Patent ID: 7706420

Claim:
An apparatus for providing a modulated pulsed radiation beam, comprising: a) a pulsed radiation source that generates a pulsed radiation beam with successive pulses that repeat at a constant pulse repetition frequency, wherein the pulsed radiation beam is an ultraviolet beam at a power level suitable for lithography; b) a rotating beam deflector that rotates in the path of the pulsed radiation beam and that is disposed to cyclically redirect one or more successive pulses of the pulsed radiation beam toward one of a plurality of beam intensity modulation channels at a time, at a constant rate; each beam intensity modulation channel comprising a beam intensity modulator for providing a variable attenuation of incident pulsed radiation; and c) a beam recombiner that combines modulated light from each of the plurality of beam intensity modulators to form the modulated pulsed radiation beam at the constant pulse repetition frequency.