EP0201306A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus for providing uniform exposure at an exposing station
Assignee: LAMBDA PHOTOMETRICS Ltd
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Filing: 1986-05-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-05-06
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for producing uniform exposure at an exposing station comprises a source (1; 63, 64) of radiant energy; means (8 to 10; 27 to 30; 31 to 37; 41; 67, 70, 71) for redistributing said radiant energy 'n a uniform manner within a rotationally symmetric divergent cone (42) and/or over a predetermined cross-sectional area (53) for delivery to an exposing station; and means (2, 4 to 6, 15 to 18; 20, 21, 24, 25; 43 to 52; 59, 60; 69, 77 to 81) for controlling the level of said energy delivered in use to said expos- ng station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76). The source is preferably pulse operated and comprises at least one laser. The redistributing means preferably comprises an optically transmitting fibre and/or light guide.
Inventors
- 👤 Graham Stewart Brandon Street
- 👤 Nigel John Robert Dashwood
- 👤 John Douglas Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 04:23
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/09; G02B27/0927; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/064; B23K26/066; G02B26/00; G02B26/02; G02B27/0938; G02B27/0994; G02B5/00; G02B5/005; G06; G06K; G06K1/00; G06K1/12; G06K1/126; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/024; H04N1/032; H04N1/036; H04N1/40; H04N1/40025; H04N1/40037
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for producing uniform exposure at an exposing station comprising a source (1; 63,64) of radiant energy; means (8 to 10; 27 to 30; 31 to 37; 41; 67, 70, 71) for redistributing said radiant energy in a uniform manner within a rotationally symmetric divergent cone (42) and/or over a predetermined cross-sectional area (53) for delivery to an exposing station; and means (2, 4 to 6, 15 to 18; 20, 21, 24, 25; 43 to 52; 59, 60; 69, 77 to 81) for controlling the level of said energy delivered in use to said exposing station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for producing uniform exposure at an exposing station comprising a source (1; 63,64) of radiant energy; means (8 to 10; 27 to 30; 31 to 37; 41; 67, 70, 71) for redistributing said radiant energy in a uniform manner within a rotationally symmetric divergent cone (42) and/or over a predetermined cross-sectional area (53) for delivery to an exposing station; and means (2, 4 to 6, 15 to 18; 20, 21, 24, 25; 43 to 52; 59, 60; 69, 77 to 81) for controlling the level of said energy delivered in use to said exposing station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said source comprises a pulse operated source ( 1; 63, 64).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the pulse operated source comprises at least one laser (1; 63, 64).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the at least one laser comprises an excimer or nitrogen laser (1; 63, 64) which, in use, provides short pulses of radiant energy which comprise ultra violet light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4 which comprises a plurality of lasers (63, 64), each one of said plurality of lasers being controlled by the controlling means (69, 77 to 81) so that, in use, a respective first one (63) of said plurality of lasers and a respective second one (64) of said plurality of lasers emit pulses of radiant energy at respectively different moments in time, the interval between said different moments in time being substantially greater than the intrinsic duration of said individual pulses of radiant energy and being less than one millisecond.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4 in which the at least one laser provides, in use, two short pulses of radiant energy spaced in time by an interval of less than one millisecond.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the interval is less than 10 microseconds and greater than 100 nanoseconds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the first one and second one of said plurality of lasers comprise the same optical laser cavity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which redistributing means comprises an optically transmitting fibre and/or light guide (10; 35; 41; 71).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said fibre and/or guide comprises a single core which, in use, provides substantially the sole route for radiant energy to pass from said source (1; 63,64) to said exposing station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 which includes imaging means (54.- 55) arranged to reimage the spatial distribution of energy exiting from and at the emitting end section (53) of said fibre- and/or guide, so thatin use, an image of-part of said distribution is reproduced at the surface - (58) to be exposed at the exposing station (56 to 58).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11 in which at least one of the receiving and emitting end sections (53) of the fibre and/or guide is optically bonded and/or matched to a transparent window (61) having a width substantially greater than the cross-section of said fibre and/or guide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 12 in which said transparent window (61) is anti-reflection coated on the face (62) remote from the fibre and/or guide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 13 in which redistributing means includes a beam dissector (27 to 30; 31 to 37), said dissector having at least two distinct optical paths, so that, in use, radiant energy reaches the exposing station from said source via different ones of said distinct optical paths and said paths are so constructed as to rearrange the spatial distribution of said radiant energy in a piecewise manner prior to entry of said radiant energy into the receiving end section (35) of said fibre and/or guide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 14 which includes focussing means (9; 36, 37; 70) so that, in use, radiant energy from said source (1; 63, 64) is converged to substantially the same point to facilitate entry into said fibre and/or guide - (10; 35; 41; 71).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 in which said focussing means (36, 37) comprises more than one optical element the combination of which has different optical powers in two orthogonal planes each of which contains the optical axis of said focussing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the controlling means comprises electronic means (15, 43 to 52; 78 to 81) for controlling the emission of said radiant energy by said source.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 which includes electro-mechanical (4; 20, 21, 24, 25) and/or electro-optical means (69) controlled by said electronic means for blocking, in use, in whole or in part the passage (68) of said radiant energy from said source (1; 63, 64) to said exposing station.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 or claim 18 in which the controlling means includes-a photosensor (15 to 1T; 43; 60; 78) comprising a photocell - (15; 43; 78) arranged to receive photons in proportion to the level of said radiant energy which, in use, reaches the exposing station.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 19 in which the photosensor includes phosphorescent means (17) which, following impingement of rays of energy from said source (1), emits secondary photons, said photons being received by said photocell (15).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus according to claim 19 which includes a curved partially reflecting surface (59; 77) in the path of rays between the emitting end section (53) of said fibre and/or guide and the position for the exposing station (56 to 58; 72, 75, 76), said curved surface being tilted so that, in use, a proportion of the energy exiting from said fibre and/or guide is reimaged to a position, spaced from said exposing station, where said proportion of the exiting energy impinges on said photosensor (60; 78).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 19 to 21 in which said photocell forms part of said electronic means (43 to 52) and provides a signal representative of the number of photons arriving at the exposing station, said electronic means being arranged to integrate said representative signal over a time period.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 22 in which the electronic means includes means for processing - (48) said integrated signal (V E ) to control, in use, the level of exposure at said exposing station.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for producing uniform exposure at an exposing station comprising positioning a source of radiant energy (1, 63, 64); redistributing said radiant energy in a uniform manner within a rotationally symmetric divergent cone (42) and/or over a pre-determined cross-sectional area (53); controlling the level of said energy, and delivering said controlled and uniformly distributed energy to the exposing station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76).
Claim 26
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for producing uniform exposure at an exposing station comprising positioning a source of radiant energy (1, 63, 64); redistributing said radiant energy in a uniform manner within a rotationally symmetric divergent cone (42) and/or over a pre-determined cross-sectional area (53); controlling the level of said energy, and delivering said controlled and uniformly distributed energy to the exposing station (12 to 14; 56 to 58; 72, 75, 76).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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