Lens array fabrication method, and film containing base plate and film attaching instrument employed in same

• US 9,995,856 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enplas Corporation
• Original Assignee: Enplas Corporation
• Inventors: Tanazawa, Masahiro, Morioka, Shimpei, Goto, Makoto, Hashimoto, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Goff, John
• Application Number:
  US15/410,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4825 Pressure sensitive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00298 Producing lens arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0016 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/10 Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 43/00 Operations specially adapted for layered products and not otherwise provided for, e.g. repairing; Apparatus therefor
• 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 3/0075 characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/205 Neutral density filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3845 ferrules comprising functional elements, e.g. filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3882 using rods, pins or balls to align a pair of ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3898 Tools, e.g. handheld; Tuning wrenches; Jigs used with connectors, e.g. for extracting, removing or inserting in a panel, for engaging or coupling connectors, for assembling or disassembling components within the connector, for applying clips to hold two connectors together or for crimping tools for cleaning, G02B6/3866; tools in general B25B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4204 the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms encapsulated active devices H01S5/02208, H01L33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4239 Adhesive bonding; Encapsulation with polymer material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4292 the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/004 Manual alignment, e.g. micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 : of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1195 : Delaminating from release surface

Abstract

A lens array fabrication method for fabricating a lens array includes: receiving pins (16) of a film attaching instrument (jig) in second guide holes (10) of a film-containing base plate; bonding a placement area and an adhesion layer (F); removing the pins (16); causing a detachment between a first detachment film (C) and a pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D); separating three layers (D) to (F) from two layers (B) and (C); receiving the pins (16) in first guide holes (7) of a lens array main unit; fitting a film holding protrusion (15) in a depression part (6); bonding the film (D) to a bonding region (i); removing the pins (16); and causing a detachment between the film (D) and a second detachment film (E).

Claims

1. A lens array fabrication method for fabricating a lens array,

the lens array including a lens array main unit (I) and a pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D),

the lens array main unit (I) including:

a first surface and a second surface spaced from each other in an optical axis direction (hereinafter referred to as a z-direction);

a plurality of lens surfaces formed and aligned on the first surface along a predetermined alignment direction which is perpendicular to the z-direction (hereinafter referred to as a x-direction);

a optical plane on the second surface, through which light that has passed the plurality of lens surfaces is to pass, the optical plane defining a predetermined central area of the second surface that encompasses an entire projected region, the projected region being formed on the second surface when the lens surfaces are projected from the z-direction on the second surface, a surrounding area being defined on the second surface around the predetermined central area, the optical plane being defined by a recess that is concave relative to the surrounding area and depressed toward the lens surfaces, the optical plane extending in a direction perpendicular to the z-direction; and

a pair of first guide holes or guide pins that are disposed on opposite sides of the optical plane in the x-direction on the surrounding area of the second surface, the pair of first guide holes or guide pins extending parallel to the z-direction, an adhesion area (i) being defined, which contains part of the projected region for at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces, on the optical plane of the lens array main unit (i), the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) being attached on the adhesion area (i) by an adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film itself,

the lens array fabrication method comprising;

preparing a film-containing base plate (II) that contains the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D), the film-containing base plate (II) having a base plate main element (A), the base plate main element (A) having a placement area (ii) on a first face of the base plate main element (A) in a x″

-direction which corresponds to the x-direction, the placement area (ii) corresponding to the adhesion area (i), with a bonding layer (B), a non-adhesive first detachment film (C), the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D), a non-adhesive second detachment film (E), and an adhesion layer (F) being stacked on the placement area (ii) in this order from the placement area (ii), a first peel strength f_(C)-(D) between the first detachment film (C) and the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) being smaller than a second peel strength f_(D)-(E) between the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) and the second detachment film (E), a pair of second guide holes or guide pins, which correspond to the pair of first guide holes/guide pins respectively, being provided in a region outside the placement area (ii) on the first face of the base plate main element (A), the second guide holes or guide pins being disposed on opposite sides of the placement area (ii) in a x″

