Internally cooled large aperture microlens array with monolithically integrated microscanner

• US 5,415,727 A
• Filed: 01/13/1994
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Space Operations Company (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Gal, George, Morrow, Howard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Application Number:
  US08/181,233
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 156/633, 156/645, 156/662, 29/428, 430/321
• US Class Current: 216/2
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/065 Sulfides; Selenides; Tellurides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/066 Molybdenum sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/125 having hydrocarbon chains of eight up to twenty-nine carbon atoms, i.e. fatty acids
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/129 having hydrocarbon chains of thirty or more carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2211/06 Perfluorinated compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/00 Organic macromolecular compounds containing halogen as ingredients in lubricant compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/02 obtained from monomers containing carbon, hydrogen and halogen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/04 obtained from monomers containing carbon, hydrogen, halogen and oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/06 Perfluoro polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/062 Polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE]
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/02 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12102 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12147 Coupler
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12154 Power divider
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12173 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12176 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12195 Tapering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1086 operating by diffraction only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 : The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 : characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 : arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 : Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0068 : arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 : with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1876 : Diffractive Fresnel lenses; Zone plates; Kinoforms G02B5/1842, G02B5/1847 take precedence; optical systems having diffractive correction means G02B27/0037; Fresnel lenses operating by refraction G02B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 : Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1245 : Geodesic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/136 : by etching
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0005 : Production of optical devices or components in so far as characterised by the lithographic processes or materials used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A large aperture microlens array assembly has at least two arrays of microlenses with individual unit cell trains optically interconnecting individual microlenses in one array with related individual microlenses in another array. In each unit cell train the light entering an entrance pupil of a microlens in one array is transmitted through the exit surface of a related microlens of the other array to provide a collimated output through the exit. One array may be moved with respect to the other array for scanning a field of regard.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating cooling channels within matched arrays of microlenses, said method comprising,

etching the cooling channels into an upper surface of a first block of silicon crystal, while leaving portions of the upper surface unetched,

fusion bonding a second block of silicon crystal to the unetched portions of the upper surface of the first block of silicon crystal to form a fused together block having a top surface and a bottom surface,

trimming and polishing the top and bottom surfaces of the fused-together block of silicon crystal, and

then fabricating the matched arrays of microlenses on the said top and bottom surfaces.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the arrays of microlenses are fabricated by a gray scale fabrication process.