Assembled multi-surface optical component and method for fabricating
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorAlex Harwit
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembled optical component has a support structure with a reference surface at which a number of individual optical elements are bonded at predetermined positions. The curvature of the reference surface is selected such that optical surfaces of the optical elements are in a predetermined orientation at their assembly positions. The optical elements are preferably planar mirrors simultaneously fabricated from a wafer. An adhesive film attached to the wafer prior to separation of the optical elements assists in temporarily positioning the elements on a temporary fixture, which holds the elements in position, while they are bonded to the support structure.
Claims29
An optical component including multiple optical surfaces, said optical component comprising:
- a support structure including a reference surface;
- a number of optical elements each of them including:
- an optical surface;
- and
- a reference feature placed in a predetermined fashion on said optical element;
- and
- a fixing medium for rigidly holding said optical elements on said support structure,
- wherein said optical elements are arrayed on top of said reference surface by contacting said reference surface with said reference feature, wherein each of said optical surfaces is in a distinct spatial orientation relative to said support structure.
A method for fabricating an optical component including multiple optical surfaces, said method comprising:
- fabricating an initial optical surface on the top surface of a wafer;
- attaching said wafer with said initial optical surface on a first side of an adhesive film, wherein a bottom surface of said wafer remains freely accessible;
- defining reference features on said bottom surface;
- separating said wafer via said bottom surface into a number of optical elements in correspondence with said reference features while maintaining a structural integrity of said adhesive film;
- contacting a second side of said adhesive film with a temporary reference surface of a temporary fixture, wherein said reference features point away from said temporary fixture;
- positioning a final support structure with respect to said temporary fixture, wherein said reference features contact a final reference surface of said final support structure;
- bonding said optical elements to said final support structure;
- and
- removing said temporary fixture and said adhesive film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.