measurement apparatus is irradiated with the energy beam.

27. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the controlling includes calculating a positional relationship between an irradiation position of the energy beam and a measurement area of the measurement apparatus by using the first information and the second information.

28. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the controlling includes allowing the measurement apparatus to measure at least a part of an area on the object that is irradiated with the energy beam by using third information relating to an irradiation position of the energy beam in a movement coordinate system of the object placing apparatus and fourth information relating to a relationship between the movement coordinate system and a measurement area of the measurement apparatus.

29. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the object placing apparatus is movable on a surface plate, and

the object placing apparatus is located on the surface plate when the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam and when the measurement apparatus measures the light receiving apparatus.

30. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the measurement apparatus has a first measurement apparatus having a first measurement range and a second measurement apparatus having a second measurement range that is different from the first measurement range.

31. The processing method according to claim 30 , wherein

the first measurement range is wider than the second measurement range, and

a measurement resolution of the second measurement apparatus is higher than a measurement resolution of the first measurement apparatus.

32. The processing method according to claim 23 , further comprising:

measuring a fiducial member that is measurable by the measurement apparatus.

33. The processing method according to claim 32 , further comprising:

correcting a measured result of the object by using a measured result of the fiducial member.

34. The processing method according to claim 33 , wherein

the fiducial member has an indicator that is measurable by the measurement apparatus.

35. The processing method according to claim 34 , wherein

the indicator is disposed at the light receiving apparatus, and

the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam through the indicator.

36. The processing method according to claim 35 , wherein

the indicator has a light passing part through which the energy beam is allowed to pass.

37. The processing method according to claim 36 , wherein

the measurement apparatus is used to measure a position of the light passing part.

38. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the light receiving apparatus optically receives the energy beam at a first position along an axis that intersects with a plane along which the object placing apparatus moves and optically receives the energy beam at a second position that is different from the first position along the axis.

39. The processing method according to claim 23 , wherein

the light receiving apparatus measures an intensity distribution of the energy beam in a plane along which the object placing apparatus moves or a plane that is parallel to the plane along which the object placing apparatus moves.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 21, 2021
From: EGAMI, SHIGEKI; TATSUZAKI, YOSUKE
To: NIKON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056312/0430 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/JP2018/040626 · Oct 31, 2018 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210379693A1 · Dec 9, 2021
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