Control of scanning laser beam
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorsMartin Feldman, Joseph Michael Moran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In pattern generating apparatus of the type employing a reciprocating laser beam for scanning a substrate surface, three scan lines are formed simultaneously. During reciprocation in one direction, the beam is deflected upwardly at an angle of arccot (1/3) with respect to the reciprocating direction, and during reciprocation in the opposite direction, the beam is deflected downwardly at an angle of arccot (1/3).
Claims14
An apparatus in which a pattern is formed by raster scanning of a writing beam of radiant energy over a substrate surface, including means for providing relative reciprocating movement between the beam and surface in an x direction, and means for providing relative movement in a y direction orthogonal to the x direction, whereby the pattern is defined by the forming of successive scan lines on the surface, the improvement comprising:
- means for forming n scan lines on the surface, where n is a number greater than one, comprising means for deflecting the beam along a line at an angle of substantially arccot (1/n) with respect to the x direction and sequentially forming n spots of said n scan lines, said deflecting means being responsive to the velocity of said relative x direction movement.
In apparatus in which a pattern is formed by raster scanning of a writing beam of radiant energy over a substrate surface, including means for digitally modulating the writing beam to form a succession of overlapping spot locations, means for providing relative reciprocating movement between the beam and surface in an x direction, and means for providing relative movement in a y direction orthogonal to the x direction, whereby each scan line is defined by a succession of spot locations and the pattern is formed by successive scan lines on the surface, the improvement comprising:
- means for forming n scan lines comprising means for stepping the beam n times in the y direction between the formation of successive spots on a single scan line;
- the beam deflecting means comprising means for deflecting the beam in a positive y direction during relative reciprocating movement in the positive x direction, and for deflecting the beam in a negative direction during reciprocating movement in a negative x direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.