To provide a multi-beam exposure device for recording an expression using an FM screen by using an two-dimensional optical modulator, increasing the number of exposable dots at once in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, and using a beam spot that has become rectangular by beam splitting.
The multi-beam exposure device divides a plurality of exposure beam spots BS, projected to an exposure face so as to be arranged in parallel to the scanning direction from the two-dimensional optical modulator into a plurality of blocks G1, G2 and G3 in the scanning direction, is mutually shifted in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, and scans and exposes, in a state in which the exposure beam spot BS concerning at least one block G and the exposure beam spot BS concerning the other blocks G are shifted. Furthermore, the multi-beam exposure device scans and exposes an edge part by a steep beam spot BS by transmitting a plurality of optical beams in an optical element of a uniaxial crystal and distributing each optical beam with equal intensity in the form of a substantially rectangle at a focused point, as a normal beam and as an abnormal beam separated in a sub-scanning direction so as to partly overlap.
Kato Kazunori
Katsuichi Nishimoto
Hiroshi Fukuda