KR20100106456A

KR20100106456A - Optical faceplate and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: KR20100106456A
Application number: KR1020107014905A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 봄멜 티에스 반; 리파트 아타 무스타파 히크메트; 스프랑 한스 반; 마르쿠스 안토니우스 베르슈렌
Original assignee: 코닌클리케 필립스 일렉트로닉스 엔.브이.
Priority date: 2007-12-06
Filing date: 2008-12-03
Publication date: 2010-10-01
Also published as: WO2009072072A1; TW201003160A; CN101889228A; JP2011507012A; EP2229600A1

Abstract

Disclosed are an optical faceplate and a method of manufacturing the same. The optical faceplate 10 includes a substrate 12 having a major surface and an array 15 of optical fibers embossed on the substrate. The optical fiber has a length, depth of feature in a mold or stamp, and a number of processing / stamping steps, depending on the layer of material deposited on the substrate on which the optical fiber is formed. The method includes forming 202 a substrate on a substrate having a major surface and processing 204 to form an array of optical fibers disposed transversely to the major surface.

Description

Optical face plate and manufacturing method therefor {OPTICAL FACEPLATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE}

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to optical faceplates for use in a variety of applications, including light and image transmission, and more particularly, to optical faceplates and methods of manufacturing using embossed optical fibers disposed transversely to an optical substrate.

Optical fiber faceplates in which light is delivered from or to a source or detector include CCD / CMOS coupling, laser array / fiber array coupling, CRT / LCD displays, images of genomics, proteomics, drug delivery, and microfluidic systems. It is used for high resolution, zero thickness light and image delivery in applications that may include enhancement, remote viewing, field planarization, X-ray imaging, and molecular diagnostics. While the advantages of optical fibers are clear and proven, various problems and limitations exist in the manufacture of these plates.

The current problem in the manufacture of optical faceplates is the difficulty in bundling thin optical fibers to a predetermined diameter, bonding them together, and subsequently cutting and polishing the bundled fibers to a predetermined thickness. Include. There is also room for improvement in making faceplates from fibers of smaller size (less than 10 microns) to control the parallel alignment and diameter between the individual fibers. In addition, current manufacturing processes do not provide an effective way of changing the center-to-center spacing between the fibers and do not provide different shaped fibers (eg oval, square, hexagonal, octagonal).

Another recognized problem is to provide a precise alignment of the fibers to the pixels of the detector, such as a CCD or CMOS sensor, to avoid cross talk. The complexity of conventional faceplate manufacturing results in an expensive manufacturing process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an optical faceplate and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The optical faceplate includes a substrate having a major surface and an array of optical fibers embossed on the substrate. The optical fiber has a length, depth of feature in a mold or stamp, and a number of processing / stamping steps, depending on the layer of material deposited on the substrate on which the optical fiber is formed. The method includes forming a layer on a substrate having a major surface and processing the layer to form an array of optical fibers disposed transversely to the major surface.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The invention will be presented in detail in the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings below.

According to the present invention, it provides improved transmission efficiency, precise and robust attachment of optical fiber faceplates and reduced distortion and response non-uniformity in order to maximize image quality and durability. In addition, faceplates can be made of fibers having a particular shape (eg, oval, square, hexagonal, octagon, etc.) and smaller sizes (eg, less than 15 micrometers and in the nanometer range). In addition, the upper surface shape of the fiber may vary in the shape of a dome, flat, pyramid, curved. In addition, according to the production method according to the invention the cost is low.

