Michael J Bohan

US Patent:

6731320, May 4, 2004

Filed:

Mar 19, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/273115

Inventors:

Paul C. Allen - Beaverton OR
Michael J. Bohan - Beaverton OR
Morris H. Green - Milwaukie OR
Henry Christopher Hamaker - Portland OR

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

B41J 1514

US Classification:

347233, 347256, 347239, 347241, 250234, 359204, 359197

Abstract:

A scanning system uses a multi-beam brush having a widely separated beams, a modulator that controls intensity of pixels in scan beams, an optical system that minimizes scan line bow at the expense of non-uniform scanning beam velocity, and a timing generator that generates a pixel clock signal having a variable period that compensates for the non-uniformity of pixel velocity. The wide separation of scan beams permits the modulator to turn beams on or off with a direction of brightening or darkening in the cross-section of the beams being opposite to the scanning direction. A novel arrangement of the beams in the brush permits a uniform indexing step size to uniformly expose an image region. In one embodiment, the timing generator includes: a source of pixel period values; a select circuit to select pixel period values for pixels, and a counter that loads a first value from the pixel period value selected for a pixel, counts for a period of time indicated by the first value, and asserts a signal marking an end of the period. An additional delay after the signal from the counter can be shorter than the period of a clock signal to the counter but also controlled by the pixel period value.

US Patent:

6897888, May 24, 2005

Filed:

Feb 25, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/787569

Inventors:

Paul C. Allen - Beaverton OR, US
Michael J. Bohan - Beaverton OR, US
Morris H. Green - Milwaukie OR, US
Henry Christopher Hamaker - Portland OR, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

B41J015/14
G02B026/08

US Classification:

347233, 347256, 347239, 359204, 359197

Abstract:

A scanning system uses a multi-beam brush having a widely separated beams, a modulator that controls intensity of pixels in scan beams, an optical system that minimizes scan line bow at the expense of non-uniform scanning beam velocity, and a timing generator that generates a pixel clock signal having a variable period that compensates for the non-uniformity of pixel velocity. The wide separation of scan beams permits the modulator to turn beams on or off with a direction of brightening or darkening in the cross-section of the beams being opposite to the scanning direction. A novel arrangement of the beams in the brush permits a uniform indexing step size to uniformly expose an image region. In one embodiment, the timing generator includes: a source of pixel period values; a select circuit to select pixel period values for pixels, and a counter that loads a first value from the pixel period value selected for a pixel, counts for a period of time indicated by the first value, and asserts a signal marking an end of the period. An additional delay after the signal from the counter can be shorter than the period of a clock signal to the counter but also controlled by the pixel period value.

US Patent:

53862210, Jan 31, 1995

Filed:

Nov 2, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/970480

Inventors:

Paul C. Allen - Beaverton OR
Matthew J. Jolley - Beaverton OR
Robin L. Teitzel - Portland OR
Michael Rieger - Portland OR
Michael Bohan - Beaverton OR
Timothy Thomas - Beaverton OR

Assignee:

Etec Systems, Inc. - Beaverton OR

International Classification:

B41J 2435

US Classification:

346108

Abstract:

An improved laser pattern generation apparatus. The improved pattern generation apparatus of the present invention uses a laser beam to expose a radiant sensitive film on the workpiece to print circuit patterns on a substrate. The laser beam is aligned using a beam steering means. The laser beam is split into 32 beams to create a brush. The brush scans the workpiece through use of a rotating polygonal mirror. Each beam of the brush may have one of seventeen intensity values. The beams are modulated by an Acousto-Optical Modulator. Signals provided to the Acousto-Optical Modulator define the pattern to be generated. These signals are created by a rasterizer. Increased print speed is accomplished through the use of a wider brush and a print strategy that eliminates physical stage passes.