Methods for making microlens arrays

US5286338A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AT&T Bell Laboratories · US

Inventors

• Avi Y. Feldblum · Highland Park, US
• Keith O. Mersereau · Northampton, US
• Casimir R. Nijander · Lawrenceville, US
• Wesley P. Townsend · Lawrence, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 1, 1993
• Grant date: Feb 15, 1994
• Expiry date: Mar 1, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B2006/12176
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

During a reactive ion etching process (FIG. 5) for making lens elements (15, FIG. 4) in a silica substrate (12), the gas constituency in the reactive ion etch chamber is changed to adjust the curvature of lens elements formed in the silica substrate and to reduce the aberrations of such lens elements. For example, two gases, CHF.sub.3 and oxygen may be supplied to the reactive ion etch chamber and, during the reactive ion etch process, the proportion of oxygen is significantly reduced, which reduces the aberrations of the lens elements formed by the process.