1 is a perspective view of an optical faceplate embossed on a substrate according to one embodiment.
2 is a perspective view of an optical faceplate having stacked optical fibers embossed onto a substrate according to another embodiment.
3 is a perspective view of the optical faceplate of FIG. 1 or 2 with light blocking material laminated in accordance with one embodiment.
4 is a perspective view of an optical faceplate having a functional material (eg, phosphorescent material) deposited on an optical fiber according to one embodiment.
5 is a perspective view of an optical faceplate having a functional material (eg, target specific affinity probe) deposited on an optical fiber according to another embodiment.
6A is a cross-sectional view of a substrate having a solvent layer having activated molecules formed thereon.
FIG. 6B is a sectional view of the solvent layer of FIG. 6A converted to a gel. FIG.
6C is a cross-sectional view of the gel of FIG. 6B stamped using a rubber stamp to emboss the fibers into a solid structure.
6D is a sectional view illustrating a solid structure forming an optical fiber according to an exemplary embodiment.
7A is a cross-sectional view of a substrate having a UV or thermoset layer.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the UV or thermoset layer of FIG. 7A, imprinted using a template and subsequently irradiated with a UV or thermoset layer with radiation to initiate polymerization.
FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view illustrating the removal of a template leaving a solid structure forming an optical fiber in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. FIG.
8A is a cross-sectional view of a substrate having an array of optical fibers filled with filler.
8B is a cross sectional view of a substrate having a solid structure filled with a filler having a layer to be imprinted thereon;
8C is a cross-sectional view of the layer of FIG. 8B imprinted using a template and subsequently solidified the curable resist.
8D is a cross-sectional view illustrating removal of a template leaving a solid structure forming an optical fiber in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.
8E is a cross-sectional view illustrating a solid stacked structure for forming an optical fiber according to an exemplary embodiment after removal of the filler.
9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example application of an optical faceplate in accordance with one example embodiment.
10 is a schematic showing a setup without faceplates.
11 is a block / flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for manufacturing an optical faceplate in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The invention is not limited to these, but charge coupled device (CCD) / complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) coupling, laser array / fiber array coupling, cathode ray tube such as genomics, proteomics, drug delivery and microfluidic systems Disclosed are optical faceplates that can be used in applications including / liquid crystal display (CRT / LCD) displays, image enhancement, remote viewing, field flattening, X-ray imaging such as X-ray and mammography, and molecular diagnostics. Currently, such plates are produced by bunching optical fibers to a predetermined diameter, bonding them together, and then cutting and polishing the device to a predetermined thickness. This is a difficult process with various limitations. According to the principles of the invention, a method for manufacturing an optical plate is disclosed. The method includes embossing a predetermined height and aspect ratio structure on top of a given substrate, which may be a functional unit (detector, etc.). This may lead to filling the area around the fiber embossed with a low refractive index material or other functional material if desired. The functional material can likewise be deposited on the fiber. These functional materials may include, for example, target specific affinity probes deposited on the optical faceplate.

It should be understood that the present invention will be described in terms of optical faceplates having embossed optical fibers. However, the teachings of the present invention are much broader and applicable to array-based attachment methods for fibers in the transverse orientation with respect to the substrate supporting or securing the fibers. Fibers can be mounted, positioned or otherwise placed on a substrate using a plurality of different techniques. The embodiments described herein are preferably manufactured using a printing process, but lithographic imaging and processing can also be used. Other processing techniques are also contemplated.

It should also be understood that illustrative examples of optical faceplates may be configured to include additional electronic / optical components. These components may be integrally formed with the substrate or may be mounted on the substrate or other components (eg, on a fiber). In addition, the components used may vary depending on the application and design. The elements shown in the figures can be implemented in various combinations of hardware and can provide functionality that can be combined into a single element or multiple elements.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in which like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements, firstly, optical faceplate 10 includes a plurality of optical fibers embossed on top of substrate 12 in a predetermined pattern or array 15. And a substrate 12 having 14. The substrate 12 may be or have a functional unit 16 formed thereon such as a pixel, an array of pixels, a detector, a sensor, or the like. If a detector or sensor is used for the substrate 12, quality inspection or testing of the optical fiber array 15 is facilitated because it is easier to detect the functionality of the final product. Fiber 14 preferably has a high aspect ratio, such as, for example, a width to length ratio of 1: 2 to 1:10 or more.

By printing or stamping the optical faceplate 10, the conventional limitations of conventional fiber bundles of optical fibers, bonding them together and then cutting and polishing them to a desired thickness are advantageously eliminated. Fibers 14 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, in particular having a smaller diameter (eg less than 10 microns), can be individually aligned and more easily manufactured. This method is also suitable for making fibers (nanofibers) having nanometer dimensions. This manufacturing method also allows for control of various array dimensions such as, for example, the center-to-center spacing between the fibers 14, the shape of the fibers (eg, oval, square, hexagonal, octagon, etc.) and the fiber tip shape. do. These dimensions, shapes and spacings are advantageously predetermined at the die / stamp or pre-patterned in lithographic masking operations.

