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Zuo F, Ma S, Zhao W, Yang C, Li Z, Zhang C, Bai J. An Ultraviolet-Lithography-Assisted Sintering Method for Glass Microlens Array Fabrication. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2055. [PMID: 38004912 PMCID: PMC10672823 DOI: 10.3390/mi14112055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Glass microlens arrays (MLAs) have tremendous prospects in the fields of optical communication, sensing and high-sensitivity imaging for their excellent optical properties, high mechanical robustness and physicochemical stability. So far, glass MLAs are primarily fabricated using femtosecond laser modification assisted etching, in which the preparation procedure is time-consuming, with each concave-shaped microlens being processed using a femtosecond laser point by point. In this paper, a new method is proposed for implementing large-scale glass MLAs using glass particle sintering with the assistance of ultraviolet (UV) lithography. The glass particles are dispersed into the photoresist at first, and then immobilized as large-scaled micropillar arrays on quartz glass substrate using UV lithographing. Subsequently, the solidified photoresist is debinded and the glass particles are melted by means of sintering. By controlling the sintering conditions, the convex microlens will be self-assembled, attributed to the surface tension of the molten glass particles. Finally, MLAs with different focal lengths (0.12 to 0.2 mm) are successfully fabricated by utilizing different lithography masks. Meanwhile, we also present the optimization of the sintering parameter for eliminating the bubbles in the microlenses. The main factors that affect the focal length of the microlens and the image performance of the MLAs have been studied in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Xi’an 710127, China; (F.Z.); (W.Z.); (Z.L.)
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Shenghua Ma
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Technology in Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Xi’an 710127, China; (F.Z.); (W.Z.); (Z.L.)
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Chenqian Yang
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronics Technology in Shaanxi Province, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Ziyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Xi’an 710127, China; (F.Z.); (W.Z.); (Z.L.)
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Xi’an 710127, China; (F.Z.); (W.Z.); (Z.L.)
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
| | - Jintao Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Photon-Technology in Western China Energy, Xi’an 710127, China; (F.Z.); (W.Z.); (Z.L.)
- International Collaborative Center on Photoelectric Technology and Nano Functional Materials, Xi’an 710127, China; (S.M.); (C.Y.)
- Institute of Photonics & Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
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Zhang H, Li F, Song H, Liu Y, Huang L, Zhao S, Xiong Z, Wang Z, Dong Y, Liu H. Random Silica-Glass Microlens Arrays Based on the Molding Technology of Photocurable Nanocomposites. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:19230-19240. [PMID: 37039331 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c02040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Random microlens arrays (rMLAs) have been widely applied as a beam-shaping component within an optical system. Silica glass is undoubtedly the best choice for rMLAs because of its wide range of spectra with high transmission and high damage threshold. Yet, machining silica glass with user-defined shapes is still challenging. In this work, novel design and fabrication methods of random silica-glass microlens arrays (rSMLAs) are proposed and a detailed investigation of this technology is presented. Based on the molding technology, the fabricated rSMLAs with tunable divergent angles demonstrate superior physical properties with 1.81 nm roughness, 1074.33 HV hardness, and excellent thermal stability at 1250 °C for 3 h. Meanwhile, their characterized optical performance shows a high transmission of over 90% in the ultraviolet spectrum. The fabricated two types of rSMLAs exhibit excellent effects of beam homogenization with surprising energy utilization (more than 90%) and light spot uniformity (more than 80%). This innovative process paves a new route for fabricating rMLAs on solid silica glass and breaking down the barrier of rMLAs to broader applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Feng Li
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Huiying Song
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yuqing Liu
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Long Huang
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shaoqing Zhao
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Zheng Xiong
- Corning Research & Development Corporation, 1 Riverfront Plaza, Corning, New York 14831, United States
| | - Zhengxiao Wang
- High School Attached to Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yongjun Dong
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Hua Liu
- Center for Advanced Optoelectronic Functional Materials Research, and Key Laboratory for UV Emitting Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Physics Education, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China
