JP2006142609A - Microlens, its manufacturing method and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a microlens capable of manufacturing the microlens having a desired shape at a high speed, the microlens and an electronic device. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid is discharged as liquid droplets from the nozzle of a liquid droplet discharge head to be allowed to arrive at a plurality of desired positions of a substrate and cured to form a plurality of the microlenses on the substrate. The manufacturing method of the microlens has a continuous discharge process for performing continuous discharge, wherein a plurality of liquid droplets are continuously discharged to one desired position of the substrate, with respect to all of the desired positions and a fine adjustment process being a process performed after the continuous discharge process and discharging one liquid droplet to each of the desired positions where the continuous discharge to the substrate is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a microlens manufacturing method, a microlens, and an electronic apparatus.

  In recent years, optical elements in which a large number of microlenses called microlenses are arranged have been provided. Examples of such an optical element include an element formed on the screen surface of a liquid crystal projector system to brighten an image, an optical fiber optical interconnection, a laser condensing element, and a solid-state imaging element for collecting incident light. There are things.

By the way, the microlens which comprises such an optical element was conventionally shape | molded by the shaping | molding method using a metal mold | die, or the photolithographic method. In recent years, there has also been proposed a method of forming microlenses having a fine pattern by a droplet discharge method using an inkjet nozzle used in a printer or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-240911 A

  However, the molding method using a mold and the photolithography method require a mold for forming a microlens or a complicated manufacturing process, so that the cost is increased accordingly. In addition, the molding method using a mold and the photolithography method have a problem that it is difficult to form a microlens having an arbitrary shape at an arbitrary position.

  In addition, according to the manufacturing method using the droplet discharge method, it is easy to form the microlens at an arbitrary position, but it is difficult to control the shape to a desired shape. According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the shape of the macro lens can be arbitrarily controlled using the droplet discharge method, but it cannot sufficiently meet the demand for manufacturing a large number of micro lenses at high speed. . In addition, regarding the manufacture of microlenses, there are also demands for improved yield and higher accuracy of the lens shape.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a microlens manufacturing method, a microlens, and an electronic apparatus that can manufacture a microlens having a desired shape at high speed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a microlens manufacturing method, a microlens, and an electronic device that can suppress the occurrence of defects such as lens material spilling from a base and can improve the yield of microlens manufacturing.

In order to achieve the above object, the method for producing a microlens of the present invention discharges a liquid material from a nozzle as droplets, lands the liquid material on each of a plurality of desired positions on a substrate, and cures the liquid material. A method of manufacturing a microlens that forms a plurality of microlenses on a substrate, wherein continuous ejection of continuously ejecting a plurality of droplets to one desired position on the substrate is performed at each of the desired positions. And a fine adjustment for discharging one droplet of the droplet to each of the desired positions on the substrate where the continuous discharge is performed. And a process.
According to the present invention, the manufacturing time of the microlens can be shortened by the continuous ejection process, and the shape of the microlens can be made into a desired shape with high accuracy by the fine adjustment process. In other words, in the continuous ejection process, since droplets are continuously ejected to one desired position, a plurality of droplets that have landed on the substrate can quickly move to a state close to a microlens having a desired shape (a state just before the desired shape). become. Thereafter, the microlens having a desired shape can be formed with high precision by landing at a desired position one drop at a time in a fine adjustment step. Therefore, according to the present invention, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed.
In addition, according to the present invention, for example, when a microlens is formed on a base provided on a substrate, liquid droplets continuously land on the base and liquid droplets (lens material) spill from the base. The occurrence of defects can be avoided by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process.

Moreover, it is preferable that the manufacturing method of the micro lens of this invention processes the said continuous discharge process and a fine adjustment process as one task.
According to the present invention, the entire process including the continuous ejection process and the fine adjustment process is continuously processed as one task (that is, one execution unit). Thereby, the microlens of a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed.

In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable that the continuous discharge step and the fine adjustment step are separated into at least two tasks.
According to the present invention, the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process may be separate tasks, and each of the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process may be divided into a plurality of tasks. Accordingly, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed while corresponding to various manufacturing forms that differ depending on the manufacturing apparatus and work time.

In addition, the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention includes a first inspection step in which the continuous discharge step performs an appearance inspection on the desired position after the continuous discharge after the continuous discharge at all the desired positions. Preferably, the fine adjustment step includes a second inspection step in which an appearance inspection is performed on the desired position where the one drop is discharged after the first drop is discharged to all the desired positions.
According to the present invention, it can be confirmed by the first inspection process whether a microlens close to a desired shape has been formed by the droplets that have landed on the substrate by the continuous discharge in the continuous discharge process. It is also possible to confirm in the first inspection process whether a defect such as lens material spilling from the base has occurred in the continuous ejection process. Moreover, according to this invention, it can be confirmed whether the micro lens of desired shape was formed by the 2nd test | inspection process.

In the method of manufacturing a microlens of the present invention, it is preferable that the continuous discharge step includes a repeating step of performing the continuous discharge at all desired positions after the continuous discharge is performed at all the desired positions. .
According to the present invention, the continuous discharge process can be subdivided by the repeating process. Thereby, the number of droplets continuously ejected to one desired position can be greatly reduced. For example, 10 drops are continuously discharged to one desired position, then 10 drops are continuously discharged to another desired position on the substrate, and such 10 drops are continuously discharged 5 times, for a total of 50 drops at each desired position. It will be discharged. In this way, when looking at one desired position, time can be taken before the next 10 drops are continuously discharged after the 10 drops are continuously discharged. And it can wait for the lump of 10 droplets to shrink and shrink by this time. By this contraction, a microlens having a desired shape can be formed with higher accuracy. On the other hand, for example, when 50 droplets are continuously ejected to one desired position, the above-described contraction may be insufficient, and a defect such as a lens material spilling from the base or a lens shape may be inaccurate may occur.

