Exposure head, exposure apparatus, and application thereof

• US 20030214571A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adtec Engineering Company Limited (Ushio Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamakawa, Hiromitsu, Fujii, Takeshi, Nagano, Kazuhiko, Okazaki, Yoji, Ishikawa, Hiromi
• Granted Patent: US 6,894,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/255
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0604 by a combination of beams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/066 by using masks
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/45 using light-emitting diode [LED] or laser arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/451 Special optical means therefor, e.g. lenses, mirrors, focusing means
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/465 using masks, e.g. light-switching masks
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/47 using the combination of scanning and modulation of light
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 4/50 by irradiation or ozonisation
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 10/005 Laser beam treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7005 by multiple sources, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED] or light source arrays addressable array sources specially adapted to produce patterns without a mask G03F7/70391
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/191 the array comprising a one-dimensional array , or a combination of one-dimensional arrays, or a substantially one-dimensional array, e.g. an array of staggered elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1916 using an array of elements displaced from one another in the main scan direction, e.g. a diagonally arranged array

Abstract

In an exposure apparatus of the invention, for a spatial light modulator, each of a plurality of pixel portions fewer than the total number of the pixel portions is controlled with a control signal generated according to exposure information. Namely, a part of the pixel portions is controlled without controlling a whole of the pixel portions on the substrate. Thus, the number of pixels in the pixel portions is decreased, and transfer time of the control signal becomes short. This enables modulation speed of the laser beam to be increased and the high-speed exposure to be performed. An incorporated laser light source, in which the laser beams are incorporated and struck on the optical fiber, is preferable to the laser device. By adopting the incorporated laser light source, high brightness and high output can be obtained, and it is preferable to the exposure of the spatial light modulator. Since the fiber array is obtained with few optical fibers, it is low cost. Since the number of optical fibers is few, the light-emitting region is further decreased when the optical fibers are arrayed.

Claims

1. An exposure head which is relatively moved in a direction that is orthogonal to a predetermined direction with respect to an exposure surface, comprising:

a laser device which irradiates a laser beam;

a spatial light modulator in which plural pixel portions, at which a light modulation state is changed according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate and which modulates the laser beam irradiated from the laser device;

control means which controls each of a number of the plural pixel portions that is fewer than a total number of the pixel portions arranged on the substrate, using the control signals generated according to exposure information; and

an optical system which focuses the laser beam modulated at each pixel portion, onto the exposure surface.

2. The exposure head of claim 1, wherein the pixel portions controlled by the control means are the pixel portions that are included in a region in which a length of the region in a direction corresponding to the predetermined direction is longer than a length of a region in the direction that is orthogonal to the predetermined direction.

3. The exposure head of claim 1, wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of fiber light sources which irradiates the laser beam which is incident to an incident end of an optical fiber from an outgoing end of the optical fiber, and includes a fiber array light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end of the plurality of fiber light sources are arranged in the shape of an array, or a bundle light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end are arranged in the shape of a bundle.

4. The exposure head of claim 3, wherein an optical fiber in which a core diameter is uniform and a cladding diameter at an outgoing end is smaller than a cladding diameter at an incident end is used as the optical fiber.

5. The exposure head of claim 3, wherein the fiber light source is an incorporated laser light source which incorporates the laser beam and causes the laser beam to impinge to the optical fiber.

6. The exposure head of claim 5, wherein the laser device irradiates a laser beam having a wavelength of 350 to 450 nm.

7. The exposure head of claim 3, wherein the fiber light source comprises a plurality of semiconductor lasers, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers and couples the condensed beam at the incident end of the optical fiber.

8. The exposure head of claim 3, wherein the fiber light source comprises a multi-cavity laser including a plurality of light-emitting points, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of light-emitting points and focuses the condensed beam on the incident end of the optical fiber.

9. The exposure head of claim 3, wherein the fiber light source comprises a plurality of multi-cavity lasers including a plurality of light-emitting points, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of light-emitting points of the plurality of multi-cavity lasers and focuses the condensed beam on the incident end of the optical fiber.