-direction, which corresponds to the x-direction, and the second guide holes or guide pins being parallel to the z″

-direction; and

preparing a film attaching jig (III) for attaching the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) onto the adhesion area (i), the film attaching jig (III) having a main body, the main body having a first end face in a x′

-direction which corresponds to the x-direction, the first end face of the jig main body being an end face to be directed to the film-containing base plate (II) and the lens array main unit (I), the jig (III) having a film holding projection that is provided on the first end face of the jig, the film holding projection protruding in parallel to the z′

-direction toward the film-containing base plate (II) and the lens array main unit (I), the film holding projection having a holding area (iii) at its front end face, and the holding area (iii) corresponds to the adhesion area (i) and the placement area (ii), the holding area (iii) being configured to be able to temporarily hold the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) when the film holding projection works together with the film-containing base plate (II) and the lens array main unit (I), the jig (III) also having a pair of pins or holes disposed on the first end face of the jig main body in parallel to the z′

-direction, the pair of pins or holes being provided at opposite positions of the film holding projection in a x′

-direction which corresponds to the x-direction, the pair of pins or holes of the jig (III) corresponding to the pair of first guide holes/guide pins respectively and also corresponding to the pair of second guide holes/guide pins respectively,

positions and dimensions of the placement area (ii), the film holding projection, the optical plane and the lens surfaces in the lens array main unit (I), the film-containing base plate (II) and the film attaching jig (III) being decided, with the center points of the first guide holes/guide pins, the second guide holes/guide pins and the pins/holes being the references, such that the holding area (iii) which corresponds to the placement area (ii) in position and dimension can be formed on the front end face of the film holding projection, the adhesion area (i) which corresponds to the holding area (iii) in position and dimension can be formed on the optical plane, and the film holding projection can be received in the recess of the second surface,

the foregoing being the prerequisite, the lens array fabrication method comprising;

a first step of causing the pair of pins/holes of the film attaching jig (III) to be received in the pair of second guide holes/guide pins of the film-containing base plate (II) while the front end face of the film holding projection of the film attaching jig (III) is exposed to the stacked elements (B) to (F) on the placement area (ii) of the film-containing base plate (II), and attaching the holding area (iii) of the film holding projection onto an upper face of the adhesive layer (F), which is an uppermost layer, by an adhesive force of the adhesive layer (F);

a second step, carried out subsequent to the first step, of removing the pair of pins/holes from the pair of second guide holes/guide pins, and causing detachment between the first detachment film (C) and the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) by taking advantage of magnitude relation between the first peel strength f_(C)-(D) and the second peel strength f_(D)-(E), such that the upper three layers (D) to (F) are held on the holding area (iii) of the film holding projection and separated from the lower two layers (B) and (C) which remain on the base plate main element (A);

a third step, carried out subsequent to the second step, of causing the pair of pins/holes to be received in the pair of first guide holes/guide pins of the lens array main unit (I) while the three layers (D) to (F) held on the holding area (iii) of the film holding projection are exposed to the optical plane of the lens array main unit (I), inserting the film holding projection into the recess of the second surface together with the three layers (D) to (F), and attaching a lower face of the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D), which is a lowermost layer among the three layers (D) to (F), to the adhesion area (i) on the optical plane by the adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D); and

a fourth step, carried out subsequent to the third step, of removing the pair of pins/holes from the pair of first guide holes/guide pins, and causing detachment between the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) and the second detachment film (E) such that the upper two layers (E) and (F) are held on the holding area (iii) of the film holding projection and separated from the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) which remains on the adhesion area (i),

whereby the lens array fabrication method provides the lens array, with the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) being attached onto the adhesion area (i) and with the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) being received in the recess that is depressed from the surrounding region of the second surface toward the lens surfaces.

2. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the optical plane of the lens array main unit (I) has a rectangular shape, when viewed in the z-direction, having a long side in the x-direction and a short side in a direction perpendicular to the x-direction and z-direction (hereinafter referred to as a y-direction),

a first hypothetical line segment, which connects center points of the pair of first guide holes/guide pins of the lens array main unit (I) and extends in a direction perpendicular to the z-direction, is parallel to the x-direction and overlaps a center line of the optical plane in the y-direction, when viewed in the z-direction,

a vertical bisector, which equally divides the first hypothetical line segment and extends parallel to the y-direction, overlaps a center line of the optical plane in the x-direction, when viewed in the z-direction,

the stacked elements (B) to (F) on the placement area (ii) of the film-containing base plate (II) have a rectangular shape, which is defined by contour lines in the x″

-direction and contour lines in a y″

-direction, when viewed from the z″

-direction, the y″

-direction being perpendicular to the x″

-direction and the z″

-direction,

a second hypothetical line segment, which connects center points of the pair of second guide holes/guide pins of the film-containing base plate (II) and extends in a direction perpendicular to the z″

-direction, is parallel to the x″

-direction,

the front end face of the film holding projection of the film attaching jig (III) has a rectangular shape, when viewed from the z′

-direction, having a long side in the x′

-direction and a short side in a y′

-direction, the y′

-direction being perpendicular to the x′

-direction and the z′

-direction,

a third hypothetical line segment, which connects center points of the pair of pins/holes of the film attaching jig (III) and extends in a direction perpendicular to the z′

-direction, is parallel to the x′

-direction and overlaps a center line of the front end face of the film holding projection in the y′

-direction, when viewed from the z′

-direction,

a second vertical bisector, which equally divides the third hypothetical line segment and extends parallel to the y′

-direction, overlaps a center line of the front end face of the film holding projection in the x′

-direction, when viewed in the z′

-direction,

the lens array main unit (I), the film-containing base plate (II) and the film attaching jig (III) satisfy conditional expressions (1) to (4) in the y-direction, the y′

-direction, and the y″

-direction;

the y-direction, the y′

-direction and the y″

direction;

a1+Δ

y>

a1′

+Δ

y′

≥

b″

+Δ

y″

 

 

(1)

a2+Δ

y>

a2′

+Δ

y′

≥

|a″

−

b″

|+Δ

y″

 

 

(2)

b″

+Δ

y″

>

b1+Δ

y 

 

(3)

|a″

−

b″

|+Δ

y″

>

|b1−

b2|+Δ

y 

 

(4)

the lens array main unit (I), the film-containing base plate (II) and the film attaching jig (III) satisfy conditional expressions (5) to (8) in the x-direction, the x′

-direction, and the x″

-direction;

c1+Δ

x>

c1′

+Δ

x′

≥

d″

+Δ

x″

 

 

(5)

c2+Δ

x>

c2′

+Δ

x′

≥

|c″

−

d″

|+Δ

x″

 

 

(6)

d″

+Δ

x″

>

d1+Δ

x 

 

(7)

|c″

−

d″

|+Δ

x″

>

|d1−

d2|+Δ

x 

 

(8)

where parameters of the conditional expressions (1) to (8) for the lens array main unit (I) are;

a1;

distance in the y-direction from the center position of the optical plane in the y-direction to a first long side of the optical plane, which defines an outer circumference of the optical plane and extends along the x-direction,

a2;

distance in the y-direction from the center position of the optical plane in the y-direction to an opposite long side of the optical plane, which defines the outer circumference of the optical plane on an opposite side of the first long side,

b1;

distance from the center position of the optical plane in the y-direction to a distal end of said part of the projected region for said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces in the y-direction,

b2;

dimension of said part of the projected region for said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces in the y-direction,

c1;

distance in the x-direction from the center position of the optical plane in the x-direction to a first short side of the optical plane, which defines the outer circumference of the optical plane and extends along the y-direction,

c2;

distance in the x-direction from the center position of the optical plane in the x-direction to an opposite short side of the optical plane, which defines the outer circumference of the optical plane on an opposite side of the first short side,

d1;

distance from the center position of the optical plane in the x-direction to a distal end of said part of the projected region for said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces in the x-direction,

d2;

dimension of said part of the projected region for the said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces in the x-direction,