In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable that the number of executions of the repetitive process in the continuous discharge process is adjusted based on the shrinkage rate of the droplets discharged in the continuous discharge process.
According to the present invention, for example, when a liquid material having a small shrinkage rate (small shrinkage) is used as the lens material, the effect of providing the repetition process is small, so the number of executions of the repetition process may be zero. On the other hand, when a liquid material having a large shrinkage rate is used, it is possible to increase the number of times the repeated process is performed, and to avoid problems such as a lens material spilling from the base or an inaccurate lens shape. .

Further, the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention determines whether or not to execute the repetitive step based on the inspection result of the first inspection step, and proceeds to the fine adjustment step when the repetitive step is not executed. It is preferable.
According to the present invention, for example, when it is determined that “it is not close to the desired lens shape” in the first inspection step, it is possible to perform the repetition step and bring it closer to the desired lens shape at high speed. When it is determined in the first inspection step that the state is “close to the desired lens shape”, the fine adjustment step can be performed to bring the lens shape closer to the desired lens shape.

In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, the fine adjustment step includes a repetitive fine adjustment step in which the one drop is discharged to all the desired positions after the one drop is discharged to all the desired positions. It is preferable.
Moreover, it is preferable that the manufacturing method of the microlens of this invention determines whether the said repeating fine adjustment process is performed based on the test result of the said 2nd test process.
According to the present invention, since the lens shape and the like can be confirmed for each droplet discharge, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured with higher accuracy.

In the method for manufacturing a microlens of the present invention, it is preferable that the first liquid material discharged in the continuous discharge step and the second liquid material discharged in the fine adjustment step are different.
Further, in the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, the first liquid and the second liquid have a refractive index after curing, a price per unit amount, a viscosity (in a reference ambient state), volatility, and shrinkage. It is preferable that at least one of the ratio and the characteristic of the shape change after ejection is different.
According to the present invention, in the continuous ejection process, for example, a liquid material made of a material having a refractive index close to a desired refractive index or an inexpensive material is used. Thereby, an inexpensive microlens having a desired refractive index can be manufactured. Further, according to the present invention, in the fine adjustment step, for example, a liquid material made of a material having a small shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization is used. Thereby, a microlens having a desired shape coated with a material having a small shape change can be manufactured.
In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, the weight or volume per droplet in the continuous ejection step may be different from the weight or volume per droplet in the fine adjustment step. .
Further, in the method for manufacturing a microlens of the present invention, the nozzle used in the continuous ejection step and the nozzle used in the fine adjustment step may have different droplet ejection characteristics. For example, in the continuous discharge process, a nozzle that discharges a large amount of droplets per unit time or a nozzle that can discharge even a highly viscous material is used. On the other hand, in the fine adjustment step, for example, a nozzle that can discharge a relatively small amount of droplets with high accuracy is used.

In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, the time from the completion of the continuous ejection process to the start of the fine adjustment process is determined based on the attributes of the droplets ejected in the continuous ejection process. Is preferred.
According to the present invention, for example, when the liquid (droplet) discharged in the continuous discharge process is made of a material having a large shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization, the fine adjustment process is started from the completion of the continuous discharge process. Increase the time until. Then, after the change in shape of the landed liquid is settled, the fine adjustment process can be started, and a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured with high accuracy. On the other hand, when the liquid material (droplet) discharged in the continuous discharge process is made of a material having a small shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization, the time from the completion of the continuous discharge process to the start of the fine adjustment process is shortened. Thus, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured with high accuracy while shortening the manufacturing time.

In the microlens manufacturing method of the present invention, it is preferable that the fine adjustment process is started after the contraction change of the liquid material landed on the substrate in the continuous ejection process is almost settled.
According to the present invention, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured with high accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, the microlens of the present invention is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a microlens.
According to the present invention, microlenses having a desired shape and size can be provided with a high yield. Therefore, an inexpensive microlens can be configured while exhibiting the designed characteristics.

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the microlens.
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, performance improvement and cost reduction can be achieved about the optical communication apparatus which uses a microlens as a component, a projector system, an organic electroluminescent (EL) display apparatus, a plasma display panel, etc.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a microlens according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
1 to 3 are diagrams for explaining an example of a microlens manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a microlens according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a continuous discharge step in the manufacturing method shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a fine adjustment step in the manufacturing method shown in FIG.

  The manufacturing method of this embodiment forms a microlens at each of a plurality of desired positions on a substrate using a droplet discharge method. That is, a liquid material (lens material) is discharged as a droplet from a nozzle of a droplet discharge head of the droplet discharge device, and the droplet is landed on each desired position on the substrate. The landed droplet becomes a lens shape due to surface tension or the like. By curing the droplets, a plurality of microlenses are formed on the substrate.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of droplets (for example, 50 to 100 droplets) are landed at each desired position. As a step of landing the plurality of droplets, a plurality of the droplets are continuously disposed at one desired position. A continuous discharge process for performing “continuous discharge” for each desired position, and a fine adjustment process for discharging one droplet at each desired position where the continuous discharge has been performed. ing. Next, the manufacturing method of this embodiment will be specifically described.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 2 is subjected to a liquid repellent process (step S1).
Here, as the substrate 2 on which the microlenses are formed, a substrate 2 having a plurality of bases 2a as shown in FIG. 2 can be used. That is, a plurality of bases 2 a are formed on the upper surface (front surface) of the substrate 2. Each base 2a has, for example, a cylindrical shape. And the upper surface of each base 2a becomes a desired position which is a formation position of a micro lens. The target region for the liquid repellent treatment is preferably the entire exposed portion on the upper surface of the substrate 2. In addition, the side surface of each base 2a may be subjected to a liquid repellent treatment. Moreover, you may perform a liquid-repellent process also about the outer edge vicinity site | part in the upper surface of each base 2a. In this way, when a droplet containing a lens material lands on the upper surface of the base 2a, it can be prevented from flowing down from the upper surface, and a microlens can be satisfactorily formed on the base 2a. Therefore, the effect of the lyophobic treatment may be exhibited by performing the lyophilic treatment on the upper surface of each base 2a other than the vicinity of the outer periphery (the central portion and its periphery) without performing the lyophobic treatment. Further, both the lyophobic treatment and the lyophilic treatment may be performed.

