Method of manufacturing micro-structure element by utilizing molding glass

A method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass includes the steps of forming a mold having a micro-structure pattern thereon by using an electroforming process, making a copy of the micro-structuring pattern on a glass structure by using glass molding technology, and filling clothing material on the glass substrate to form a micro-structure element with less complex and cost, thereby being suitable for mass production.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a micro-structure element, and particularly to a method of manufacturing micro-structure element a by utilizing molding glass.

2. Related Art

With the rapid development of semi-conductor and optical communication system technology, the requirements system integration, size reduction and improved convenience are increasing day by day. Nowadays, the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements such as optical wave guide elements has become more complex than before.

The related methods of manufacturing micro-structure elements mainly comprise three types; one is a heat embossing process, second is a step and flash imprint lithography process, and the third is a soft lithography process. These types have the disadvantages of higher cost and difficulty to change the material collectively. Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,905, which provides steps to coat a thermoplastic polymer on a substrate before performing the heat embossing process. The polymer is softened by controlling temperature and pressure conditions, and then is transformed to a nano-element by an imprinting process.

In addition, the method of manufacturing an optical wave guide element applied in various systems and instruments mainly uses photo-lithography technology. The steps comprise forming a glass fiber on the recess portion of a substrate, filling polymer material in a die having specific shapes thereon, and depositing the major material of the optical wave guide element on the substrate, which involves forming photo-resist material over the major material, forming the photo-resist material by exposure and developing processes, etching the major material by means of the photo-resist material, and removing the photo-resist material. The optical wave guide element is thus formed.

The above-described technology for manufacturing micro-structure elements has some disadvantages, including being more complicated and harder to mass produce so as to incur high costs. Hence, improving the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements is currently an important focus of the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass. By using glass molding technology, form the micro-structure element on a glass, which is formed by a mold having a micro-structure pattern thereon. This method of the invention is easier for mass production, saves manufacturing costs.

Accordingly, the method of manufacturing a micro-structure element by utilizing molding glass includes the steps of forming a mold with a micro-structure pattern thereon from an electroforming material by using an electroforming process, imprinting the mold directly onto a glass substrate for making a copy of the micro-structure pattern of the mold directly on the glass substrate, and filling a clothing material into the copy of the micro-structure pattern of the glass substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer toFIG. 1. The steps of the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass of the invention are disclosed as follows. First, form a mold, which has a micro-structure pattern thereon, by using an electroforming method according to step100. Make a copy of the micro-structure pattern on a glass substrate by utilizing the mold according to step200. Finally, fill clothing material into the glass substrate. The micro-structure element is formed according to step300.

According to the above-mentioned description, the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass of the invention can be applied to various micro-structure elements having different materials. The details description is illustrated as follows.

FIGS. 2A to 2Dare schematic views, which show steps of the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass as disclosed in the first embodiment of the invention.

Please refer toFIG. 2A. By using photo-lithography technology, the photo-resist material is formed on a substrate20. After exposure and developing processes, the photo-resist material is transformed to a photo-resist layer10by a mask (not shown). The photo-resist layer has a micro-structure pattern thereon.

Please refer toFIG. 2B. By using electroforming technology, the electroforming material is formed on the substrate20. Hence, the micro-structure pattern on the photo-resist layer10is copied onto the electroforming material, which is transformed to a mold40according to step100inFIG. 1. The micro-structure pattern on the mold40is preferred to create a prominence.

Please refer toFIG. 2C. By using a glass molding machine (not shown), the mold40is imprinted directly on a glass structure50. The micro-structure pattern is thus copied directly onto the glass substrate50.

Please refer toFIG. 2C. By using a glass molding machine (not shown), the mold40is imprinted on a glass structure50. The micro-structure pattern is thus copied onto the glass substrate50.

Finally, please refer toFIG. 2D. The clothing material60is coated on the glass substrate50. That is, the clothing material60is filled in the micro-structure pattern of glass substrate50, wherein the micro-structure pattern is preferred to create a recess. The micro-structure element70is thus made according to step300inFIG. 1.

