Use of fresnel zone plates for material processing

Claim 2

An optical plate, said plate having optical features forming a computer generated hologram including patterns of said optical features arrayed in regular fringes with local grating periods for producing from coherent light incident on said plate a working holographic image for processing materials, the improvement in said plate comprising a feature width variation for producing amplitude modulation comprising; a plurality of classes of optical features for causing coherent light on said features to be shifted at least in phase; the widths of features in the direction of the local grating period varying, the variation in width being proportional to design amplitude variation of said plate; and, at least some of the features being optical encoding features forming fringes; said fringes randomly interrupted in proportion to the amplitude desired at said working holographic image whereby the regular remaining portion of said fringes produces said working image.

Claim 3

An optical plate in accordance with claim 1 wherein; said optically encoded features shift phase and amplitude.

Claim 4

An optical plate for producing from a plane wave front of coherent light incident on said plate at subapertures within said plate working images for incidence to a workpiece for processing said workpiece with said working images, said plate including: a plurality of subapertures, each said subaperture having arrayed optical elements configured thereon for producing by each optical element phase and amplitude changes to a plane wave front of coherent light incident upon said plate to at least one working image for producing a workpiece; said plate suitable for scanning by an incident beam of coherent light and producing from said subapertures said working images having a working effect at a workpiece whereby an incident beam of coherent light at each subaperture will have an incident wave modulated in phase and amplitude by the optical elements of the plate to produce from each subaperture as it is scanned the working image on a workpiece being processed; said subaperture being a computer generated hologram; the improvement in said plate comprising: said subaperture having two or more optical encoding features; said optical encoding features forming regular fringes; said regular fringes randomly interrupted in proportion to the amplitude desired at said working image whereby the regular remaining portion of said fringes produces said working image.

Claim 5

An optical plate for producing from a plane wave front of coherent light incident on said plate at subapertures within said plate working images for incidence to a workpiece for processing said workpiece with said working images, said plate including: a plurality of subapertures, each said subaperture having arrayed optical elements configured thereon for producing by each optical element phase and amplitude changes to a plane wave front of coherent light incident upon said plate to at least one working image for producing a workpiece; said plate suitable for scanning by an incident beam of coherent light and producing from said subapertures said working images having a working effect at a workpiece whereby an incident beam of coherent light at each subaperture will have an incident wave modulated in phase and amplitude by the optical elements of the plate to produce from each subaperture as it is scanned the working image on a workpiece being processed; said subaperture being a computer generated hologram; the improvement in said plate comprising: said subaperture having two or more optical encoding features; said optical encoding features forming regular fringes; said regular fringes randomly interrupted in proportion to the amplitude desired at said working image whereby the regular remaining portion of said fringes produces said working image.

Claim 6

An optical plate for producing from subapertures working images for incidence to a workpiece for processing said workpiece with said working image according to claim 3 and wherein: said plate is reflective.

Claim 7

An optical plate for producing from subapertures working images for incidence to a workpiece for processing said workpiece with said working image according to claim 3 wherein: said plate is transmissive.

Claim 8

An optical plate for producing from subapertures working images for incidence to a workpiece for processing said workpiece with said working image according to claim 3 wherein: more than one of said subapertures of said plate producing a discrete working image; and, the area of the smallest subaperture in said plate being less than 51% of an area comprising the union of all said subapertures in said plate.

Claim 9

An optical plate for diffracting coherent light and modulating the phase and amplitude of said coherent light said plate comprising: said plate is a computer generated hologram; said plate having two or more optical encoding features; said optical encoding features forming regular fringes; said regular fringes randomly interrupted in proportion to the amplitude of said light desired at said optical feature whereby the remaining portion of said fringes produces a working image.

Claim 10

An optical plate for diffracting coherent light and modulating the phase and amplitude of said coherent light said plate comprising: said plate is a computer generated hologram; said plate having two or more optical encoding features; said optical encoding features forming regular fringes; said regular fringes randomly interrupted in proportion to the amplitude of said light desired at said optical feature whereby the remaining portion of said fringes produces a working image.

Claim 11

An optical plate for diffracting coherent light according to claim 7 and wherein: said plate operates in transmission mode.

Claim 12

An optical plate for diffracting coherent light according to claim 7 and wherein: said plate operates in reflection mode.

Claim 13

An optical plate for diffracting coherent light according to claim 7 and wherein: said plate is a binary amplitude or phase computer generated hologram; the local amplitude modulation of coherent light diffracted in the desired order being denoted by A; the minimum manufacturable feature size being FS * and the local grating period being GP; the required feature width being (GP/π)*sin -1 (A); the required feature width being less than the minimum manufacturable feature size FS * ; then the normally continuous fringe pattern is randomly interrupted with probability P=A/A * ; and, A.sub.* =sin (π FS.sub.* /GP); the fabricated feature width now being equal to FS * , the minimum manufacturable feature width.