Next, the droplet discharge head 1 of the droplet discharge device is moved to the discharge position (step S2).
That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, the droplet discharge head 1 and the substrate 2 are arranged so that the droplet 22 discharged from the nozzle of the droplet discharge head 1 is landed on the upper surface of one base 2a. Adjust the relative position of. In this adjustment, the droplet discharge head 1 side may be translated or the substrate 2 side may be translated. The landing position (discharge position) of the droplet 22 on the base 2a is preferably the center of the upper surface of the base 2a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2A, the droplets 22 are “continuously ejected” on one base 2a (one chip) (step S3).
For example, 10 drops are continuously discharged onto one base 2a while the discharge position is fixed. It is assumed that the droplet 22 contains a lens material that forms a microlens forming material.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, the lens material 6a is applied in a convex shape on the upper surface of one base 2a. In this embodiment, after the microlenses are formed on each base 2a, the substrate 2 is divided into bases 2a to form a plurality of chips. Accordingly, since each base 2a is divided into chips, one base 2a is called one chip even before the division.

Next, it is determined whether or not the continuous ejection in step S3 has been performed on all bases 2a (all chips) formed on the substrate 2 (step S4).
If "No" is determined in step S4, that is, if continuous ejection is not performed on all the bases 2a, the process returns to step S2.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2C, the droplet discharge head 1 (or the substrate 2) is placed so that the droplets 22 land on the base 2a that is not continuously discharged and is not coated with the lens material 6a. Move to the discharge position (step S2). Next, the continuous discharge in step S3 is performed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2D, the lens material 6a is applied in a convex shape on the upper surface of the base 2a.

  Thus, by repeating steps S2 to S4, the continuous ejection of step S3 is performed on all the bases 2a (all chips) formed on the substrate 2, and the lens material 6a is applied. Then, it moves to step S5 by judgment of step S4.

Therefore, it is determined whether or not the convex lens material 6a formed on the upper surface of the base 2a is close to a desired lens shape (step S5).
This step S5 is an example of the “first inspection step” in the present invention. That is, after continuously discharging to all desired positions (all the bases 2a), an appearance inspection is performed on the base 2a (for the lens material 6a). This first inspection step is preferably performed using a microscope, for example. The examiner may determine whether the lens material 6a is close to a desired lens shape by looking into the microscope with the naked eye. In the first inspection step, it is preferable to inspect whether the lens material 6a is spilled from the upper surface of the base 2a onto the upper surface of the substrate 2. This is because if this spillage occurs, it is inconvenient for forming a microlens having a desired shape.

  Further, in the first inspection process in step S5, the shape of the lens material 6a may be mechanically inspected as well as the naked eye. For example, the lens material 6a is irradiated with laser light or the like, and an image formed by condensing the light on the base 2a is detected by a digital camera or the like. The shape of the lens material 6a is quantitatively determined by analyzing the detected image with a personal computer or the like. For example, when the difference between the desired lens shape (reference shape) and the shape of the lens material 6a is within 10%, it is determined that the lens material 6a is close to the desired lens shape.

  If it is determined No in step S5, that is, if the lens material 6a is significantly different from the desired lens shape, the process returns to step S2.

  Thereby, the process of step S2 to S5 is repeated. The repetition of steps S2 to S5 is an example of the repetition process of the present invention. That is, continuous discharge (for example, 10 drops) is further performed on the lens material 6a on the upper surface of all the bases 2a. This repetition is performed until the lens material 6a on the upper surface of all the bases 2a is in a state close to a desired lens shape.

  The above steps S2 to S5 constitute an example of the continuous discharge process of the present invention. This continuous discharge process can reduce the manufacturing time of the microlens. The reason is as follows. That is, if the continuous discharge process is not used, for example, after one drop is discharged onto a base 2a, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to discharge one drop onto another base 2a. Thus, the moving distance of the droplet discharge head 1 is frequently performed. Therefore, the moving distance of the droplet discharge head 1 required until completion of the microlens becomes longer than that in the case of continuous discharge. Further, the discharge interval time when the droplets 22 are continuously discharged from the droplet discharge head 1 is compared with the time for moving the droplet discharge head 1 from the discharge position of one base 2a to the discharge position of the adjacent base 2a. It will be a very short time. As a result, the manufacturing time becomes longer when the continuous discharge process is not performed.

  In addition, by repeating steps S2 to S5 as described above, “continuous discharge” can be subdivided. After the lens material 6a formed by the droplet 22 has landed on the base 2a, it may contract due to viscosity change or volatilization. By subdividing the continuous discharge as described above, the next continuous discharge can be performed after the viscosity change and the shape change due to the contraction of the lens material 6a are settled. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the problem that the lens material 6a is dripped from the base 2a, and to make the lens material 6a close to a desired lens shape while shortening the manufacturing time.

