Multiplexed hologram interference exposure system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12566335-B2
Application number	US-202117919017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for fabricating optical devices. The apparatus includes a support table having process chambers and a laser used to direct a beam along a propagation path to each of the process chambers. A central mirror is centrally disposed among the process chambers and is rotatable to reflect the beam to each of the process chambers for processing. A beam splitter is disposed within each of process chambers, each beam splitter is used to receive beams from the central mirror and emits a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction. A first mirror directs the first beam to a device and a second mirror directs the second beam to the device. Each of the first and second mirror is rotatable in at least three axes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for fabricating optical devices, comprising:
a support table comprising a plurality of process chambers; a laser configured to direct a beam along a propagation path to each of the plurality of process chambers; a central mirror centrally disposed among the plurality of process chambers; a beam splitter disposed within each of the plurality of process chambers, the beam splitter configured to receive the beam from the central mirror and emit a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction; and a first mirror configured to direct the first beam to a device; and a second mirror configured to direct the second beam to the device, wherein the each of the first and second mirror is rotatable in at least three axes.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam converting optic disposed between the laser and the central mirror relative to the propagation path and configured to receive the beam from the laser and emit the beam to the central mirror, the beam converting optic configured to receive the beam comprising a first intensity profile and to emit the beam comprising a second intensity profile.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the beam converting optic is a tube comprising a first aspheric lens on an inlet end and a second aspheric lens on an outlet end of the tube.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam diverter disposed between the laser and the beam converting along the propagation path and configured to receive the beam from the laser and divert the beam to the beam converting optic.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the beam diverter is a mirror.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the beam diverter is a prism.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam expander configured to expand a size of the beam from the central mirror and emit the beam to the beam splitter.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the beam expander is disposed in each of the process chambers between the central mirror and the beam splitter along the propagation path.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a third mirror configured to direct the first beam from the beam splitter to the first mirror; and a fourth mirror configured to direct the second beam from the beam splitter to the second mirror.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser is a titanium sapphire laser.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support table comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening therethrough, wherein the laser is disposed adjacent to the lower surface of the support table and the plurality of process chambers are disposed on the upper surface of the support table, the laser configured to emit the beam through the opening.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support table comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, the laser is disposed adjacent to the upper surface of the support table and adjacent to the plurality of process chambers.

13 . An apparatus for fabricating hologram devices, comprising:
a support table comprising a plurality of process chambers; a laser configured to direct a beam along a propagation path to each of the plurality of process chambers; a central mirror disposed in a center region of the support table, the plurality of process chambers surrounding the center region of the support table; a beam converting optic configured to receive a beam from the laser and emit the beam to the central mirror, the beam converting optic configured to receive the beam comprising a first intensity profile and to emit the beam comprising a second intensity profile, the central mirror configured to sequentially direct the beam from the laser to each of the plurality of process chambers; a beam splitter disposed on each of the plurality of process chambers, the beam splitter configured to receive the laser from the central mirror and emit a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction; and a first mirror configured to direct the first beam to an optical target; and a second mirror configured to direct the second beam to the optical target, wherein the first and second mirror is rotatable along three axes.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the central mirror is rotatable along a single axis.

15 . A method for fabricating hologram devices, comprising:
directing a beam from a laser to a central mirror, the central mirror disposed in a central region of a support table, the support table comprising a plurality of process chambers surrounding the central mirror; directing the beam from the central mirror to a first chamber of the plurality of process chambers disposed on the support table; expanding the beam from the central mirror in a beam expander disposed in the first chamber; splitting the beam from the beam expander with a beam splitter disposed in each of the plurality of process chambers, the beam splitter configured to receive the laser from the central mirror and emit a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction; and directing the first beam from the beam splitter to a first mirror and to a device; directing the second beam from the beam splitter to a second mirror and to the device, wherein the first and second mirrors are rotatable along three axes; and simultaneously exposing a first side of a device to the first beam and a second side of the device to the second beam.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein directing the beam from the laser to a central mirror, comprises:
directing the beam to a defector, a prism assembly directing the beam to a beam converting optic, the beam comprising a first intensity profile; and converting the first intensity profile to a second intensity profile using the beam converting optic.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first intensity profile is a gaussian-like shape and the second intensity profile is non-gaussian shape.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first beam comprises a first intensity and the second beam comprises a second intensity, the first and second intensity are substantially equal.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the laser comprises a power of about 1.0 to about 2.0 watts.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising directing the beam from the central mirror to a second chamber of the plurality of process chambers disposed on the support table.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Mueller Ulrich
• Markle David

Classifications

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B26/0816

  by means of one or more reflecting elements · CPC title

• G03H2227/04

  Production line for mass production · CPC title

• G03H2222/12

  Single or narrow bandwidth source, e.g. laser, light emitting diode [LED] · CPC title

• G03H2223/23

  Diffractive element · CPC title