FEATURE MICRO-OPTICS
Optics on the micro scale
Keely Portway investigates the latest innovations in micro-optics, from 3D printing to how it can improve the optical designs of photonics equipment
T
he global diffractive optical elements (DOE) market is booming, with an estimated revenue growth of just under
7.5 per cent during 2018, according to a report from Persistence Market Research. This growth is likely to exceed $500m this year. The report highlights more market opportunities are likely with improving investment in R&D, in particular in the work of universities in micro-optics. As well as advancing the adoption of
micro-optics in many applications, print- optical technology is serving a vital role in shaping the overall demand for DOEs, as the growing use of 3D printed micro-optics is enabling more manufacturers to deliver customised micro optic products. A number of new developments in this
area were shown at the recent Laser World of Photonics. One was the Quantum X two- photon grayscale lithography system from 3D printing firm Nanoscribe. The device is
designed for the maskless lithography of highly precise micro-optics in response to demand for high-throughput manufacturing, for example, in the sensors, mobile device, data and telecommunications sectors. Using two-photon grayscale lithography (2GL) printing technology combines the performance of grayscale lithography with the flexibility of two-photon polymerisation for a number of uses.
The Quantum X is equipped with three
live-view cameras for process control and a resin dispenser. To simplify the change-
“Using two-photon grayscale lithography, high-precision components materialise with excellent shape accuracy and ultra- smooth surfaces”
over between hardware configurations, objective and sample holder recognition run automatically. Multi-level DOEs can be produced by modulating the laser power in one scanning plane, reducing the print time necessary for multi-layer microfabrication.
Making shapes Refractive micro-optics also benefit from the contouring capabilities afforded by 2GL processes, making single optical elements, arrays with high fill factors of up to 100 per cent and varying shapes such as spherical and aspherical lenses possible in a maskless process. A system such as the Quantum X can fabricate almost any imaginable 2.5D shape on the microscale, which the company says will pave the way to new or strongly enhanced optical elements from imaging, to illumination or sensing. Martin Hermatschweiler, CEO of Nanoscribe, said: ‘The developers have put great effort to excel in advanced user– machine interactions. For example, users can check on the job status, adjust process controls and visualise printing in real time, directly on the built-in touchscreen. To manage and organise the users’ projects, a continuous execution of a series of print jobs is supported by a job queue. Using two-photon grayscale lithography, high-precision components materialise with excellent shape accuracy and ultra-
With better beam shaping, solid-state lasers can replace excimer lasers in many areas of display production
22 Electro Optics August/September 2019
The sGauss profile (brown) has steeper flanks and a broader intensity maximum than a normal Gauss profile (blue)
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