  Therefore, when the lens material 6a is a small material such as a change in viscosity and a change in contraction, it is not necessary to subdivide the continuous discharge. In this case, for example, the number of droplets continuously ejected in step S3 is set in advance so that steps S2 to S5 are performed once.

  In addition, the number of divisions (number of executions of the repetition process) for subdividing the continuous discharge in the continuous discharge process may be adjusted based on the contraction rate of the droplets 22. In this case, for example, when a liquid material having a small shrinkage rate (small shrinkage) is used as the lens material, the effect of providing the repetition process is small, so the number of executions of the repetition process may be zero. On the other hand, when a liquid material having a high shrinkage rate is used, it is possible to avoid a defect such as a lens material spilling from the base 2a or an inaccurate lens shape by increasing the number of times the repetition process is performed. it can.

  Note that the number to be subdivided, that is, the number of repetitions of steps S2 to S5 varies depending on the ambient temperature, humidity, temperature of the droplet 22, the viscosity of the droplet 22, the condition of the droplet discharge head 1, and the like. Therefore, it is difficult to predetermine the number of repetitions of steps S2 to S5, and fixing the number of repetitions often leads to longer manufacturing time and inaccurate microlens shape.

After the continuous discharge process, the fine adjustment process of the present invention is performed.
As the fine adjustment step, first, the droplet discharge head 1 of the droplet discharge device is moved to the discharge position (step S6).
That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the droplet discharge head 1 and the lens 22 are landed on the lens material 6a on the base 2a formed by continuous discharge on the substrate 2. The relative positional relationship with the substrate 2 is adjusted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, one droplet 22 is ejected onto the lens material 6a of one base 2a (one chip) (step S7).
As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lens material 6b formed on the base 2a ejected by one drop comes closer to a desired lens shape.

Next, it is determined whether or not the one-drop ejection of step S7 has been performed on all the bases 2a (all chips) formed on the substrate 2 (step S8).
If “No” is determined in step S8, that is, if one drop is not ejected on all the bases 2a, the process returns to step S6.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3B, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved (step S6), and one droplet 22 is discharged onto the lens material 6a of the base 2a (step S7). Thereby, as shown in FIG.3 (c), the lens material 6b formed on the base 2a discharged by 1 drop approaches a desired lens shape more.

  In this way, by repeating Steps S6 to S8, one drop ejection of Step S7 is performed on all the bases 2a (chips) formed on the substrate 2 to form the lens material 6b. Then, it moves to step S9 by judgment of step S8.

Therefore, it is determined whether or not the convex lens material 6b formed on the upper surface of the base 2a has a desired lens shape (step S9).
This step S9 is an example of the “second inspection step” in the present invention. That is, after one drop is discharged to all desired positions (all the bases 2a), an appearance inspection is performed on the base 2a (lens material 6b). By this second inspection step, it can be confirmed whether a microlens having a desired shape has been formed.

  This second inspection step is preferably performed using a microscope, for example, as in the first inspection step. The examiner may determine whether the lens material 6b has a desired lens shape by looking into the microscope with the naked eye. In the second inspection step, it is also possible to inspect whether the lens material 6b has spilled from the upper surface of the base 2a onto the upper surface of the substrate 2.

  Further, in the second inspection process in step S9, as in the first inspection process in step S5, the shape of the lens material 6b may be mechanically inspected as well as the naked eye. For example, if the difference between the desired lens shape (reference shape) and the shape of the lens material 6b is within 1%, it is determined that the lens material 6b has the desired lens shape.

  If it is determined No in step S9, that is, if the lens material 6b does not have the desired lens shape, the process returns to step S6.

  Thereby, the process of step S6 to S9 is repeated. The repetition of steps S6 to S9 constitutes the repeated fine adjustment process of the present invention. That is, one more drop is ejected onto the upper surfaces of all the bases 2a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3D, the lens material 6c formed by discharging one more drop is closer to a desired lens shape.

  As described above, by repeating Steps S6 to S9, one drop ejection of Step S7 is repeatedly performed on all the bases 2a (all chips) formed on the substrate 2 to form the lens material 6c. Steps S6 to S9 are repeated until the lens material 6c on the upper surface of all the bases 2a has a desired lens shape.

  The above steps S6 to S9 constitute an example of the fine adjustment process of the present invention. By this fine adjustment step, the shape of the microlens can be made a desired shape with high accuracy. That is, since the lens shape is inspected every time one droplet is landed, the lens material 6b can be formed into a desired lens shape with high accuracy while avoiding excessive loading of the droplet 22 on the base 2a.

After the fine adjustment process, the lens material 6c on all the bases 2a is irradiated with ultraviolet rays (step S10).
By this ultraviolet irradiation treatment, the lens material 6c on all the bases 2a is cured, and microlenses are completed. The lens material 6c may be cured using a method other than ultraviolet irradiation.

  Thus, according to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of this embodiment, you may isolate | separate a continuous discharge process and a fine adjustment process as a separate task. Further, the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process may be processed as one task. When the entire process including the continuous ejection process and the fine adjustment process is continuously processed as one task (that is, one execution unit), a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed.

  When the continuous ejection process and the fine adjustment process are processed as separate tasks, a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured at high speed while supporting various manufacturing forms such as a manufacturing apparatus and work time at a manufacturing site. For example, a continuous discharge process is performed collectively on a plurality of substrates 2 (one batch). Thereafter, the fine adjustment process is performed on the continuous substrate 2 at once. In this case, the continuous discharge process may be performed at the first work place (Company A), and the fine adjustment process may be performed at the second work place (Company B).

