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US 6,310,727 B1Granted
Beam homogenizer, laser illumination apparatus, and semiconductor device
AssigneeSemiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
InventorKoichiro Tanaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beam homogenizer at least includes a first optical lens for dividing a light beam into N(n′−1) beams in a vertical direction, a second optical lens for dividing the light beam into (2n+1) beams in a horizontal direction, a third optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into (n′−1) beams while superimposing the (n′−1) beams so that they are deviated from each other in the horizontal direction, and a fourth optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction.
Claims26
A beam homogenizer comprising:
- a first optical lens for dividing a light beam into N(n′−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a second optical lens for dividing the light beam into (2n+1) beams in a horizontal direction;
- a third optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into (n′−1) beams while superimposing the (n′−1) beams so that they are deviated from each other in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a fourth optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction,
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
3 more elements
A beam homogenizer comprising:
- a first optical lens for dividing a light beam into N(n−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a second optical lens for dividing the light beam into (2n+1) beams in a horizontal direction;
- a third optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into (n−1) beams while superimposing the (n−1) beams so that they are deviated from each other in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a fourth optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction,
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
3 more elements
A beam homogenizer comprising:
- a first optical lens for dividing a light beam into N(n′−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a second optical lens for dividing the light beam into (2n) beams in a horizontal direction;
- a third optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into (n′−1) beams while superimposing the (n′−1) beams so that they are deviated from each other in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a fourth optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction,
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
3 more elements
A beam homogenizer comprising:
- a first optical lens for dividing a light beam into N(n−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a second optical lens for dividing the light beam into (2n) beams in a horizontal direction;
- a third optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into (n−1) beams while superimposing the (n−1) beams so that they are deviated from each other in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a fourth optical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction,
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
3 more elements
A laser illumination apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a laser beam;
- a beam homogenizer comprising:
- an optical lens for dividing the laser beam into N(n′−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a cylindrical lens group for dividing the laser beam into (2n+1) beams in a horizontal direction;
- (n′−1) cylindrical lenses for recombining the beams that are divided in the horizontal direction while superimposing the divided beams so that they are deviated from each other by d/(n′−1) in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a cylindrical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction;
- and
- a moving table that is movable in one direction,
- wherein d is defined as an interval of peaks of an interference fringe that is formed on an illumination surface by a beam that has passed through one of the (n′−1) cylindrical lenses and
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
8 more elements
A laser illumination apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a laser beam;
- a beam homogenizer comprising:
- an optical lens for dividing the laser beam into N(n−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a cylindrical lens group for dividing the laser beam into (2n+1) beams in a horizontal direction;
- (n−1) cylindrical lenses for recombining the beams that are divided in the horizontal direction while superimposing the divided beams so that they are deviated from each other by d/(n−1) in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a cylindrical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction;
- and
- a moving table that is movable in one direction,
- wherein d is defined as an interval of peaks of an interference fringe that is formed on an illumination surface by a beam that has passed through one of the (n−1) cylindrical lenses and
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
8 more elements
A laser illumination apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a laser beam;
- a beam homogenizer comprising:
- an optical lens for dividing the laser beam into N(n′−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a cylindrical lens group for dividing the laser beam into (2n) beams in a horizontal direction;
- (n′−1) cylindrical lenses for recombining the beams that are divided in the horizontal direction while superimposing the divided beams so that they are deviated from each other by d/(n′−1) in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a cylindrical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction;
- and
- a moving table that is movable in one direction,
- wherein d is defined as an interval of peaks of an interference fringe that is formed on an illumination surface by a beam that has passed through one of the (n′−1) cylindrical lenses and
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
8 more elements
A laser illumination apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a laser beam;
- a beam homogenizer comprising:
- an optical lens for dividing the laser beam into N(n−1) beams in a vertical direction;
- a cylindrical lens group for dividing the laser beam into (2n) beams in a horizontal direction;
- (n−1) cylindrical lenses for recombining the beams that are divided in the horizontal direction while superimposing the divided beams so that they are deviated from each other by d/(n−1) in the horizontal direction;
- and
- a cylindrical lens for recombining the beams that are divided in the vertical direction;
- and
- a moving table that is movable in one direction,
- wherein d is defined as an interval of peaks of an interference fringe that is formed on an illumination surface by a beam that has passed through one of the (n−1) cylindrical lenses and
- wherein N is a natural number, n is an integer that is greater than or equal to 3, and n′ is an integer that satisfies 3≦n′≦n.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.