Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090296064 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR SIZING FOCUSED SPOTS OF A PATTERNING SYSTEM FOR MASKLESS LITHOGRAPHY - An optical system for producing a pattern of focused spots, such as a maskless lithographic projection system, includes an illuminator, a pattern generator, and an imager. The illuminator includes a light source for generating a light beam, a homogenizer for evenly dispersing light within the light beam, and a condenser for coupling the light source to the homogenizer. The pattern generator has individually addressable elements illuminated by the light beam from the illuminator. The imager images the addressable elements of the pattern generator onto corresponding focusing elements for forming focused spots that are conjugate to aperture stops in both the imager and the illuminator. The illuminator underfills the imager aperture stop for reducing the size of the focused spots. The condenser underfills the illuminator aperture stop for further controlling the size and shape of the focused spots. | 12-03-2009 |
20090323040 | TELECENTRICITY CORRECTOR FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION SYSTEM - A telecentricity corrector is incorporated into a microlithographic projection system to achieve telecentricity targets at the output of the microlithographic projection system. The telecentricity corrector is located between an illuminator and a projection lens of the projection system, preferably just in advance of a reticle for controlling angular distributions of light illuminating the reticle. | 12-31-2009 |
20100026979 | ACTIVE SPOT ARRAY LITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR SYSTEM WITH REGULATED SPOTS - An active spot array projection system particularly for microlithographic projection includes a spatial light modulator, such as a digital micromirror device, having individually addressable elements. A focusing array, such as a microlens array, focuses elements transverse segments of the light beam into spots. Within an imaging optic between the spatial light modulator and the focusing array, an spatial frequency filter attenuates certain spatial frequencies of light arising from the irregularities of the individually addressable elements while avoiding attenuating higher spatial frequencies of light arising from the peripheral boundaries of the individually addressable elements for regulating light distributions of the spots while limiting crosstalk between adjacent spots. | 02-04-2010 |
20100039630 | OPTIMIZATION OF FOCUSED SPOTS FOR MASKLESS LITHOGRAPHY - The focused spots of an active spot array projection system, such as a maskless lithographic projection system, are optimized within a relay of the projection system. A frequency modulator is positioned proximate to the pupil of the relay for reforming the focused spots while imaging the focused spots onto a photosensitive substrate. | 02-18-2010 |
20110122383 | MAGNIFICATION CONTROL FOR LITHOGRAPHIC IMAGING SYSTEM - In a lithographic projection system, a corrective optic in the form of one or more deformable plates is mounted within telecentric image or object space for making one-dimensional or two-dimensional adjustments to magnification. The deformable plate, which can be initially bent under the influence of a preload, contributes weak magnification power that influences the magnification of the projection system by changing the effective focal length in object or image space. An actuator adjusts the amount of curvature through which the deformable plate is bent for regulating the amount of magnification imparted by the deformable plate. | 05-26-2011 |
20120300277 | LASER SPECKLE REDUCTION FOR IMAGING SYSTEMS - A speckle reduction system includes an optical system and one or more beam steerers for directing light to successive off-axis areas around a diffuser and for reorienting and recentering distributions of the light from each of the successive off-axis areas of the diffuser along a common axis. | 11-29-2012 |
20130070331 | BROADBAND POLARIZATION SWITCHING - A polarization switching apparatus has a first birefringent polarizer formed as a composite prism and disposed to direct incident light of a first polarization along a first optical path and light of a second polarization along a second optical path, wherein the second optical path is oblique to the first optical path. A beam redirector is disposed to redirect the first optical path from the first birefringent polarizer toward an input face of a second birefringent polarizer; wherein the second birefringent polarizer is also formed as a composite prism and is disposed to combine incident light of the first and second polarizations onto a common output path. A shutter apparatus is actuable to selectively block light of the first polarization or light of the second polarization from the input face of the second birefringent polarizer. | 03-21-2013 |
20130148185 | VARIABLE PULSE STRETCHING LENGTH BY VARIABLE BEAMSPLITTER REFLECTIVITY - A laser pulse stretching unit is described herein which is configured to change the reflectivity of one or more beam splitters located therein to change a temporal profile of an output beam without needing to adjust a length of any delay lines. In addition, a method is described herein for using the laser pulse stretching unit to change the reflectivity of one or more beam splitters located therein to change a temporal profile of an output beam without needing to adjust a length of any delay lines. | 06-13-2013 |
20130148207 | LASER PULSE STRETCHING UNIT AND METHOD FOR USING SAME - A laser pulse stretching unit is described herein which has one or more nested optical delay paths. In addition, a method for using the laser pulse stretching unit is also described herein. | 06-13-2013 |
20130321922 | SILICA-MODIFIED-FLUORIDE BROAD ANGLE ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS - The disclosure is directed to a coating consisting of a binary metal fluoride coating consisting a high refractive index metal fluoride layer on top of a substrate, a low refractive index metal fluoride layer on top of the high refractive index layer and layer of SiO | 12-05-2013 |
20140210770 | PRESSURE SENSING TOUCH SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Pressure-sensing touch systems and methods are disclosed for sensing the occurrence of a touch event based on pressure applied at a touch location. The touch system includes a light-source system and a detector system operably adjacent respective input and output edges of a waveguide. Pressure at a touch location on the waveguide gives rise to a touch event causes the waveguide to bend or flex. The waveguide bending causes a change in the optical paths of light traveling by FTIR, causing the light distribution in the output light to change. The changes are detected and are used to determine whether a touch event occurred, as well as the time-evolution of the touch event. The changes in the output light can include polarization changes caused by birefringence induced in the waveguide by the applied pressure applied. Various detector configurations are disclosed for sensing the location and pressure of a touch event. | 07-31-2014 |
20140211466 | ETENDUE SHAPING USING FACETED ARRAYS - An apparatus for directing laser light has an illumination source having one or more lasers that are each energizable to emit laser light. A first faceted array in the path of the emitted laser light from the illumination source has at least a first light-redirecting facet and an adjacent second light-redirecting facet. A second faceted array, spaced apart from the first faceted array by a light propagation distance has at least a first light-collimating facet and a second light-collimating facet, wherein the first and second collimating facets define an output axis and wherein the emitted light that is redirected from the first light-redirecting facet is incident to the first light-collimating facet and directed along the output axis and wherein the emitted light that is redirected from the second light-redirecting facet is incident to the second light-collimating facet and directed along the output axis. | 07-31-2014 |