  Further, in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the droplet 22 (first liquid) ejected in step S3 of the continuous ejection process and the droplet 22 (second liquid) ejected in step S7 of the fine adjustment process. May be different. For example, the first liquid body and the second liquid body may have different refractive indexes after landing on the base 2a and curing. In this way, most of the microlens can be configured with a material having a refractive index close to a desired refractive index by the continuous ejection process, and the shape of the microlens can be finely adjusted by the fine adjustment process.

  In addition, the price per unit amount may be different between the first liquid body and the second liquid body. For example, a cheap liquid is used in the continuous ejection process, and a liquid having good characteristics such as high but small shape change is used in the fine adjustment process. Thereby, it is possible to form a microlens having a desired shape with high accuracy while reducing the cost. In addition, the first liquid body and the second liquid body may be different in viscosity, volatility, shrinkage rate, shape change characteristics after discharge, and the like in the reference ambient state. For example, in the fine adjustment step, a liquid material made of a material having a small shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization is used. Thereby, a microlens having a desired shape coated with a material having a small shape change can be manufactured.

  In the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the weight or volume of one droplet 22 in the continuous ejection process may be different from the weight or volume of one droplet 22 in the fine adjustment process. This can be realized by changing the drive signal of the droplet discharge head 1. Further, the nozzle structure of the droplet discharge head 1 used in the continuous discharge process and the nozzle structure of the droplet discharge head 1 used in the fine adjustment process may be realized by different structures. For example, in the continuous discharge process, a nozzle that discharges a large amount of droplets per unit time or a nozzle that can discharge even a highly viscous material is used. On the other hand, in the fine adjustment step, for example, a nozzle that can discharge a relatively small amount of droplets with high accuracy is used.

  In the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, it is preferable to determine the time from the completion of the continuous discharge process to the start of the fine adjustment process based on the attributes of the droplets 22 discharged in the continuous discharge process. For example, when the droplets 22 discharged in the continuous discharge process are made of a material having a large shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization, the time from the completion of the continuous discharge process to the start of the fine adjustment process is lengthened. Then, after the shape change of the lens material 6a formed by the landed droplet 22 is settled, the fine adjustment process can be started, and a microlens having a desired shape can be manufactured with high accuracy. The fine adjustment process may be started after confirming that the shape change is settled in step S5 or the like. On the other hand, when the droplets 22 ejected in the continuous ejection process are made of a material having a small shape change due to viscosity change or volatilization, the time from the completion of the continuous ejection process to the start of the fine adjustment process may be shortened. Thereby, it is possible to manufacture a microlens having a desired shape with high accuracy while shortening the manufacturing time.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a view for explaining an example of a microlens manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the same droplet discharge head 1 as the droplet discharge head 1 of the first embodiment can be applied. The substrate 2 in FIG. 4 is a substrate having optical transparency. And the base (2a) is not provided in the board | substrate 2 of this embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 4A, the liquid-repellent pattern 3 is formed on the surface of the substrate 2 where the microlenses are not formed, and the lyophilic pattern 4 is formed where the microlenses are formed.

  Here, as the substrate 2, when the obtained microlens is applied to an optical film for a screen, for example, a cellulose resin such as cellulose acetate or propyl cellulose, a transparent resin such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester ( A light transmissive sheet or a light transmissive film made of a light transmissive resin) is used. When the microlens is applied to a microlens array or the like, the substrate 2 is made of a transparent material (light transmissive material) such as glass, polycarbonate, polyarylate, polyethersulfone, amorphous polyolefin, polyethylene terephthalate, and polymethyl methacrylate. ) Is used.

For the formation of the liquid repellent pattern 3 and the lyophilic pattern 4, for example, the following plasma polymerization method is preferably employed. First, the liquid repellent treatment by plasma polymerization will be described. In this process, a raw material liquid for a liquid repellent process is prepared. As the raw material liquid, a liquid organic material composed of linear PFC such as C ₄ F ₁₀ or C ₈ F ₁₆ is preferably used. When such a raw material liquid is prepared, the vapor is converted into plasma in a plasma processing apparatus. Then, since the vapor | steam of this linear PFC was made into plasma, the coupling | bonding of a linear PFC is partly cut | disconnected and activated. When a part of the bond is cut in this way and the activated PFC reaches the surface of the substrate 2, these PFCs are polymerized on the substrate 2 to form a fluororesin polymer film having liquid repellency.

In addition, as a raw material liquid for the liquid repellent treatment, for example, decatriene can be used. In that case, by adding CF ₄ or oxygen activated by plasma treatment, liquid repellency can be imparted to the resulting polymer film, thereby forming a liquid-repellent polymer film. Moreover, fluorocarbon can also be used as a raw material liquid for the liquid repellent treatment. In that case, even if a part of fluorine in the fluorocarbon which is the raw material liquid is detached by adding plasma activated CF ₄ , the above active fluorine is taken into the polymer film obtained. Therefore, the liquid repellency of the fluororesin polymer film to be formed can be improved.

  In addition, when the polymer film thus obtained is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the fluororesin polymer film is decomposed and removed from the surface of the substrate 2, whereby the irradiated part can be made lyophilic. Therefore, the lyophilic process can be performed by such an ultraviolet irradiation process. Then, by performing such ultraviolet irradiation using a mask that has been subjected to desired patterning in advance, a desired lyophilic pattern can be easily formed on the liquid repellent surface.

  By the plasma polymerization method, the liquid repellent pattern 3 and the lyophilic pattern 4 are formed on the surface of the substrate 2 as described above. Specifically, first, the surface of the substrate 2 is washed with ozone water or the like to remove organic substances adhering to the surface. Next, the surface of the substrate 2, that is, the entire upper surface serving as a non-processed surface, is subjected to the above-described liquid repellent treatment by plasma polymerization to make the surface of the substrate 2 a liquid repellent surface.

