Deutsches Zentrum Fuer Luft-und Raumfahrt E.v

Deutsche Forschungsanstalt Fuer Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.v.

Universitaet Stuttgart Institut Fuer Strahlwerkzeuge

Other

Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh

Institut Fuer Mikroelektronik Stuttgart

Universitaet Stuttgart Institut Fuer Strahlwerkqeuge

Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft-und Raumfahrt E.v.

Uwe Brauch

Hans Opower

Adolf Giesen

Uwe Becker

Werner Spaeth

Andreas Voss

Helmut Huegel

Norbert Bissinger

Bernd Hoefflinger

Marcus Scholl

Bernd Luecke

Klaus Wittig

Svent-Simon Beyertt

Guido Hergenhan

Reinhard Springer

In order to operate a laser amplifier system comprising a solid-state body thermally coupled to a cooling member and having a laser active volume area, in which at least one laser-active amplifier structure consisting of semiconductor material is arranged in at least one surface and extends at least over partial areas of the surface, a pumping radiation source generating a pumping radiation field for the optical pumping of the laser-active volume area and an optical means of the amplifier defining a laser amplifier radiation field passing through the laser active volume area, as efficiently as possible it is suggested that the absorption of pumping radiation from the pumping radiation field in the laser-active amplifier structure be equal to or greater than the absorption of pumping radiation by a surrounding structure adjacent to the amplifier structure and that the pumping radiation field proceed such that it passes several times through the amplifier structure.

Optically pumped semi-conductive laser

In order to provide a device for generating an image on an image surface with N&times;M image elements which can be illuminated individually, comprising a plurality of semiconductor radiation sources, each of which generates radiation with at least one color, an optical imaging means with a beam guidance, by means of which a plurality of image elements can be illuminated with each of the semiconductor radiation sources, with which it is possible to generate an image on an image surface in as simple a manner as possible using radiation sources, it is suggested that the image surface ( ) be divided into a plurality of continuous image surface sections ( ), each comprising a two-dimensional ensemble of image elements ( ), that an illumination unit ( ) be associated with each of the image surface sections ( ) and that each illumination unit ( ) have at least one semiconductor radiation source ( ) and at least one optical imaging means ( ) of its own associated with this illumination unit ( ), this optical imaging means imaging a radiation outlet ( ) onto the corresponding image surface section ( ) in a free beam propagation.

Device for generating an image

In order to create a lithography exposure device for producing structures extending in a surface area in a light-sensitive layer, with which a radiation field can be generated in the light-sensitive layer and with a control for controlling the intensity and position of the radiation field in such a manner that by means of a large number of successive exposure steps a plurality of conversion areas can be generated, in which the material of the light-sensitive layer is converted from an initial state into an end state and which together result in the structures, with which it is possible to produce, without masks, structures which have in at least one direction an extension which is smaller than that of one of the radiation fields used, it is suggested that with at least some of the exposure steps the control generate radiation fields with a distribution of energy which makes the action of at least two radiation fields on the same conversion area necessary in order to transfer the material of the light-sensitive layer in this area into the converted end state.

Lithography exposure device and lithography process

A laser radiation source is provided with an array of N individual slave laser diodes in a predetermined surface area. Adjustable power supply networks enable adjustment of the slave laser diodes relative to one another for operation in a stable manner. The slave power supply has a separate power supply network for each slave laser diode. Each of the power supply networks can be adjusted with respect to the current supplied to the respective slave laser diode during a certain operating period. This enables adjusting the slave laser diodes relative to one another. The power supply networks can be connected in parallel and supplied by a common source.

