Optical system applicable to improving the dynamic range of Shack-Hartmann sensors
First Claim
1. A microlens array comprising a plurality of microlenses;
- a plurality of detectors;
means for moving the focal point of one or more of the microlenses; and
means for detecting the moved focal point by using the plurality of detectors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An addressable array of lenses is disclosed. Two electrical connections per row address specific lenses within that row. Carriages support individual lenses, thus forming resonant units with frequencies unique within each row. A voltage, having the same frequency as a selected resonant unit is applied. The selected lens produces a resonating image. Testing has verified proper resonance addressing within a 5-by-5 array of microlenses. The array can be applied to a Shack-Hartmann (SH) sensor. To compensate for errant images formed outside of their image area, resonating images are identified by a processor. The array thus improves the dynamic range of the wavefront aberration that can be measured by an SH sensor. The inventors currently estimate the improvement over conventional designs to be about a factor of 30.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A microlens array comprising
a plurality of microlenses; -
a plurality of detectors;
means for moving the focal point of one or more of the microlenses; and
means for detecting the moved focal point by using the plurality of detectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)
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7. A method for determining a focal point of a microlens, wherein a microlens array is in a predetermined position with respect to a plurality of detectors, the method comprising
causing a movement of a subgroup of the microlenses; - and
using the detector to detecting a movement in a focal point of at least one of the microlenses in the subgroup. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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- 10. A method for fabricating and integrating a microlens on a low stress silicon nitride membrane comprising using surface tension and polymer-jet technology
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11. A method for fabricating a microlens, comprising using low stress silicon nitride to form a lens in a lithography process.
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14. A method for identifying a structure in an micro-electromechanical (MEMS) system (MEMS) having a plurality of structures, the method comprising
setting an inertial property of a particular structure; - and
causing a mechanical vibration of two or more of the structures so that the particular structure vibrates at a resonant frequency dependent upon the inertial property; and
detecting the vibration of the particular structure. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An optical system comprising:
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a plurality of resonant units, each having a path that transmits light and having a resonant frequency that is unique among the plurality of resonant units; and
an actuator configured to provide force having a frequency selected to correspond to that of a selected unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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- 23. The optical system of claim 23, further comprising a second actuator configured to displace the entire plurality of resonant units with respect to the electro-optical imaging device.
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28. An optical system comprising:
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means for forming a plurality of images of a light beam that is incident of the forming means;
means for inducing vibration in a selected subset of the images; and
means for detecting which a particular one of the images is generated from a particular location on the forming means based on detecting the vibration. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of analyzing a light beam, the method comprising:
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dissecting a light beam into a plurality of segments and forming images thereof;
inducing vibration in a selected subset of the images; and
determining which particular segments forms which particular image based on detecting the vibration. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method of fabricating a micro-optical device, the method comprising:
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thermally growing an oxide layer on a device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer that also includes a buried oxide layer and a handling layer;
patterning the buried oxide layer to form a buried mask that patterns carriages, lenses, and contacts;
using a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) of the device layer to form holes for the contacts, the holes extending through both the device layer and the insulation layer;
forming the contacts by depositing a polysilicon layer within the contact holes and extending there beyond, the depositing being a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD);
using a second DRIE of the device layer to form lens trenches extending though the device layer;
depositing and patterning a low stress silicon nitride layer to form a substrate layer of the microlenses on the lens trenches;
using a third DRIE of the device layer, where the DIRE is patterned by the buried mask to form the carriages, while using a photoresist layer to protect the contacts and the low stress silicon nitride layer;
using a fourth DRIE of the handling layer to remove the handling layer from beneath the lenses;
using a hydrofluoric acid (HF and H2O) bath to remove the buried oxide layer from underneath the lenses and carriages;
using polymer jet printing to form a polymer layer of the microlenses.
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33. An resonance addressable array of microlenses produced by a process comprising:
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thermally growing an oxide layer on a device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer that also includes a buried oxide layer and a handling layer;
patterning the buried oxide layer to form a buried mask that patterns carriages, lenses, and contacts;
using a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) of the device layer to form holes for the contacts, the holes extending through both the device layer and the insulation layer;
forming the contacts by depositing a polysilicon layer within the contact holes and extending there beyond, the depositing being a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD);
using a second DRIE of the device layer to form lens trenches extending though the device layer;
depositing and patterning a low stress silicon nitride layer to form a substrate layer of the microlenses;
using a third DRIE of the device layer, where the DIRE is patterned by the buried mask to form the carriages, while using a photoresist layer to protect the contacts and the low stress silicon nitride layer;
using a fourth DRIE of the handling layer to remove the handling layer from beneath the lenses;
using a hydrofluoric acid (HF and H2O) bath to remove the buried oxide layer from underneath the lenses and carriages;
using polymer jet printing to form a polymer layer of the microlenses.
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34. A method of fabricating a microlens, the method comprising:
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using a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) of a device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer that also includes a buried oxide layer and a handling layer, where the DRIE forms lens trenches extending though the device layer;
depositing and patterning a low stress silicon nitride layer to form a substrate layer of the microlenses on the lens trenches;
using a second DRIE of the handling layer to remove the handling layer from beneath the lenses;
using a hydrofluoric acid (HF and H2O) bath to remove the buried oxide layer from underneath the lenses;
using polymer jet printing to form a polymer layer of the microlenses.
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35. A microlens produced by a process comprising:
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using a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) of a device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer that also includes a buried oxide layer and a handling layer, where the DRIE forms lens trenches extending though the device layer;
depositing and patterning a low stress silicon nitride layer to form a substrate layer of the microlenses on the lens trenches;
using a second DRIE of the handling layer to remove the handling layer from beneath the lenses;
using a hydrofluoric acid (HF and H2O) bath to remove the buried oxide layer from underneath the lenses;
using polymer jet printing to form a polymer layer of the microlenses.
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Specification