Microlenses for optical assemblies and related methods
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G02B-006/42
G02B-006/32
C03B-029/02
C03B-029/00
출원번호
US-0079804
(2008-03-28)
등록번호
US-7505650
(2009-03-17)
발명자
/ 주소
Grzybowski,Richard Robert
Logunov,Stephan Lvovich
Streltsov,Alexander Mikhailovich
출원인 / 주소
Corning Incorporated
대리인 / 주소
Russell,Michael W.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
7인용 특허 :
6
초록▼
Microlenses are formed on a substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorption is greater than the first absorption. One or more waveguides are coupled with a processing light bea
Microlenses are formed on a substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorption is greater than the first absorption. One or more waveguides are coupled with a processing light beam having a wavelength outside the operational wavelength range, and the processing light beam is directed through the waveguides to the substrate to locally heat and expand the substrate so as to form microlenses on the substrate surface. The processing light beam is terminated to stop heating of the substrate and fix the microlenses.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of making an optical assembly, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a surface, the substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorpti
What is claimed is: 1. A method of making an optical assembly, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a surface, the substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorption is greater than the first absorption; coupling a waveguide with a processing light source and an operational light source, the processing light source outputting a processing light beam having a wavelength outside the operational wavelength range; directing the processing light beam through the waveguide to the substrate to locally heat the substrate and cause local expansion of the substrate so as to form a microlens on the substrate surface; and terminating the processing light beam to stop heating of the substrate so as to fix the microlens, wherein the processing light beam is diverging when it reaches the substrate. 2. A method for forming a microlens comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a surface, the substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorption is greater than the first absorption; coupling a waveguide with a processing light beam having a wavelength outside the operational wavelength range; directing the processing light beam through the waveguide to the substrate to locally heat the substrate and cause local expansion of the substrate so as to form a microlens on the substrate surface; and terminating the processing light beam to stop heating of the substrate so as to fix the microlens, wherein the processing light beam is diverging when it reaches the substrate. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: coupling the waveguide with an operational light beam having a wavelength within the operational wavelength range; and directing the operational light beam through the waveguide to the microlens. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the steps of directing the processing light beam through the waveguide to the substrate and directing the operational light beam through the waveguide to the microlens occur one of consecutively and concurrently. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: monitoring transmission of the operational light beam through the microlens as the microlens is formed; and controlling operation of the processing light beam in response to transmission of the operational light beam through the microlens. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of terminating the processing light beam occurs when the step of monitoring transmission of the operational light beam through the microlens indicates the microlens has a desired shape. 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of directing the operational light beam through the waveguide to the microlens occur after terminating the processing light beam. 8. The method of claim 3, wherein the processing light beam and the operational light beam are each produced by one of a laser and a laser diode. 9. The method of claim 3, wherein the processing light beam and the operational light beam each comprise one of an ultraviolet wavelength, a near-ultraviolet wavelength, a visible wavelength, a near-infrared wavelength, and an infrared wavelength. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate has an annealing point less than about 900�� C. 11. The method of claim 2, wherein directing the processing light beam through the waveguide further comprises: controlling the processing light beam to alter an energy flux into the substrate to provide the microlens with an aspherical shape. 12. The method of claim 2, wherein the absorption of the substrate outside the operational wavelength range is greater than about 30 percent. 13. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion between about 30 and about 120. 14. The method of claim 2, wherein the microlens has at least one of a curvature in the range from about 10 μm to about 1 mm, a height in the range of about 10 μm to about 500 μm, a diameter in the range from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm, and a focal distances in the range from infinity to about 20 microns. 15. The method of claim 2, wherein directing the processing light beam through the waveguide to the substrate so as to form a microlens comprises forming a microlens on both sides of the substrate. 16. A method for forming a lens array comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a surface, the substrate having a first absorption within an operational wavelength range, and a second absorption outside the operational wavelength range, wherein the second absorption is greater than the first absorption; coupling a plurality of waveguides with a processing light beam having a wavelength outside the operational wavelength range; and directing the processing light beam through the plurality of waveguides to the substrate to locally heat and expand the substrate so as to form a plurality of microlenses on the substrate surface, each of the plurality of waveguides forming a corresponding one of the plurality of microlenses. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of waveguides are one of consecutively coupled with the processing light beam and concurrently coupled with the processing light beam. 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: coupling the plurality of waveguides with an operational light beam having a wavelength within the operational wavelength range; and directing the operational light beam through the plurality of waveguides to the corresponding microlenses. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein for each of the plurality of waveguides, the steps of directing the processing light beam through the plurality of waveguides and directing the operational light beam through the plurality of waveguides occur concurrently. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, for each of the plurality of waveguides, controlling operation of the processing light beam in response to transmission of the operational light beam through the corresponding microlens as the microlens is formed. 21. A method for aligning a waveguide with a microlens, the method comprising: positioning a first end of a waveguide adjacent a glass substrate; coupling a second end of the waveguide with a processing light beam; and directing the processing light beam through the waveguide to locally irradiate the substrate adjacent the first end of the waveguide, the substrate being absorbing at a wavelength of the processing light beam sufficient to cause local heating and expansion of the substrate so as to form a microlens on the substrate surface adjacent and aligned with the first end of the waveguide, wherein the processing light beam is it reaches the substrate. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: coupling the second end of the waveguide with an operational light beam having a wavelength to which the substrate is substantially transparent; and directing the operational light beam through the waveguide to the microlens. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the steps of directing the processing light beam through the waveguide and directing the operational light beam through the waveguide occur one of consecutively and concurrently. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: controlling operation of the processing light beam in response to transmission of the operational light beam through the microlens as the microlens is formed. 25. An optical assembly comprising: a first optical element; a processing light source, an operational light source; and a substrate having at least one microlens formed thereon by expansion of the substrate due to local heating of the substrate in a corresponding at least one location, wherein the first optical element is self-aligned to the at least one microlens, and the first optical element is coupled to both the processing light source and the operational light source.
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