Manufacturing a replication tool, sub-master or replica

A process of manufacturing a plurality of optical elements each having surface features, the process comprising the steps of providing a master or a master tool and carrying out at least a first and a second replication operation to provide a final replica comprising surface portions being a positive or negative copy of a surface portion of the master or master tool, the first replication operation comprising a method of manufacturing an element including the steps of

• providing an element substrate,
• replicating, by embossing, a surface of a tool element, which surface comprises a negative copy of a geometrical surface feature, into first replication material disposed at a first place on a surface of the element substrate,
• subsequently hardening the replication material,
• replicating said surface of the tool element into first replication material disposed at a second place on said substrate,
• hardening said first replication material,
• subsequently filling a gap between first replication material disposed at the first place and first replication material disposed at the second place by filler material,
• the second replication operation including the step of providing a substrate, and a second replication material disposed between the substrate and said element, of moving the substrate and said element against each other, and of hardening the second replication material.

A process of manufacturing, by replication, a plurality of optical elements each having geometrical surface features, the process comprising a method of manufacturing an element that includes a plurality of replicated structures, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an element substrate,
• replicating, by embossing, a surface of a tool element, which surface comprises a negative copy of the geometrical surface feature, into replication material disposed between the tool and a first place on a surface of the element substrate to yield a first replicated surface,
• subsequently hardening the replication material,
• replicating said surface of the tool element into replication material disposed disposed between the tool and a second place on said substrate to yield a second replicated surface,
• subsequently hardening said replication material,
• the method comprising the further steps of:
• subsequently applying a filler material selectively to a gap between replication material disposed at the first place and replication material disposed at the second place but not to the first and second replicated surfaces;
• wherein the process further comprises the step of replicating the element that comprises the plurality of replicated structures.