Lithograph with moving lens and method of producing digital holograms in a storage medium

• US 7,123,340 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: tesa scribos GmbH (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: tesa scribos GmbH (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Dietrich, Christoph, Noehte, Steffen, Leiber, Jörn, Stadler, Stefan, Thomann, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/472,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 355/2, 355/53, 355/67, 359/9, 359/35, 359/30, 359/31, 365/125, 365/216, 430/1, 347/241, 347/242, 347/262
• US Class Current: 355/2
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70383 Direct write, i.e. pattern is written directly without the use of a mask by one or multiple beams maskless lithography using a programmable mask G03F7/70291
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/08 Synthesising holograms, i.e. holograms synthesized from objects or objects from hologramsusing electric digital computers G06F; G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0891 Processes or apparatus adapted to convert digital holographic data into a hologram G03H1/2294 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a lithograph for producing digital holograms in a storage medium (4), having a light source (6, 10) for producing a write beam (12) with a predefined beam cross section, having a writing lens (14) for focusing the write beam (12) onto the storage medium (4) to be written, the writing lens (14) being arranged in a lens holder (16), and having drive means for the two-dimensional movement of the write beam relative to the storage medium. The technical problem of writing computer-generated holograms as quickly as possible and with little effort by means of optical lithography is solved in that a first drive device (18) is provided for moving the lens holder (16) substantially at right angles to the write beam (12) and in that the aperture of the writing lens (14) is smaller than the beam cross section of the write beam (12).

The inventon also relates to a method for the lithographic production of a hologram in a storage medium.

Claims

1. A lithographic device for producing digital holograms in a storage medium,

having a light source for producing a write beam with a predefined beam cross section,

having a writing lens for focusing the write beam onto the storage medium to be written, the writing lens being arranged in a lens holder, and

having drive means for two-dimensional movement of the write beam relative to the storage medium,

wherein

the drive means include a first drive device for moving the lens holder substantially at right angles to the write beam and

an aperture of the writing lens is smaller than the beam cross section of the write beam.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the drive device is formed as a linear motor or as a voice coil motor.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the mounting of the lens holder is formed as solid-state bearings, ball bearings, sliding bearings, air bearings or magnetic bearings.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the lens holder is linearly mounted and oscillates resonantly in one direction.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein the lens holder is rotationally mounted and oscillates resonantly in one rotational direction.

6. The device as in claim 5, wherein the lens holder oscillates at a frequency greater than 1 kHz.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein

in that the first drive device moves the writing lens in a first direction of movement and

in that the drive means include a second drive device for moving the write beam relative to the storage medium in a second direction of movement transversely with respect to the first direction of movement.

8. The device as in claim 7, wherein the second drive device moves the lens holder of the writing lens relative to the write beam.

9. The device as in claim 7, wherein the second drive device moves the light source and the lens holder of the writing lens relative to the storage medium.

10. The device as in claim 7, wherein the second drive device moves the storage medium relative to the light source and the lens holder of the writing lens.

11. A device as in claim 1, wherein the writing lens is formed as a microlens.

12. The device as in claim 11, wherein at least two writing lenses arranged beside each other are provided, the write beam illuminating at least two writing lenses simultaneously.

13. The device as in claim 12, wherein the writing lenses are arranged in an array.

14. The device as in claim 1, wherein means are provided for adjusting the distance between the storage medium and the writing lens.

15. A method for the lithographic production of digital holograms in a storage medium with a lithographic device of claim 1,

wherein a write beam being focused onto the storage medium with the aid of a light source and a writing lens and being moved two-dimensionally relative to the storage medium with the aid of drive means,

wherein the writing lens is moved relative to the optical storage medium in a first direction of movement substantially at right angles to the propagation direction of the write beam,

wherein within the range of movement of the writing lens, the aperture of the writing lens is illuminated substantially completely by the write beam, and

wherein the hologram is written by introducing radiation energy point by point, the intensity of the write beam being controlled as a function of the position of the write beam on the storage medium.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the writing lens is moved relative to the storage medium in a second direction of movement transversely with respect to the first direction of movement.

17. The method as in claim 15, wherein the light source and the writing lens are moved relative to the storage medium.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein the storage medium is moved relative to the light source and writing lens.

19. The method as in claim 15, wherein an orthogonal point pattern on the storage medium is scanned with the aid of the write beam.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the relative movement between write beam and storage medium in the second direction of movement is carried out discontinuously during the movement of the writing lens in the first direction of movement.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein during the movement of the write beam in the first direction of movement along the area of the storage medium to be written, the write beam is not moved in the second direction of movement and wherein, during the movement of the write beam in the first direction of movement along the area of the storage medium not to be written, the write beam is moved by one step transversely with respect to the first direction of movement.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein during the movement of the write beam in the first direction of movement, the write beam is moved continuously in the second direction of movement.

23. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein with the aid of at least two writing lenses which are arranged beside each other and are designed in the form of writing microlenses, holograms are written on the storage medium simultaneously.

24. The method as in claim 15, wherein the distance between the writing lens and the storage medium is set to write at various depths within the storage medium.

25. The method as in claim 23, wherein the distance between the writing microlenses and the storage medium is set to write at various depths within the storage medium.