Microlens Array Fabrication by Using a Microshaper.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Optical Engineering
• Manufacturing Technology

Background:

• Microlens arrays are crucial components in various optical systems.
• Existing fabrication methods can be complex, costly, or limited to specific materials.
• Development of accessible and efficient micromachining techniques is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, inexpensive, and quick nonsilicon-based micromachining method for microlens array fabrication.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using a microshaper with cutter-path-planning on a CNC machine.
• To verify the optical performance and surface quality of the manufactured microlenses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a microshaper mounted on a three-axis vertical computer numerical control (CNC) machine.
• Employed cutter-path-planning for precise machining of spherical microlens surfaces.
• Performed post-machining polishing to achieve a moderate surface roughness.

Main Results:

• Machined microlens profiles closely matched designed profiles.
• Verified the focus ability of the fabricated microlens array.
• Achieved an average focal length error of 1.5% between designed and measured values.
• Obtained surface roughness values of 43 nm (x-direction) and 56 nm (y-direction).

Conclusions:

• The developed microshaping method is a feasible, simple, scalable, and reproducible technique for manufacturing microlens arrays.
• The method offers an inexpensive and quick alternative to existing fabrication processes.
• The achieved accuracy and optical performance validate the effectiveness of the CNC-based approach.