Light Irradiation Apparatus Diverging Lens Array
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light irradiation apparatuses face issues with shifts in light condensing positions due to variations in parallelism of entrance and exit surfaces of transparent parts and cylindrical lenses, leading to reduced illumination quality and pattern drawing accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A light irradiation apparatus with a diverging part and a converging lens configuration, where parallel light is caused to diverge and then converge, reducing the focal length of the light condensing part and minimizing shifts in light condensing positions, and incorporating a width adjustment part to control beam width, ensuring uniform illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional light condensing part is used, then the structure is simple, but shifts in light condensing positions occur due to parallelism variations, reducing illumination quality and drawing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The light condensing part is divided into multiple element lenses arranged in an array, where each element lens processes a specific light flux. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each lens while collectively achieving uniform illumination and suppressing position shifts through the division of optical processing functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the light condensing part by introducing element lenses with specific focal lengths and arrangements. This parameter optimization enables the system to achieve both high precision in light condensing positions and uniform illumination intensity distribution across the irradiation plane
2Manufacturing precision
If the focal length of the light condensing part is reduced to suppress position shifts, then illumination uniformity improves, but the numerical aperture may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the focal length limitation by extending the optical system in the axial dimension, arranging multiple element lenses at different positions along the optical path. This dimensional extension allows the system to achieve both short effective focal length for position stability and sufficient numerical aperture for energy utilization
3Illumination intensity
If parallel light is used incident on the light condensing part, then the illumination is uniform, but position shifts occur due to parallelism variations of optical components
Solution Approach 1:
The element lens array is designed with predetermined optical parameters and arrangements that compensate for parallelism variations in advance. By pre-calculating and pre-positioning the element lenses, the system cushions against the harmful effects of manufacturing tolerances and maintains both illumination uniformity and position accuracy
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses shifts in light condensing positions, achieving high-accuracy pattern drawing and uniform illumination by reducing the focal length of the light condensing part and maintaining high numerical aperture.
Implementation Method 1
a diverging part for causing the parallel light to diverge in the second direction
Implementation Method 2
a converging lens on which light from the diverging part is incident and that causes the light to converge on the irradiation plane when viewed in the first direction
Implementation Method 3
The optical path length difference generation part includes a plurality of transparent parts that produce differences in optical path length among them that are longer than the coherence length (coherence distance) of the laser light
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Laser light from a light source part (41) is guided to an irradiation plane (320) by an irradiation optical system including an array of fly-eye lenses (62) for dividing and superimposing the light beams and transparent parts (61) for inducing different path lengths on the sub-beams. Light fluxes having passed through the element lenses respectively enter the transparent parts. A light condensing part (63) superimposes irradiation regions of the light fluxes on the irradiation plane. When viewed in the arrangement direction of the element lenses, the light fluxes regarded as parallel light enter the light condensing part which includes a diverging lens (631) for causing the parallel light to diverge in a Y direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, and a converging lens system (632, 633) for causing the light from the diverging lens to converge on the irradiation plane. This configuration readily achieves a design where the focal length of the light condensing part regarding the Y direction is reduced, and suppresses shifts in light condensing positions of the light fluxes on the irradiation plane.