Laser pattern generation apparatus

An apparatus for generating a pattern on a workpiece which includes a film responsive to radiant energy comprising:

• a) a laser for providing a radiant energy beam;
• b) beam steering means for aligning said radiant energy beam, said beam steering means including a plurality of optical steering means for effecting alignment of said beam, splitting means for generating an angle alignment beam and a position alignment beam, and a first detector for detecting alignment in angle and a second detector for detecting alignment position;
• c) a beam splitting means for splitting said radiant energy beam into a plurality of beams organized into a first set of beams and a second set of beams, said first set of beams separated from said second set of beams by a distance greater than the distance between individual beams;
• d) a modulation means for varying the intensity of each of said plurality of beams responsive to signals defining said pattern;
• e) a rotating mirror having a plurality of facets for causing said plurality of beams to scan said workpiece;
• f) a timing means for timing the provision of signals to said modulation means;
• and
• g) a stage for holding and moving said workpiece.

A method for generating patterns on a workpiece which includes a film responsive to radiant energy comprising the steps of:

• a) generating a radiant energy beam;
• b) splitting said radiant energy beam into a plurality of N beams, where N is a whole number greater than 2, said plurality of N beams split into a first set of beams and a second set of beams, said first set of beams separated from said second set of beams by a distance along a first axis is greater than one and less than two times said distance along said first axis between individual beams;
• c) modulating each of said beams to one of a plurality of intensity levels;
• d) scanning said plurality of beams into said workpiece to print a scanline:
• e) repeating steps c) -d) until a stripe is printed;
• and
• f) printing stripes until the pattern is printed on the wafer.

A method of generating patterns on a workpiece having a film responsive to radiant energy, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) generating a plurality of radiant energy beams;
• b) providing intensity values for each of said plurality of beams for a first scan;
• c) printing said first scan so that each of said plurality of beams is offset from an adjacent beam;
• d) providing intensity values for each of said plurality of beams for a second scan;
• e) printing said second scan butting said first scan so that each of said plurality of beams has the alternate offset from said plurality of beams from said first pass.

A method of generating patterns on a workpiece having a film responsive to radiant energy, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) generating a plurality of radiant energy beams;
• b) generating first pixel values for a first pass according to a normal pixel grid;
• c) generating second pixel values for a second pass according to an interstitial pixel grid, said interstitial pixel grid offset from said normal pixel grid;
• d) scanning said plurality of radiant energy beams onto said workpiece according to said first pixel values;
• and
• e) scanning said plurality of radiant energy beams onto said workpiece according to said second pixel values.

An apparatus comprising:

• a laser having a radiant energy beam output;
• a beam steering device having an input optically coupled to said laser, said beam steering device having an aligned radiant energy beam output;
• a beam splitter having an input optically coupled to said beam steering device, said beam splitter having an a plurality of beam sets output, a plurality of beam sets including a first beam set and a second beam set, said first beam set including a first beam and a second beam, said first beam being separated from said second beam by a first distance along a first axis, said first beam set being separated from said second beam set by a second distance along said first axis, said second distance being greater than said first distance to allow for error averaging in successive passes;
• a modulator having an input optically coupled to said beam splitter, said modulator having a modulated beams output, said modulator having a modulating signal input, said modulated beams corresponding to individually modulated beams from said plurality of beam sets;
• a rotating minor, being optically coupled to said modulator, having a plurality of facets that direct modulated beams;
• a timing device, being optically coupled to said rotating mirror, having an timing output being coupled to said modulating signal input;
• and
• a workpiece stage being optically coupled to said rotating mirror.