The principles of the present invention impart a great deal of flexibility in the manufacture of optical fibers. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the fiber and the spacing between the fibers can vary over the same device or substrate. In other words, the density of the fibers and the individual size of the fibers may vary over the surface. In addition, the cross-sectional shape and width can vary and be mixed over the surface. In addition, the top surface shape of the fibers may vary in dome shape, flat, pyramid, curved, and the like. Moreover, the dimensions of the fiber may also vary along the fiber axis. Such structures can be varied and mixed along the surface. For example, tapered fibers may also be produced.

Precise positioning of the optical fiber 14 relative to the substrate 12 is advantageously achieved. For example, if substrate 12 includes a source or detector such as a CCD or CMOS sensor, precise positioning of fiber 14 may be provided at a specific location on substrate 12 that may optimize or improve performance. have. In addition, the bonding of the optical faceplate to the source or detector is improved, leading to improved transmission efficiency and reduced cost. The fibers can be chemically bonded to the surface. This can be accomplished by treating the surface with reactive molecules that can subsequently react with the layer. It may also simply be physical adhesion.

Various materials can be used to form the fiber 14. In particularly useful embodiments, sol-gel materials may be used that exhibit low polymerization shrinkage and become chemically attached to the surface. In one embodiment, the liquid material is deposited (eg, spun) and solidified by evaporation of the solvent and / or crosslinking by heat or light. In the optical faceplate 10, these materials are thermally and chemically stable (no degradation and decolorization) and have certain improved optical properties (e.g., optimum numerical aperture, high transmission) for the present application. Examples of curable materials include (meth) acrylates, epoxy oxethanes, vinyl ethers, alkoxysilanes tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) or other suitable It can be selected from the group of materials.

2, a stacked optical fiber faceplate 20 is shown by way of example. The first layer 28 includes a first material that can be deposited or spun onto the substrate 12. The second layer is formed on top of the first layer 28. The processing of layers 26 and 28 may be performed in stages or simultaneously, depending on the type of material used for each layer and the method used to process the layers. For example, if a stamping process is used, both layers 26 and 28 may be stamped simultaneously to form a stacked fiber 24. If lithographic processes are used, the layers may be etched simultaneously or may be etched stepwise if the etch chemistry should be adjusted for different layers.

The substrate 12 of FIG. 2 may include a pixelated optical sensor 16 such as a CMOS or CCD device formed in or on the substrate 12. Fiber 24 is used to guide light to a sensor configured to direct light generated by, for example, a phosphor layer, on top of the fiber. If the fiber needs to have a aspect ratio that cannot be obtained in a single stamping operation, the laminated fiber structure shown in Fig. 2 can be used. The laminated fiber 24 may comprise different materials and may have different optical properties and dimensions. One skilled in the art will understand that one of the layers may be used to attenuate radiation (light, X-rays, etc.) or otherwise modulate the light and / or radiation (eg, filtering certain wavelengths, etc.). Could be. In one embodiment, layer 26 may remain continuous and have no fibers formed therein, such that the fibers are only formed within layer 28.

It should be understood that multiple layers can be stacked on each other in numbers greater than two. In addition, the sections of the laminated fiber 24 may be formed coaxially as shown in FIG. 2, but the sections of the laminated fiber 24 may be formed with different cross-sectional areas from one layer to the next layer or It may have a center biased from one layer to the next.

Referring to FIG. 3, the area between the fibers 14 or 24 may be empty, filled with the material 32 or partially filled. Material 32 may comprise a low refractive index material, a radiation blocking material (eg, a light blocking material or X-ray blocking material comprising heavy metals and ions thereof) or other functional material or structure. For example, highly reflective or absorbing materials, which may also include particles of any size, may be used to fill the outer structure of the optical fiber faceplate 10 or 20 to achieve high image quality of CCD or CMOS imagers. have. Material 32 may also be used to protect fibers 14, 24 from stress / strain due to handling or operation. Material 32 may also be further protected as described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 to protect the lower portion of fiber 14 or 24 and to process (eg, to clean rough or contaminated surfaces). May be used as a mask to present the upper portion of the fibers 14, 24) for forming features.

Referring to FIG. 4, optical fiber faceplate 10 (or 20) is a functional material 42 such as a luminescent or phosphorescent material (phosphor) or a scintillator material or other material when the application includes X-ray imaging or other forms. ) May be included. Preferably, this material (eg phosphor) 42 may be located in the upper region of the fiber. These material structures 42 may be illuminated under certain conditions.