Please refer toFIGS. 3A to 3F, which are schematic views showing the steps of manufacturing molding glass as disclosed in the embodiment of the invention described above. The steps include putting the mold40, the glass substrate50, and an upper die80into a die ring90according toFIG. 3A. Also, the temperature of the whole die set, which comprises the upper die80and the die ring90, is raised according toFIG. 3B. This means that the mold40and the glass substrate50are heated at the same time. When the temperature of the die set approaches a specific degree, heat stress is brought on the upper die80according toFIG. 3C. The die set is then cooled down according toFIG. 3D. Finally, the upper die80is released from the die ring90when the temperature of the die set is cooled down to atmospheric temperature according toFIG. 3E. The glass substrate50having the micro-structure pattern is completed according toFIG. 3F.

FIGS. 4A to 4Dare schematic views that show steps of the method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass as disclosed in the second embodiment of the invention.

This embodiment is a method of manufacturing a substrate with a micro-structure pattern thereon by utilizing an etching process. First, photo-resist material is formed on a substrate21. After exposure and developing processes, the photo-resist material is transformed to a photo-resist layer11by a mask (not shown) according toFIG. 4A. Perform an etching process on the photo-resist layer11by etching solvent according toFIG. 4B. After removing the photo-resist layer11, the substrate21having a micro-structure pattern, which includes several recesses, is formed according toFIG. 4C.

Please refer toFIGS. 4D to 4F. Therein the same processes as in the first embodiment are used. Electroforming technology is used to form a mold41having a micro-structure pattern thereon according step100inFIG. 1. The micro-structure pattern on the mold41is preferred to create a prominence. Then, the mold41is imprinted on a glass structure51. The micro-structure pattern is thus copied onto the glass substrate50according to step200inFIG. 1. Finally, the clothing material61is coating on the glass substrate51. The clothing material60is filled into the recesses of the micro-structure pattern of the glass substrate51. The micro-structure element71is made according to step300inFIG. 1.

The micro-structure pattern as disclosed in the first and the second embodiments is an optical wave guide structure pattern. The polymer material is also used as a clothing material. The micro-structure pattern such as an optical wave guide structure is formed on the substrate by using a photo-lithography process. The micro-structure pattern is transformed onto a mold, which can be metal, by using an electroform method. After performing the molding glass process, the micro-structure element such as an optical wave guide element is formed.

The micro-structure pattern of the invention can approach nano-scale, so it is can be applied to manufacturing nano-scale elements.

Moreover, please refer toFIGS. 5A to 5H, which are schematic views showing steps of the method of manufacturing a micro-structure element by utilizing molding glass as disclosed in the third embodiment of the invention.

Please refer toFIG. 5A. By using a photo-lithography process, such as photo lithography or electron beam lithography, photo-resist material is formed on the substrate22and then transformed to a photo-resist layer12after exposure and developing processes by a mask or e-beam direct writer (not shown). The photo-resist layer21has a micro-structure pattern thereon.

Refer toFIG. 5B. By using electroforming technology, a mold42having a nano-scale micro-structure pattern is formed according to step100inFIG. 1. In this embodiment, a film can be formed on the mold42by using an electroplating process, evaporating process, or sputtering process. The material of the film is noble metal material or nitride. This improves the life-time of the mold42.

Please refer toFIG. 5C. By using a glass molding machine (not shown), the mold42is imprinted on a glass structure52. Therefore, the micro-structure pattern is copied onto the glass substrate52. The glass substrate52having a micro-structure pattern is thus formed according to step200inFIG. 1.

Refer toFIG. 5D. The clothing material62, which is applied to a nano-scale element, is coated on the surface of the glass substrate52. The above-mentioned coating method is performed so as to from polymer material on the glass substrate52, or to form the metal material on the glass substrate52by using a sputtering machine (not shown). The clothing material62is composed of semi-conductor material or ceramic material.

Finally, please refer toFIG. 5E. The clothing material62is ground to remove redundant parts by using a chemical etching process, plasma etching process, or precise polish process. The micro-structure element is thus formed, and is applied to manufacture nano-scale elements.

To sum up the above description, the invention provides a method of manufacturing micro-structure elements by utilizing molding glass. Although the processes comprise a photo-lithography process and electroform method to form a mold for imprinting, the rear processes comprise glass molding technology that not only maintains the precision of the manufacturing process, but also allows the benefit of mass production. Moreover, it can also be applied to manufacturing optical communication elements, optical wave guide integrated elements, and even nano-scale elements.

Furthermore, the invention has the advantage of imprinting technology, which allows for excellent precision. There are very few errors in duplicating the micro-structure elements. Thus, the invention is more helpful for mass production than the prior technology, which only utilizes photo-lithography.