Anti-Reflective Coatings Produced via Atomic Layer Deposition for Hybrid Polymer 3D Micro-Optics

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Minimizing optical power loss is crucial for high-quality optics, with unwanted reflections being a primary cause.
• Laser direct writing (LDW) enables the fabrication of intricate micro-optic structures.
• Hybrid organic-inorganic materials offer unique properties for micro-optics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of applying an anti-reflective coating to LDW-fabricated hybrid polymer micro-lenses without altering their geometry.
• To investigate the synergistic compatibility of atomic layer deposition (ALD) with LDW 3D multiphoton lithography for micro-optics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hybrid polymer micro-lenses using laser direct writing (LDW).
• Deposition of an anti-reflective coating via atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto the micro-lenses.
• Optical characterization to measure reflection reduction at a specific wavelength (633 nm).

Main Results:

• Successfully applied an anti-reflective coating to hybrid polymer micro-lenses fabricated by LDW.
• Reduced surface reflection from 3.3% to 0.1% at 633 nm for SZ2080™ material.
• Demonstrated the compatibility of ALD with LDW 3D multiphoton lithography.

Conclusions:

• ALD is compatible with LDW for creating anti-reflective coatings on micro-optics.
• This combined technique enhances optical performance by minimizing reflection.
• Expands applications for optical-grade sub-100 μm scale micro-optics.