Abstract: A laser annealing apparatus for crystallizing a semiconductor film with a linearly radiating laser beam including a laser oscillator and laser optical systems for forming a laser beam radiated from the laser oscillator linearly, for application to a semiconductor film. Each linearly radiating laser beam from each laser optical system radiated onto the semiconductor film is arrayed almost linearly in a length direction, with an interval on the semiconductor film.

Abstract: A lamp has a deformed lamp reflector and a lamp front glass. The deformed lamp reflector is formed by deforming a paraboloid of revolution of a conventional lamp reflector to an aspherical reflection surface which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to an optical axis. The lamp front glass is obtained by deforming the incident plane of a conventional lamp front glass to an aspherical lens surface rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis. A light flux radiated from the center point of the light source of an illuminant is reflected by the deformed lamp reflector, and is output through the lens as a parallel light flux having a circular cross section equal in area to the lens.

Abstract: A simple and high-reliability constitution provides a solid-state laser system that allows a high-output, long-pulse-width laser beam to be obtained. A solid-state laser system that includes a solid-state laser medium 1, a light source 2 for pumping the solid-state laser medium 1, two reflecting mirrors 3 and 4 for flanking the solid-state laser medium 1, thereby constituting a laser resonator, is constituted in such a manner that a virtual-mirror plane 5 is defined in the space between the solid-state laser medium 1 and the reflecting mirror 4; a lens 6 is provided between the virtual-mirror plane 5 and the reflecting mirror 4; and, by means of the forward and backward paths along the route from the virtual-mirror plane to the reflecting mirror by way of the lens, the virtual-mirror plane in the forward path and the virtual-mirror plane in the backward path are made in an optically conjugated relationship with each other.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to achieve a small and thin irregular pattern reader comprising: a prism possessing a detection surface on which a subject to be detected having an irregular pattern is put and an incident plane having a first angle of inclination to the detection surface and emitting a light reflected on the detection surface corresponding to an incident light incident upon the incident plane; a first optical system possessing a light source and causing a light from the light source to be incident upon the incident plane of the prism with its optical axis substantially in parallel to the detection surface; and a second optical system for transmitting the emission light emitted from the prism to an image pick-up device.

Abstract: A process for making a polycrystalline silicon film includes forming, on a glass substrate, an amorphous silicon film having a first region and a second region that contacts the first region, forming a first polycrystalline portion by irradiating the first region of the amorphous silicon film with laser light having a wavelength not less than 390 nm and not more than 640 nm and forming a second polycrystalline portion that contacts the first polycrystalline portion by irradiating the second region and the portion of the region of the first polycrystalline portion that contacts the second region of the amorphous silicon film with the laser light.

Abstract: A wavelength conversion apparatus in which output direction of a wavelength-converted laser beam, having a wavelength converted by a nonlinear optical crystal and emitted through an output-window, can be brought close to the direction of optical axis of the laser beam passing through the nonlinear optical crystal. In addition, axial deviation of the wavelength-converted laser beam converted by the nonlinear optical crystal and emitted through an output-window, can be reduced when the position of the nonlinear optical crystal is moved. The output facet of the nonlinear optical crystal is inclined at Brewster's angle with respect to the wavelength-converted laser beam. An output-window of a case containing the nonlinear optical crystal has a prism form in which the distance between a laser beam input facet and a laser beam output facet of the output-window is reduced along a direction in which the wavelength-converted laser beam, emitted from the nonlinear optical crystal, inclines.

Abstract: A fundamental laser beam to is wavelength converted through nonlinear optical crystals by traveling in one direction, sequentially through two nonlinear optical crystals arranged in series. A wavelength-converted laser beam is generated and includes wavelength-converted laser beams having polarized directions differing from each other by angles in a range from 45° to 90°. The two nonlinear optical crystals have crystal orientation axes differing by 45° to 90° when viewed along the optical axis of the laser beam.