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Zhang Z, Chu F, Wang X, Zhou X, Xiong G. Microfluidic Fabrication of a PDMS Microlens for Imaging Tunability. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:4059-4064. [PMID: 35324201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A microfluidic system was created to fabricate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microspheres, whose shape, surface smoothness, and size were controlled. Resulting from their excellent optical properties and elasticity prepared by the apparatus, each PDMS microsphere could act as a microlens and separate imaging unit. The focal length of the microlens was simply tuned by the forces posed on the beads. For the microlens array (MLA) application, it was constructed simply through the assembly of the monodisperse PDMS beads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing & Packaging Materials and Technology in Universities of Shandong, Faculty of Light Industry, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, Shandong, China
| | - Fuqiang Chu
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing & Packaging Materials and Technology in Universities of Shandong, Faculty of Light Industry, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, Shandong, China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, Shanxi, China
| | - Xu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing & Packaging Materials and Technology in Universities of Shandong, Faculty of Light Industry, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, Shandong, China
| | - Guirong Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Green Printing & Packaging Materials and Technology in Universities of Shandong, Faculty of Light Industry, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, Shandong, China
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Chen Z, Yuan H, Wu P, Zhang W, Juodkazis S, Huang H, Cao X. Variable focus convex microlens array on K9 glass substrate based on femtosecond laser processing and hot embossing lithography. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:22-25. [PMID: 34951873 DOI: 10.1364/ol.448344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We propose a high-precision method for the fabrication of variable focus convex microlens arrays on K9 glass substrate by combining femtosecond laser direct writing and hot embossing lithography. A sapphire master mold with a blind cylindrical hole array was prepared first by femtosecond laser ablation. The profile control of microlenses dependent on the temperature and the diameter of the blind hole in the sapphire mold was investigated. The curvature radius of the microlens decreased with temperature and increased with diameter. Uniform convex microlens arrays were fabricated with good imaging performance. Further, variable focus convex microlens arrays were fabricated by changing the diameter of the blind hole in sapphire, which produced the image at variable z planes. This method provides a highly precise fabrication of convex microlens arrays and is well suited for batch production of micro-optical elements.
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Li J, Wang W, Zhu R, Huang Y. Stable Nonwetting Artificial Compound Eye with Low Adhesion. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:45040-45049. [PMID: 34496201 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microlens arrays (MLAs) are the key components of miniaturized optical systems. To meet the stringent requirements for their application in humid environments, achieving waterproof properties in these objects is an urgent task. It is noteworthy that conventional methods of microlens production usually sacrifice optical performance for stable superhydrophobicity by increasing the surface roughness of the microlens. In this paper, a large area artificial compound eye (ACE) is efficiently fabricated by combining photolithography and inkjet printing. The added micropillars separated the outside droplet from the microlens, and the water droplet was afterward suspended on the top of micropillars. Furthermore, the micropillars enabled superhydrophobicity (at a contact angle above 150°) and low surface adhesion (at a sliding angle of ∼2.8°) of the microlens without affecting its optical performance. Furthermore, when released from the height of 1 and 2 cm, the droplets were fully detached from the surface without sticking. The surface of the ACE was shown to have relatively stable nonwettability due to a small spacing between the micropillars. This means that tuning the morphology and spacing between micropillars allows one to noticeably improve the surface nonwettability stability. Finally, the performance of the fabricated optical system was demonstrated in a water washing experiment. Therefore, the findings of present study may open up the prospects for significant advancement in superhydrophobicity of the optical systems without affecting their imaging performance for real outdoor applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Ruixiang Zhu
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Yuxiang Huang
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
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Li J, Wang W, Zhu R, Huang Y. Superhydrophobic Artificial Compound Eye with High Transparency. