Panasonic Develops High-Power Blue WBC Technology to Revolutionize DDL Applications on Microfabrication
January 29 2020 - 01:11AM
Business Wire
This technology enables high-power, short WL
laser for microfabrication at a high beam quality
On January 29, 2020, Panasonic Corporation announced it has
succeeded in demonstrating the world's highest brightness blue
laser. This has been achieved by using the wavelength beam
combining (WBC) technology [1] on a direct diode laser (DDL) to
produce a high quality output beam [2]. With this technology, power
scaling is enabled while maintaining the beam quality by simply
increasing the number of laser sources. This demonstration opens
the door to laser intensities that could be two orders of magnitude
higher than conventional blue laser systems. This technology will
contribute to the emerging microfabrication processes, whose demand
is expected to grow in industrial applications, such as in the
automotive industry.
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Wavelength Beam Combining (WBC)
technology (Graphic: Business Wire)
The automotive industry is moving towards “electrification” and
“miniaturization” while requiring “high rigidity,” “design
flexibility” and “productivity.” Against this background, the
anticipation for the microfabrication lasers that can process
various kinds of materials such as copper, gold and plastic is
building up. Especially, blue laser with a high optical absorption
efficiency has a high demand in the field of copper fabrication for
the automotive motors and batteries. Highly-productive processing
requires a laser beam source that has both high output power and
high beam quality.
In order to attain such a beam source, Panasonic started
collaboration with TeraDiode, Inc. (TDI), a Massachusetts,
U.S.-based company, in 2013, and since has been developing WBC
technology which can combine multiple and different wavelengths
into one combined beam. In 2014, Panasonic released LAPRISS; the
world’s first laser welding robot system equipped with an infrared
DDL using WBC technology*1. In 2017, the company acquired TDI as a
wholly owned subsidiary*2 and started developing on the
output-power optimization on WBC as well as shortening the
wavelength.
The output power optimization of the high-beam-quality blue
laser (wavelength band = 400 – 450nm) was realized by combining
more than 100 emitters from multiple diode bars [3] with WBC
technology.
This WBC technology combines the beams from multiple emitters at
different wavelengths that are incident on the diffraction grating
at angles corresponding to each wavelength. The resonator is then
formed in between the shared partially-transparent mirror and each
edge face of the emitters. As a result, the output beam has
achieved a output of 135 W with a high beam quality of BPP [4]
1.5mm・mrad.
Going forward, Panasonic will develop a processing system that
is equipped with this laser beam source, as well as the process
optimization in laser processing.
Panasonic will hold exhibits and lecture sessions on our
technical achievement at PHOTONICS WEST 2020 in San Francisco from
February 1 to 6, 2020.*3
A part of this research and development includes the data
obtained from a project – “Development of advanced laser processing
with intelligence based on high-brightness and high-efficiency
laser technologies (TACMI project)” – commissioned by the New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of
Japan.
[Applications] Laser processing (welding, cutting, etc.)
[Patents] Total of 571 patents both domestic and international
(including pending applications)
Notes: *1: Panasonic Corporation Topics April 15th, 2014:
Panasonic has Released a Laser Welding Robot System
"LAPRISS"-Equipped with the world's first high-power direct diode
laser https://news.panasonic.com/jp/topics/2014/38440.html (In
Japanese) *2: Panasonic Corporation News Release January 6th, 2017:
Panasonic Acquires All Shares of U.S.-Based Industrial Laser
Start-up TeraDiode, Inc.
https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2017/01/en170106-3/en170106-3.html
*3: PHOTONICS WEST 2020, San Francisco, 1-6 February 2020
Glossary [1] Wavelength Beam
Combining (WBC) technology: The technology that combines the beams
with different wavelengths that are emitted from the multiple DDLs
(direct diode lasers) on a diffraction grating.
[2] Beam quality: An index indicates how easy it is to combine
the beam. Higher beam quality has smaller diameter and highly
collimate feature.
[3] Diode bar: A laser bar that has multiple emittance stripes
(emitters) in an array configuration on a single semiconductor
chip.
[4] BPP (Beam Parameter Products):
This is defined as the product of the radius r0 of the beam waist
at the focusing position multiplied by the half-value half-width θ
of the beam divergence angle; BPP = r0xθ. The unit is expressed in
[mm・mrad]. The smaller BPP is, the higher the beam quality
becomes.
About Panasonic Panasonic
Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse
electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the
consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. The
company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, has
expanded globally and now operates 582 subsidiaries and 87
associated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of
8.003 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2019. Committed to
pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the
company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better
world for its customers. To learn more about Panasonic:
https://www.panasonic.com/global.
Source:
https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2020/01/en200129-2/en200129-2.html
Related Links Industrial Devices & Solutions -
Panasonic https://industrial.panasonic.com/ww
TeraDiode, Inc. https://www.teradiode.com/
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Manufacturing Innovation Division Promotion & Engineering
Planning Department Panasonic Corporation Email:
midpress@ml.jp.panasonic.com