Patent ID: 7218433

Claim:
A scanning apparatus using a plurality of diffracted beams, comprising: light generation processing means for generating a beam, converting the beam into collimated light, and outputting the collimated light; light modulation processing means for diffracting and modulating the beam, which is the collimated light output from the light generation processing means, and focusing a plurality of diffracted beams, the light modulation processing means comprising a light modulator with a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode layer, the light modulator diffracting and modulating the beam to output a plurality of diffracted beams; and scanning means for moving and reflecting the plurality of diffracted beams focused by the light modulation processing means at a constant linear velocity or non-constant linear velocity, deflecting the plurality of diffracted beams, reflected and moved at a constant angular velocity or non-constant angular velocity, in a main scanning direction, correcting aberration, and focusing and scanning the plurality of diffracted beams onto a scanning surface of a scanning object, wherein the light modulator performs bit shift to prevent the occurrence of skew.