Micro-lens array with precisely aligned aperture mask and methods of producing same

• US 6,967,779 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bright View Technologies Corporation (Tredegar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bright View Technologies, Inc. (Tredegar Corporation)
• Inventors: Reed, David, Freese, Robert P., Walker, Dale S., Fadel, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US10/452,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 359/619, 359/620, 430/5, 430/262, 430/269, 430/321, 430/396, 430/449, 430/946, 355/403
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• 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 5/1885 Arranged as a periodic array
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/625 Lenticular translucent screens

Abstract

A micro-lens array with a precisely aligned aperture mask, and a method of forming the same, is provided. The aperture mask is formed by projecting light onto a mask layer using each lenslet in the micro-lens array. The intensity of the light and the mask layer material are chosen so that the light forms apertures in the mask layer via a non-ablative process. The resulting apertures are automatically aligned with their respective lenslets.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a lens with an aligned aperture, comprising:

mechanically coupling a mask material to a lens; and

projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the mask material with the lens;

wherein the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation and the mask material are chosen so that an aperture is formed in the mask material by the electromagnetic radiation via a non-ablative process.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a substrate to the mask material prior to projecting the electromagnetic radiation onto the mask material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein mechanically coupling a mask material to a lens comprises:

attaching a mask material to a substrate; and

forming a lens on the mask material.

4. The meted of claim 1, wherein the mask material is opaque.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises a metal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mask material comprises Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Se, Fe, Ti, Ta, Zr, and/or V.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises a metallic carbide, nitrides, oxides, selenides, and/or tellurides.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mask material comprises TiC.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises a metal oxide.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises a cermet material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises a polymer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material comprises an organic black material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material has a thickness of between approximately 0.5 and 100 absorption lengths.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pulsed laser radiation comprises near-infrared radiation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the pulsed laser radiation has an irradiance level between approximately 1 mJ/cm² approximately 5 mJ/cm².

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a pulse width of the pulsed laser radiation is approximately 10 ns.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ablative process comprises a thermal process that results in the mask material contracting away from an area irradiated by the electromagnetic radiation.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises a lenticular lens.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the aperture has a length corresponding to a length of the lens.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the lens has a spherical, ellipsoidal, toroidal, aspherical, or polyhedral shape.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the mask material is positioned in proximity to an image plane of the lens.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ablative process forms the aperture via a contraction mechanism.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ablative process forms the aperture via a phase change mechanism.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ablative process forms the aperture via a mechanical deformation mechanism.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-ablative process forms the aperture via a chemical mechanism.

27. A method of fabricating a micro-lens array with an aligned aperture mask, comprising:

providing a first substrate;

forming a micro-lens array on a first surface of the first substrate, wherein the micro-lens array comprises a plurality of lenslets;

applying a mask material to a second surface of the first substrate; and

projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the mask material with each lenslet;

wherein the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation and the mask material are chosen so that apertures are formed in the mask material by the electromagnetic radiation via a non-ablative process.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising attaching a second substrate to the mask material after the apertures are formed.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising attaching a second substrate to the mask material before the apertures are formed.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material is opaque.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises a metal.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the mask material comprises Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Se, Fe, Ti, Ta, Zr, and/or V.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises a metallic carbide, nitrides, oxides, selenides, and/or tellurides.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the mask material comprises TiC.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises a metal oxide.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises a cermet material.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises a polymer.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material comprises an organic black material.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material has a thickness of between approximately 0.5 and 100 absorption lengths.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the pulsed laser radiation comprises near-infrared radiation.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the pulsed laser radiation has an irradiance level between approximately 1 mJ/cm² to approximately 5 mJ/cm².

43. The method of claim 42, wherein a pulse width of the pulsed laser radiation is approximately 10 ns.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein the lenslets comprise lenticular lenslets.

45. The method of claim 44, comprising forming apertures with lengths corresponding to lengths of each corresponding lenticular lenslet.

46. The method of claim 27, wherein the lenslets have a spherical, ellipsoidal, toroidal, aspherical, or polyhedral shape.

47. The method of claim 27, wherein the mask material is positioned in proximity to an image plane of the lenslets.

48. The method of claim 27, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a contraction mechanism.

49. The method of claim 27, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a phase change mechanism.

50. The method of claim 27, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a mechanical deformation mechanism.

51. The method of claim 27, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a chemical mechanism.

52. A method of fabricating a micro-lens array with an aligned aperture mask, comprising:

applying a mask material to a first surface of a first substrate;

forming a micro-lens may on the mask material, wherein the micro-lens may comprises a plurality of lenslets; and

projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the mask material with each lenslet;

wherein the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation and the mask material are chosen so that apertures are formed in the mask material by the electromagnetic radiation via a non-ablative process.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein forming a micro-lens array on the mask material comprises:

attaching a second substrate to the mask material;

and forming a micro-lens array on the second substrate.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material is opaque.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises a metal.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the mask material comprises Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Se, F;

Ti, Ta, Zr, and/or V.

57. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises a metallic carbide, nitrides, oxides, selenides, and/or tellurides.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the mask material comprises TiC.

59. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises a metal oxide.

60. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises a cermet material.

61. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises a polymer.

62. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material comprises an organic black material.

63. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material has a thickness of between approximately 0.5 and 100 absorption lengths.

64. The method of claim 52, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the pulsed laser radiation comprises near-infrared radiation.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the pulsed laser radiation has an irradiance level between approximately 1 mJ/cm² approximately 5 mJ/cm².

67. The method of claim 66, wherein a pulse width of the pulsed laser radiation is approximately 10 ns.

68. The method of claim 52, wherein the lenslets comprise lenticular lenslets.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein a length of each aperture is aligned with a length of each corresponding lenslet.

70. The method of claim 52, wherein the lenslets have a spherical, ellipsoidal, toroidal, aspherical, or polyhedral shape.

71. The method of claim 52, wherein the mask material is positioned in proximity to an image plane of the lenslets.

72. The method of claim 52, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a contraction mechanism.

73. The method of claim 52, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a phase change mechanism.

74. The method of claim 52, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a mechanical deformation mechanism.

75. The method of claim 52, wherein the non-ablative process forms the apertures via a chemical mechanism.