10. The exposure head of claim 1, wherein the spatial light modulator is a micro-mirror device in which plural micro-mirrors, angles of reflection planes of which are changeable according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate, or a liquid crystal shutter array in which plural liquid crystal cells which can shut transmitted light according to respective control signals are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate.

11. The exposure head of claim 1, wherein a collimator lens which collimates the laser beam from the laser device, and an optical system for correcting light intensity distribution are arranged, and the optical system for correcting light intensity distribution changes a light flux width at each outgoing position so that a ratio of a light flux width of a peripheral portion to a light flux width of a central portion near an optical axis is smaller at an outgoing side than at an incident side, and corrects the light intensity distribution of the laser beam collimated by the collimator lens so as to be substantially uniform at an irradiated surface of the spatial light modulator.

12. An exposure apparatus comprising:

an exposure head including a laser device which irradiates a laser beam, a spatial light modulator in which plural pixel portions, at which a light modulation state is changed according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate and which modulates the laser beam irradiated from the laser device, control means which controls each of a number of the plural pixel portions that is fewer than a total number of the pixel portions arranged on the substrate, using the control signals generated according to exposure information, and an optical system which focuses the laser beam modulated at each pixel portion on the exposure surface; and

moving means which relatively moves the exposure head in a direction that is orthogonal to a predetermined direction with respect to the exposure surface.

13. An exposure head which is relatively moved in a direction that is orthogonal to a predetermined direction with respect to an exposure surface, comprising:

a light source including a plurality of light-emitting points;

a micro-mirror device in which plural micro-mirrors, angles of reflection planes of which are changeable according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate;

control means which controls an angle of a reflection plane in each of a plurality of micro-mirrors, which are fewer in number than a total number of the micro-mirrors arranged on the substrate and are included in a region in which a length of the region in a direction corresponding to the predetermined direction is longer than a length in the direction that is orthogonal to the predetermined direction, using the control signals generated according to exposure information; and

an optical system which focuses light reflected by the micro-mirror, onto the exposure surface.

14. The exposure head of claim 13, wherein, in the plurality of micro-mirrors included in the region, the number of micro-mirrors in the direction that is orthogonal to the predetermined direction is from 10 to 200.

15. An exposure head which is relatively moved in a direction that is orthogonal to a predetermined direction with respect to an exposure surface, comprising:

a light source including a plurality of light-emitting points;

a micro-mirror device in which plural micro-mirrors, angles of reflection planes of which are changeable according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate in which a length in a direction corresponding to the predetermined direction is longer than a length in the direction that is orthogonal to the predetermined direction;

control means which controls an angle of a reflection plane of each of the plural micro-mirrors using the control signals generated according to exposure information; and

an optical system which focuses light reflected by the micro-mirror, onto the exposure surface.

16. A rapid prototyping apparatus comprising:

an exposure head including a forming tank which stores a photo-curable resin, a support which is elevatably provided in the forming tank for supporting a formed article, a laser device which irradiates a laser beam, a spatial light modulator in which plural pixel portions, in which a light modulation state is changed according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate and which modulates the laser beam irradiated from the laser device, control means which controls each of a number of the plural pixel portions that is fewer than a total number of the pixel portions arranged on the substrate, using the control signals generated according to exposure information, and an optical system which focuses the laser beam modulated at each pixel portion on a liquid surface of the photo-curable resin stored in the forming tank; and

moving means which relatively moves the exposure head with respect to the liquid surface of the photo-curable resin.

17. The rapid prototyping apparatus of claim 16, wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of fiber light sources which irradiates the laser beam which is incorporated and incident to an incident end of the optical fiber from an outgoing end of the optical fiber, and includes a fiber array light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end of the plurality of fiber light sources are arranged in the shape of an array, or a fiber bundle light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end are arranged in the shape of a bundle.

