JPS6375706A - Manufacture of distributed thickness film - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable easy formation of a distributed thickness film having a large change rate in the film shape by projecting lights to the film while there are no objects to hinder the shape change of the film under the entire part of the film or right under part thereof at the time of changing the film shape by photoirradiation. CONSTITUTION:This method consists in increasing the change of the film shape at the time of manufacturing a short focus lens, low loss optical waveguide or the like. The film 11 contg. a photopolymn. reaction material is first formed on a substrate 10, then the material is turned over and light 13 is projected from above or below; for example, from below, by using a mask 12. Photoreaction is thereby induced in the irradiated part of the film 11, by which the film shape is changed. The film 11 is inflated downward by such reaction coupled with the effect of gravity to form lenses 14. The distributed thickness film having the large change rate of the film shape is easily formed in the above-mentioned manner.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A method for producing a V-thickness distribution film, which involves forming a V-thickness distribution film locally under the whole or part of the film containing a photoreactive substance in a state where there is no object that prevents the film from changing its shape. By irradiating the film with light, the action of gravity is added to the change in the film shape, making it possible to increase the amount of change.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thickness distribution film, and more specifically, to a method of manufacturing a short focus lens, a low-loss leading waveguide, and the like.

There is an increasing demand for plastic lenses to be arrayed and miniaturized for applications such as branching, coupling, multiplexing, and demultiplexing of light in optical fiber communications, as well as for applications in light-emitting diode concentrators and waveguide lenses in optical integrated circuits. .

[Conventional technology]

The conventional method for producing a thickness distribution film is to locally irradiate a film 2 containing a photoreactive substance formed on a substrate 1 with light 4 using a mask 3, as shown in FIG. 3a. As shown in FIG. 3, a photoreaction product is generated in the irradiated area to change the shape of the film, thereby forming a lens 5 and the like.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional manufacturing method of the film with thickness distribution described above, since the film 2 is on the substrate 1, changes in the film shape swell upward in opposition to gravity, so there is a limit to the swell, and the focal point of the lens becomes short beyond a certain point. It doesn't get worse. Furthermore, since there is a limit to the bulge, the convex portion spreads laterally, resulting in a convex region that is uncertainly larger than the diameter of the light irradiation.

The present invention was created in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a thickness distribution film that can greatly change the film shape.

[Means for solving problems]

For this reason, in the present invention, in the method for producing a thickness distribution film in which the film 11 containing at least a photoreactive substance is locally irradiated with light to change the film shape, a film is placed directly under all or part of the film 11. The feature is that the light is irradiated in a state where there are no objects that prevent the shape from changing.

[For production]

When light irradiation generates photoreaction products from photoreactive substances and changes the shape of the film, the direction in which the film swells is the same as the direction of gravity, so there is no limit to the swell of the film and it is the same as the light irradiation area. A convex region of the same size is formed.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the present invention in detail.

In this embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 1a, a glass substrate 10
After forming the film 11 containing a photopolymerization reaction substance on top, it is turned over and the mask 1 is applied from above or below (from below in the figure).
The light 13 is irradiated using the light source 2. As a result, the light irradiated portion of the film 11 undergoes a photoreaction and changes its shape, and as shown in FIG. 2, it bulges downward under the action of gravity to form a lens 14.

According to the method of this embodiment, a nearly spherical lens can be manufactured.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2a, first, a film 11 containing a photopolymerization reactant is placed on a substrate 10 having a groove 10a, and a mask 12 is used to irradiate the film 11 with light 13. This allows the film 11 to swell on both the front and back sides, forming a low-loss leading wavepath I5, for example, as shown in FIG.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to form a film with a large film thickness distribution with a large change in film shape using an extremely simple method, which is extremely useful in practice.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the present invention in detail, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the conventional method for manufacturing a thickness distribution film. This is a diagram. 1 and 2, 10 is a substrate, 11 is a film, 12 is a mask, 13 is a light, 14 is a lens, and 15 is a leading waveguide.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for producing a thickness distribution film in which the film (11) containing at least a photoreactive substance is locally irradiated with light to change the film shape, wherein all or part of the film (11) is 1. A method for producing a thickness distribution film, characterized in that light is irradiated directly under the condition that there is no object that obstructs the shape change of the film. 2. The method for producing a thickness distribution film according to claim 1, wherein the thickness distribution forms a lens or a waveguide. 3. The light irradiation is performed in a part or all of the region of the film (11) to be irradiated with light in a state where there is no object that prevents shape change on both sides of the film (11). A method for producing a film with a film thickness distribution.