Method of making and using a reusable mold for fabrication of optical elements
AssigneeContinental Autonomous Mobility US, LLC
InventorsElliot John Smith, Jacob A Bergam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes applying a polymer to a mold, the mold having microstructures with the polymer flowing into the microstructures when applied to the mold. The method includes pressing an inorganic substrate onto the polymer. The method includes curing the polymer to fix the polymer to the inorganic substrate to form an optical element from the polymer and the inorganic substrate, the optical element having microstructures formed by the microstructures in the mold. The method includes releasing the optical element from the mold.
Claims21
A method of making an optical element, the method comprising:
- applying a polymer to a mold, the mold having microstructures with the polymer flowing into the microstructures when applied to the mold;
- pressing an inorganic substrate onto the polymer;
- curing the polymer to fix the polymer to the inorganic substrate to form the optical element from the polymer and the inorganic substrate, the optical element having microstructures formed by the microstructures in the mold, wherein the optical element is monolithic after curing the polymer;
- and
- releasing the optical element from the mold.
A method of making an optical element, the method comprising:
- applying a polymer to a mold, the mold having microstructures with the polymer flowing into the microstructures when applied to the mold;
- pressing an inorganic substrate onto the polymer;
- curing the polymer to fix the polymer to the inorganic substrate to form the optical element from the polymer and the inorganic substrate, the optical element having microstructures formed by the microstructures in the mold, wherein curing the polymer to the inorganic substrate removes a part line therebetween;
- and
- releasing the optical element from the mold.
A method of making an optical element, the method comprising:
- applying a polymer to a mold, the mold having microstructures with the polymer flowing into the microstructures when applied to the mold;
- pressing an inorganic substrate onto the polymer;
- curing the polymer to fix the polymer to the inorganic substrate to form the optical element from the polymer and the inorganic substrate, the optical element having microstructures formed by the microstructures in the mold, wherein the inorganic substrate is silicon and the polymer is silicon after being cured;
- and
- releasing the optical element from the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.