Optical lens and optical lens manufacturing method

• US 20070075220A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Kotani, Kyoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,508,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.100
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates

Abstract

The manufacturing method uses a substrate including an SOI layer (112), a SiO₂ layer (114) and a Si layer (116). A lens surface (118) is formed on the surface of the SOI layer (112) of the substrate. A lens region including the lens surface (118) and an edge section (120) there around is formed by removing the SOI layer (112), with the exception of a section corresponding to the lens region, until the SiO₂ layer (114) is exposed, such that the SOI layer (112) only remains in the lens region. A lens holding section (122) that holds the lens region is formed by removing the Si layer (116), with the exception of a section of the Si layer (116) corresponding to the lens holding section (122), until the SiO₂ layer (114) is exposed at the rear surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an optical lens using a substrate including a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, comprising the steps of:

forming a lens surface on a surface of the first layer of the substrate; and

forming a lens holding section that holds a lens region including the lens surface and an edge section around the lens surface, the lens holding section being formed by removing the third layer, with the exception of a section of the third layer that corresponds to the lens holding section, until the second layer is exposed at a rear surface of the substrate.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 1, wherein

the lens surface has a thickness of 5 μ

m or less.

5. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 1, wherein

the second layer is an etching resistant layer that is highly resistant to etching, and

the lens holding section forming step further comprises an etching process step in which the second layer acts as an etching stopper.

6. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing the second layer from a rear surface of the substrate after the lens holding section forming step is completed.

7. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 1, wherein

in the lens surface forming step, the lens surface is formed in a plurality on the substrate, and the manufacturing method further comprises:

separating respective optical lenses defined by the respective lens regions from the substrate after the lens holding section forming step is completed.

8. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 1, wherein

the substrate is a silicon on insulator substrate.

2. A method for manufacturing an optical lens using a substrate including a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, comprising the steps of:

forming a lens surface on a surface of the first layer of the substrate;

forming a lens region including the lens surface and an edge section around the lens surface by removing the first layer, with the exception of a section of the first layer that corresponds to the lens region, until the second layer is exposed such that the first layer only remains in the lens region; and

forming a lens holding section that holds the lens region by removing the third layer, with the exception of a section of the third layer that corresponds to the lens holding section, until the second layer is exposed at a rear surface of the substrate.

3. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 2, wherein

the second layer is an etching resistant layer that is highly resistant to etching, and

the lens region forming step further comprises an etching process step in which the second layer acts as an etching stopper.

9. A method for manufacturing an optical lens, comprising the steps of:

forming a lens surface on a surface of a substrate;

forming a lens region that includes the lens surface and a edge section around the lens surface by removing a predetermined thickness of the surface of the substrate, with the exception of a section of the surface that corresponds to the lens region, such that the predetermined thickness of the surface only remains in the lens region; and

forming a lens holding section that holds the lens region by removing a predetermined thickness of a rear surface of the substrate, with the exception of a section that corresponds to the lens holding section.

10. The method for forming an optical lens according to claim 9, wherein

the lens surface has a thickness of 5 μ

m or less.

11. The method for forming an optical lens according to claim 9, wherein

in the lens forming step, the lens surface is formed in a plurality on the substrate, and the manufacturing method further comprises:

separating respective optical lenses defined by the respective lens regions from the substrate after the lens holding section forming step is completed.

12. The method for manufacturing an optical lens according to claim 9, wherein

the substrate is a silicon on insulator substrate.

13. An optical lens comprising:

a lens surface formed on a surface of a substrate; and

a lens holding section that holds a lens region, including the lens surface and an edge section around the lens surface, from a rear surface of the substrate.

14. The optical lens according to claim 13, wherein

the lens surface has a thickness of 5 μ

m or less.

15. The optical lens according to claim 13, wherein

the rear surface of the substrate is formed, with the exception of a section of the rear surface corresponding to the lens holding section, by an anti-reflection film.

16. The optical lens according to claim 13, wherein

the substrate is a silicon on insulator substrate.