Micro-lens array with precisely aligned aperture mask and methods of producing same
View Patent ↗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.
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/cm 2 approximately 5 mJ/cm 2 .
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/cm 2 to approximately 5 mJ/cm 2 .
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/cm 2 approximately 5 mJ/cm 2 .
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.