Patent ID: 9366887
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: B23K,G02B,G02F,G21K

Claim Text:
1. A beam-parameter adjustment system and focusing system for receiving and altering a spatial power distribution of a radiation beam from a beam source and focusing the radiation with the altered spatial power distribution onto a workpiece, the system comprising: a thermo-optic element for receiving the radiation beam and propagating the radiation beam toward the workpiece; a heat source for heating portions of the thermo-optic element to alter refractive indices thereof, thereby forming an optical distortion pattern within the thermo-optic element; focusing optics for receiving the radiation beam from the thermo-optic element and focusing the radiation beam on the workpiece; a controller for controlling the thermo-optic element and/or the heat source to achieve a target altered spatial power distribution on the workpiece, the target altered spatial power distribution resulting at least in part from interaction between the radiation beam and the optical distortion pattern within the thermo-optic element; and disposed optically downstream of the heat source and optically upstream of the thermo-optic element, a masking element comprising (i) one or more areas substantially transparent to radiation from the heat source and (ii) one or more areas substantially opaque to radiation from the heat source.