System and method to form unpolarized light
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- a source of radiation that produces a linearly polarized beam; and
an unpolarizing system comprising,a splitter configured to split the linearly polarized beam into first and second portions,first and second optical paths, the first portion of the split beam travels along the first optical path that has a first path length and the second portion of the split beam travels along the second optical path that has a second path length, the second path length being different than the first path length,a combiner configured to combine the first and second portions to form an unpolarized beam, anda rotatable half wave plate located before the splitter configured to tune an intensity of at least one of the first or second portions of the split beam,wherein the tuning produces a uniform intensity of the first and second portions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are used to form an unpolarized light beam from a polarized light beam. A system comprises a source of radiation and a unpolarizing system. The source of radiation produces a linear polarized beam. The unpolarizing system has first and second optical paths and splits the linear polarized beam. A first portion of the split beam travels along the first optical path having a first path length. A second portion of the split beam travels along the second optical path having a second, different path length. The first and second portions of the split beam are combined to form the unpolarized beam.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A system, comprising:
-
a source of radiation that produces a linearly polarized beam; and an unpolarizing system comprising, a splitter configured to split the linearly polarized beam into first and second portions, first and second optical paths, the first portion of the split beam travels along the first optical path that has a first path length and the second portion of the split beam travels along the second optical path that has a second path length, the second path length being different than the first path length, a combiner configured to combine the first and second portions to form an unpolarized beam, and a rotatable half wave plate located before the splitter configured to tune an intensity of at least one of the first or second portions of the split beam, wherein the tuning produces a uniform intensity of the first and second portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A lithography system, comprising:
-
an illumination system that generates an illumination beam of radiation, comprising, a source of radiation, and an unpolarizing system comprising, a splitter, first and second optical paths, a combiner, and a rotatable half wave plate located before the splitter configured to tune a uniform intensity of the illumination beam; a patterning device that patterns the illumination beam of radiation; and a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method, comprising:
-
(a) splitting a linearly polarized beam into first and second beams; (b) directing the first beam along a first optical path having a first optical path length; (c) directing the second beam along a second optical path having a second optical path length, the second path length being different than the first path length; (d) combining the first beam from the first optical path with the second beam from the second optical path to form an unpolarized beam, and (e) tuning of an intensity of at least one of the first beam or the second beam based on respective polarization directions of the first beam and the second beam, wherein the tuning produces a uniform intensity of the first and second beams. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A laser that outputs an unpolarized beam, comprising:
-
a source of radiation that produces a linearly polarized beam; and an unpolarizing system comprising, a splitter configured to split the linearly polarized beam into first and second portions, first and second optical paths, the first portion of the split beam travels along the first optical path that has a first path length and the second portion of the split beam travels along the second optical path that has a second path length, the second path length being different than the first path length, a combiner configured to combine the first and second portions to form an unpolarized beam, and a rotatable half wave plate located before the splitter configured to tune an intensity of at least one of the first or second portions of the split beam, wherein the tuning produces a uniform intensity of the first and second portions. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. An illuminator that outputs an unpolarized beam, comprising:
-
a source of radiation that produces a linearly polarized beam; and an unpolarizing system comprising, a splitter configured to split the linearly polarized beam into first and second portions, first and second optical paths, the first portion of the split beam travels along the first optical path that has a first path length and the second portion of the split beam travels along the second optical path that has a second path length, the second path length being different than the first path length, a combiner configured to combine the first and second portions to form an unpolarized beam, and a rotatable half wave plate located before the splitter configured to tune an intensity of at least one of the first or second portions of the split beam, wherein the tuning produces a uniform intensity of the first and second portions. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification