Polarization module and laser apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654130-B2
Application number	US-201615175649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A polarization module and a laser exposure apparatus have a polarization module including a first lens and a second lens that reduce a one-directional length of a cross-section of an incident laser beam having an optical axis. A polarization beam splitter divides the laser beam passing through the first and second lenses into two laser beams that are polarized in different directions with respect to each other. A first prism lens and a second prism lens emit an output laser beam by controlling the two laser beams that are divided by the polarization beam splitter to positions that are symmetrical with respect to the optical axis. At least one half wave plate is disposed between the polarization beam splitter and the first prism lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polarization module comprising:
a first lens and a second lens that, together, reduce a first-directional length of a cross-section of an incident laser beam having an optical axis;
a polarization beam splitter that divides the laser beam from the second lens into a first laser beam and a second laser beam that are polarized in different directions with respect to each other, the optical axis passing the polarization beam splitter;
a first half wave plate disposed on a passing path of the first laser beam;
a second half wave plate disposed on a passing path of the second laser beam;
a first prism lens disposed on a passing path of both the first laser beam from the first half wave plate and the second laser beam from the second half wave plate; and
a second prism lens disposed on a passing path of both the first laser beam and the second laser beam from the first prism lens, the second lens outputting an output laser beam,
wherein the output laser beam from the second prism lens is aligned to be symmetrical with respect to the optical axis.

2. The polarization module of claim 1 , wherein an area of a cross-section of the output laser beam is substantially the same as an area of a cross-section of the incident laser beam.

3. The polarization module of claim 2 , wherein the output laser beam includes a first output laser beam and a second output laser beam that have a same polarization direction.

4. The polarization module of claim 3 , wherein a shape of the cross-section of the output laser beam is substantially the same as a shape of the cross-section of the incident laser beam.

5. The polarization module of claim 2 , wherein the first prism lens includes a first optical plane and a second optical plane that form different angles with respect to a central axis of the first prism lens.

6. The polarization module of claim 5 , wherein the second prism lens has a shape that is the same as a shape of the first prism lens, and the second prism lens is disposed in a direction that is different from that of the first prism lens.

7. The polarization module of claim 6 , wherein the central axis of the first prism lens is misaligned from a central axis the second prism lens.

8. The polarization module of claim 2 , wherein the first lens and the second lens are each telescopic lenses having different focal distances from each other.

9. The polarization module of claim 2 , wherein
a difference between rotation angles of the first half wave plate and the second half wave plate is substantially 45 degrees.

10. The polarization module of claim 2 , further comprising at least one mirror configured to reflect the second laser beam at least one time and then introduce the second laser beam into the second half wave plate.

11. A laser exposure apparatus comprising:
a polarization module; and
an optical system configured to increase a uniformity of a laser beam emitted from the polarization module more,
wherein the polarization module includes:
a first lens and a second lens that, together, reduce a one-directional length of a cross-section of at least one incident laser beam having an optical axis;
a polarization beam splitter that divides the laser beam from the second lens into a first laser beam and a second laser beam that are polarized in different directions with respect to each other, the optical axis passing the polarization beam splitter;
a first half wave plate disposed on a passing path of the first laser beam;
a second half wave plate disposed on a passing path of the second laser beam;
a first prism lens disposed on a passing path of both the first laser beam from the first half wave plate and the second laser beam from the second half wave plate; and
a second prism lens disposed on a passing path of both the first laser beam and the second laser beam from the first prism lens, the second prism lens outputting an output laser beam,
wherein the output laser beam from the second prism lens is aligned to be symmetrical with respect to the optical axis.

12. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 11 , wherein an area of a cross-section of the output laser beam is substantially the same as an area of the cross-section of the incident laser beam.

13. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the output laser beam includes a first output laser beam and a second output laser beam that have a same polarization direction.

14. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a shape of the cross-section of the output laser beam is substantially the same as a shape of the cross-section of the incident laser beam.

15. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first output laser beam and the second output laser beam are separated from each other at a first distance, and the first distance is an integer multiple of a pitch of lenses of at least ono lens array unit included in the optical system.

16. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the optical system includes:
at least one lens array unit; and
a laser beam blocking member disposed to correspond to a boundary between the first output laser beam and the second output laser beam.

17. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first prism lens includes a first optical plane and a second optical plane that form different angles with respect to a central axis of the first prism lens.

18. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second prism lens has a shape that is the same as a shape of the first prism lens, and the second prism lens is disposed in a direction that is different from that of the first prism lens.

19. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
a difference between rotation angles of the first half wave plate and the second half wave plate is substantially 45 degrees.

20. The laser exposure apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one incident laser beam includes a first incident laser beam and a second incident laser beam, the first lens and the second lens, the polarization beam splitter, the first prism lens and the second prism lens are arranged on an optical axis of the first incident laser beam, and the laser exposure apparatus further includes a third lens and a fourth lens, an additional polarization beam splitter, and a third prism lens that are arranged on an optical axis of the second incident laser beam.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Joo Woan
• Cheong Byoung Ho
• Prudnikov Oleg
• Na Jeong Kyun
• Bae Joon-Hwa
• Lee Seung Hwan
• Choo Byoung Kwon

Classifications

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G03F7/70566

  Polarisation control · CPC title

• G02B27/0955

  Lenses (lenses per se G02B3/00) · CPC title

• G02B5/04

  Prisms · CPC title

• G02B27/286

  for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another (G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34) · CPC title