Acousto-optic deflector applications in laser processing of dielectric or other materials

Abstract

A method includes receiving, during a period of time, a continuous wave laser beam at an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) having a first AOD and a second AOD. A plurality of laser pulses is generated from the received beam using the first acousto-optic deflector (AOD) to the laser beam along a first axis and using the second AOD to deflect the laser beam deflected by the first AOD along a second axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) subsystem operative to deflect a continuous wave laser beam of a period of time, the AOD subsystem including:
 a first AOD arranged and operative to deflect the process laser beam along a first axis; and 
 a second AOD arranged to receive the process beam deflected by the first AOD and operative to deflect the process laser beam along a second axis; and 
   at least one processor configured to operate the first AOD and the second AOD to deflect the process laser beam along the first axis and the second axis such that a plurality of laser pulses are generated from the continuous wave laser beam.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a laser source operative to generate, during the period of time, the continuous wave laser beam. 
     
     
         3 . The laser processing system of  claim 2 , wherein the laser source is a continuous wave laser source. 
     
     
         4 . The laser processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. 
     
     
         5 . The laser processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to operate the first AOD and the second AOD to deflect the process laser beam along the first axis and the second axis at discrete intervals such that the plurality of laser pulses are generated from the process laser beam. 
     
     
         6 . The laser processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to operate the first AOD and the second AOD to deflect the laser pulses within a two-dimensional deflection range. 
     
     
         7 . The laser processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a positioner operative to deflect the plurality of laser pulses along at least one axis, wherein the AOD subsystem is arranged within a path along which the process laser beam is propagatable at a location between the laser source and the positioner. 
     
     
         8 . The laser processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the positioner is a galvanometer-driven subsystem. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 during a period of time, receiving a continuous wave laser beam at an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) having a first AOD and a second AOD;   generating a plurality of laser pulses from the received laser beam, wherein the act of generating the plurality of laser pulses includes:
 using the first acousto-optic deflector (AOD), deflecting the laser beam along a first axis; and 
 using the second AOD, deflecting the laser beam deflected by the first AOD along a second axis. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising generating the continuous wave laser beam using a continuous wave laser source. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the act of generating the plurality of laser pulses further comprises deflecting the plurality of laser pulses within a two-dimensional deflection range. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising, after generating the plurality of laser pulses, deflecting the deflecting the generated plurality of laser pulses. 
     
     
         14 . At least one processor for implementing the method of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor coupled to an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) subsystem having a first AOD and a second AOD, cause the at least one processor to AOD subsystem to perform the method of  claim 9 .