IP Library Granted Patent US 12,479,050
Granted Patent B2
US 12,479,050 · App. 17/749,445 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Laser irradiation apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium recording program to be readable

Inventors: Kenichi Ohmori (Yokohama, JP); Yuzaburo Ohta (Yokohama, JP); Rei Matsushita (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: JSW Aktina System Co., Ltd.
B23K26/705B23K26/707B23K31/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,479,050
App. No.
17/749,445
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A laser irradiation apparatus is a laser irradiation apparatus including a laser light source, the laser irradiation apparatus including a failure prediction unit configured to perform failure prediction on a movable part used when a substrate is processed by the laser light source, in which the failure prediction unit acquires a physical quantity when the movable part is movable, and derives a failure time of the movable part based on an acquired physical quantity.

Claims (33)

1 . A laser irradiation apparatus including a laser light source, the apparatus comprising:

a failure prediction unit configured to perform failure prediction on a movable part used when a substrate is processed by the laser light source,

wherein the failure prediction unit acquires a physical quantity when the movable part is moving and acquires an integrated movable time of the movable part, wherein the integrated movable time comprises a total sum of time the movable part has been moving, and

derives a failure time of the movable part based on the acquired physical quantity and the acquired integrated movable time;

wherein the movable part is a vacuum pump configured to inhale gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source, and

the failure prediction unit

acquires a vacuum reach time from when the vacuum pump starts to inhale gas until when an inside of the chamber is in a vacuum state, and

derives a failure time of the vacuum pump based on an acquired physical quantity and a vacuum reach time.

2 . The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the movable part is provided with a detection unit configured to detect a physical quantity when the movable part is moving,

the detection unit includes at least one of a temperature sensor and a vibration sensor, and

the failure prediction unit acquires a physical quantity when the movable part is moving, from the detection unit.

3 . The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the failure prediction unit inputs an acquired physical quantity to a learning model for outputting a time until failure of the movable part in a case where a physical quantity when the movable part is movable is input, thereby deriving a failure time of the movable part.

4 . The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the laser irradiation apparatus includes a plurality of laser light sources and a plurality of vacuum pumps corresponding to the plurality of laser light sources, respectively, and the failure prediction unit

acquires a physical quantity and a vacuum reach time of each of the plurality of vacuum pumps, and

derives a failure time of each of the plurality of vacuum pumps based on each of acquired physical quantities and vacuum reach times.

5 . The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the moveable part includes at least one of a diaphragm pump, a helium compressor, and a cold head.

6 . The laser irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the movable part is a vacuum pump configured to inhale gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source, and

wherein the integrated movable time comprises a total sum of time the vacuum pump has inhaled gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source.

7 . A laser irradiation apparatus including a laser light source, the apparatus comprising:

a failure prediction unit configured to perform failure prediction on a movable part used when a substrate is processed by the laser light source, wherein the movable part is a vacuum pump configured to inhale gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source,

wherein the failure prediction unit acquires a physical quantity when the movable part is moving and acquires a vacuum reach time from when the vacuum pump starts to inhale gas until when an inside of the chamber is in a vacuum state, and

derives a failure time of the movable part based on the acquired physical quantity and the vacuum reach time.

8 . An information processing method of causing a computer configured to perform failure prediction on a movable part used when a substrate is processed by a laser light source included in a laser irradiation apparatus to execute processes of:

(A) acquiring a physical quantity when the movable part is movable, wherein the movable part is a vacuum pump configured to inhale gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source;

(B) acquiring a vacuum reach time from when the vacuum pump starts to inhale gas until when an inside of the chamber is in a vacuum state; and

(C) deriving a failure time of the movable part based on the acquired physical quantity and the vacuum reach time.

9 . A non-transitory recording medium recording a program to be readable, the program causing a computer configured to perform failure prediction on a movable part used when a substrate is processed by a laser light source included in a laser irradiation apparatus to execute processes of:

(A) acquiring a physical quantity when the movable part is movable, wherein the movable part is a vacuum pump configured to inhale gas enclosed in a chamber of the laser light source;

(B) acquiring a vacuum reach time from when the vacuum pump starts to inhale gas until when an inside of the chamber is in a vacuum state; and

(C) deriving a failure time of the movable part based on the acquired physical quantity and the vacuum reach time.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2022
From: OHMORI, KENICHI; OHTA, YUZABURO; MATSUSHITA, REI
To: JSW AKTINA SYSTEM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059971/0036 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-109202 · Jun 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230001518A1 · Jan 5, 2023
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