Micro-machining employing multiple independently focused and independently steered beams

Abstract

A system for delivering energy to a substrate includes a laser energy source providing at least two laser beams, wherein each of the beams is steered to an independently selectable location on a target, and is independently focused onto the target.

1 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece, comprising: 
 at least one laser energy source providing at least two laser beams;    a plurality of laser beam steering modules arranged to selectably steer said at least two laser beams to selectable locations on a target; and    a plurality of laser beam focusing optical modules associated with said laser beam steering modules for focusing at least one of said at least two laser beams onto said workpiece.    
     
     
         2 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of laser beam steering modules comprises a number of laser beam steering modules greater than said at least one laser beam, thereby to define at least one redundant laser beam steering module.  
     
     
         3 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of laser beam focusing optical modules comprises a number of laser beam focusing optical modules greater than said at least one laser beam, thereby to define at least one redundant laser beam focusing optical module.  
     
     
         4 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said at least one laser beam can be selectably directed to a selectable laser beam steering module,, wherein said redundancy in said plurality of laser beam steering modules compensates for a difference between said pulse repetition rate and a cycle time of each of said laser beam steering modules.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of laser beam focusing optical modules comprises a number of laser beam focusing optical modules greater than said at least one laser beam, thereby to define at least one redundant laser beam focusing optical module.  
     
     
         6 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said at least one laser beam can be selectably directed to a selectable laser beam focusing optical module, wherein said redundancy in said plurality of laser beam focusing optical modules compensates for a difference between a pulse repetition rate of said at least one laser beam and a cycle time of each of said laser beam focusing optical modules.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said laser energy source is a pulsed laser energy source, wherein during a first pulse of said at least one pulsed laser energy source, a first laser beam focusing optical module is operative to focus a first pulsed laser beam onto said workpiece.  
     
     
         8 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein during said first pulse a redundant laser beam focusing optical module is operative to be repositioned to a position required to focus a subsequent pulsed laser beam onto said workpiece, said subsequent pulsed laser beam to be output during a subsequent pulse of said at least one pulsed laser energy source.  
     
     
         9 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said laser beam focusing module is located upstream of said beam steering module, said laser beam focusing module comprising at least one movable lens to focus said pulse laser onto said workpiece.  
     
     
         10 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said laser beam focusing module comprises at least one actuator in said at least one laser beam steering module, said actuator operative to move a portion of said laser beam steering module along an axis to compensate for changes in a length of an optical path as a function of steering said at least one laser beam.  
     
     
         11 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one laser energy source is operative to provide a plurality of laser beams.  
     
     
         12 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one laser energy source is operative to provide a plurality of laser beams, and said plurality of laser beam focusing optical includes an at least one redundant laser beam focusing optical module respective of each laser beam.  
     
     
         13 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a cycle time for configuring a laser beam focusing optical module to focus a laser beam onto said workpiece exceeds a time interval separating pulses of said at least one pulsed laser source.  
     
     
         14 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said at least one pulsed laser energy source comprises a deflector selectably deflecting said at least one pulsed laser beam.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said at least one laser energy source comprises an acousto-optical deflector having cycle time that is less than a time interval between pulses of said pulsed laser source.  
     
     
         16 . Apparatus for delivering laser energy to a workpiece as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein during an initial pulse of said pulsed laser energy source said deflector is operative to deflect an initial laser beam to a first laser beam focusing optical module, and during a next pulse said deflector is operative to deflect a next laser output to a redundant laser beam focusing optical module.