Injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device

Claim 2

An injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) used with a processing device ( 25 ), the injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) and the processing device ( 25 ) being electrically connected with each other and mutually communicable, comprising: a laser controller ( 29 ) for outputting a laser trigger signal (GL) when receiving a trigger signal (G), which is a sign of laser oscillation, from the processing device ( 25 ); an oscillator ( 11 A) for exciting a laser gas by oscillator discharge caused by application of an oscillator voltage (VA) across oscillator electrodes ( 14 A, 15 A), which are disposed in an oscillator chamber ( 12 A) where the laser gas is sealed, from an oscillator discharge circuit ( 43 A), the oscillator exciting the laser gas in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to generate a seed laser light ( 21 A), and oscillating the seed laser light ( 21 A) with a wavelength band being narrowed by a band-narrowing unit ( 30 ) including a grating ( 33 ); an amplifier ( 11 B) for amplifying the seed laser light ( 21 A) by amplification discharge caused by application of an amplifier voltage (VB) across amplifier electrodes ( 14 B, 15 B), which are disposed in an amplifier chamber ( 12 B) where the laser gas is sealed, by means of an amplification discharge circuit ( 43 B) in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to emit an amplified laser light ( 21 B) to the processing device ( 25 ); and a first wavelength monitor ( 34 A) disposed between the oscillator ( 11 A) and the amplifier ( 11 B) for detecting a center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A), wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) adjusts an angle of the seed laser light ( 21 A) incident to the grating ( 33 ) on the basis of the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) detected by the first wavelength monitor ( 34 A) to accommodate the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) within an allowable range.

Claim 3

The laser device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a delay circuit ( 44 ) for setting a delay timer (ΔT) from light emission of the seed laser light ( 21 A) to a start of the amplification discharge, wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) changes the delay time (ΔT) by outputting a command to the delay circuit ( 44 ) to synchronize the amplification discharge with the seed laser light ( 21 A).

Claim 4

The laser device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a first jitter compensation circuit ( 39 A) for controlling a time required from an output time of the laser trigger signal (GL) to the start of the oscillator discharge from varying; a second jitter compensation circuit ( 39 B) for controlling a time required from the output time of the laser trigger signal (GL) to the start of the amplification discharge from varying; a first drift compensation circuit ( 40 A) for matching a compensation factor of the first jitter compensation circuit ( 39 A) to a change in the characteristic of the oscillator discharge circuit ( 43 A); a second drift compensation circuit ( 40 B) for matching a compensation factor of the second jitter compensation circuit ( 39 B) to a change in the characteristic of the amplification discharge circuit ( 43 B); and a delay time compensation circuit ( 41 ) for compensating the delay time (ΔT) set by the delay time circuit ( 44 ) by means of the first jitter compensation circuit ( 39 A), the second jitter compensation circuit ( 39 B), the first drift compensation circuit ( 40 A) and the second drift compensation circuit ( 40 B), wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) compensates the delay time (ΔT) by the delay time compensation circuit ( 41 ) to synchronize the amplification discharge with the seed laser light ( 21 A).

Claim 5

An injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) used with a processing device ( 25 ), the injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) and the processing device ( 25 ) being electrically connected with each other and mutually communicable, comprising: a shutter ( 52 B) provided between the laser device ( 11 ) and the processing device ( 25 ), for shuttering incidence, of laser light emitted from the laser device ( 11 ) to the processing device ( 25 ); an oscillator ( 11 A) for exciting a laser gas by oscillator discharge caused by application of an oscillator voltage (VA) across oscillator electrodes ( 14 A, 15 A), which are disposed in an oscillator chamber ( 12 A) where the laser gas is sealed, from an oscillator discharge circuit ( 43 A), the oscillator exciting the laser gas in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to generate a seed laser light ( 21 A), and oscillating the seed laser light ( 21 A) with a wavelength band being narrowed by a band-narrowing unit ( 30 ) including a grating ( 33 ); an amplifier ( 11 B) for amplifying the seed laser light ( 21 A) by amplification discharge caused by application of an amplifier voltage (VB) across amplifier electrodes ( 14 B, 15 B), which are disposed in an amplifier chamber ( 12 B) where the laser gas is sealed by means of an amplification discharge circuit ( 43 B) in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to emit an amplified laser light ( 21 B) to the processing device ( 25 ); and a first wavelength monitor ( 34 A) disposed between the oscillator ( 11 A) and the amplifier ( 11 B) for detecting a center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A), wherein a laser controller ( 29 ), wherein receiving a trigger signal (G) which is a sign of laser oscillation, from the processing device ( 25 ), controls to make the shutter ( 52 B) to be in a non-shuttering state to output the laser trigger signal (GL) and, on the basis of the center wavelength (λC) of the seed laser light ( 21 A detected by the first wavelength monitor ( 34 A), controls to accommodate the center wavelength (λC) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) within an allowable range and controls the laser light emitted from the laser device ( 11 ) to incident to the processing device ( 25 ) and, when the laser oscillation in the laser device ( 11 ) stops for more than a predetermined time, controls the shutter ( 52 B) to be in a shuttering state to output the laser trigger signal (GL) irrespective of a trigger signal (G) output from the processing device ( 25 ) and makes the oscillator ( 11 A) to perform adjustment oscillation of the seed laser light ( 21 A), and, based on the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) detected by the first wavelength monitor ( 34 A), adjusts an angle of the seed laser light ( 21 A) incident to the grating ( 33 ) to accommodate the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) within an allowable range.

