Process for manufacturing optical and semiconductor elements
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsAndrew J. Ouderkirk, Paul S. Lugg, Olester Benson, Jr., Catherine A. Leatherdale, William D. Joseph
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for fabricating an array of precisely shaped and located shaped elements utilizes a precisely shaped patterned abrasive to form channels in a workpiece. One or more patterned abrasives contact and abrade along one or more intersecting axes to define the shaped elements. The shaped elements may include optical elements, semiconductor elements, or both.
Claims32
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements, wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, semiconductor material, or a combination thereof;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions, the at least one patterned abrasive comprising at least one particle type and binder.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, and the shaped elements comprise optical elements;
- and
- wherein the optical material includes a plurality of layers of optical material.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, and the shaped elements comprise optical elements;
- and
- wherein the optical material has a thermal diffusivity of at least 0.01 cm2/s.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements, wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, semiconductor material, or a combination thereof;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein abrading further comprises:
- at least partially forming channels along a plurality of intersecting axes.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements, wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, semiconductor material, or a combination thereof;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the shaped elements have at least one dimension of less than about 10 mm.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the workpiece comprises semiconductor material.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the model comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the workpiece comprises a wafer containing an array of undivided diodes.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements, wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, semiconductor material, or a combination thereof;
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- and
- singulating the shaped elements.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein abrading is performed with a cutting element;
- and
- wherein the cutting element is a diamond saw.
A method of manufacturing shaped elements from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define an array of shaped elements;
- and
- polishing surfaces of parallel channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein abrading further comprises:
- starting channels with patterned abrasive;
- removing workpiece material in started channels with a saw;
- and
- further removing workpiece material with patterned abrasive to define channels.
A method of manufacturing at least one shaped element from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define the at least one shaped element, wherein the workpiece comprises optical material, semiconductor material, or a combination thereof;
- and
- polishing surfaces of the channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions, the patterned abrasive further comprising at least one particle type and binder.
A method of manufacturing at least one shaped element from a workpiece, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece to at least partially form channels that define the at least one shaped element;
- and
- polishing surfaces of the channels simultaneously with at least one patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- wherein the abrading is performed with the patterned abrasive;
- and
- wherein the abrading and the polishing further comprise a continuous motion between the patterned abrasive and the workpiece.
A method of manufacturing an array of shaped elements, the method comprising:
- abrading a workpiece with at least one patterned abrasive to form channels that define an array of shaped elements, the patterned abrasive having a working surface with a pattern of protrusions;
- and
- polishing surfaces of channels with the patterned abrasive;
- wherein the abrading and the polishing are simultaneous.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.