HIGH ACCURACY, HIGH FLEXIBILITY ENERGY BEAM MACHINING SYSTEM

A high precision system for machining substrates by means of an energy beam includes real time digital signal processor control and a deflection system providing control, within a predetermined field of the substrate, of the angle at which the beam machines the substrate. An electron beam is used in a vacuum chamber in a preferred embodiment. The system also includes an x-y table for positioning the substrate and may have provision for detecting the x-y position and angular misregistration of the substrate. Dynamic forms and stigmator control may be used to produce a uniform beam within the field. The system allows a high speed vector machining process, which optimizes the overall system throughput by minimizing the settling time of the deflection system.