Patent ID: 7154674

Claim:
A method of forming an optical image in a radiation sensitive layer, the method comprising: providing a radiation source; providing a radiation sensitive layer; positioning a two-dimensional array of individually controlled light valves between the radiation source and the radiation sensitive layer; positioning a two-dimensional array of radiation converging elements between the array of light valves and the radiation sensitive layer without any intervening imaging elements between the array of radiation converging elements and the array of light valves, wherein each of these radiation convergence elements corresponds to a different one of the light valves and serves to converge radiation from the corresponding light valve in a spot area in the radiation sensitive layer; and simultaneously writing image portions in radiation sensitive layer area by scanning said layer areas and the associated light valves/converging elements pairs relative to each other and switching each of the light valves between on and off states in dependency of the image portion to be written in by the light valve, characterized in that use is made of converging elements in the form of refractive lenses and in the two arrays are used for forming a matrix array of spots, said matrix having a pitch substantially larger than the spot size.