Two-dimensional surface emitting laser array, two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam scanner, two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam recorder, and two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam recording method

A two-dimensional surface emitting laser array comprising:

• a substrate;
• a first laser array having a plurality of lasers placed in a first spacing along a first base line on said substrate;
• and
• at least a second laser array having a plurality of lasers placed along a plurality of inclined lines crossing the first base line at a predetermined angle on the substrate, wherein
• the lasers of said first laser array and the lasers of at least said second laser array are placed so as to form an array of pixels equally spaced from each other and with no gap in the direction of the first base line.

A two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam scanner comprising:

• a substrate;
• a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array having a plurality of lasers placed two-dimensionally on said substrate, the two-dimensional surface emitting laser array comprising
• a first laser array having a plurality of lasers placed in a first spacing along a first base line extending in the main scanning direction on said substrate, and
• at least a second laser array having a plurality of lasers placed along at least a second base line having a second spacing with the first base line in the sub scanning direction and extending in parallel with the first base line on said substrate, and wherein
• the lasers of said first laser array and the lasers of at least said second laser array are placed at different positions in the main scanning direction along the first base line and at least the second base line so as to form an array of pixels equally spaced from each other and with no gap in the main scanning direction;
• a lens system being placed on the emission side of said two-dimensional surface emitting laser array and having a diameter for receiving all laser light emitted from the lasers;
• and
• means for driving the lasers of said two-dimensional surface emitting laser array in response to a specified scanning pattern.

A two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam recorder comprising:

• a substrate;
• a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array having a plurality of lasers placed two-dimensionally on said substrate, the two-dimensional surface emitting laser array comprising
• a first laser array having a plurality of lasers placed in a first spacing along a first base line extending in the main scanning direction on said substrate, and
• at least a second laser array having a plurality of lasers placed along at least a second base line having a second spacing with the first base line in the sub scanning direction and extending in parallel with the first base line on said substrate, and wherein
• the lasers of said first laser array and the lasers of at least said second laser array are placed at different positions in the main scanning direction along the first base line and at least the second base line so as to form an array of pixels equally spaced from each other and with no gap in the main scanning direction;
• a lens system being placed on the emission side of said two-dimensional surface emitting laser array and having a diameter for receiving all laser light emitted from the lasers;
• means for driving the lasers of said two-dimensional surface emitting laser array in response to a specified scanning pattern;
• a photosensitive body rotating at a predetermined speed in the sub scanning direction and being exposed to the laser light passed through said lens system for forming an electrostatic latent image;
• and
• means for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive body.

A two-dimensional surface emitting laser beam recording method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a two-dimensional surface emitting laser array having a plurality of lasers placed two-dimensional on a substrate, the two-dimensional surface emitting laser array comprising
• a first laser array having a plurality of lasers placed in a first spacing along a first base line extending in the main scanning direction on said substrate, and
• at least a second laser array having a plurality of lasers place along at least a second base line having a second spacing with the first base line in the sub scanning direction and extending in parallel with the first base line on said substrate, and wherein
• the lasers of said first laser array and the lasers of at least said second laser array are placed at different positions in the main scanning direction along the first base line and at least the second base line so as to form an array of pixels equally spaced from each other and with no gap in the main scanning direction;
• driving the lasers of said two-dimensional surface emitting laser array in response to a specified scanning pattern for emitting laser light from the laser;
• exposing a photosensitive body to the laser light through a lens system having a diameter for receiving all laser light emitted from the lasers for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body in response to an exposure pattern;
• and
• developing the electrostatic latent image for preparing a visible image.