Back to results
US 12,320,962 B2Granted
Optical elements and wafers including optical elements
AssigneeHeptagon Photonics Pte. Ltd.
InventorsUros Markovic, Nicola Spring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optics wafer includes replicated optical elements such as lenses that can be formed without the use of a separate glass or other substrate on which the optical elements would otherwise need to be replicated or mounted.
Claims19
A method of manufacturing an optics assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a first polymer material on respective replication surfaces of first and second tools;
- bringing the first and second tools toward one another such that the first polymer material on a replication surface of the first tool merges with the first polymer material on an opposing replication surface of the second tool;
- subsequently hardening the first polymer material to form a first group of optical elements having optical surfaces based on respective shapes of the replication surfaces on which the first polymer was provided and a surrounding portion laterally surrounding the respective optical elements;
- vacuum injecting a second polymer material into spaces between the first and second tools such that the at least some of the vacuum injected second polymer material is in contact with lateral side edges of the optical elements, and wherein the second polymer material is different from the first polymer material;
- continuing to apply a vacuum after injecting the second polymer material so as to remove a portion of the previously injected second polymer material, and so as leave a coating of the second polymer material on the lateral sides of each of the surrounding portions;
- subsequently hardening the second polymer material to form an optics assembly that includes the optical elements the respective surrounding portion, and the coating on the lateral sides of the respective surrounding portion;
- removing the first and second tools from the optics assembly;
- replicating a second group of optical elements on the optical elements of the first group such that each optical element of the first group has an optical surface in direct contact with a respective optical surface of a respective optical element of the second group;
- and
- injecting a third polymer material into spaces between lateral side edges of the optical elements of the second group, and hardening the third polymer,
- wherein the method is performed at wafer-level.
8 more elements
An optical assembly comprising:
- an array of a plurality of replicated optical elements stacked one upon another, wherein each of the optical elements is fused to an adjacent one of the optical elements such that an optical surface of each optical element is in direct contact with a respective optical surface of a respective adjacent optical element, wherein each of the plurality of replicated optical elements stacked upon another comprises an optical element having convex optical surfaces sandwiched between a pair optical elements having concave optical surfaces
- wherein the plurality of replicated optical elements is surrounded laterally by a separation material that is fused to lateral side edges of the optical elements, wherein the separation material differs from a material of which the optical elements are composed,
- wherein each of the optical elements has respective first and second optical surfaces different from the lateral side edges, and wherein the material of which each of the optical elements is composed is the same throughout a thickness of the optical element from its first optical surface to its second optical surface.
A wafer-level method of manufacturing optical structures, the method comprising:
- providing a first polymer material on respective replication surfaces of first and second tools;
- bringing the first and second tools toward one another such that the first polymer material on a replication surface of the first tool merges with the first polymer material on an opposing replication surface of the second tool;
- subsequently hardening the first polymer material to form respective optical structures each of which includes an optical element and a surrounding portion laterally surrounding the respective optical structure;
- vacuum injecting a second polymer material such that the at least some of the vacuum injected second polymer material is in contact with lateral sides of the surrounding portions of the optical elements, wherein the second polymer material is different from the first polymer material;
- continuing to apply a vacuum after injecting the second polymer material so as to remove a portion of the previously injected second polymer material, and so as leave a coating of the second polymer material on the lateral sides of each of the surrounding portions;
- subsequently hardening the second polymer material to form the optical structures each of which includes:
- one of the optical elements, the respective surrounding portion, and the coating on the lateral sides of the respective surrounding portion;
- removing the first and second tools from the optical structures;
- replicating second optical structures on the optical structures such that each optical element of the optical structures has an optical surface in direct contact with a respective optical surface of a respective optical element of the second optical structures.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.