Method of manufacturing a mold for use in the manufacture of an optical element comprising optical sub-elements mutually arranged in a pattern, and device for implementing such a method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsMarinus J. J. Dona, Johannes M. M. Swinkels
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Abstract
A mold of ductile metal has a shape comprising consecutive sub-shapes corresponding to respective optical sub-elements having substantially identical shapes arranged in a pattern. The mold is shaped by means of a die having a die surface corresponding to the sub-shape, which sub-shape is imprinted in the ductile metal with a predetermined force one at a time in consecutive positions in accordance with the pattern, each position corresponding to a single optical sub-element.
Claims14
A method of manufacturing a mold for use in the manufacture of an optical element provided with mutually adjoining optical sub-elements arranged relative to one another in a pattern, by which method the mold is given a mold shape which corresponds to the pattern of sub-elements, the mold shape comprising consecutive sub-shapes corresponding to respective optical sub-elements, characterized in that the mold is manufactured from a ductile metal and is given the mold shape by means of a die having a die surface corresponding to the sub-shape, which sub-shape is imprinted in the mold with a predetermined force substantially independent of the position occupied by the die during imprinting, said predetermined force plastically deforming the ductile metal exclusively at the area of the surface contact between the mold and the die, one sub-shape at a time in consecutive positions in accordance with the pattern, each position corresponding to a single sub-element.
A method of manufacturing an optical element provided with mutually adjoining optical sub-elements arranged relative to one another in a pattern, by which method a mold is given a mold shape which corresponds to the pattern of sub-elements and the optical element is manufactured with said mold by a replication technique, the mold shape comprising consecutive sub-shapes corresponding to respective optical sub-elements, characterized in that the mold is manufactured from a ductile metal and is given the mold shape by means of a die having a die surface corresponding to the sub-shape, which sub-shape is imprinted in the mold with a predetermined force substantially independent of the position occupied by the die during imprinting, said predetermined force plastically deforming the ductile metal exclusively at the area of the surface contact between the mold and the die, one sub-shape at a time in consecutive positions in accordance with the pattern, each position corresponding to a single sub-element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.