Referring to FIG. 5, a functional material 52, such as, for example, a target specific affinity probe 54, may likewise be deposited on the optical faceplate 10 or 20. The target specific affinity probe 54 may be deposited on the optical faceplate 10 or 20 in a number of ways, including contacting, dropping, spotting, or by any other suitable deposition technique. The fixation of the target specific affinity probe 54 on the optical faceplate may be accomplished in different ways, including chemical bonding of the probe 54 to the faceplate 10 or 20. Probe 54 may comprise different biological receptors for detecting DNA, RNA, proteins, cells, tissues, or any kind of biological molecule or organ of interest.

Optical faceplates can be used for high throughput molecular diagnostic methods. The component can be used in a number of applications such as, for example, genomics, proteomics, drug delivery, and microfluidic systems. Optical faceplates have the advantage of having a very large number of optical elements and reaction sites. They provide interference free separation of reaction sites via microwells or capillaries. Using optical fiber technology, good readings of individual optical channels can be obtained. This allows for high sensitivity, repeatability and low background fluorescence.

6A-6D, an imprint lithography / embossing method is illustrated by way of one method for the manufacture of an optical faceplate in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Large area imprinting techniques that are well suited for reduced fabrication with nanometer sized structures having high aspect ratios at room temperature in a single stacked layer can be used. According to this method, a flexible stamp can be used for the replication of structures of mm to nm size. This technique is well suited for manufacturing optical fiber faceplates because it can print features from mm to up to nm in size with high aspect ratios with high accuracy. Moreover, the manufacturing process is low cost and has industrial manufacturing capabilities. A proposed fabrication process for fabricating optical fiber faceplates using imprint lithography is presented herein.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a solidifying liquid having a reactive molecule such as 2.9 wt% TMOS, 2.6 wt% MTMS, 87.5 wt% 1-propanol, 2.3 wt% formic acid, 3.7 wt% water, and 1.0 wt% methylbenzoate (62) ) Is applied onto the substrate 12 by, for example, spin coating, spray coating or doctor blading. The substrate may include a functional unit 16 such as a pixel or optical sensor or the like. During this process, the solvent in liquid 62 evaporates, and the reactive molecules begin to form gel 66 as shown in FIG. 6B. The layer 68 is then gently applied to the substrate 12 with a wave motion that prevents air infiltration as described in WO2003099463 and EP1511632, which are incorporated herein by reference, and as shown in FIG. 6C. Embossed by the flexible rubber stamp 70. The solvent in the liquid 62 also diffuses from the gel material 66 into the stamp 70 to assist in leaving the solid structure 72 on the substrate 12 and / or functional unit 16 as shown. Can be. The rubber stamp 70 is preferably likewise removed by a wave motion technique to peel off the stamp without destroying the replica as shown in FIG. 6D. If some material is still left between the structures 72, an etching method such as reactive ion etching (RIE) and / or ion beam etching may be used. Optionally, the solid structure 72 on the substrate 12 may be filled with a light blocking or other material, such as a silver sol gel (see eg FIG. 3). It is also possible to prepare the light blocking structure first, and then fill the gap with a material that allows light to propagate through it.

With reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, a second angle lithography / embossing method is illustrated using ultraviolet (UV) or thermally sensitive material for the manufacture of optical faceplates.

Referring to FIG. 7A, a UV or thermally sensitive material 164 is applied onto the substrate 12 by, for example, spin coating or doctor blading. The deposited layer 164 is embossed or stamped by the stamp 170 and subsequently irradiated with radiation as shown in FIG. 7B. Irradiation allows the resist or material 164 to crosslink or otherwise solidify. Removal of the stamp 170 leaves the fiber structure 172 on the substrate 12 as shown in FIG. 7C.

Referring to FIG. 8, the process steps used to create a fiber stack structure in accordance with another exemplary embodiment are shown.

Referring to FIG. 8A, a fiber array 180 is formed on a substrate 12 that includes a functional unit 16. Fiber array 180 is created by imprint lithography in which the area between fibers 14 is filled with material 182 (which may be the same as material 32 described above). Referring to FIG. 8B, a curable material 184 (eg, resist) is applied onto the filled fiber array 180 of FIG. 8A by, for example, spin coating or doctor blading. The deposited layer 184 of FIG. 8B is embossed by the stamp 170 after alignment of the stamp with respect to the substrate and subsequently solidified to form the solid structure 186 as shown in FIG. 8C. Removal of the stamp 170 leaves the fiber structure 186 on the filled fiber array 180 of FIG. 8A as shown in FIG. 8D. Filling material 182 may be formed by, for example, dissolving filling material 182 in a suitable solvent, or by burning filling material 182 to produce a laminated fiber array 188 (heat or solvent resistant material is such as a sol-gel material). Only possible when used to create a fiber array).