Abstract: A laser optical system for directing a rectangular laser beam onto an amorphous or polycrystalline silicon film comprises linear beam forming means for forming the laser beams radiated from a plurality of laser oscillators linearly to be applied on the silicon film, the optical axes of the laser beams from the laser oscillators to linear beam forming means on the almost same plane, and linear beams are arrayed with a certain interval linearly on the amorphous or polycrystalline silicon film formed on a substrate. By providing the interval between the radiating laser beams, the laser optical system comprising the plurality of linear beam forming means can be arranged with a distance, thereby preventing the interference between optical parts.

Abstract: Lengths of both sides of each end plane of a light-intensity distribution uniformizing element receiving a light flux and having an F-number of 1 are set to ½ of those of a reflecting surface of a reflecting optical-spatial modulator element, position information of uniformed light fluxes output from the light-intensity distribution uniformizing element is Fourier-transformed into diverging angle information indicated by incident light fluxes output from a first group of lenses, a relay deformed diaphragm intercepts an interference component of each incident light flux, which is expected to interfere with an outgoing light flux, to produce asymmetric light fluxes, the asymmetric light fluxes are incident on the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element, a projection lens deformed diaphragm removes stray light from outgoing light fluxes output from the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element, and an image is displayed according to the outgoing light fluxes.

Abstract: A lamp (1) has a deformed lamp reflector (1b) and a lamp front glass (1c). The deformed lamp reflector (1b) is made by deforming an ellipsoidal of revolution of a conventional lamp reflector (10b) to an aspherical reflection surface rotationally symmetric with respect to an optical axis Z. The lamp front glass (1c) is obtained by deforming at least one of incident plane and outgoing plane of a conventional lamp front glass (101c) to an aspherical lens surface rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis Z. A light flux emitted from the center point (Pf) of the illuminant (1a) is reflected by the deformed lamp reflector (1b), and outputted with a uniform density through the entire of the outgoing plane of the lamp front lens (1c) so that the light flux is condensed at the focus point.

Abstract: A laser optical system includes a linear beam forming member for forming laser beams radiated from laser oscillators into a linear beam shape on a silicon film on a substrate. The laser optical system is arranged so that the optical axes of laser beams from the laser oscillators to the linear beam forming member are in substantially the same plane and substantially perpendicular to the substrate. Each laser beam is reflected from a reflecting mirror and applied to the silicon film on the substrate. Since the laser beams are applied to the substrate at the same time, the area irradiated can be increased, while each radiating laser beam maintains a required radiation intensity, resulting in high productivity.

Abstract: A digital mirror dence chip has a substrate, micro-mirrors disposed on the substrate, and a glass cover plate disposed over the micro-mirrors. Each micro-mirror is inclined by +10 degrees or −10 degrees with respect to the substrate to be set to an on-state or an off-state. Incident light produced in a lighting source system is totally reflected in a total internal reflection prism and is incident on the micro-mirrors through the glass cover plate. Outgoing light reflected by micro-minors in the on-state passes through a projection lens and is projected onto a screen to form an image on the screen. Also, outgoing light reflected by micro-mirrors in the off-state passes out of the projection lens. The glass cover plate is not parallel to the substrate. Therefore, light specularly reflected by a surface of the glass cover plate passes out of the projection lens.

Abstract: A lamp has a deformed lamp reflector (1b) and a lamp front glass (1c). The deformed lamp reflector (1b) is formed by deforming a paraboloid of revolution of a conventional lamp reflector (101b) to an aspherical reflection surface which is rotationally symmetric symmetrical with respect to an optical axis Z. The lamp front glass (1c) is obtained by deforming the incident plane of a conventional lamp front glass (101c) to an aspherical lens surface rotationally symmetric with respect to the optical axis Z. A light flux irradiated radiated from the center point Pf of the light source of an illuminant (1a) is reflected by the deformed lamp reflector (1b), and is output through the lens (1c) as a parallel light flux having a circular cross section equal in area to the outgoing plane of the lens (1c).

