Rapid fabrication of highly integrated and high numerical aperture chalcogenide glass microlens arrays

Gu, Zhaofeng; Wu, Miaomiao; Gao, Yixiao; Chen, Yimin; Gu, Chenjie; Ren, Heqi; Wang, Changlong; Chen, Huiguang; Dai, Shixun; Shen, Xiang

doi:10.1016/j.infrared.2022.104537

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Compared with the above technologies, the thermal reflow process provides a viable route for efficiently fabricating large-area microlens arrays. This process forms spherical microlenses with a smooth surface and uniform dimensions based on the liquid surface tension effect [34][35][36][37]. This method adopts common semiconductor processes to simultaneously manufacture all the microlens units, resulting in equally short processing times, even for large-area microstructures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Large-Area Silicon Spherical Microlens Arrays by Thermal Reflow and ICP Etching

Wu,

Dong,

Wang

et al. 2024

Micromachines

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In this paper, we proposed an efficient and high-precision process for fabricating large-area microlens arrays using thermal reflow combined with ICP etching. When the temperature rises above the glass transition temperature, the polymer cylinder will reflow into a smooth hemisphere due to the surface tension effect. The dimensional differences generated after reflow can be corrected using etching selectivity in the following ICP etching process, which transfers the microstructure on the photoresist to the substrate. The volume variation before and after reflow, as well as the effect of etching selectivity using process parameters, such as RF power and gas flow, were explored. Due to the surface tension effect and the simultaneous molding of all microlens units, machining a 3.84 × 3.84 mm2 silicon microlens array required only 3 min of reflow and 15 min of ICP etching with an extremely low average surface roughness Sa of 1.2 nm.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Large-Area Silicon Spherical Microlens Arrays by Thermal Reflow and ICP Etching

Wu,

Dong,

Wang

et al. 2024

Micromachines

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“…Consequently, MLAs have become indispensable in various applications such as infrared imaging, 3D displays, laser radar, and infrared countermeasures . Among various infrared-transparent materials such as germanium, silicon, oxide glasses, and chalcogenide glasses (ChGs), ChG exhibit exceptional infrared transmittance, ultrawide infrared transmission range, extremely high linear refractive indices, low thermo-optic coefficients, and low vibrational phonon energies. − In contrast, germanium is rare and expensive, silicon is challenging to process with high costs, and oxide glasses suffer from strong infrared absorption and limited transmission bands. − Therefore, ChG is an ideal material for manufacturing MLAs. Several methods are commonly employed to fabricate MLAs, including femtosecond laser processing, − ultraprecision machining, − thermal reflow, , and precision glass molding (PGM). , Among these methods, PGM stands out as a promising technique for mass-producing ChG MLAs due to its high efficiency, high precision and suitability for processing glass materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on Deformation Behavior of Glass in High-temperature Molding for Massive Unit Microlens Arrays

Wang,

Zhou,

Sun

et al. 2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Microlens arrays (MLAs) with a large number of units, known as massive unit microlens arrays (MUMLAs), are increasingly sought after for their ability to achieve high-power conversion in infrared optical systems. Precision glass molding (PGM) is considered the ideal manufacturing method for MUMLAs. However, the stress distribution and deformation behavior during molding lack detailed understanding, resulting in poor filling consistency and forming accuracy. Consequently, this leads to inconsistent diffuse spot size and irradiance in MUMLAs. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the glass filling behavior during the molding process of MUMLAs using both simulation and experimental approaches. It explains the impact of glass filling behavior and consistency on the optical performance of MUMLAs. Additionally, the effects of molding parameters on the filling consistency of the lenses are investigated. By optimizing these parameters, a high-consistency 128 × 128 MUMLA is fabricated.

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Artificial Compound Eye with Tunable Properties for Enhancement in Fluorescence Imaging and Raman Detection

Kassim,

Lu,

Maeda

et al. 2024

Adv Funct Materials

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Artificial compound eye (CE) draws inspiration from nature, offering advanced imaging capabilities and an expansive field of view. In this work, an innovative technique is developed for the creation of CE with tunable dimensions. A solution‐based process is employed that involves in situ polymerization of surface nanodroplets prior to soft lithography to produce CE consisting of millions of ommatidia. The fabricated CE comprised of a densely arranged array of microwells, each with a base radius of 5 µm. Situated on a millimeter‐sized spherical dome, the CE can be tailored to arbitrary dimensions, enhancing its adaptability with a wide angular field of view up to 118°. The CE is used to enhance signal detection in fluorescent compounds, reaching a detection limit of 107 times lower concentration than that without using CEs in bulk solution. The signal enhancement capabilities are further utilized for surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy by using a portable handheld device, with an enhancement factor of 2. The fabrication technique underscores the advantages of the approach in simplicity, reproducibility, and efficiency in creating CE. The potential applications of CE may be extended to various domains, such as optical sensing, light‐dependent signal enhancement, motion perception, and medical endoscopy.

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Rapid fabrication of highly integrated and high numerical aperture chalcogenide glass microlens arrays

Cited by 4 publications

References 36 publications

Fabrication of Large-Area Silicon Spherical Microlens Arrays by Thermal Reflow and ICP Etching

Fabrication of Large-Area Silicon Spherical Microlens Arrays by Thermal Reflow and ICP Etching

Study on Deformation Behavior of Glass in High-temperature Molding for Massive Unit Microlens Arrays

Artificial Compound Eye with Tunable Properties for Enhancement in Fluorescence Imaging and Raman Detection

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