18. A rapid prototyping apparatus comprising:

an exposure head including a forming tank which stores a powder to be sintered by light irradiation, a support which is elevatably provided in the shaping tank for supporting a formed article, a laser device which irradiates a laser beam, a spatial light modulator in which plural pixel portions, at which a light modulation state is changed according to respective control signals, are two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate and which modulates the laser beam irradiated from the laser device, control means which controls each of a number of the plural pixel portions that is fewer than a total number of the pixel portions arranged on the substrate, using the control signals generated according to exposure information, and an optical system which focuses the laser beam modulated at each pixel portion on a surface of the powder stored in the forming tank; and

moving means which relatively moves the exposure head with respect to the surface of the powder.

19. The rapid prototyping apparatus of claim 18, wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of fiber light sources which irradiates the laser beam which is incorporated and incident to an incident end of the optical fiber from an outgoing end of the optical fiber, and includes a fiber array light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end of the plurality of fiber light sources are arranged in the shape of an array, or a fiber bundle light source in which light-emitting points at the outgoing end are arranged in the shape of a bundle.

20. The rapid prototyping apparatus of claim 18, wherein the laser device is pulse-driven.

21. The rapid prototyping apparatus of claim 20, wherein the laser device is pulse-driven with a pulse width of 1 psec to 100 nsec.

22. A method of forming a minute channel, the method comprising the steps of:

exposing a resist film formed on a substrate with a laser beam having a wavelength of 350 nm to 450 nm, which laser beam is spatially modulated according to forming pattern data of the minute channel;

partially removing the resist film according to an exposure pattern to form a resist film having a predetermined pattern; and

etching the substrate surface to form the minute channel, by using the resist film having the predetermined pattern.

23. The method of forming a minute channel according to claim 22, wherein a thickness of the resist film is 10 μ

m to 100 μ

m, when the minute channel is formed having a width of 10 μ

m to 50 μ

m.

24. The method of forming a minute channel according to claim 22, wherein the laser beam is irradiated from an incorporated laser light source which includes a plurality of semiconductor lasers, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers and couples the condensed beam at an incident end of the optical fiber.

25. The method of forming a minute channel according to claim 24, wherein an optical fiber in which a core diameter is uniform and a cladding diameter at an outgoing end is smaller than a cladding diameter at an incident end is used as the optical fiber.

26. The method of forming a minute channel according to claim 22, wherein the laser beam is irradiated to a spatial light modulator in which plural pixel portions, at which a light modulation state is changed according to respective control signals, are arranged on a substrate, and modulated at each pixel portion of the spatial light modulator.

27. A bleaching apparatus comprising:

chemical solution impregnating means for impregnating fiber prior to dyeing, with a chemical solution containing an oxidizing agent or a reducing agent; and

laser irradiating means which includes an incorporated laser light source including a plurality of semiconductor lasers, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses the laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers and couples the condensed beam at an incident end of the optical fiber, and which laser irradiating means pulse-irradiates cloth impregnated with the chemical solution with the laser beam which has a wavelength of 200 nm to 450 nm.

28. The bleaching apparatus of claim 27, wherein the laser irradiating means irradiates the laser beam which has a wavelength of 350 nm to 450 nm.

29. A bleaching apparatus comprising:

chemical solution impregnating means for impregnating fiber prior to dyeing, with a chemical solution containing an oxidizing agent or a reducing agent; and

laser irradiating means which includes an incorporated laser light source including a semiconductor laser having a plurality of light-emitting points, one optical fiber, and a condensing optical system which condenses laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of light-emitting points of the semiconductor laser having the plurality of light-emitting points and couples the condensed beam at an incident end of the optical fiber, and which laser irradiating means pulse-irradiates cloth impregnated with the chemical solution with the laser beam which has a wavelength of 200 nm to 450 nm.

30. The bleaching apparatus of claim 29, wherein the laser irradiating means irradiates the laser beam which has a wavelength of 350 nm to 450 nm.