Patent ID: 8183509

Claim:
A laser processing apparatus, comprising: a laser light source emitting a laser beam; an irradiation optical system applying the laser beam emitted from the laser light source to an object and surroundings thereof while scanning an irradiation position of the laser beam along a predetermined direction; a photo-detector provided on the opposite side to the irradiation optical system with respect to the object, the photo-detector detecting the laser beam applied from the irradiation optical system; and a control section making switching between a continuous oscillation and a pulse oscillation of the laser beam at the laser light source, wherein the control section makes a continuous oscillation of the laser beam with respect to the laser light source in the case in which the laser beam applied from the irradiation optical system is detected at the photo-detector; and makes a pulse oscillation of the laser beam with respect to the laser light source in the case in which no laser beam applied from the irradiation optical system is detected at the photo-detector.