Patent ID: 8605254
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: G03B,G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for illuminating a mask to project a desired image pattern into a photoactive material, the method comprising: receiving an image pattern; determining a relationship between at least one source pixel in a set of source pixels to at least one desired intensity at at least one point in the image pattern; imposing at least one linear constraint on a set of intensity values based on at least one contingent intensity condition, where the at least one contingent intensity condition comprises at least one integer variable specifying at least one contingent constraint; determining values of the set of intensity values in accordance with the at least one linear constraint, using a constrained optimization algorithm; and outputting the set of intensity values, where the set of intensity values represents intensities for the set of source pixels; where the at least one desired intensity at the at least one point in the image pattern is represented by a merit value of an image pattern at an extremum value determined by using a mixed integer linear programming algorithm configured to optimize the set of source pixels by constraining source pixels in defined zones to share common polarization orientations.