Laser radiation source and process for generating a coherent total laser radiation field

In order to improve a laser system comprising a fiber bundle consisting of single mode fibers which form with a first end a fiber bundle end, at which a total radiation field, which can be imaged onto a target surface, is formed from laser radiation exiting from the first ends of the fibers, and which are coupled with a second end to a subsystem generating the laser radiation with at least one semiconductor laser, such that this also operates efficiently with semiconductor lasers or semiconductor laser amplifiers and can be realized in an inexpensive manner it is suggested that the subsystem comprise a plurality of semiconductor laser units operating parallel, that all the semiconductor laser units of the subsystem operate with the same wavelength in a phase-balanced manner relative to one another as a result of master laser radiation coupled into them and that individual laser radiation exiting from the individual semiconductor laser units of the respective subsystem be combined by means of a coupling device of the respective subsystem to form a coherent laser radiation field which can be coupled into one of the single mode fibers.

Laser system

A lithography exposure device allows more effective production of small structures within a short time by lithography. The device includes a retainer for a substrate, an exposure unit for producing a light spot on the light-sensitive layer of the substrate, a motion unit for producing apparent motion between the exposure unit and the retainer, and a control unit for controlling the intensity and position of the light spot on the light-sensitive layer. The exposure unit has several solid-state lasers, and a focusing unit that guides the laser beam of each solid-state laser to a light spot of a defined light spot pattern. The entire light spot pattern and the retainer are displaceable relative to each other in an exposure motional direction. Moreover, the light spots of the light spot pattern which correspond to the form of the partial areas to be exposed can be activated or deactivated.

Lithography exposure device

An image is produced in an image plane using a row of semiconductor laser emitters which provide a corresponding row of outlet spots as light sources. An optical projection system receives radiation from the outlet spots and the radiation on the image plane as one or more rows of images by virtue of the illumination of individual, adjacently located imaging spots. The optical projection system associates at least one outlet spot with each of the imaging spots, and simultaneously forms the image of the outlet spots of all of the semiconductor laser emitters of the row of light sources at the imaging spots associated therewith.

Apparatus for producing an image

In order to improve a laser system comprising several laser radiation sources, each of which generates laser radiation which is coupled into a first end of a respective optical single-mode fiber, wherein all optical single-mode fibers form a fiber bundle and have second ends lying at a fiber bundle end, the laser radiation exiting from the second ends and thereby forming a total laser radiation field, and further comprising an optical transformation means which transforms the total laser radiation field onto an object, such that a focal point with a highest possible power per area and per solid angle can be generated therewith, it is proposed that the optical transformation means comprise a collimating element which collimates the laser radiation exiting divergently from each individual second end of the single-mode fibers and forms a collimated radiation bundle therefrom, and that the optical transformation means comprise a focusing element which images the collimated radiation bundle as a whole onto a focal point.

In order to improve an apparatus for generating an image in an image plane that is visible, in particular, for a human eye, comprising a radiation source which generates an image via an optical projection means by building up at least one row of image spots during an image build-up cycle by illuminating individual, adjacently located image spots and periodically repeating the image build-up cycle, so that it is possible to generate images as simply and, therefore, also as inexpensively as possible, it is suggested that a row of light sources comprising a plurality of semiconductor emitters be provided for the illumination of the image spots of the row of image spots, that the optical projection means associate each exit spot for the radiation of each semiconductor emitter with at least one of the image spots and that the optical projection means simultaneously image the exit spots of all the semiconductor emitters of the row of light sources onto the image spots associated therewith.

Apparatus for imaging exit spots of a laser array

A laser amplifying system is provided having a solid body arranged in a laser radiation field and including a laser active material that is pumped with a pumping light source. The solid body has a cooling surface and transfers heat created therein to a solid cooling element via the cooling surface. In this manner, a temperature gradient results in the solid body in a direction towards the cooling surface. The solid cooling element forms a carrier for the solid body. The laser radiation field propagates approximately parallel to the temperature gradient in the solid body. By enabling heat to be transferred to the solid cooling element via the cooling surface, this structure enables the solid body to be pumped at a high pumping power. Further, since the laser radiation field propagates approximately parallel to the temperature gradient in the solid body, the radiation field sees the same temperature gradient in all cross-sectional areas. Thus, the temperature gradient does not lead to an adverse effect on the beam quality of the laser radiation field at high pumping power.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Uwe Brauch