  Next, the surface of the substrate 2 that has become a liquid-repellent surface is irradiated with ultraviolet rays using a mask corresponding to the lyophilic pattern 4 that is formed in advance, and a large number of liquid-repellent surfaces are formed in the liquid-repellent surface as shown in FIG. A lyophilic pattern 4 is formed. Here, these lyophilic patterns 4 are formed, for example, in a circular shape having a diameter of about 10 μm and arranged in a large number in the vertical and horizontal directions. In addition, by forming the lyophilic pattern 4 by ultraviolet irradiation in this way, the region other than the formed lyophilic pattern 4, that is, the region that has been subjected to the lyophobic treatment, becomes the lyophobic pattern 3 as it is. Further, the ultraviolet irradiation by using such a mask is performed by previously forming an alignment mark on the substrate 2 and positioning the mask with reference to the alignment mark.

  When the lyophobic pattern 3 and the lyophilic pattern 4 are formed in this way, a light-transmitting resin is disposed at substantially the same location on the lyophilic pattern 4 from the droplet discharge head 1 as shown in FIG. A plurality of liquid droplets 22 are ejected and applied. This application is performed by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process (steps S2 to S9) of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the droplet discharge head 1 used in the present embodiment and the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5A, the droplet discharge head 1 includes, for example, a stainless steel nozzle plate 12 and a vibration plate 13, which are joined via a partition member (reservoir plate) 14. A plurality of spaces 15 and a liquid reservoir 16 are formed between the nozzle plate 12 and the diaphragm 13 by the partition member 14. Each space 15 and the liquid reservoir 16 are filled with a liquid material containing a light-transmitting resin, and each space 15 and the liquid reservoir 16 communicate with each other via a supply port 17. The nozzle plate 12 is formed with nozzles 18 for injecting a liquid material containing a light transmissive resin from the space 15. On the other hand, a hole 19 for supplying a liquid material to the liquid reservoir 16 is formed in the diaphragm 13.

  Further, a piezoelectric element (piezo element) 20 is joined to the surface of the diaphragm 13 opposite to the surface facing the space 15 as shown in FIG. The piezoelectric element 20 is positioned between a pair of electrodes 21 and is configured to bend so that when it is energized, it projects outward. The diaphragm 13 to which the piezoelectric element 20 is bonded in such a configuration is bent integrally with the piezoelectric element 20 at the same time so that the volume of the space 15 is increased. It is going to increase. Therefore, the liquid material corresponding to the increased volume in the space 15 flows from the liquid reservoir 16 through the supply port 17. Further, when energization to the piezoelectric element 20 is released from such a state, both the piezoelectric element 20 and the diaphragm 13 return to their original shapes. Therefore, since the space 15 also returns to its original volume, the pressure of the liquid material in the space 15 rises, and the droplets 22 containing the light transmissive resin are ejected from the nozzle 18 toward the substrate 2. As a discharge method of the droplet discharge head 1, a method other than the piezo jet type using the piezoelectric element 20 may be used. For example, a method using an electrothermal transducer as an energy generating element may be adopted. .

  By using the droplet discharge head 1 having such a configuration, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, a liquid material containing a light-transmitting resin, that is, a lens, on the lyophilic pattern 4 on the surface of the substrate 2. A plurality of light-transmitting resin droplets 22 as materials are discharged to form a lens material 5 as shown in FIG. At this time, in the present embodiment, all the droplets 22 are discharged by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 without performing a curing process between the discharges of the respective liquid droplets. And apply. In addition, although the capacity | capacitance per droplet 22 discharged from the droplet discharge head 1 changes also with the droplet discharge head 1 and the material to discharge, it is normally about 1pl-20pl.

  The light-transmitting resin used as the lens material includes acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, and polycyclohexyl methacrylate, allyl resins such as polydiethylene glycol bisallyl carbonate and polycarbonate, methacrylic resins, polyurethane resins, and polyesters. Thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins such as resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, cellulose resin, polyamide resin, fluorine resin, polypropylene resin, and polystyrene resin. One kind of them is used, or a plurality of kinds are mixed and used.

  By blending such a light-transmitting resin with a photopolymerization initiator such as a biimidazole compound, the light-transmitting resin to be used may be used as a radiation irradiation curable type. That is, by blending such a photopolymerization initiator, radiation curable properties can be imparted to the light transmissive resin. Here, the radiation is a general term for visible light, ultraviolet light, far ultraviolet light, X-rays, electron beams, and the like, and particularly ultraviolet light is generally used.

  As described above, the lens material 5 is formed into a desired lens shape by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process. Further, the lens material 5 gets wet on the entire circular lyophilic pattern 4 and is placed on this pattern, and at the same time, the lens material 5 is repelled from the liquid repellent pattern 3 that is out of the lyophilic pattern 4. As a result, a good convex lens shape, that is, a substantially hemispherical shape is formed on the lyophilic pattern 4.

  After that, the lens material 5 thus formed into a substantially hemispherical shape is subjected to a drying treatment such as a heat treatment, a decompression treatment, a heat decompression treatment, or the light transmissive resin is a radiation irradiation curable type as described above. In addition, by performing irradiation treatment with ultraviolet rays or the like, this is cured to obtain the microlens 6 of the present invention.

  In such a manufacturing method of the microlens 6, the light-transmitting resin discharged and applied onto the lyophilic pattern 4 is in a state where the contact angle is small and widened on the lyophilic pattern 4. The convex shape has a relatively large diameter corresponding to the size of the liquid pattern 4, and thus the microlens 6 obtained after curing can have a large convex shape having a large diameter. Moreover, since the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process shown in the first embodiment are used, the microlens 6 having a desired lens shape can be formed quickly. In addition, since no molding die is required and there is almost no loss of material, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In addition, since the microlens 6 obtained by the manufacturing method of the present embodiment has a relatively large diameter and a favorable convex shape, a good diffusion performance or light collection performance according to such a shape. It will have. Moreover, since the microlens 6 can be formed into a desired lens shape by the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process, the characteristics as designed are sufficiently exhibited.

