Patent ID: 7771630
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: B29D,B82Y,G02B,G03F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating polymer microlenses comprising: selecting at least one of (i) liquid viscosity, (ii) liquid surface tension, (iii) liquid density, (iv) liquid index of refraction, (v) the surface-free-energies of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas of the substrate, (vi) the angle of substrate withdrawal, (vii) the speed of the substrate withdrawal, (viii) the proximity of hydrophilic areas to each other, and (ix) the number of any times the withdrawing is repetitively performed, so as to controllably fabricate a microlens with a desired f-number (f#); withdrawing a substrate of patterned wettability from a liquid polymer precursor to leave a pattern of liquid polymer precursor areas on the substrate to form caps of the liquid polymer precursor; and solidifying the liquid polymer precursor caps remaining on the substrate by curing the caps so as to form solid polymer microlenses, wherein the withdrawal speed is varied specifically so as to vary the f#s of polymer microlenses in different regions of the substrate.