Line Beam Forming Device Using Mirror Set for Laser Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beam forming devices face challenges in reducing beam spot size, achieving uniform beam intensity, and combining multiple lasers due to complex manufacturing, large optical system size, and beam loss issues, particularly in high-power UV laser applications like LLO and LTPS thin film transistor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A line beam forming device using a single mirror set composed of multiple mirrors to divide and arrange laser beams into segments with predetermined sizes in the y-axis direction and regular intervals in the x-axis direction, reducing beam divergence and spot size while maintaining uniform intensity, and allowing for the combination of multiple lasers without additional optical systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a prism array is used to exchange beam qualities, then beam focusing is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity and system size increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a cylindrical lens array to create multiple copied beam paths from a single laser source, where each lens element produces a focused beam copy. This approach achieves the desired beam quality transformation without requiring complex prism arrays, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining focusing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical prism array system with an optical lens array system. The cylindrical lens array achieves beam quality exchange through optical refraction rather than mechanical reflection and refraction combinations, simplifying the overall optical system while maintaining the ability to focus beams precisely
2Measurement precision
If a cylindrical lens array is used with long focal length, then beam quality is improved, but beam loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the focal length parameter of the cylindrical lens array to achieve the desired beam quality while minimizing beam loss. By carefully selecting and adjusting the focal length parameter, the system achieves effective beam focusing without the excessive beam loss that occurs with longer focal lengths, balancing beam quality improvement with energy efficiency
3Power
If multiple lasers are combined to exceed power threshold, then output power is increased, but additional optical systems are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple laser beams using a beam combining optical system that integrates multiple laser sources into a single unified beam path. This allows the system to exceed the power threshold by combining multiple lasers while avoiding the need for separate optical systems for each laser, thereby increasing output power without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal optical system that can handle multiple laser inputs and process them through a common optical path. The cylindrical lens array and associated optics serve multiple functions: they can focus individual lasers, combine multiple lasers, and maintain beam quality across different input configurations, eliminating the need for separate dedicated optical systems for each laser
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
The device achieves high-density energy beams with uniform intensity profiles in both the x and y axes, reducing maintenance costs and beam loss, and enabling efficient processing in applications like LLO and LTPS manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a single mirror set composed of a plurality of mirrors, in which a single mirror set is disposed in the beam forming device to sequentially emit beam segments having a predetermined size by repeating a process of receiving a laser beam, emitting beam segments having a predetermined size by dividing the laser beam in a first direction (y-axis) perpendicular to a traveling direction (z-axis) of the laser beam, and moving the other beam by a predetermined size in the first direction (y-axis) by reflecting again the other beam in the single mirror set
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a line beam forming device that can divide a laser beam into beam segments in a first direction (y-axis) perpendicular to the traveling direction (z-axis) of the laser beam, and arrange and emit the beam segments with regular intervals in a second direction (x-axis) perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser beam, using a single mirror set composed of a plurality of mirrors. The line beam forming device of the present invention can be used for an excimer laser which is a multimode laser beam generator with high beam divergence, a high-power DPSS laser, or a laser diode, can obtain high-density energy by condensing beams, can obtain a beam profile having uniform intensity in both of a long axis and a short axis, and can combine a plurality of laser beams without being influenced by the properties of an incident beam.