Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/18—Diffraction gratings
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
  • G02B3/0006—Arrays
  • G02B3/0012—Arrays characterised by the manufacturing method
  • G02B3/0031—Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
  • B29D11/00—Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
  • B29D11/00009—Production of simple or compound lenses
  • B29D11/00278—Lenticular sheets
  • B29D11/00288—Lenticular sheets made by a rotating cylinder
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
  • G02B3/0006—Arrays
  • G02B3/0012—Arrays characterised by the manufacturing method
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/18—Diffraction gratings
  • G02B5/1847—Manufacturing methods
  • G02B5/1857—Manufacturing methods using exposure or etching means, e.g. holography, photolithography, exposure to electron or ion beams
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B3/00—Simple or compound lenses
  • G02B3/0006—Arrays
  • G02B3/0037—Arrays characterized by the distribution or form of lenses
  • G02B3/0043—Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height

Definitions

• Rotating may be performed at angular velocities of at least about 1 revolution/minute, and/or axial rastering may be performed at a frequency of at least about 1kHz. Moreover, in some embodiments, rotating and simultaneously axially rastering may be performed continuously for at least about 1 hour, to fabricate at least about one million microstructures.
• the cylindrical platform also includes a substrate on the radiation sensitive layer, which is transparent to the radiation beam. In these embodiments, simultaneously axially rastering is performed by simultaneously axially rastering a radiation beam through the substrate that is transparent thereto across at least a portion of the radiation sensitive layer, to image the microstructures in the radiation sensitive layer.
• the radiation sensitive layer 110 may be directly on the cylindrical platform 100, as shown in Figure 1, or one or more intervening layers may be provided between the radiation sensitive layer 110 and the cylindrical platform 100, as will be described in detail below. Moreover, one or more layers may be provided on the radiation sensitive layer 110, remote from the cylindrical platform 100, as will be described in detail below. Other embodiments of the radiation sensitive layer 110 also will be described below.
• optical microstructures 132 are shown in Figure 1 as being microlenses in the shape of a hemispherical section, in other embodiments other microstructures, such as optical grating structures, may be formed as a plurality of uniformly and/or non-uniformly spaced, identical and/or non-identical optical microstructures 132. Combinations of different types of optical microstructures, with uniform and/or nonuniform sizes and/or spacings, also may be fabricated.
• both the laser 122 and/or laser beam 122, and the cylindrical platform 100 may be translated relative to one another axially.
• the laser 122 may be fixed at one end of the cylindrical platform 100 and laser optics such as a mirror may be configured to translate the laser beam 122 relative to the cylindrical platform, for example by moving axially and/or rotating.
• Figures 2-4 illustrate embodiments of the present invention wherein the cylindrical platform 100 is translated axially relative to a fixed laser 122. More specifically, referring to Figure 2, the cylindrical platform 100 is translated axially along an axial translation direction shown by arrow 224, by moving a support 210 relative to a base 220 using rollers 222 and/or other conventional mechanisms.
• a plurality of lasers may be used to perform more than one scan simultaneously.
• the amplitude of the laser beam 120 may not be a linear function of the shape of the optical microstructure that is being imaged, due to nonlinear absorption/development characteristics of the radiation sensitive layer 110 and/or other well-known nonlinear effects.
• the prediction of the shape that will result from the imaging may involve a detailed understanding not only of the beam profile and intensity, and the way in which they vary in space and time, but also the manner in which the radiation sensitive layer responds to the radiation energy deposited in it ("exposure curves").
• exposure curves the response of the radiation sensitive layer can also be affected by various post-exposure development parameters.
• the focal length of the laser beam 120 may be varied simultaneous with the rotation of the cylindrical platform 100 and the axial rastering the laser beam 120, to at least partially compensate for radial variation in the cylindrical platform 100 and/or thickness variation in the radiation sensitive layer 110.
• the focal length of the laser beam 120 also may be varied to image portions of the optical microstructures at varying depths in the radiation sensitive layer 110.
• the focal length of the laser beam 120 is varied to vary the exposure of the radiation sensitive layer 110, to provide the desired optical microstructure. Combinations and subcombinations of these focal length control mechanisms may be provided, alone or in combination with amplitude control of the laser beam 120.
• Imaging of a radiation beam through a substrate that is transparent thereto into a radiation sensitive layer 810 on the substrate may be referred to herein as "back-side” imaging or “substrate incident” imaging.
• substrate incident imaging Imaging of a radiation beam through a substrate that is transparent thereto into a radiation sensitive layer 810 on the substrate.
• back- side imaging combined with negative photoresist can produce optical microstructures 132' that include bases 1302 adjacent the substrate 800 and tops 1304 that are narrower than the bases 1302, remote from the substrate 800.
• the negative photoresist layer 1310 may include impurities 1910 thereon.
• these impurities 1910 may interfere with the front-side imaging.
• the laser beam 822 need not pass through or focus on, the outer surface 1310a of the negative photoresist 1310, remote from the substrate 800.
• impurities 1910 need not impact the formation of optical microstructures 1832. Accordingly, imaging may take place in a non-clean room environment in some embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 20 illustrates optical microstructures according to some embodiments of the present invention.
• these optical microstructures include a substrate 2010 and a patterned layer of negative photoresist 2020 on the substrate 2010, which is patterned to define therein optical microstructures 2032.
• the negative photoresist 2020 is sensitive to radiation at an imaging frequency
• the substrate 2010 is transparent to the imaging frequency.
• the optical microstructures comprise a plurality of optical microstructures 2032 including bases 2034 adjacent the substrate 2010 and tops 2036 remote from the substrate 2010 that are narrower than the bases 2034.
• the substrate 2010 is a flexible substrate.
• a precursor or blank for an optical microstructure master includes a pair of closely spaced apart flexible webs and a radiation sensitive layer that is configured to accept an image of optical microstructures, between the pair of closely spaced apart flexible webs, as will be described in detail below.
• the master blank is placed on an imaging platform. Many examples will be provided below.
• the master blank is imaged to define optical microstructures.
• at Block 2240 at least one outer layer is removed, for example as was described in connection with Block 2120 of Figure 21. Many other examples will be provided below.
• a second generation stamper is created by contacting the optical microstructures in the radiation sensitive layer to a stamper blank.
• the second outer layer 2330 is transparent to radiation at the predetermined frequency and the first outer layer 2310 is opaque to radiation at the predetermined frequency.
• the optical microstructure master blank or precursor 2400 includes a second outer layer 2330 that is transparent to the wavelengths of radiation used in exposure, is flat, relatively free of imperfections (i.e., of optical quality), clear and without haze. It may be desirable for the radiation sensitive layer 2320 to adhere well to the second outer layer 2330, and it may be desirable for the second outer layer 2330 to be relatively impervious to the chemicals and thermal processes that may be involved in developing the radiation sensitive layer.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
• Diffracting Gratings Or Hologram Optical Elements (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2003
  • 2003-09-11 US US10/661,916 patent/US7190387B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2004
  • 2004-08-20 DE DE602004022682T patent/DE602004022682D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-08-20 JP JP2006526110A patent/JP4607881B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-08-20 AT AT04781817T patent/ATE440298T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-08-20 WO PCT/US2004/027208 patent/WO2005036216A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-08-20 KR KR1020067004896A patent/KR101060324B1/ko not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-08-20 EP EP04781817A patent/EP1664859B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2006
  • 2006-08-17 US US11/465,377 patent/US7763417B2/en active Active

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