Illumination device using a pulsed laser source a Schlieren optical system, and a matrix addressable surface light modulator for producing images with undiffracted light

An illumination device for producing models used for manufacturing electronic elements, or for direct illumination of wafers or substrates during photolithographic steps for producing the electronic elements, or for direct illumination of structures including light-sensitive layers, comprising:

• a pulsed laser light source;
• a pattern generator;
• an object onto which light emitted by said pulsed laser light source is focussed, said object being selected from the group consisting of a model, a disk, a substrate and a structure;
• said pattern generator including an optical Schlieren system and an active, matrix-addressable surface light modulator;
• said surface light modulator including a reflective surface having addressed surface areas which diffract incident light and non-addressed surface areas which reflect incident light, wherein said surface light modulator is addressed such that said non-addressed surface areas thereof correspond to projection areas of the model, the wafer, the substrate, or the structure;
• said Schlieren system comprising a Schlieren lens arranged on a side of said surface light modulator, a projection lens facing away from said surface light modulator, and a mirror device arranged between said Schlieren lens and said projection lens for directing light coming from said pulsed laser light source onto said reflective surface on said surface light modulator;
• wherein said Schlieren lens is disposed from said surface light modulator at a distance less than a focal length of said Schlieren lens;
• a filter device arranged between said Schlieren lens and said projection lens, said filter device being provided to filter light diffracted by said addressed surface areas of said surface light modulator and to permit undiffracted light reflected by said non-addressed surface areas to pass through said projection lens to the model, the substrate, or the structure;
• a displaceable positioning table for securing the model, or the substrate, or the structure thereon so that a sharp image of the non-addressed surface areas of the surface light modulator is formed on the model, the substrate, the wafer, or the structure;
• a device for controlling said pulsed laser light source such that a pulse duration of said pulsed laser light source is less that a minimum structural dimension of the model, the wafer, the substrate or the structure divided by a rate of displacement of said positioning table;
• and wherein, during displacement of said positioning table, the model, the wafer, the substrate or the structure are composed of a plurality of overlapping partial images by adequate addressing of said surface light modulator.