Excimer laser apparatus projecting a beam with a selectively variable short-axis beam profile

1. Optical apparatus for projecting an elongated beam spot on a working plane, the beam spot being derived from first and second laser beams, said apparatus having a long-axis, in which lies the length of the beam spot, and a short-axis in which lies the width of the beam spot, the apparatus comprising:

first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers for homogenizing the first and second laser beams on the working plane in the short-axis;

first and second short-axis focus-separating lenses cooperative with the first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers;

a long-axis beam homogenizer for homogenizing the first and second laser beams on the working plane in the long-axis;

projection optics for projecting the short-axis homogenized first and second beams in the working plane; and

wherein the first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers, the short-axis focus-separating lenses, the long-axis beam-homogenizer, and the projection optics are configured and arranged such that the first and second laser-beams are aligned in the working plane in the long-axis parallel to each other defining the length of the beam-spot and have respectively first and second short-axis beam-widths centered around respectively first and second focal points spaced apart in the working plane in the short-axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the intensity of intensity of the projected first laser-beam in the working plane is between 2 and 5 percent greater than intensity of the projected second laser-beam in the working plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second laser beams are generated by first and second lasers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further include a partially reflective and partially transmissive beam-splitter arranged to mix a first portion of the output of the first laser with a first portion of the output of the second laser to provide the first laser beam, and to mix a second portion of the first output beam with a second portion of the second output beam to provide the second laser beam.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a first laser providing an output beam and a partially reflective and partially transmissive beam-splitter arranged to divide the output beam into a first portion for providing the first laser beam and a second portion for providing the second laser beam.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first and second laser-beams have the same polarization state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , including a first laser providing an output beam and a polarizing beam-splitter arranged to divide the output beam into a plane-polarized first portion having a first polarization-orientation for providing the first laser beam and a plane-polarized second portion having a second polarization-orientation for providing the second laser beam, the first and second polarization orientations being perpendicular to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a polarization-rotator in the path of the second portion arranged to rotate the second polarization orientation to the first polarization orientation such the first and second laser beams are plane-polarized in the first polarization-orientation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second beam-widths partially overlap in the short-axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first and second laser beams have equal power; the short-axis beam homogenizers are configured such that the first short-axis beam-width is less than the second short-axis beam-width, whereby the intensity of the projected first laser-beam in the working plane is greater than intensity of the projected second laser-beam in the working plane.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the intensity of the projected first laser-beam in the working plane is between 2 and 5 percent greater than intensity of the projected second laser-beam in the working plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the degree of the partial overlapping of the first and second short-axis beam-widths is selected such that the combined intensity of the projected first and second beams in the short-axis has a step profile.

13. Optical apparatus for projecting an elongated beam spot on a working plane, the beam spot having a long-axis, in which lies the length of the beam spot, and a short-axis in which lies the width of the beam spot, the apparatus comprising:

beam generating apparatus providing first and second laser beams;

first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers for homogenizing the first and second laser beams on the working plane in the short-axis;

first and second short-axis focus-separating lenses cooperative with the first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers and each thereof having an optical axis;

a long-axis beam homogenizer for homogenizing the first and second laser beams on the working plane in the long-axis;

projection optics for projecting the short-axis homogenized first and second beams in the working plane; and

wherein the first and second short-axis beam-homogenizers, the short-axis focus-separating lenses, the long-axis beam-homogenizer, and the projection optics are configured and arranged such that the first and second laser-beams are aligned parallel to each other in the working plane in the long-defining the length of the beam-spot and have respectively first and second short-axis beam-widths partially overlapping in the short axis defining the width of the beam spot.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus has a central axis, the optical-axes of the first and second short-axis focus-separating lenses are on opposite sides of the central axis in the short-axis direction, and the first and second beam widths are centered on opposite sides of the central axis in the short-axis direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first and second short-axis focus-separating lenses have optical power in the short-axis only.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the beam-generating apparatus includes first and second lasers for providing respectively the first and second laser-beams.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the beam-generating apparatus includes a laser providing an output beam and a partially reflective and partially transmissive beam-splitter arranged to divide the output beam into a first portion for providing the first laser-beam and a second portion for providing the second laser-beam.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the beam-generating apparatus includes a laser providing an output beam and a polarizing beam-splitter arranged to divide the output beam into a plane-polarized first portion having a first polarization-orientation for providing the first laser-beam and a plane-polarized second portion having a second polarization-orientation for providing the second laser-beam, the first and second polarization orientations being perpendicular to each other.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the intensity of the projected first laser-beam in the working plane is greater than intensity of the projected second laser-beam in the working plane and the partial overlap is arranged such that the combined intensity of the projected first and second beams in the short-axis has a step profile.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the intensity of the projected first laser-beam in the working plane is between 2 and 5 percent greater than intensity of the projected second laser-beam in the working plane.