Method for making microstructures
US5370768A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 1993 |
| Grant date | Dec 6, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 14, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B3/0056
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Prior to the production of microlenses (29) by the reactive ion etch technique, a pattern of notches (25) is formed in a second surface of a substrate (11) opposite a first surface on which the microlenses (29) are to be formed. Reactive ion etching of the first surface to produce the microlenses is sufficiently deep to reach the pattern of notches, thereby to separate the substrate. The array of notches may define, for example, an array of first areas (26) on the second surface, each area being surrounded by a notch. Photoresist elements (28) are then each located on an area of the first surface corresponding to a first area of the second surface, so that the separation separates the substrate into a plurality of segments (26) each containing only one of the microlenses (29). The notches can be made such that each of the segments (26) is cylindrical so that each of the microlenses formed from the substrate has a circular outer periphery.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.