F. Poszat Hu, LLC

Qinetiq Limited

Mark Anthony Gleeson Smith

Richard Jonathan Miller

Maurice Stanley

Stuart David Coomber

Andrew Crow

The present invention relates, in one aspect to an image replication system comprising a light guide (), a light source () arranged to direct emitted light into the first end (a) of a light guide (), a reflective spatial light modulator () and focussing means (). In a preferred embodiment, the light guide () is in the form of an elongate glass rod having first and second parallel polygonal end faces (a,b) which are parallel to the long axis of the rod, the rod having a uniform polygonal cross section along its length. The spatial light modulator () is optically coupled to the second end face (b) of the light guide () and the focussing means () is arranged to receive light reflected back through the rod from the spatial light modulator (), whereby to form multiple images of said spatial light modulator in an image plane ().

Image replication system having focusing means to receive reflected light through lightguide from spatial light modulator

A photosensitive areasuch as a photolithographic sheet, in an images plane is notionally subdivided in both dimensions to form contiguous (tiled) sub-areas. Variable illumination meansprovides a selected pixellated light pattern, which is directedto fill a selected one of the sub-areas so that pixels of said pattern are, at least 15 microns across at the sub-area, and control means are responsive to an input signal representative of an image conjointly to control the production and direction of the pixellated patterns so that an entire image is produced over all of the said sub-areas. As shown, the variable illumination means comprises a light sourcewith digital micro-mirror array deflector deviceand the sub-area is selected by lens arraywith a shutterand polariser array10. The latter may be replaced by a two-axis steering mirror and lens array. An analogue micro-mirror array, optionally with, a kaleidoscope, may be used in the illumination means, with (a) collimating optics and lens array; or (b) a focussing macrolens, for sub-area selection.

Printing by active tiling

An apparatus includes a light source configured to provide a path of light and a spatial light modulator located in the path of light and configured to modulate the light source. Relay optics are configured to receive the modulated light from the spatial light modulator and to project a computer generated image to a nominal image plane. The light source is configured to illuminate the spatial light modulator with collimated light.

Image transfer apparatus

The present invention relates, in one aspect to an image replication system comprising a light guide (), a light source () arranged to direct emitted light into the first end () of a light guide (), a reflective spatial light modulator () and focussing means (). In a preferred embodiment, the light guide () is in the form of an elongate glass rod having first and second parallel polygonal end faces () which are parallel to the long axis of the rod, the rod having a uniform polygonal cross section along its length. The spatial light modulator () is optically coupled to the second end face () of the light guide () and the focussing means () is arranged to receive light reflected back through the rod from the spatial light modulator (), whereby to form multiple images of said spatial light modulator in an image plane ().

A photosensitive area, such as a photolithographic sheet, in an images plane is notionally subdivided in both dimensions to form contiguous (tiled) sub-areas. Variable illumination meansprovides a selected pixellated light pattern, which is directedto fill a selected one of the sub-areas so that pixels of said pattern are, at least 15 microns across at the sub-area, and control means are responsive to an input signal representative of an image conjointly to control the production and direction of the pixellated patterns so that an entire image is produced over all of the said sub-areas. As shown, the variable illumination means comprises a light sourcewith digital micro-mirror array deflector device, and the sub-area is selected by lens arraywith a shutterand polariser array. The latter may be replaced by a two-axis steering mirror and lens array. An analogue micro-mirror array, optionally with, a kaleidoscope, may be used in the illumination means, with (a) collimating optics and lens array; or (b) a focussing macro-lens, for sub-area selection.

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Malvern, United Kingdom

Mark Anthony Gleeson Smith