Patent ID: 6306563
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: C08F,C08G,G02B,G02F

Abstract:
A method for making an optical element having a support and a light-transmissive patterned core thereon, the light-transmissive patterned core having a refractive index, the support defining a core-interfacing surface having a refractive index, the method comprising the steps of: applying a photopolymerizable core composition to the support to form a photopolymerizable core composition layer, the photopolymerizable core composition including at least one photoinitiator and at least one photopolymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer having at least one photopolymerizable group, the photopolymerizable monomer, oligomer, or polymer including a perfluorinated substituent, the perfluorinated substituent selected from the group consisting of--(CF.sub.2).sub.x --,--CF.sub.2 O--[(CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 O).sub.m (CF.sub.2 O).sub.n ]--CF.sub.2 --,and--CF(CF.sub.3)O(CF.sub.2).sub.4 O[CF(CF.sub.3)CF.sub.2 O].sub.p CF(CF.sub.3)--,where x is a number 1 through 10, m designates the number of randomly distributed perfluoroethyleneoxy backbone repeating units, n designates the number of randomly distributed perfluoromethyleneoxy backbone repeating subunits, and p designates the number of --CF(CF.sub.3)CF.sub.2 O-- backbone repeating subunits; imagewise exposing an imaged portion of the photopolymerizable core composition layer to sufficient actinic radiation to at least partially polymerize the imaged portion and to define a non-imaged portion of the photopolymerizable core composition layer; removing the non-imaged portion without removing the imaged portion to form the light-transmissive patterned core from the imaged portion; applying a polymerizable upper cladding composition onto the light transmissive patterned core to form an upper cladding layer; and at least partially curing the upper cladding layer, such that the refractive index of the upper cladding layer and the refractive index of the core-interfacing surface are both lower than the refractive index of the light-transmissive patterned core where adjacent one another.