AI Article Synopsis
- A microlens array is a key component in many micro-optics applications, and traditional manufacturing methods struggle to create the complex shapes required.
- Digital light processing (DLP)-based printing, while promising, typically results in rough surfaces due to the stacking of 2D pixel patterns, making it ineffective for optical components.
- The authors introduce a new DLP method that uses mechanical oscillation to improve surface smoothness to about 1 nm, alongside optimized UV exposure, enabling the production of high-quality, variable microlens profiles quickly and flexibly.
Article Abstract
A microlens array has become an important micro-optics device in various applications. Compared with traditional manufacturing approaches, digital light processing (DLP)-based printing enables fabrication of complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries and is a possible manufacturing approach for microlens arrays. However, the nature of 3D printing objects by stacking successive 2D patterns formed by discrete pixels leads to coarse surface roughness and makes DLP-based printing unsuccessful in fabricating optical components. Here, we report an oscillation-assisted DLP-based printing approach for fabrication of microlens arrays. An optically smooth surface (about 1 nm surface roughness) is achieved by mechanical oscillation that eliminates the jagged surface formed by discrete pixels, and a 1-3 s single grayscale ultraviolet (UV) exposure that removes the staircase effect. Moreover, computationally designed grayscale UV patterns allow us to fabricate microlenses with various profiles. The proposed approach paves a way to 3D print optical components with high quality, fast speed, and vast flexibility.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b14692 | DOI Listing |
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