Δ

y;

sum of a position tolerance of each said lens surface in the y-direction with the centers of the first guide holes/guide pins being the reference, diameter tolerance of each said lens surface in the y-direction, and dimension tolerance of the optical plane in the y-direction,

Δ

x;

sum of a position tolerance of each said lens surface in the x-direction with the centers of the first guide holes/guide pins being the reference, diameter tolerance of each lens surface in the x-direction, and dimension tolerance of the optical plane in the x-direction,

parameters of the conditional expressions (1) to (8) for the film attaching jig (III) are;

a1′

;

distance in the y′

-direction from a center position of the front end face of the film holding projection in the y′

-direction to a first long side of the front end face, which defines an outer circumference of the front end face and extends along the x′

-direction,

a2′

;

distance in the y′

-direction from the center position of the front end face of the film holding projection in the y′

-direction to an opposite long side of the front end face, which defines the outer circumference of the front end face on an opposite side of the first long side,

c1′

;

distance in the x′

-direction from the center position of the front end face of the film holding projection in the x′

-direction to a first short side of the front end face, which defines the outer circumference of the front end face and extends along the y′

-direction,

c2′

;

distance in the x′

-direction from the center position of the front end face of the film holding projection in the x′

-direction to an opposite short side of the front end face, which defines the outer circumference of the front end face on an opposite side of the first short side,

Δ

y′

;

dimension tolerance of the front end face of the film holding projection in the y′

-direction with the centers of the pins/holes being the reference,

Δ

x′

;

dimension tolerance of the front end face of the film holding projection in the x′

-direction with the centers of the pins/holes being the reference, and

parameters of the conditional expressions (1) to (8) for the film-containing base plate (II) are;

a″

;

dimension of the stacked elements (B) to (F) on the placement area (ii) in the y″

-direction,

b″

;

distance in the y″

-direction from the second hypothetical line segment to a distal end of the stacked elements (B) to (F) in the y″

-direction,

c″

;

dimension of the stacked elements (B) to (F) in the x″

-direction,

d″

;

distance in the x″

-direction from a vertical bisector, which equally divides the second hypothetical line segment and extends in parallel to the y″

-direction, to a distal end of the stacked elements (B) to (F) in the x″

-direction,

Δ

y″

;

dimension tolerance of the stacked elements (B) to (F) in the y″

-direction with the centers of the second guide holes/guide pins being the reference, and

Δ

x″

;

dimension tolerance of the stacked elements (B) to (F) in the x″

-direction with the centers of the second guide holes/guide pins being the reference.

3. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces includes one or more lens surfaces among those lens surfaces arranged in a single row in the x-direction or all lens surfaces in one or more rows among a plurality of rows extending in the x-direction respectively, the plurality of rows being spaced from each other in the y-direction.

4. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) is a light attenuating film.

5. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) has a multi-layer structure.

6. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the first guide holes/guide pins are used to position an optical transmission element and/or a photoelectric conversion device when the optical transmission element and/or the photoelectric conversion device is coupled to the lens array.

7. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 2, wherein said at least part of the plurality of lens surfaces includes one or more lens surfaces among those lens surfaces arranged in a single row in the x-direction or all lens surfaces in one or more rows among a plurality of rows extending in the x-direction respectively, the plurality of rows being spaced from each other in the y-direction.

8. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 2, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) is a light attenuating film.

9. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 3, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) is a light attenuating film.

10. The lens array fabrication method according to claim 7, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive optical film (D) is a light attenuating film.