Optical mechanism with indexing stage with at least one fixed diameter apodized aperture and method of making same

A method of making a fixed diameter apodized aperture comprising the steps of:

• a. Providing an optical substrate for the apodized aperture;
• b. Depositing a mask on the substrate;
• c. Depositing a material containing an optical dye onto the substrate;
• and
• d. Diffusing the optical dye into the optical substrate, wherein the dye will diffuse into the substrate at least partially under the mask when viewed from above the mask and the substrate, forming an apodized aperture.

A method of making a fixed diameter apodized aperture comprising the steps of:

• a. Providing an clear optical substrate for the apodized aperture,
• b. Providing an dye containing optical substrate for the apodized aperture surrounding the clear optical substrate for the apodized aperture;
• and
• c. Simultaneously providing the clear optical substrate and the dye containing optical substrate in a manner allowing for diffusing the optical dye from the dye containing optical substrate into the clear optical substrate forming an apodized aperture.