Referring to FIG. 9, in one exemplary embodiment, the optical fiber faceplate 190 may be used for digital radiography applications. This leads to better image resolution and more effective focusing and transmission compared to the lens. The optical fiber array 190 is located between the scintillator 192 and the CCD or CMOS imager 194. X-ray source 196 produces X-rays. Although light from an x-ray scintillator tends to be scattered as shown in FIG. 10, faceplates 190 made of coherent optical fiber strands in accordance with the principles of the present invention exhibit scattering. Minimize and preserve image intensity and resolution.

The advantages of optical fibers for digital radiography are clear, but there may be problems in manufacturing such optical fiber faceplates using conventional techniques and bonding them to scintillators and CCD or CMOS imagers. It is important that the fiber is aligned with the pixels of the detector. Distortion and response unevenness that degrades image quality should be reduced. A higher degree of alignment of the fibers with respect to the pixels is achieved by bonding or embossing the fibers to the substrate (eg directly to a CCD or CMOS imager) in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Precise, robust and reliable adhesion is provided by stamping the fiber gel to the crosslinked layer or using photolithography. In addition, higher image quality is provided by increasing the number of fibers delivering light to each sensor pixel. For example, a 6 micron fiber diameter can provide 16 fibers to 24 micron pixels, but many more fibers can be fabricated because fibers with small diameters (even nanometer scale) can be manufactured. Can be provided according to. The density, size, shape and location of the fibers can be easily changed across the substrate.

The principles of the present invention provide improved transmission efficiency, precise and robust attachment of optical fiber faceplates, and reduced distortion and response non-uniformity to maximize image quality and durability. In addition, the faceplates may be made of fibers having a specific shape (eg, oval, square, hexagonal, octagon, etc.) and smaller sizes (eg, less than 15 micrometers and nanometer ranges) as described above. Can be. In addition, the upper surface shape of the fiber may vary in the shape of a dome, flat, pyramid, curved. Moreover, the production process according to the invention is low in cost.

In an embodiment of the present invention, optical fiber faceplates are made using a crosslinking material. Micrometer and even nanometer structures with various shapes and high aspect ratios (1:10) have been created on various surfaces with different roughness or profiles.

Referring to FIG. 11, a method for manufacturing an optical faceplate is illustratively shown in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In block 202, a layer is formed on the major surface of the substrate. The layer is preferably a material which, upon curing / drying, allows the transmission of electromagnetic radiation at a predetermined wavelength or wavelength range. The layer may be spun or doctor bladed on the surface of the substrate. The substrate can include an imaging device (eg, a pixel, etc.). The material may comprise a solidifying liquid or crosslinking material, such as a liquid that becomes a gel after the solvent has been evaporated or polymerized by heat or radiation. In one embodiment, the layer material may solidify during embossing of the layer. In block 204, the layer is processed to form an array of optical fibers disposed transversely to the major surface of the substrate. This may include forming a gel or solid before or during the embossing step at block 206 or curing the resist layer during the embossing step using radiation (eg, UV) or heat.

In an optional step 203, fill material may be formed around the previous layer of fiber. This allows a plurality of layers to be formed to form a stacked optical faceplate. After the processing of blocks 202-210 is completed, a filler material is applied instead of or in addition to the radiation blocking material (of block 210) as needed. A second layer (block 202) is formed and processed according to steps 202, 204, 206, 208 and 210 as needed. This may continue in as many layers as needed. The plurality of layers form an array of optical fibers such that each layer provides a portion of the length of the entire optical fiber.

At block 206, the processing may include stamping or embossing the layer (s) to form an array of optical fibers. Stamping preferably includes applying a stamp with a wave motion to avoid cavities and air bubbles, for example after alignment. The stamping process further includes controlling at least one of the spacing between the fibers, the cross-sectional shape of the fiber, and the tip geometry of the fiber. This can be done using the features provided on the stamp.

At block 208, the array of fibers may be etched or heated to remove material between the fibers. Etching may include, for example, a reactive ion etch process. At block 210, radiation (light, X-ray, etc.) blocking material may be formed around the array of fibers. In block 212, the functional material may be deposited on the upper portion of the optical fiber. Functional materials may include phosphorescent or luminescent materials and / or affinity probes (eg, target specific affinity probes). Other functional materials are also contemplated.

