Methods of fabricating a microlens including selectively curing flowable, uncured optically trasmissive material

• US 20060115925A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan G. Wood, Charles M. Watkins, Peter A. Benson, Warren M. Farnworth
• Original Assignee: Alan G. Wood, Charles M. Watkins, Peter A. Benson, Warren M. Farnworth
• Inventors: Watkins, Charles M., Farnworth, Warren M., Wood, Alan G., Benson, Peter A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,521,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/106
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/56 Encapsulations, e.g. encapsulation layers, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04105 Bonding areas formed on an encapsulation of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. bonding areas on chip-scale packages
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/20 Structure, shape, material or disposition of high density interconnect preforms
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED

Abstract

A microlens for use in an imaging device may be fabricated by disposing a flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate, selectively curing at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material, and removing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material from the surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method of fabrication of a microlens for use in an imaging device, comprising:

disposing a flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate;

selectively curing at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material;

removing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material from the surface of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing a flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate comprises disposing a flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate by way of at least one of maskless mesoscale materials deposition, 3-D printing deposition, and micropen deposition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing a flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate comprises at least one of immersing, dipping, spin-coating, printing, stamping, and spraying.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

micromachining at least one layer of the selectively cured optically transmissive material with a laser beam.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto a surface of a substrate comprises disposing at least one of a photopolymer and a thermoplastic onto the surface of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

heating at least the surface of the selectively cured optically transmissive material to a temperature exceeding a glass transition temperature thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively curing at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material comprises:

curing a first layer of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material;

curing at least one additional layer of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material;

wherein the at least one additional layer is superimposed in relationship to the first layer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

heating at least the surface of the optically transmissive material to a temperature exceeding a glass transition temperature thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

micromachining at least the first layer and the at least one additional layer with a laser beam.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto the surface of the substrate and selectively curing the at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material comprises sequentially forming the microlens of a plurality of vertically superimposed mutually adhered layers of the optically transmissive material.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

micromachining at least one layer of the plurality of vertically superimposed mutually adhered layers with a laser beam.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

heating at least a surface of the optically transmissive material to a temperature exceeding a glass transition temperature thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material in at least one layer onto the surface of the substrate and selectively curing the at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material comprises repeatedly sequentially disposing the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material onto the surface of the substrate and selectively curing the at least a portion of the flowable, uncured optically transmissive material to form a plurality of superimposed mutually adhered layers of the cured optically transmissive material.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

micromachining at least one layer of the plurality of superimposed mutually adhered layers with a laser beam.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

heating at least a surface of the cured optically transmissive material to a temperature exceeding a glass transition temperature thereof.