Patent ID: 7244907

Claim:
A laser processing method, comprising: obtaining specifications for a final product, including: (a) analyzing the specifications and converting the specifications to a digital format, wherein specification details include feature shape and size, quality, materials, and manufacturing cost; and (b) making the digital format of the specifications available to a computer, including storing the specifications in a data structure specifying name of workpiece material, feature shape, material absorption characteristics, material melt temperature, feature size, number of features, and pattern of features; selecting a combination of optical power, processing method, and workpiece material for a single feature to meet the product specifications; determining, based on available optical power of the combination and an optimum required optical power for the single feature, a maximum number of the single features in a desired pattern of the product specifications to be parallel processed; selecting a portion of the pattern that can be parallel processed based on the maximum number of features, wherein the portion specifies a number of the single features less than all of the single features of the desired pattern; developing an algorithm for laser processing to specification, including combining characteristics of a selected laser, laser processing method, and workpiece material to meet the product specifications; and operating and controlling a laser processing system according to the algorithm, including adjusting a scan lens to process a workpiece according to the combination of optical power, processing method, and workpiece material, wherein operating and controlling the laser processing system includes: (a) using a first diffractive optical element having a first sub-beam pattern to create a first set of features on a workpiece; (b) replacing the first diffractive optical element with a second diffractive optical element having a second sub-beam pattern; and (c) using the second diffractive optical element to create a second set of features on the workpiece.