When interpreting the appended claims,

a) The term "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or operations other than those listed in a given claim,

b) elements of the singular expression do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements;

c) Any reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope,

d) multiple “means” may represent the same item or hardware or software implementation structure or function,

e) It is to be understood that no specific order of operation is intended to be required unless specifically indicated.

Preferred embodiments (which are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting) for optical faceplates and manufacturing methods have been described, noting that modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Accordingly, it should be understood that changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the spirit and scope of the embodiments disclosed herein as described by the appended claims. As such, the details and details required by the patent law have been described, with the claimed and described subject matter protected by a patent document being set forth in the claims.

10: optical faceplate 12: substrate
14: optical fiber 15: optical fiber array
16: functional unit 20: optical fiber face plate
24: Fiber 26, 28: Layer
32: material 42: functional material
52: functional material 54: probe
62: liquid 66: gel
68: layer 70: rubber stamp
72: solid structure 164: heat sensitive material
170: stamp 172: fiber structure
180: fiber array 182: material
184: layer 186: solid structure
190: optical fiber array 192: scintillator
194: CCD or CMOS imager 196: X-ray source

Claims

As an optical face plate manufacturing method,
Forming (202) a layer on the substrate having a major surface; And
Processing (206) said layer to form an array of optical fibers disposed transversely to and attached to said major surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of forming (202) comprises a component for forming crosslinks.

The method of claim 1, wherein the layer forming the crosslinked portions comprises one of a UV / thermal cured layer and a gel layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the layer 202 includes forming a plurality of layers 203, and processing the layer 204 to form an array of optical fibers, each Processing the plurality of layers to form the array of optical fibers such that a layer provides a length portion of the optical fibers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing step includes stamping said layer to form an array of optical fibers (206).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said stamping step (206) comprises using a flexible stamp.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the stamping step (206) comprises controlling at least one of the spacing between the fibers, the cross-sectional shape of the fibers, and the tip shape of the fibers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising etching (208) the array of optical fibers to remove material between the fibers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming (208) a radiation blocking material around the array of optical fibers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing (212) a functional material on the upper portion of the optical fibers.

The manufacturing of an optical faceplate as recited in claim 10 wherein depositing a functional material on the upper portion of the optical fibers (212) comprises depositing a light emitting material, a phosphorescent material, an affinity probe, or a combination thereof. Way.

As an optical face plate manufacturing method,
Applying 202 a layer on the substrate; And
Embossing (206) the layer to form an array of optical fibers by applying a stamp and solidifying the layer in the presence of the stamp.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said layer comprises a crosslinking material.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said layer comprises a liquid material and further comprising the step (204) of at least partially solidifying said layer prior to said embossing step (206).

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a plurality of layers (203), and processing the layers to form a stacked array of optical fibers such that each of the plurality of layers provides a length portion of the optical fibers. Optical face plate manufacturing method comprising a.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising etching (208) an array of fibers to remove material between the fibers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming (210) a radiation blocking material around the array of fibers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising depositing (212) a functional material comprising one of a luminescent material, a phosphorescent material, and an affinity probe on the upper portion of the optical fibers.

As an optical faceplate,
A substrate 12 having a major surface; And
An array 15 of optical fibers 14 embossed on the substrate,
Wherein the optical fibers have a length determined by the layer thickness of the material deposited on the substrate on which the optical fibers are formed and / or a feature depth on the stamp used to emboss the optical fibers.

20. The optical faceplate as recited in claim 19, wherein said substrate comprises an optical sensor (16).

20. The optical faceplate of claim 19 further comprising a radiation blocking material (32) formed around said array of fibers.

20. The optical faceplate of claim 19, further comprising a functional material (42) in the upper portion of the optical fibers comprising one of a phosphorescent material, a luminescent material and an affinity probe.

20. The optical faceplate as recited in claim 19, wherein said layer comprises a plurality of layers (26, 28), said length being determined in accordance with said plurality of layers.

20. The optical faceplate as recited in claim 19, wherein said optical fibers (14) comprise a aspect ratio of width to length of at least 1:10.

20. The optical faceplate according to claim 19, wherein the optical fibers (14) have a non-circular cross-sectional shape.