(Continuous discharge only or one drop discharge manufacturing method)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a method for manufacturing a microlens by only continuous discharge or only one drop will be described. The effects of the first or second embodiment cannot be achieved by only continuous ejection or only one drop ejection.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing an example of a method for producing a microlens only by continuous ejection. In this manufacturing method, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to the discharge position. Then, a predetermined number of droplets 22 are continuously discharged onto the upper surface of a certain base 2 a on the substrate 2. Thereby, as shown in FIG.6 (b), the convex lens-shaped lens material 7 is formed on the base 2a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to another discharge position (above the other base 2a). Then, a predetermined number of droplets 22 are continuously discharged onto the upper surface of another base 2a on the substrate 2. Thereby, as shown in FIG.6 (d), the lens material 7 of a convex lens shape is formed on the other base 2a. The continuous discharge is performed on all the bases 2 a on the substrate 2. Thereafter, the lens material 7 is cured to complete the microlens.

  In such a microlens manufacturing method using only continuous ejection, microlenses can be formed on all the foundations 2a by scanning the droplet ejection head 1 once for a plurality of foundations 2a. However, in this manufacturing method, since there is no fine adjustment step, the shape of the microlens cannot be finely adjusted. Therefore, for example, the droplets 22 may be ejected in excess of the optimum number of droplets for microlens formation, and lens formation may fail. If the amount of each droplet 22 ejected from the droplet ejection head 1 does not exactly match, the possibility of this failure increases.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a method for manufacturing a microlens by only discharging one drop. In this manufacturing method, first, as shown in FIG. 7A, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to the discharge position. Then, only one droplet 22 is ejected onto the upper surface of a certain base 2 a on the substrate 2. Thereby, as shown in FIG.7 (b), the lens material 8a is apply | coated on the base 2a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to another discharge position (above the other base 2a). Then, only one droplet 22 is ejected onto the upper surface of another base 2 a on the substrate 2. Thereby, as shown in FIG.7 (c), the lens material 8a is apply | coated on the other base 2a. This one-drop ejection is performed on all the bases 2a on the substrate 2, and the lens material 8a is applied to the upper surfaces of all the bases 2a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved, and one droplet is discharged onto the lens material 8 a of a certain base 2 a on the substrate 2. Thereby, the lens material 8b is applied on a certain base 2a. Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the droplet discharge head 1 is moved to another discharge position (above the other base 2a). Then, one drop is discharged on the upper surface of the other base 2a. Thereby, the lens material 8a is apply | coated on the other base 2a. This one-drop ejection is performed on all the bases 2a on the substrate 2, and the lens material 8b is applied to the upper surfaces of all the bases 2a.

  Such one drop ejection for all the bases 2a is repeated many times, and the lens material is applied to the lens shape for all the bases 2a. Thereafter, the microlens is completed by curing the lens material.

  In such a microlens manufacturing method using only one droplet ejection, the ejection amount (the number of droplets 22) can be finely adjusted. However, in this manufacturing method, the manufacturing time of the microlens becomes longer with the number of scans of the droplet discharge head 1 (the number of droplets discharged to each base 2a). Therefore, the manufacturing cost increases.

(Optical communication device)
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an electronic apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, an optical communication device (optical module) will be described as an example of an electronic device. The optical communication apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a structure 1000. The structure 1000 includes the surface-emitting light emitting device 100 including the microlens manufactured by the manufacturing method of the first or second embodiment. The surface-emitting light emitting device 100 is obtained, for example, by dividing the substrate 2 of FIG. 3 for each base 2a. The base 2a is provided with a surface emitting laser, and a microlens formed by curing the lens material 6c is disposed on the surface emitting laser.

  The structure 1000 includes a platform 1120, a first optical waveguide 1130, and an actuator 1150. The structure 1000 has a second optical waveguide 1302. The second optical waveguide 1302 forms part of the substrate 1300. A connection optical waveguide 1304 may be optically connected to the second optical waveguide 1302. The connection optical waveguide 1304 may be an optical fiber. The platform 1120 is fixed to the substrate 1300 with a resin 1306.

  In the optical communication apparatus of this embodiment, after light is emitted from the surface-emitting light emitting device 100, a light receiving device (not shown) is passed through the first and second optical waveguides 1130 and 1302 (and the connecting optical waveguide 1304). This light is received.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of an optical communication apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, a plurality of third optical waveguides 1230, 1310, and 1312 are provided between the first optical waveguide 1130 and the light receiving element 220. Here, the light receiving element 220 may include a microlens made by the manufacturing method of the first or second embodiment. The optical communication apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a plurality (two) of substrates 1314 and 1316.

