Micro-machining system employing a two stage beam steering mechanism

Abstract

A system for micromachining a substrate, including at least one source of pulsed radiant energy providing at least one pulsed beam of radiation along an optical axis, the at least one pulsed beam including multiple pulses separated by a temporal pulse separation; and a changeable output beam propagator disposed between the at least one source of radiant energy and the substrate and being operative to output a plurality of output beams each output beam being output at a selected angle relative to the optical axis, the angle being changeable in an amount of time that is less than the temporal pulse separation.

1 . A system for micromachining a substrate, comprising: 
 at least one source of pulsed radiant energy providing at least one pulsed beam of radiation along an optical axis, said at least one pulsed beam including multiple pulses separated by a temporal pulse separation; and    a changeable output beam propagator disposed between said at least one source of radiant energy and said substrate and being operative to output a plurality of output beams each output beam being output at a selected angle relative to said optical axis said angle being changeable in an amount of time that is less than said temporal pulse separation.    
   
   
       2 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and wherein said at least one source of pulsed radiant energy comprises at least one pulsed laser and wherein said pulsed beam of radiation includes a pulsed laser beam.  
   
   
       3 . The system claimed in  claim 2  and wherein said at least one pulsed laser is a Q-switched laser.  
   
   
       4 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and wherein said at least one source of pulsed radiant energy comprises a Q-switched laser.  
   
   
       5 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and wherein said plurality of output beams includes a selectable number of output beams.  
   
   
       6 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and wherein said beam propagator is operative to direct each of said plurality of output beams in a selectable direction.  
   
   
       7 . The system claimed in  claim 5  and wherein said beam propagator is operative to direct said output beams in selectable directions.  
   
   
       8 . The system claimed in  claim 7  and wherein said beam propagator comprises an acousto-optical deflector whose operation is governed by a control signal.  
   
   
       9 . The system claimed in  claim 8  and wherein said acousto-optical deflector comprises an acoustic wave generator controlled by said control signal, said acoustic wave generator generating an acoustic wave which determines said number of output beams.  
   
   
       10 . The system claimed in  claim 8  and wherein said acousto-optical deflector comprises an acoustic wave generator controlled by said control signal, said acoustic wave generator generating an acoustic wave which determines said selectable directions of said output beams.  
   
   
       11 . The system claimed in  claim 9  and wherein said acoustic wave also determines said selectable directions of said output beams.  
   
   
       12 . The system claimed in  claim 11  and wherein said acoustic wave includes a plurality of spatially distinct acoustic wave segments, each spatially distinct acoustic wave segment being defined by a portion of said control signal having a distinct frequency.  
   
   
       13 . The system claimed in  claim 12  and wherein said each spatially distinct acoustic wave segment determines a corresponding spatially distinct direction of a corresponding output beam, said direction being a function of the frequency of the portion of the control signal corresponding to said acoustic wave segment.  
   
   
       14 . The system claimed in  claim 12  and wherein the number of said spatially distinct acoustic wave segments corresponds to the number of corresponding output beams.  
   
   
       15 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and wherein: 
 said beam propagator comprises a dynamically configurable beam propagator receiving said pulsed beam of radiation and splitting said beam into a selectable number of output beams, said dynamically configurable beam propagator being capable of changing at least one of the number and direction of said sub-beams within a reconfiguration time duration; and    said temporal pulse separation is greater than said reconfiguration time duration.    
   
   
       16 . The system claimed in  claim 1  and also comprising: 
 a plurality of independently positionable beam steering elements being capable of changing the direction of said output beams within a redirection time duration; and wherein:    said temporal pulse separation is less than said redirection time duration.    
   
   
       17 . The system claimed in  claim 15  and also comprising: 
 a plurality of independently positionable beam steering elements being capable of changing the direction of said output beams within a redirection time duration; and wherein:    said temporal pulse separation is less than said redirection time duration.    
   
   
       18 . The system claimed in  claim 2  and also comprising: 
 a plurality of beam steering elements, each comprising a reflector mounted on at least one selectably tilting actuator.    
   
   
       19 . The system claimed in  claim 17  and wherein each of said plurality of beam steering elements comprises a reflector mounted on at least one selectably tilting actuator.  
   
   
       20 . The system claimed in  claim 18  and wherein said at least one actuator comprises a piezoelectric device.  
   
   
       21 . The system claimed in  claim 18  and wherein said at least one actuator comprises a MEMs device.  
   
   
       22 . The system claimed in  claim 17  and wherein said plurality of beam steering elements includes a number of beam steering elements which exceeds the number of output beams included in said plurality of sub-beams and wherein at least some of said plurality of output beams are directed to at least some of said plurality of beam steering elements while others of said plurality of said beam steering elements are being repositioned.  
   
   
       23 . The system claimed in  claim 5  and wherein said selectable number of output beams all lie in a plane.  
   
   
       24 . The system claimed in  claim 16  and wherein said plurality of independently positionable beam steering elements comprises a two dimensional array of beam steering elements.  
   
   
       25 . The system claimed in  claim 24  and further comprising an array of fixed deflectors optically interposed between said at least one source of pulsed radiant energy and said plurality of independently positionable beam steering elements.  
   
   
       26 . The system claimed in  claim 16  wherein said independently positionable beam steering elements are operative to direct said output beams of radiation to remove a portion of said substrate at specific locations.