Claim 16

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; at least one of the subapertures having a working image where the centroid of the subaperture and the centroid of the working image are off set from one another.

Claim 17

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; focal length of the image to subaperture diameter ratio exceeding 5.

Claim 18

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate suitable for use with a coherent source having average power in excess of one watt.

Claim 19

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for wavelengths less than 0.419 microns.

Claim 20

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with excimer lasers.

Claim 21

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with carbon dioxide lasers.

Claim 22

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherently light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with neodymium lasers and harmonics thereof.

Claim 23

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with noble gas ion lasers.

Claim 24

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with helium-cadmium lasers.

Claim 25

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with copper and gold vapor lasers.

Claim 26

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate being designed for use with carbon monoxide lasers.

Claim 27

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said plate operating in reflection mode.

Claim 28

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; said irreversible effect includes ablation.

Claim 29

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; more than one of said subapertures of said plate producing a discrete working image; and, the area of the smallest subaperture in said plate being less than 51% of the area comprising the union of all said subapertures in said plate.

Claim 30

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; the workpiece surface is not a plane.

Claim 31

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; subapertures of said plate are designed by back propagation.

Claim 32

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; subapertures of said plate are designed with simulated annealing.

Claim 33

An apparatus including a scanning beam of coherent light of selected frequency and a plate for scan by said beam of coherent light according to claim 11 comprising in further combination; subapertures of said plate are designed with Gerchberg-Saxon algorithm.

Claim 34

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency comprising in combination; a plate for modulating in phase and amplitude of the coherent light incident upon said plate in the form of a plane wave; said plate having a plurality of subapertures, each said subaperture including optical features for generating upon incidence of said coherent light a working image at a distance from said plate; said subaperture being a computer generated hologram for generating a working image at a distance less than 50 centimeters from said subaperture with said distance being more than 5 times the diameter of said subaperture; said plate having a surface for the incidence of light at levels exceeding 1 millijoule per centimeter squared fluence and 1 milliwatt per centimeter squared without an irreversible effect on said plate power to produce a working image having at least 10 millijoulles per square centimeter at a workpiece for use in materials patterning.

Claim 35

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency comprising in combination; a plate for modulating in phase and amplitude of the coherent light incident upon said plate in the form of a plane wave; said plate having a plurality of subapertures, each said subaperture including optical features for generating upon incidence of said coherent light a working image at a distance from said plate; said subaperture being a computer generated hologram for generating a working image at a distance less than 50 centimeters from said subaperture with said distance being more than 5 times the diameter of said subaperture; said plate having a surface for the incidence of light at levels exceeding 1 millijoule per centimeter squared fluence and 1 milliwatt per centimeter squared without an irreversible effect on said plate power to produce a working image having at least 10 millijoulles per square centimeter at a workpiece for use in materials patterning.

Claim 36

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; at least one of the subapertures having a working image where the centroid of the subaperture and the centroid of the working image are off set from one another whereby said working image from said subaperture is offset from the vertical with respect to said subaperture.

Claim 37

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; focal length of the image to subaperture diameter ratio exceeding 15.

Claim 38

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate suitable for use with a coherent source having average power in excess of one watt.

Claim 39

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate being designed for wavelengths less than 0.419 microns.

Claim 40

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate being designed for production of working images from said subapertures in wavelengths between 1,000 Å and 4,000 Å.

Claim 41

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said subapertures being designed for producing working images at distances between 5 and 20 centimeters.

Claim 42

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate having subapertures for producing images at F numbers exceeding 16.

Claim 43

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate being designed for use with laser having power in excess of 10 watts.

Claim 44

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate having subapertures designed for producing working images at F numbers exceeding 50.

Claim 45

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said plate operating in reflection mode.

Claim 46

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; said holographic plate operating in transmission mode.

Claim 47

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; more than one of said subapertures of said plate producing a discrete working image; and, the area of the smallest subaperture in said plate being less than 51% of the area comprising the union of all said subapertures in said plate.

Claim 48

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; the workpiece surface is not a plane.

Claim 49

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 49 and further comprising in combination; subapertures of said plate are designed by back propagation.

Claim 50

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; subapertures of said plate are designed with simulated annealing.

Claim 51

A plate for scan by a beam of coherent light of a selected frequency according to claim 30 and further comprising in combination; subapertures of said plate are designed with Gerchberg-Saxon algorithm.