System and method for direct imaging
View Patent ↗A direct imaging system comprises an illumination unit comprising a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources configured to emit a plurality of beams, an optical system for forming the plurality of beams to be aligned in position or angle, an acoustic optical modulator positioned to receive the plurality of beams aligned in one of position or angle and to consecutively diffract different portions of the plurality of beams as an acoustic wave propagates in an acoustic direction, and a scanning element adapted to scan an exposure plane with the plurality of beams modulated by the acoustic optical modulator at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is selected to incoherently unite the different portions of the plurality of beams into a single exposure spot.
1. A beam-forming optical system comprising:
a plurality of light sources configured to output a plurality of beams, the plurality of light sources comprising at least a first light source configured to output a first beam and a second light source configured to output a second beam, wherein a wavelength of the first beam is the same as a wavelength of the second beam;
a first lens, positioned to receive all of the plurality of beams incident on the first lens at different angles, and configured to collimate the plurality of beams;
a telecentric telescope lens system, positioned to receive all of the plurality of beams transmitted by the first lens; and
an acoustic optical modulator (AOM) positioned to receive all of the plurality of beams transmitted by the telecentric telescope system and comprising an aperture for receiving the plurality of beams;
wherein the telecentric telescope lens system modifies a beam cross-section of each of the plurality of beams in at least one of a first direction, parallel to an acoustic direction of the AOM, and a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction.
2. The beam-forming optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the telecentric telescope lens system extends a cross section of each of the plurality of beams in the second direction and aligns the plurality of beams along the second direction, such that the plurality beams are incident on the aperture of the AOM as an array of parallel beams.
3. The beam-forming optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the telecentric telescope lens system extends a cross-section of each of the plurality of beams in both the first direction and in the second direction and diffracts the plurality of beams such that each of the plurality of beams overlap each other in a plane of the aperture of the AOM.