Claim 6

An injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) used with a processing device ( 25 ), the injection locking type or MOPA type of laser device ( 11 ) and the processing device ( 25 ) being electrically connected with each other and mutually communicable, comprising: a shutter ( 52 B) provided between the laser device ( 11 ) and the processing device ( 25 ), for shuttering incidence, of laser light emitted from the laser device ( 11 ) to the processing device ( 25 ); an oscillator ( 11 A) for exciting a laser gas by oscillator discharge caused by application of an oscillator voltage (VA) across oscillator electrodes ( 14 A, 15 A), which are disposed in an oscillator chamber ( 12 A) where the laser gas is sealed, from an oscillator discharge circuit ( 43 A), the oscillator exciting the laser gas in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to generate a seed laser light ( 21 A), and oscillating the seed laser light ( 21 A) with a wavelength band being narrowed by a band-narrowing unit ( 30 ) including a grating ( 33 ); an amplifier ( 11 B) for amplifying the seed laser light ( 21 A) by amplification discharge caused by application of an amplifier voltage (VB) across amplifier electrodes ( 14 B, 15 B), which are disposed in an amplifier chamber ( 12 B) where the laser gas is sealed by means of an amplification discharge circuit ( 43 B) in response to an input of the laser trigger signal (GL) to emit an amplified laser light ( 21 B) to the processing device ( 25 ); and a first wavelength monitor ( 34 A) disposed between the oscillator ( 11 A) and the amplifier ( 11 B) for detecting a center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A), wherein a laser controller ( 29 ), wherein receiving a trigger signal (G) which is a sign of laser oscillation, from the processing device ( 25 ), controls to make the shutter ( 52 B) to be in a non-shuttering state to output the laser trigger signal (GL) and, on the basis of the center wavelength (λC) of the seed laser light ( 21 A detected by the first wavelength monitor ( 34 A), controls to accommodate the center wavelength (λC) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) within an allowable range and controls the laser light emitted from the laser device ( 11 ) to incident to the processing device ( 25 ) and, when the laser oscillation in the laser device ( 11 ) stops for more than a predetermined time, controls the shutter ( 52 B) to be in a shuttering state to output the laser trigger signal (GL) irrespective of a trigger signal (G) output from the processing device ( 25 ) and makes the oscillator ( 11 A) to perform adjustment oscillation of the seed laser light ( 21 A), and, based on the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) detected by the first wavelength monitor ( 34 A), adjusts an angle of the seed laser light ( 21 A) incident to the grating ( 33 ) to accommodate the center wavelength (λc) of the seed laser light ( 21 A) within an allowable range.

Claim 7

The laser device according to claim 4 , further comprising: an other one shutter ( 52 A) disposed between the oscillator ( 11 A) and the amplifier ( 11 B), for shuttering incidence of the seed laser light ( 21 A) to the amplifier ( 11 B) by opening operation; wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) controls the operation of the other one shutter ( 52 A) and the shutter ( 52 B) at the time of the adjustment oscillation of the seed laser light ( 21 A) by the oscillator ( 11 A).

Claim 8

The laser device according to claim 4 , further comprising: a second wavelength monitor ( 34 B) disposed at an emittance side of the amplifier ( 11 B), for detecting a spectral line width (Δλ) of the amplified laser light ( 21 B), wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) controls to make the oscillator ( 11 A) to perform the adjustment oscillation of the seed laser light ( 21 A), controls to make the amplifier ( 11 B) to perform the amplification discharge and, based on the spectral line width (Δλ) of the amplified laser light ( 21 B) detected by the second wavelength monitor ( 34 B), judges whether or not the emitted laser light ( 21 B) is in synchronization with the seed laser light ( 21 A) and controls the emitted laser light ( 21 B) to oscillate in synchronization with the seed laser light ( 21 A).

Claim 9

The laser device according to claim 4 , further comprising: a delay circuit ( 44 ) for setting a delay time (ΔT) from light emission of the seed laser light ( 21 A) to a start of the amplification discharge, wherein the laser controller ( 29 ) outputs a command to the delay circuit ( 44 ) to change the delay time (ΔT) so as to synchronize the amplification discharge with the seed laser light ( 21 A).

Claim 10

The laser device according to claim 4 , wherein the laser oscillation in the laser device ( 11 ) stops for more than a predetermined time when the laser device ( 11 ) starts up or when the oscillation of the seed laser light ( 21 A) stops for more than a predetermined time.