Patent ID: 6870554

Claim:
An imaging system for providing selected myriad-pixel patterns on substrate surfaces requiring high-resolution exposure to light within limited depth-of-focus tolerance, using a plurality of reflective spatial light modulator (RSLM) chips each having an active micromodulator array area for beam transfer and a kerf area usable for addressing individual micromodulators characterized by: a) a light source ( 1 - 4 ) of a conditioned pulsed light beam of significant area; b) a plural-plane multiplexed reflective spatial light modulator (RSLM) package ( 5 ) having a plurality of RSLM myriad-pixel chips ( 5 - 1 . . . 5 -n) mounted with partial overlap in an alternating-plane pattern presenting a plurality of planar micromodulator pixel mirror surfaces including at least first and second pixel micromodulator planes; c) means for mounting said plural-plane multiplexed reflective spatial light modulator package ( 5 ) to receive the conditioned pulsed light beam from said light source ( 1 - 4 ) and provide selected pixel beamlets as selected by the system; d) a plural-plane compensator mirror package ( 6 ), having mirror areas ( 6 - 1 . . . 6 -n) mounted in an alternating-plane pattern presenting a plurality of planar mirror surfaces including at least first and second mirror planes complementary to said first and second pixel micromodulator planes of said multiplexed reflective spatial light modulator package ( 5 ); e) projection scanning means ( 7 - 11 ) for presenting a substrate for imaging according to beamlet selection; and f) means for mounting said plural-plane multiplexed mirror package ( 6 ) to forward the selected conditioned pulsed light beamlets from said multiplex spatial light modulator package ( 5 ) via said projection scanning means ( 7 - 11 ) for imaging said substrate according to beamlet selection; whereby the individual pixel beamlets from all micromodulator chips in the multiplexed RSLM package are maintained within near-constant beamlet lengths to maintain depth-of-focus tolerance at the entry plane of said projection scanning means, and whereby the micromodulator chips in the multiplexed reflective SLM package are efficiently utilized for imaging to provide enhanced-throughput patterning of said substrate.