Enhanced separation of injection molded microlenses for high volume manufacturing

An injection molding system for forming an injection molded optical device, the injection molding system comprising:

• optical device material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion;
• a moldplate made of a predetermined moldplate material, said moldplate having a plurality of cavities configured to receive the optical device material within walls of said plurality cavities, each of said cavities having a predetermined optical shape, the moldplate having a second coefficient of thermal expansion different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion;
• an injection device configured to inject the optical material into the plurality of cavities of said moldplate, and
• a curing device configured to cure the optical material injected in the plurality of cavities by application of a pulsed UV light at a predetermined power to shrink the optical device material at a higher rate than the moldplate material such that at least one optical device is formed from the injected optical material within the plurality of cavities of said moldplate;
• and
• a separating device configured to separate the formed at least one optical device from the cavities of said moldplate, wherein the at least one optical device shrinks and separates from the walls of said plurality of cavities due to a differential thermal expansion between the optical device material and the moldplate material.