Homogenization of a spatially coherent radiation beam and printing and inspection, respectively, of a pattern on a workpiece
US6819490B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 10, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 12, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70583
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device for homogenizing the spatial intensity distribution of a spatially coherent radiation beam. The device includes a grating arranged in the propagation path of a spatially coherent radiation beam for diffracting the coherent beam and thus decreasing the coherence length of a diffracted radiation beam in a direction orthogonal to the propagation direction of the radiation beam relative to the width of the radiation beam in the orthogonal direction; and a radiation splitting and directing arrangement arranged in the propagation path of the diffracted radiation beam for splitting the diffracted radiation beam into spatially separated portions and for superimposing the spatially separated portions to form a radiation beam having a homogenized spatial intensity distribution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.