Optical system for transforming numerical aperture
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- an optical element that comprises a pupil defining element configured to receive a beam from a radiation source and to produce a pupil defined beam, including a plurality of beams, therefrom;
a relay having a first and second lens arrays arranged in series, wherein the first lens array receives the plurality of beams and the second lens array directly receives from the first lens array the plurality of beams that pass through the first lens array and re-images the plurality of beams into a plurality of corresponding beams in an image plane to produce a plurality of corresponding beams; and
another relay configured to receive and to direct a condensed plurality of beams onto an array of individually controllable elements, wherein the condensed plurality of beams is based on the plurality of corresponding beams.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. For instance, the system can include an optical element and a relay. The optical element can include a pupil defining element. Further, the relay can have a first and second lens array arranged in series and configured to receive the plurality of beams and to re-image the plurality of beams into a corresponding plurality of beams in an image plane. Each of the plurality of corresponding beams can have a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of each of the plurality of beams.
34 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an optical element that comprises a pupil defining element configured to receive a beam from a radiation source and to produce a pupil defined beam, including a plurality of beams, therefrom; a relay having a first and second lens arrays arranged in series, wherein the first lens array receives the plurality of beams and the second lens array directly receives from the first lens array the plurality of beams that pass through the first lens array and re-images the plurality of beams into a plurality of corresponding beams in an image plane to produce a plurality of corresponding beams; and another relay configured to receive and to direct a condensed plurality of beams onto an array of individually controllable elements, wherein the condensed plurality of beams is based on the plurality of corresponding beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 19)
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6. A system comprising:
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an optical element that comprises a field defining element configured to receive a beam and generate a field defined beam, including a plurality of beams, therefrom; a first relay having a first and second lens arrays arranged in series and configured to receive the plurality of beams and to re-image the plurality of beams into a plurality of corresponding beams in an image plane, the plurality of corresponding beams having a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of each of the plurality of beams; and a second relay having a third and fourth lens arrays arranged in series and configured to receive the field defined beam and to generate another plurality of corresponding beams therefrom, each of the another plurality of corresponding beams having a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of the field defined beam. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system comprising:
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an optical element that comprises a pupil defining element configured to receive a beam and to generate a plurality of beams, therefrom; a relay having a first and second lens arrays arranged in series, wherein the first lens array receives the plurality of beams and the second lens array directly receives from the first lens array the plurality of beams that pass through the first lens array and re-images the plurality of beams onto an image plane as a plurality of corresponding beams to produce a plurality of corresponding beams; another relay configured to receive and to direct a condensed plurality of beams onto an array of individually controllable elements, wherein the condensed plurality of beams is based on the plurality of corresponding beams; and an optical system located after the relay and the another relay and configured to condition the condensed plurality of beams. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification