WO2014156960A1

WO2014156960A1 - Method for manufacturing optical element

Info

Publication number: WO2014156960A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/057781
Authority: WO
Inventors: 斎藤正
Original assignee: コニカミノルタ株式会社
Priority date: 2013-03-29
Filing date: 2014-03-20
Publication date: 2014-10-02

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing an optical element, which has a plurality of choices for a lens material and is capable of increasing the shape accuracy by means of sufficient curing, thereby being capable of improving the molding throughput. This method for manufacturing an optical element comprises: a step for supplying a photocurable resin (RA) to a first region (A1) between a lower transfer mold (31) and an upper transfer mold (32), while supplying a thermosetting resin (RB) to a second region (A2) between the transfer molds (31, 32); a step for curing the photocurable resin (RA) by means of light, said photocurable resin (RA) having been supplied to the first region (A1) between the transfer molds (31, 32); a step for curing the thermosetting resin (RB) by means of heat after the curing of the photocurable resin (RA), said thermosetting resin (RB) having been supplied to the second region (A2) between the transfer molds (31, 32); and a step for releasing an optical element (MP), which is formed of the thermosetting resin (RB), by separating the transfer molds (31, 32) from each other.

Description

Optical element manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical element having a plurality of optical elements or a plurality of lens elements, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing an optical element including a thermosetting resin.

As an optical element manufacturing method, a UV curable resin applied on the front and back sides of a glass substrate is sandwiched between transparent upper and lower stampers, the pattern is transferred to the UV curable resin, and UV curable sandwiched between upper and lower stampers. There is one that irradiates a resin with ultraviolet rays and collectively molds an optical pattern on the front and back of a transparent substrate (Patent Document 1).

Another method for manufacturing an optical element is a method for manufacturing a wafer level lens, in which a front-side molded body and a back-side molded body of a glass substrate are individually molded and UV-cured (Patent Document 2). In this method, since the molding of the first surface is completed and the other surface is subsequently molded, the resin mold of the first surface is not released during the molding of the other surface. And heat processing is performed before mold release, and heat processing is performed again at a higher temperature after mold release.

The methods of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are basically based on the premise that an ultraviolet curable resin is used. In a lens having optical surfaces on both the front and back surfaces, the respective methods are used to suppress the occurrence of decentration, heart thickness, tilt, etc. It is necessary to adjust the positional relationship between the molds transferred to the surface, and to cure the resin while maintaining the positional relationship.

In recent years, for example, in an imaging lens, submicron accuracy is required due to the demand for higher pixels and lower height. For this reason, it is necessary to incorporate a stage or the like that enables high-accuracy alignment comparable to a mask aligner for semiconductor manufacturing in association with the molding apparatus, and an ultraviolet curing method with a small temperature rise is adopted. In order to cure the thermosetting resin, a heat treatment of about 100 to 150 ° C. is usually performed, but it is considered that heating in a precise apparatus as described above is not desirable.

In the methods of Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, the choice of the lens material for the molded part is limited to the ultraviolet curable resin, and variations in material properties (refractive index, Abbe number, etc.) are also within the range of the ultraviolet curable resin. . For example, a combination of different material properties is indispensable for correcting chromatic aberration of an imaging lens, but the above method has a problem that the degree of freedom in optical design is limited.

In particular, in the case of the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to expose both surfaces at once, it is necessary to irradiate the lens material with ultraviolet irradiation light. In terms of the device configuration, UV irradiation is performed from one side, and this is not a major problem if the glass substrate is not provided with a pattern that particularly affects transparency. In the case where the tempering is performed, it is considered that the resin on the side opposite to the light source is insufficiently cured. Even if there is no pattern as described above on the glass substrate, the irradiation from one side may cause insufficient curing of the resin on the side opposite to the light source due to the ultraviolet light absorption of the lens resin itself.

In the case of the production method of Patent Document 2, since molding is performed one side at a time, even if patterning such as drawing is performed on the glass substrate, both sides of the resin can be exposed and cured evenly. When the molding is finished, it is necessary to take out the work, turn it upside down, and set it again in the apparatus. In addition, even if the curing is finally completed by the heating process, it is necessary to carry out UV exposure in an amount sufficient for the start of the reaction in two steps, resulting in a long process tact.

JP 2000-246810 A International Publication No. 2009/116448

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the background art described above, and it is possible to increase the choice of lens materials, increase the shape accuracy by sufficient curing, and improve the throughput of molding. An object is to provide a manufacturing method.

In order to achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing an optical element according to the present invention supplies a photocurable resin to a first region between a first transfer mold and a second transfer mold, and performs first and second transfer. A step of supplying a thermosetting resin to the second region between the molds, a step of curing the photocurable resin supplied to the first region between the first and second transfer molds by light, and a photocurable resin After curing, the thermosetting resin supplied to the second region between the first and second transfer molds is cured by heat, and the first and second transfer molds are separated to form the thermosetting resin. A step of releasing the optical element.

In the above manufacturing method, since the photocurable resin supplied to the first region between the first and second transfer molds is cured by light, the first and second transfer molds can be aligned and fixed in a relatively low temperature environment. become. Thereafter, since the thermosetting resin in the second region between the precisely aligned first and second transfer molds is cured by heat, an optical element including the thermosetting resin is molded with high mold alignment accuracy. Can do. An optical element including a thermosetting resin has a relatively wide variation in optical characteristics, and according to this method, the shape accuracy can be increased without increasing process tact by a simple curing process. In addition, about photocurable resin, the material specialized in quick-hardening etc. can be selected, without considering an optical physical property.

According to a specific aspect of the present invention, in the manufacturing method, the first region and the second region are distributed in different ranges along the mold surfaces of the first and second transfer molds. In this case, the first region is a support region, and the second region is a product region.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the first region is provided with a transfer surface for molding a plurality of support members, and the second region is provided with a transfer surface for molding a plurality of optical elements. It has been. In this case, in the first region, a support member (dummy lens) as a molded product obtained by curing the photocurable resin is formed, and the first and second transfer molds are relatively supported and fixed by the support member. In the second region, an optical element as a molded product obtained by curing the thermosetting resin can be obtained.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the optical element has a first portion and a second portion at different positions with respect to a direction perpendicular to the mold surfaces of the first and second transfer molds, and the second portion The part is formed of a thermosetting resin. In this case, the first portion and the second portion can have different compositions, for example, and the degree of freedom in optical design of the optical element can be increased.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the first portion is formed of a photocurable resin. In this case, the optical element is a combination of a thermosetting resin portion and a photocurable resin portion.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the optical element has a glass substrate between the first portion and the second portion. In this case, an optical element having lens portions formed on both surfaces of the glass substrate can be obtained.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an aperture pattern is formed on the glass substrate. In this case, it is possible to easily obtain an optical element having an enhanced function such as stray light prevention by the aperture pattern.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the first transfer mold and the second transfer mold are provided by providing a transfer layer formed of a resin on a light-transmitting support plate. In this case, curing of the photocurable resin becomes relatively easy, and the process tact can be shortened.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the first transfer mold and the second transfer mold each have an alignment mark that enables mutual positioning. In this case, it is possible to increase the alignment accuracy when curing the photocurable resin supplied to the first region, and as a result, it is possible to increase the shape accuracy of the optical element.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, only the first region is selectively irradiated with curing light in the step of curing the photocurable resin in the first region. In this case, the light source for irradiation can be reduced in size, and the apparatus cost can be reduced.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the step of curing the thermosetting resin in the second region is a photocurable resin cured outside the molding apparatus that performed the step of curing the photocurable resin in the first region. This is performed after unloading the first and second transfer molds fixed to each other. In this case, it becomes easy to increase the accuracy of the molding apparatus, and the degree of freedom in setting the curing conditions of the curable resin can be increased.

It is a conceptual diagram explaining the manufacturing apparatus for enforcing the manufacturing method of the optical element of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining a shaping | molding apparatus among the manufacturing apparatuses of FIG. 3A to 3C are views for explaining a transfer mold used in the manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the mold surface of the upper transfer mold, FIG. 3B is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a pair of transfer molds, and FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating the mold surface of the lower transfer mold. FIG. 4A to 4C are side sectional views for explaining the fixing process of both transfer molds in the method of manufacturing an optical element. 5A and 5B are side cross-sectional views for explaining curing and taking out of the optical element in the method for manufacturing the optical element. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating a transfer mold used in the manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6A is a diagram for explaining a mold surface of the upper transfer mold, and FIG. 6B is a conceptual sectional view of a pair of transfer molds and the like. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a transfer mold and the like used in the manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 7A is a plan view of a glass substrate, and FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating a mold surface of a lower transfer mold. 8A to 8D are side sectional views for explaining the first half of the optical element manufacturing method. 9A to 9D are side sectional views for explaining the latter half of the optical element manufacturing method. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a transfer mold used in the manufacturing apparatus of the third embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating a mold surface of the upper transfer mold, and FIG. 10B is a conceptual cross-sectional view of three transfer molds. It is a figure explaining the type | mold surface of the lower transfer type | mold used with the manufacturing apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. 12A to 12D are side sectional views for explaining an initial stage of the method for manufacturing an optical element. 13A to 13C are side sectional views for explaining an intermediate stage of the method for manufacturing an optical element. 14A and 14B are side sectional views for explaining the final stage of the optical element manufacturing method.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, with reference to drawings, the manufacturing method of the optical element of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention is explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing apparatus for carrying out an optical element manufacturing method is a combination of a molding apparatus 4, a heating apparatus 6, and the like. The molding apparatus 4 includes a resin application part 4a and a transfer fixing part 4b. In the resin application part 4a, the photocurable resin RA and the thermosetting resin RB are individually applied to appropriate positions on the mold surface 31f of the lower transfer mold 31 which is the first transfer mold. In the transfer fixing portion 4b, for example, a lower transfer mold 31 that is a first transfer mold and an upper transfer mold 32 that is a second transfer mold are arranged in alignment with each other. At this time, the photocurable resin RA exists in the first area A1 between the

transfer molds

31 and 32, and the thermosetting resin RB exists in the second area A2 between the

transfer molds

31 and 32. The transfer fixing unit 4b irradiates the photocurable resin RA between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 with curing light, for example, ultraviolet rays. That is, the photocurable resin RA between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 is cured to fix the

transfer molds

31 and 32 to each other. The heating device 6 is an oven and heats the

transfer molds

31 and 32 that are unloaded from the transfer fixing unit 4b and fixed to each other from the surroundings. Thereby, the thermosetting resin RB between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 can be cured, and the optical element MP formed of the thermosetting resin can be obtained. Although not shown, the lower transfer mold (first transfer mold) 31 and the upper transfer mold (second transfer mold) 32 after the heat treatment are sufficiently cooled and then separated from each other by mold opening. Thereby, the optical elements MP molded between the two transfer dies 31 and 32 can be taken out collectively.

2 accommodates a lower stage 11, a lower drive unit 12, an upper stage 13, and an upper drive unit 14 in a vacuum chamber 10. The transfer fixing unit 4b shown in FIG. Outside the vacuum chamber 10 are an alignment camera 21 that observes the workpiece from the back side of the lower stage 11 during positioning, and a UV light source that irradiates the curing light KK to an appropriate position of the workpiece from the back side of the lower stage 11 during the curing process. 22 and a main drive unit 23 for raising and lowering the upper drive unit 14 are provided. If the UV light source 22 is a device that locally irradiates the photocurable resin RA that forms the support member SU used to fix the transfer molds 31 and 32 (see FIGS. 4A to 4C), the device can be downsized. , Can reduce costs.

The lower stage 11 holds a lower transfer mold (first transfer mold) 31 as a workpiece. The lower drive unit 12 moves the lower stage 11 up and down with an air cylinder 12a and the like. The upper stage 13 holds an upper transfer mold (second transfer mold) 32 (such as a glass substrate 33 if necessary) as a work. The upper drive unit 14 slightly moves the upper stage 13 in the vertical direction by the Z drive unit 14a, the height gauge 14b, and the like. The upper stage 13 is provided with an X drive unit 13a, a Y drive unit 13b, a θ drive unit 13c, a chuck unit 13f, and the like. That is, the upper stage 13 can support the upper transfer mold 32 and can be displaced three-dimensionally in the XYZ directions and can be rotated around the Z axis. The upper drive unit 14 is driven up and down by a drive shaft 23b extending from the main drive unit 23.

In the transfer fixing portion 4b, the three-dimensional translation and rotation of the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 can be performed. By using the alignment mark, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 can be aligned. The relative positional relationship can be set precisely. Thereafter, by operating the UV light source 22, the photocurable resin RA between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 can be selectively cured by the curing light KK. In other words, the positional relationship between the two

transfer molds

31 and 32 is provisionally firmly fixed by the photocurable resin RA.

Hereinafter, a specific manufacturing process of the optical element MP will be described. 3A is a diagram for explaining the mold surface 32f of the upper transfer mold 32, FIG. 3B is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the pair of

transfer molds

31 and 32, and FIG. 3C shows the mold surface 31f of the lower transfer mold 31. It is a figure explaining.

The upper transfer mold 32 is obtained by providing a transfer layer 32b made of resin on a light-transmitting support plate 32a. The support plate 32a is formed of, for example, a glass plate, and the transfer layer 32b is formed of, for example, a UV curable resin. The transfer layer 32 b is formed by transfer and molding using a metal master mold or a sub master mold having the same structure as the upper transfer mold 32. On the mold surface 32f of the upper transfer mold 32, that is, on the surface of the transfer layer 32b, a first transfer surface 32g for molding an optical element MP (see FIG. 5B) as a lens and both transfer

molds

31 and 32 are positioned. The second transfer surface 32h for molding the support member SU (see FIG. 5B) that has the role of fixing in the finished state, and the measurement element TE (see FIG. 5B) that is a lens for measuring eccentricity A third transfer surface 32i is provided. These transfer surfaces 32g, 32h, and 32i are formed in different regions on the mold surface 32f. That is, the first transfer surface 32g, the second transfer surface 32h, and the third transfer surface 32i are distributed in different ranges along the mold surface 32f of the upper transfer mold 32. These transfer surfaces 32g, 32h, and 32i are arranged on lattice points in the illustrated example. Among these, the second transfer surface 32h is formed at four locations (corresponding to the first region) at equal intervals along the outer circumference having a relatively large radius around the central axis CX parallel to the Z axis, for example. The third transfer surface 32i is formed at four locations at equal intervals along the inner circumference of a relatively small radius around the central axis CX, for example. The first transfer surface 32g is disposed at a location corresponding to the remaining lattice points (corresponding to the second region). An alignment mark 32m is formed on the mold surface 32f so as to avoid the transfer surfaces 32g, 32h and 32i, so that the arrangement of the upper transfer mold 32 can be optically confirmed.

The lower transfer mold 31 has the same structure as the upper transfer mold 32. That is, the lower transfer mold 31 is provided with a transfer layer 31b made of resin on a support plate 31a having light transmittance. The support plate 31a is formed of, for example, a glass plate, and the transfer layer 31b is formed of, for example, a UV curable resin. The transfer layer 31b is formed by transfer and molding using a metal master mold or sub master mold. On the mold surface 31f of the lower transfer mold 31, that is, on the surface of the transfer layer 31b, the first transfer surface 31g for molding the optical element MP as a lens and both the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are fixed in a positioned state. A second transfer surface 31h for molding the supporting member SU having a role and a third transfer surface 31i for molding the measuring element TE which is a lens for measuring eccentricity are provided. These transfer surfaces 31g, 31h, and 31i face the transfer surfaces 32g, 32h, and 32i of the upper transfer mold 32, respectively, and as a result, are formed in different regions on the mold surface 31f. That is, the first transfer surface 31g, the second transfer surface 31h, and the third transfer surface 31i are distributed in different ranges along the mold surface 31f of the lower transfer mold 31. An alignment mark 31m is formed on the mold surface 31f so as to avoid the transfer surfaces 32g, 32h, and 32i, so that the arrangement of the lower transfer mold 31 can be optically confirmed.

The alignment mark 31m of the lower transfer mold 31 and the alignment mark 32m of the upper transfer mold 32 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the mold surfaces 31f and 32f in a precisely aligned state. That is, the upper transfer mold 32 fixed to the upper stage 13 by the upper drive unit 14 is perpendicular to the vertical axis AX while observing both alignment marks 31m and 32m with the alignment camera 21 provided in the transfer fixing unit 4b shown in FIG. The two

alignment marks

31m and 32m can be made to coincide with each other by being displaced two-dimensionally in a plane, rotated about the vertical axis AX, or tilted with respect to the vertical axis AX. , 32 spacing is achieved. The interval between the transfer dies 31 and 32 can be checked by the height gauge 14b or the like.

The optical element manufacturing process will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C and FIGS. 5A and 5B.
First, the lower transfer mold 31 is fixed to the lower stage 11. Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, a thermosetting resin RB is applied on the first and

third transfer surfaces

31g and 31i of the lower transfer mold 31, and a photocurable resin RA is applied on the second transfer surface 31h. To do. The application amounts of the resins RA and RB are such that the first and second regions A1 and A2 between the transfer dies 31 and 32 are filled and individual lenses are formed independently. As the photocurable resin, for example, an acrylic resin, an allyl resin, an epoxy resin, a fluorine resin, or the like is used. In addition, as the thermosetting resin, for example, a fluorine resin, a silicone resin, or the like is used.

Next, the upper transfer mold 32 is fixed to the upper stage 13. As shown in FIG. 4B, the upper transfer mold 32 is moved down by operating the upper drive unit 14, and the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are roughly aligned by operating the upper stage 13. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 is brought closer to the lower transfer mold 31, and the first and second regions A1, A2 between the

transfer molds

31, 32 are filled with resin. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are precisely aligned. The upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are fixed in a positional relationship such that the optical element MP has a predetermined thickness (heart thickness).

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4C, the UV light source 22 is operated to selectively cure the photocurable resin RA between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 by the curing light KK. That is, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first area A1 between the transfer dies 31 and 32 is cured. Thereby, the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are fixed to each other by the support member SU.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5A, the transfer dies 31, 32 are unloaded from the transfer fixing portion 4b in a state where the transfer dies 31, 32 are fixed to each other, and are conveyed to the heating device 6. At this time, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are fixed by the support member SU, and thus maintain a precisely aligned state. In the heating device 6, the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are heated to cure the thermosetting resin RB existing between the

transfer molds

31 and 32. That is, the thermosetting resin RB supplied to the second region A2 between the transfer dies 31 and 32 is cured. Thereby, the optical element MP and the measuring element TE are molded. After the heat treatment, the transfer dies 31, 32 are sufficiently cooled.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5B, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are separated from each other by mold opening. Thereby, the optical element MP molded by the first transfer surfaces 31g and 32g between the transfer dies 31 and 32 can be taken out. At the time of mold release, the support member SU formed by the second transfer surfaces 31h and 32h and the measurement element TE formed by the

third transfer surfaces

31i and 32i are also taken out. The optical element MP is an integrated lens formed of a single thermosetting resin or plastic material.

According to the optical element manufacturing method described above, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first region A1 between the

transfer molds

31 and 32 is cured by light, so that the

transfer molds

31 and 32 can be manufactured in a relatively low temperature environment. Alignment and fixation are possible. Thereafter, since the thermosetting resin RB in the second region A2 between the precisely aligned

transfer molds

31 and 32 is cured by heat, the optical elements MP including the thermosetting resin RB are collectively processed with high mold alignment accuracy. And can be molded. The optical element MP including the thermosetting resin RB has a relatively wide variation in optical characteristics, and this method can improve the shape accuracy without increasing the process tact by a simple curing process. In addition, about photocurable resin RA, the material specialized in quick-hardening etc. can be selected, without taking into consideration an optical physical property.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an optical element according to the second embodiment will be described. The optical element manufacturing method according to the second embodiment is a modification of the optical element manufacturing method according to the first embodiment, and items not specifically described are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, an optical element MP (see FIG. 9D) is manufactured in which a glass substrate 33 shown in FIG. 6B or the like is sandwiched between optical surfaces on the front side. As shown in FIG. 9D, immediately after releasing from the transfer dies 31, 32, the wafer-like member 100 is taken out. In the wafer-like member 100, a plurality of lens portions (first and

second portions

34a, 34b) formed of resin on the first surface 33a and the second surface 33b of the glass substrate 33 are two-dimensionally arranged. ing. By cutting the wafer-like member 100, an individual optical element MP can be obtained. In the optical element MP, the lens portion on the first surface 33a side of the glass substrate 33 is the first portion 34a, and the lens portion on the second surface 33b side of the glass substrate 33 is the second portion 34b. That is, the optical element MP has the first portion 34a and the second portion 34b at different positions with respect to the optical axis direction perpendicular to the mold surfaces 31f and 32f of the transfer dies 31 and 32 and parallel to the central axis CX. In the present embodiment, the first portion 34a and the second portion 34b of the optical element MP are both formed of a thermosetting resin.

As shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7B, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 used in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment are the same as the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the glass substrate 33 has an aperture pattern PT. The aperture pattern PT includes a first opening 33c, a second opening 33d, and alignment marks 33m and 33n. The first opening 33c in the aperture pattern PT is an opening provided in the optical element MP. The second opening 33d is an opening for curing the photo-curable resin RA for forming the support member SU, and has substantially the same outline as the shapes of the second transfer surfaces 31h and 32h. The alignment mark 33m is a mark for positioning with the upper transfer mold 32. The alignment mark 33n is a mark for positioning with the lower transfer mold 31. The glass substrate 33 is covered with, for example, a light-shielding resin or metal as a whole, so that light does not enter other than the

openings

33c and 33d and the alignment marks 33m and 33n. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the optical element MP, light selectively enters the second opening 33d, and the photocurable resin RA existing in the first region A1 can be selectively cured.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D and FIGS. 9A to 9D.
First, as shown in FIG. 8A, a thermosetting resin RB is applied on the first and

third transfer surfaces

31g and 31i of the lower transfer mold 31, and a photocurable resin RA is applied on the second transfer surface 31h. .

Next, the glass substrate 33 is fixed to the upper stage 13. As shown in FIG. 8B, the upper drive unit 14 is operated to lower the glass substrate 33, and the upper stage 13 is operated to roughly align the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31. Thereafter, the glass substrate 33 is brought closer to the lower transfer mold 31 and the first and second regions A1 and A2 between the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 are filled with resin. Thereafter, the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 are precisely aligned.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8C, the UV light source 22 is operated to selectively cure the photocurable resin RA between the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 with the curing light KK. That is, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first region A1 between the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 is cured. Thereby, the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 are fixed to each other by a part of the support member SU. Thereafter, when the upper stage 13 is retracted upward while removing the glass substrate 33 from the upper stage 13, the glass substrate 33 remains in the lower stage 11 together with the lower transfer mold 31.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8D, a thermosetting resin RB is applied to a position corresponding to the first and

third transfer surfaces

31g and 31i of the lower transfer mold 31 on the glass substrate 33, and the second transfer surface 31h. A photo-curable resin RA is applied to a position corresponding to.

Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 is fixed to the upper stage 13. As shown in FIG. 9A, the upper transfer mold 32 is lowered, and the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 are roughly aligned. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 is brought closer to the glass substrate 33, and the first and second regions A1, A2 between the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 are filled with resin. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 are precisely aligned.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9B, the photocurable resin RA between the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 is selectively cured by the curing light KK. That is, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first region A1 between the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 is cured. Thereby, the upper transfer mold 32 and the glass substrate 33 are fixed to each other by a part of the support member SU.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, the transfer dies 31, 32 are unloaded from the transfer fixing portion 4 b with the glass substrate 33 interposed therebetween and are transferred to the heating device 6. In the heating device 6, the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are heated to cure the thermosetting resin RB existing between the

transfer molds

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9D, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are separated from each other by mold opening. Thereby, the wafer-like member 100 in which the optical element MP, the supporting member SU, and the measuring element TE are two-dimensionally arranged on the glass substrate 33 is taken out. The wafer-like member 100 is cut along the cutting line DL to obtain an individual optical element MP, measuring element TE, and the like.

According to the method for manufacturing an optical element of the present embodiment, even when the glass substrate 33 having the aperture pattern PT is used, the thermosetting resin RB is cured while the transfer dies 31 and 32 are securely fixed during the manufacturing process. be able to. Thereby, several optical element MP can be shape | molded collectively.

In the present embodiment, the first portion 34a and the second portion 34b of the optical element MP are both formed of the thermosetting resin RB, but either the first portion 34a or the second portion 34b is used. May be formed of a photocurable resin RA. Accordingly, resin materials having different characteristics can be selected with the glass substrate 33 interposed therebetween, and an optical element MP having a high degree of freedom in optical design can be obtained.

[Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing an optical element according to the third embodiment will be described. Note that the optical element manufacturing method of the third embodiment is a modification of the optical element manufacturing method of the first or second embodiment, and items that are not particularly described are the same as those of the first or second embodiment.

In this embodiment, an optical element MP (see FIG. 14B) in which the first portion 34a and the second portion 34b have different resin compositions is manufactured. Specifically, the first portion 34a of the optical element MP is made of a photocurable resin RA, and the second portion 34b is made of a thermosetting resin RB.

As shown in FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 11, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 used in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment are the same as the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted. In the present embodiment, a flat plate mold 35 is further used. As shown in FIG. 10B, the flat plate mold 35 is a flat plate-like member that covers the entire mold surface 31 f of the lower transfer mold 31. The end face 35a facing the lower transfer mold 31 of the flat plate mold 35 is a substantially flat plane.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12D, FIGS. 13A to 13C, and FIGS. 14A and 14B.
First, as shown in FIG. 12A, a photocurable resin RA is applied on the first, second, and

third transfer surfaces

31g, 31h, and 31i of the lower transfer mold 31. The composition of the resin that forms the optical element MP and the support member SU may be different.

Next, the flat plate mold 35 is fixed to the upper stage 13. As shown in FIG. 12B, the upper driving unit 14 is operated to lower the flat plate mold 35, and the upper stage 13 is operated to roughly align the flat plate mold 35 and the lower transfer mold 31. Thereafter, the flat plate mold 35 is brought closer to the lower transfer mold 31 so that the first and second regions A1 and A2 between the flat plate mold 35 and the lower transfer mold 31 are filled with resin. Thereafter, the flat plate mold 35 and the lower transfer mold 31 are precisely aligned.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12C, the UV light source 22 is operated to cure the photocurable resin RA between the flat plate mold 35 and the lower transfer mold 31 by the curing light KK. That is, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first and second regions A1 and A2 between the glass substrate 33 and the lower transfer mold 31 is cured. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12D, when the upper stage 13 is operated to raise the flat plate mold 35, the flat plate mold 35 is released, and the first portion 34a of the optical element MP (that is, a half portion of the optical element MP). ) And the like are left on the lower stage 11 together with the lower transfer mold 31.

Next, as shown in FIG. 13A, a thermosetting resin RB is applied to positions corresponding to the first and

third transfer surfaces

31g and 31i of the lower transfer mold 31, and light is applied to positions corresponding to the second transfer surface 31h. A curable resin RA is applied.

Next, the upper transfer mold 32 is fixed to the upper stage 13. As shown in FIG. 13B, the upper transfer mold 32 is lowered, and the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are roughly aligned. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 is brought closer to the lower transfer mold 31, and the first and second regions A1, A2 between the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are filled with resin. Thereafter, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are precisely aligned.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13C, the photocurable resin RA between the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 is selectively cured by the curing light KK. That is, the photocurable resin RA supplied to the first region A1 between the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 is cured. Thereby, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are fixed to each other by the support member SU.

Next, as shown in FIG. 14A, the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are unloaded from the transfer fixing portion 4b in a state where the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are fixed to each other, and conveyed to the heating device 6. In the heating device 6, the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are heated to cure the thermosetting resin RB existing between the

transfer molds

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 14B, the upper transfer mold 32 and the lower transfer mold 31 are separated from each other by mold opening. Thereby, the optical element MP, the support member SU, and the measurement element TE can be taken out.

According to the method for manufacturing an optical element of the present embodiment, a plurality of optical elements MP formed of two kinds of resin materials without having a substrate can be obtained collectively.

The optical element manufacturing method according to the present embodiment has been described above, but the optical element manufacturing method according to the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, in the above embodiment, the shape, size, and the like of the optical element MP and the like can be changed as appropriate according to the application and function. The shapes of the optical element MP, the support member SU, and the measuring element TE may be shapes that can be distinguished from each other, or may be the same shape as long as mixing can be prevented.

In the above embodiment, the arrangement and number of the first, second, and

third transfer surfaces

31g, 32g, 31h, 32h, 31i, and 32i can be changed as appropriate. However, the arrangement and number of the second transfer surfaces 31h and 32h are arranged and the number that can sufficiently fix the

transfer molds

31 and 32.

In the above embodiment, the

third transfer surfaces

31i and 32i for forming the measurement element TE on the transfer dies 31 and 32 may not be provided.

In the above embodiment, the resin application part 4 a is provided in the molding apparatus 4, but it may be provided outside the molding apparatus 4.

In the above embodiment, the resin material is individually applied (dropped) to each

transfer surface

31g, 32g, 31h, 32h, 31i, 32i. However, the resin material is applied (dropped) all over the mold surface 31f or the like. ) In this case, after molding, necessary portions are cut to obtain the optical element MP.

In the above embodiment, if a surface for transferring the flange portion to the optical element MP is provided on the mold surface 31f of the lower transfer mold 31, the optical element MP is likely to remain in the lower transfer mold 31 at the time of releasing. This is particularly effective when releasing the flat plate mold 35 in the third embodiment.

In the first and second embodiments, the photocurable resin RA that forms the support member SU is selectively irradiated with the curing light KK, but the entire mold surfaces 31f and 32f of the

transfer molds

31 and 32 are cured. Light KK may be irradiated. Alternatively, the curing light KK may be locally irradiated using a light shielding member provided with an opening having a contour along the shape of the second transfer surfaces 31h and 32h.

In the second embodiment, the glass substrate 33 may not have the aperture pattern PT. In this case, the photocurable resin RA can be applied onto the second surface 33b (surface on the upper transfer mold 32 side) of the glass substrate 33.

Further, in the third embodiment, a glass substrate may be used instead of the flat plate mold 35.

In the third embodiment, the end surface 35a of the flat plate mold 35 is a flat surface, but it may have a transfer surface. In this case, in the optical element MP, the boundary surface between the two types of resins is a surface having a shape such as a curvature and a step.

In the above embodiment, molding using an anaerobic photocurable resin can also be performed in a vacuum or nitrogen purge environment.

In the second and third embodiments, when photocuring is performed in a vacuum or nitrogen purge environment after the transfer dies 31 and 32 are unloaded from the transfer fixing portion 4b, the second portion 34b of the optical element MP is applied to the second portion 34b. A photo-curable resin RA can be used.

In the second and third embodiments, after the photocurable resin RA between the lower transfer mold 31 and the glass substrate 33 (or the flat plate mold 35) is cured, the second surface 33b (or the glass substrate 33) (or The resin material is applied onto the portions corresponding to the respective transfer surfaces), but the lower transfer mold 31 is removed from the lower stage 11, and then the resin material is placed on the mold surface 32 f of the upper transfer mold 32 attached to the lower stage 11. May be applied. In this case, the lower transfer mold 31 is attached to the upper stage 13 and the upper transfer mold 32 is attached to the lower stage 11.

Claims

Supplying a photocurable resin to a first region between the first transfer mold and the second transfer mold and supplying a thermosetting resin to a second region between the first and second transfer molds;
Curing the photocurable resin supplied to the first region between the first and second transfer molds with light;
A step of curing the thermosetting resin supplied to the second region between the first and second transfer molds by heat after curing the photocurable resin;
Separating the first and second transfer molds to release the optical element formed of a thermosetting resin;
A method for manufacturing an optical element.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are distributed in different ranges along the mold surfaces of the first and second transfer molds.
The transfer region for forming a plurality of support members is provided in the first region, and the transfer surface for forming a plurality of optical elements is provided in the second region. The manufacturing method of the optical element of description.
The optical element has a first portion and a second portion at different positions with respect to a direction perpendicular to the mold surfaces of the first and second transfer molds,
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is formed of a thermosetting resin.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 4, wherein the first portion is formed of a photocurable resin.
The method of manufacturing an optical element according to claim 4, wherein the optical element has a glass substrate between the first part and the second part.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 6, wherein a diaphragm pattern is formed on the glass substrate.
2. The method of manufacturing an optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer mold and the second transfer mold are provided with a transfer layer formed of a resin on a light-transmitting support plate.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 8, wherein the first transfer mold and the second transfer mold each have an alignment mark that enables mutual positioning.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 1, wherein, in the step of curing the photocurable resin in the first region, only the first region is irradiated with light for curing.
The step of curing the thermosetting resin in the second region includes the first fixed to each other by the cured photocurable resin outside the molding apparatus that performed the step of curing the photocurable resin in the first region. The method for producing an optical element according to claim 1, which is performed after unloading the second transfer mold.