Abstract: Lengths of both sides of each end plane of a light-intensity distribution uniformizing element receiving a light flux of an F-number of 1 are set to ½ of those of a reflecting surface of a reflection type optical-spatial modulator element, position information of uniformed light fluxes output from the light-intensity distribution uniformizing element is Fourier-transformed into diverging angle information indicated by incident light fluxes output from a first group of lenses, a relay deformed diaphragm intercepts an interference component of each incident light flux, which is expected to interfere with an outgoing light flux, to produce asymmetric light fluxes, the asymmetric light fluxes are incident on the reflection type optical-spatial modulator element, a projection lens deformed diaphragm removes stray light from outgoing light fluxes output from the reflection type optical-spatial modulator element, and an image is displayed according to the outgoing light fluxes.

Abstract: A DMD chip has a substrate, micro-mirrors disposed on the substrate, and a glass cover plate disposed over the micro-mirrors. Each micro-mirror is inclined by +10 degrees or −10 degrees with respect to the substrate to be set to an on-state or an off-state. Incident light produced in a lighting source system is totally reflected in a TIR prism and are incident on the micro-mirrors through the glass cover plate. Outgoing light reflected on micro-mirrors set to the on-state passes through a projection lens and are projected onto a screen to form an image on the screen. Also, outgoing light reflected on micro-mirrors set to the off-state passes out of the projection lens. The glass cover plate is inclined not to be parallel to the substrate. Therefore, light specularly reflected on a surface of the glass cover plate passes out of the projection lens.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus for projecting an image of an image plate on the retina of an eyeball. The image displaying apparatus includes a light source, an image plate for transmitting light from the light source, and a lens for converging the light transmitted through the image plate onto an eyeball. A flux of the light passing through the lens is converged into a size approximately the same as that of the pupil of the eyeball, and then, the flux of the light passes through the pupil, and impinges upon the eyeball.

Abstract: An optical system that controls laser beam spot profile for forming a high performance thin film by a laser heat treatment process is provided. In the optical system that irradiates a rectangular laser beam on a film formed on a substrate, intensity distribution forming, apparatus makes the intensity distribution uniform in the longitudinal direction while maintaining the properties of the laser beam 2 such as directivity in the direction of shorter side, making it possible to concentrate the light to a limit permitted by the nature of the laser beam and achieve the maximum intensity gradient on the film disposed on the substrate. Thus a steep temperature distribution can be generated on the film disposed on the substrate and, as a result, high performance thin film can be formed.

Abstract: An uneven-pattern reading apparatus includes a detecting prism having a detecting surface on which an uneven pattern is placed, an incident surface upon which an incident light beam for illuminating the uneven pattern is incident, and an emergent surface from which a light beam reflected from the uneven pattern on the detecting surface is emergent, angles between the respective detecting, incident, and emergent surfaces providing that the incident light beam is applied to the uneven pattern and the light reflected from the detecting surface is emergent from the emergent surface; an incident-light-beam converger for causing an incident light beam from a light source to be incident upon the incident surface after collimating or converging the incident light beam; an imaging device for detecting a reflected image emergent from the detecting prism; a converging optical system for collimating or converging the emergent light beam emergent from the emergent surface; and a processing device for identifying the uneve

Abstract: In a laser machining apparatus comprising a deflector for changing a direction of a laser beam outputted from a laser oscillator, and a converging lens for refracting the laser beam introduced from the deflector and focusing the laser beam onto a work to be machined, a lens position adjusting unit is provided for changing a relative position between a plurality of lenses constituting the converging lens and the lens position adjusting unit change the relative positions of the lenses so as to cancel a change in refractance of the lenses due to a change in the temperature.

Abstract: A laser power supply apparatus supplies AC power to a gas contained in a laser device by way of a pair of dielectric layers, without having to use a transformer to form a high-frequency discharge in a gas to excite the gas, to cause the laser device to radiate. The laser power supply apparatus includes an inverter having arms, each arm including high-speed semiconductor switches connected in series, for directly converting a DC high voltage from a DC power supply to a series of AC output pulses having a much higher AC voltage than the DC high voltage and supplied to the laser device by simultaneously turning on and off those high-speed semiconductor switches in each of the arms, and for furnishing the series of AC output pulses to the laser device at a pair of output terminals.