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:35026-35037. [PMID: 34255480 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c05558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural compound eyes have inspired the development of self-cleaning, waterproof, and antifog optical devices. However, the traditional methods generally sacrifice the transparency of optical units to introduce hydrophobicity, which significantly limits the practical applications of state-of-the-art hydrophobic technologies. This work aims to fabricate a microimaging system by combining photolithography, inkjet printing, and chemical growth. Herein, an artificial compound eye (ACE) is endowed with stable superhydrophobicity and high transparency without affecting its optical performance. The obtained ACE system possesses good static and dynamic dewetting properties along with excellent optical performance. Its static contact angle exceeds 160°, whereas the sliding angle and contact angle hysteresis values are ∼5.5° and ∼3.8°, respectively. Furthermore, the contact time is found to be 11.97 s for the Weber number of 12. The droplet undergoes a reversible process during compressing and stretching, and the ACE exhibits no adhesion under a pressure load of 4 mN. This proves that the introduction of nonwetting nanohairs on the sidewalls of the microcone arrays significantly improves the dynamic dewetting of the system. More importantly, the properly designed position of nanohairs ensures that the optical performance of ACE is maintained at a level of ∼95% compared to that of the bare glass. The superhydrophobic ACE exhibits low adhesion and great transparency. This rationally designed ACE may provide useful guidelines for fabrication of superhydrophobic optical devices with high transparency and enable potential applications in military, medical, and some outdoor activity fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710054, China
| | - Ruixiang Zhu
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Yuxiang Huang
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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Qin B, Li X, Yao Z, Huang J, Liu Y, Wang A, Gao S, Zhou S, Wang Z. Fabrication of microlenses with continuously variable numerical aperture through a temporally shaped femtosecond laser. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:4596-4606. [PMID: 33771033 DOI: 10.1364/oe.411511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We developed a novel method for fabricating microlenses and microlens arrays by controlling numerical aperture (NA) through temporally shaped femtosecond laser on fused silica. The modification area was controlled through the pulse delay of temporally shaped femtosecond laser. The final radius and sag height were obtained through subsequent hydrofluoric acid etching. Electron density was controlled by the temporally shaped femtosecond laser, and the maximum NA value (0.65) of a microlens was obtained in the relevant studies with femtosecond laser fabrication. Furthermore, the NA can be continuously adjusted from 0.1 to 0.65 by this method. Compared with the traditional methods, this method exhibited high flexibility and yielded microlenses with various NAs and microlens arrays to meet the different demands for microlens applications.
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Yong J, Bian H, Yang Q, Hou X, Chen F. Mini-Review on Bioinspired Superwetting Microlens Array and Compound Eye. Front Chem 2020; 8:575786. [PMID: 33134276 PMCID: PMC7552737 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.575786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microlens arrays (MLAs) and MLA-based artificial compound eyes (ACEs) are the important miniaturized optical components in modern micro-optical systems. However, their optical performance will seriously decline once they are wetted by water droplets (such as fog, dew, and rain droplets) or are polluted by contaminations in a humid environment. In this mini-review, we summarize the research works related to the fabrication of superwetting MLAs and ACEs and show how to integrate superhydrophobic and superoleophobic microstructures with an MLA. The fabrication strategy can be split into two categories. One is the hybrid pattern composed of the MLA domain and the superwetting domain. Another is the direct formation of superwetting nanostructures on the surface of the microlenses. The superhydrophobicity or superoleophobicity endows the MLAs and ACEs with liquid repellence and self-cleaning function besides excellent optical performance. We believe that the superwetting MLAs and ACEs will have significant applications in various optical systems that are often used in the humid or liquid environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Yong
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hao Bian
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qing Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xun Hou
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Deng C, Wang X, Zhang R, Huang Y, Zhang X, Wang T. Stepped laser-ablation fabrication of concave micromirrors in rectangular optical waveguides for low loss vertical coupling. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:20264-20276. [PMID: 32680090 DOI: 10.1364/oe.395458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this report, we present a stepped laser-ablation method for the fabrication of concave micromirrors in rectangular optical waveguides. The numerically simulated vertical coupling loss of the reflection of the concave micromirror can be reduced to 1.53 dB. The processing parameters of the utilized excimer laser, such as the step number, width, and depth, were optimized to fabricate the concave micromirrors. After the thermal reflow process, the measured curve of the circular concave micromirrors obtained using a 3D optical profiler agreed well with a standard circle with a surface roughness of 39.56 nm. Furthermore, vertical coupling for 62.5 µm MMF revealed that the loss of the circular concave micromirror coated with a 50 nm thick Au film is as low as 1.83 dB, corresponding to a high coupling efficiency of 65.61%. This new, convenient, and efficient fabrication technology for the fabrication of concave micromirrors can be applied to vertical coupling for optical printed circuit board (OPCB) interconnection technology.
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