# US 12,005,658 B2 · Yard control features

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- Number: US 12,005,658 B2
- Document ID: US12005658B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/436,823
- Filed: 2020-03-12
- Published: 2022-06-09
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-12
- Assignees: ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: Bojan Tesanovic; Hartmut Rudmann; Nicola Spring; Sebastiano Lazzi Gazzini
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005658B2

## CPC

- B29D 11/00307: {Producing lens wafers}
- B23K 26/364: for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
- B23K 26/402: involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators
- B29C 43/021: {characterised by the shape of the surface}
- B29C 43/38: with means to avoid flashes {(B29C43/40 takes precedence)}
- B29C 64/112: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
- B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00)
- B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment
- B29C 64/379: Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots
- B29D 11/00298: {Producing lens arrays}
- B29D 11/00365: {Production of microlenses (lenticular sheets B29D11/00278)}
- B29D 11/00413: {made by moulding between two mould parts which are not in direct contact with one another, e.g. comprising a seal between or on the edges (B29D11/00019 - B29D11/00355, B29D11/00423, B29D11/00432 take precedence)}
- G02B 3/0075: {characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means}
- B23K 2103/42: {Plastics other than composite materials}
- B23K 2103/50: {Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials}
- B23K 2103/54: {Glass}
- B29L 2011/0016: {Lenses}
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing a plurality of optical elements (140) comprising the steps of providing a substrate (120), and a tool (101) comprising a plurality of replication sections (106), each defining a surface structure of one of the optical elements (140), the tool (101) further comprising at least one contact spacer portion (112), aligning the tool (101) and the substrate (120) with respect to each other and bringing the tool (101) and a first side of the substrate (122) together, with replication material (124) between the tool (101) and the substrate (120), the contact spacer portion (112) contacting the first side of the substrate (122), and thereby causing the spacer portion (112) to adhere to the first side of the substrate (122), hardening the replication material (124), wherein the substrate (120) has yard line features (138) around at least a portion of the replication sections (106), the yard line features (138) containing the replication material (124) on a first side of the yard line with respect to the tool (101) and the substrate (120).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a plurality of optical elements, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
providing a tool comprising, on a replication side thereof, a plurality of replication sections, each of the replication sections configured to define a surface structure of a respective one of the optical elements, the tool further comprising at least one contact spacer portion, the at least one contact spacer portion protruding, on the replication side, further than an outermost feature of the replication sections;
aligning the tool and the substrate with respect to each other and bringing the tool and a first side of the substrate together, with replication material arranged between the tool and the substrate, the at least one contact spacer portion contacting the first side of the substrate, and thereby causing the at least one contact spacer portion to adhere to the first side of the substrate and shaping the replication material into the optical elements, wherein the optical elements abut yard line features arranged on the first side of the substrate around at least a portion of the replication sections with the tool and substrate brought together, the yard line features acting as a fluid barrier for the replication material forming the optical elements;
hardening the shaped replication material;
separating the tool from the substrate with the hardened replication material and the at least one contact spacer portion adhering to the substrate; and
removing the yard line features from the first side of the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the yard line features surround the replication material on the first side of the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising depositing a first volume of replication material followed by a second volume of replication material onto the first side of the substrate, the second volume greater than the first volume.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, comprising removing the yard line features from the substrate with a stripper.