Patent ID: 8153930

Claim:
An apparatus for processing a substrate comprising: a radiation source adapted to emit a photonic beam having, a beam size, a total beam energy and a nonuniform intensity profile; a stage having a surface that is adapted to support the substrate; an optical system adapted to receive the emitted beam and create therefrom an image on a surface of the substrate, wherein the image exhibits a substantially uniform intensity profile over a useful portion thereof such that energy utilization of the useful portion of the beam is at least 15% of the total beam energy, wherein the optical system includes an array of waveguides, each waveguide having input and output ends, wherein the input and output ends of the waveguides are arranged to receive the beam emitted from the radiation source and produce an output beam having phases and electric vector amplitudes appropriate to create an image with a substantial uniform portion; and a controller operably coupled to the radiation source and the stage, wherein the controller is programmed to provide relative movement between the stage and the beam to scan the image across the surface of the substrate to heat at least a portion of the substrate at and/or near the surface to achieve a desired temperature within a predetermined dwell time, D.