  In the present embodiment, the structure on the surface light emitting element 100 side (including the surface light emitting element 100, the platform 1120, the first optical waveguide 1130, the second optical waveguide 1318, and the actuator 1150) and the light receiving element 220 are included. The third optical waveguide 1312 is disposed between the side structure (including the light receiving element 220, the platform 1220, and the third optical waveguides 1230 and 1310). An optical fiber or the like can be used as the third optical waveguide 1312 to transmit light between a plurality of electronic devices.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of an electronic device (electronic device system) to which the present invention is applied. For example, in FIG. 10, an optical communication device 1100 includes the optical communication device shown in FIG. 9, and connects electronic devices 1102 such as a computer, a display, a storage device, and a printer to each other. The electronic device 1102 may be an information communication device. The optical communication device 1100 includes a cable 1104 including a third optical waveguide 1312 such as an optical fiber. The optical communication device 1100 may be one in which plugs 1106 are provided at both ends of the cable 1104. Each plug 1106 is provided with a configuration on the side of the surface light emitting element 100 and the light receiving element 220. An electrical signal output from any one of the electronic devices 1102 is converted into an optical signal by the light emitting element, and the optical signal travels through the cable 1104 and is converted into an electrical signal by the light receiving element. The electric signal is input to another electronic device 1102. Thus, according to the optical communication apparatus 1100 according to the present embodiment, information transmission of the electronic device 1102 can be performed by an optical signal.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage of an electronic device according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. The optical communication device 1110 corresponds to the optical communication device 1100 in FIG. 10 and connects between the electronic devices 1112. As the electronic device 1112, a liquid crystal display monitor or a digital CRT (may be used in the fields of finance, mail order sales, medical care, education), a liquid crystal projector, a plasma display panel (PDP), a digital TV, a retail store A cash register (for POS (Point of Sale Scanning)), a video, a tuner, a game device, a printer, and the like can be given.

  The microlens to which the present invention is applied can be widely applied to electronic devices using light. That is, as an application circuit or an electronic device including a microlens made by the manufacturing method according to the present invention, an optical interconnection circuit, an optical fiber communication module, a laser printer, a laser beam projector, a laser beam scanner, a linear encoder, Examples thereof include a rotary encoder, a displacement sensor, a pressure sensor, a gas sensor, a blood flow sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a high-speed electrical modulation circuit, a wireless RF circuit, a mobile phone, and a wireless LAN.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the specific materials and layers mentioned in the embodiment can be added. The configuration is merely an example, and can be changed as appropriate.

  For example, the microlens manufactured using the manufacturing method of the present invention can also be applied to a display portion of an organic EL (electroluminescence) device, a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal projector, or a plasma display panel (PDP). For example, in a projection screen including a Fresnel lens and a lenticular sheet, a microlens may be formed on the lenticular sheet using the manufacturing method of the present invention.

It is a flowchart of the microlens manufacturing method of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view which shows the continuous discharge process in the manufacturing method same as the above. It is a model side view which shows the fine adjustment process in the manufacturing method same as the above. It is a figure which shows the microlens manufacturing method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the droplet discharge head used with the manufacturing method of this invention. It is a schematic side view which shows the example of a method of manufacturing a microlens only by continuous discharge. It is a schematic side view which shows the example of a method of manufacturing a microlens only by one droplet discharge. It is a schematic side view which shows an example of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view which shows an example of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the electronic device which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Droplet discharge head, 2 ... Board | substrate, 2a ... Base, 3 ... Liquid-repellent pattern, 4 ... Lipophilic pattern, 5 ... Lens material, 6 ... Microlens, 6a, 6b, 6c ... Lens material, 22 ... Droplet

Claims (15)

A method of manufacturing a microlens in which a liquid material is ejected as droplets from a nozzle, the liquid material is landed on each of a plurality of desired positions on a substrate, and the liquid material is cured to form a plurality of microlenses on the substrate. And
A continuous discharge step of continuously discharging a plurality of droplets to one desired position on the substrate for each of all the desired positions;
And a fine adjustment step for discharging one droplet of the droplet to each of the desired positions where the continuous discharge is performed on the substrate. Manufacturing method of a micro lens.   The method for manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1, wherein the continuous discharge process and the fine adjustment process are processed as one task.   2. The method of manufacturing a microlens according to claim 1, wherein the continuous ejection step and the fine adjustment step are processed separately in at least two tasks. The continuous discharge step has a first inspection step of performing an appearance inspection on the desired position after the continuous discharge after the continuous discharge at all the desired positions,
4. The fine adjustment step includes a second inspection step of performing an appearance inspection on a desired position where the one drop is discharged after discharging the one drop to all the desired positions. The manufacturing method of the microlens as described in any one of these.   The said continuous discharge process has a repetition process which performs the said continuous discharge to all the said desired positions after performing the said continuous discharge to all the said desired positions, The any one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. A method for producing the microlens described in 1.   6. The method of manufacturing a microlens according to claim 5, wherein the number of executions of the repetitive step in the continuous discharge step is adjusted based on a contraction rate of the droplets discharged in the continuous discharge step.   6. The micro of claim 5, wherein it is determined whether or not to execute the repetitive process based on an inspection result of the first inspection process, and when the repetitive process is not executed, the process proceeds to the fine adjustment process. Lens manufacturing method.   The fine adjustment step includes a repetitive fine adjustment step of repeatedly discharging the one drop to all the desired positions after the one drop is discharged to all the desired positions. A method for producing a microlens according to claim 1.   9. The method of manufacturing a microlens according to claim 8, wherein it is determined whether or not to execute the repetitive fine adjustment step based on an inspection result of the second inspection step.   10. The microlens according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid discharged in the continuous discharge step and the second liquid discharged in the fine adjustment step are different. Production method.   The first liquid body and the second liquid body are different in at least one of refractive index after curing, price per unit amount, viscosity, volatility, shrinkage rate, and shape change characteristics after ejection. The method of manufacturing a microlens according to claim 10.   12. The time from the completion of the continuous discharge process to the start of the fine adjustment process is determined based on attributes of droplets discharged in the continuous discharge process. The method for producing a microlens according to one item.   12. The micro adjustment according to claim 1, wherein the fine adjustment step is started after the contraction change of the liquid material landed on the substrate in the continuous discharge step is almost settled. Lens manufacturing method.   A microlens manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 1. An electronic apparatus comprising the microlens according to claim 14.

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