Abstract:
A method of manufacturing an optical spacer includes dispensing thermal glue within a mold; pressing the thermal glue using an optical spacer substrate to generate an optical spacer including an aperture; and, releasing the mold from the optical spacer. The thermal glue may be cured prior to releasing the mold from the optical spacer.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Conventional lens apertures are made utilizing binary pseudo random (BPR) and chromium (Cr) processes. However, these lens apertures are limited in location and structure. For example,  FIG. 1  depicts a lens wafer array  100  including a typical lens aperture  106  made from a prior art manufacturing process. Lens array  100  includes an array of lenses  102 ( 1 )-( 4 ) formed on a substrate  104  and a lens aperture  106  subsequently formed between individual lenses  102  of the array. The lens apertures  106  formed from this manufacturing process are limited in height and size based upon the lens size, shape, and configuration. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A method of manufacturing an optical spacer includes dispensing thermal glue within a mold; pressing the thermal glue using an optical spacer substrate to generate an optical spacer including an aperture; and, releasing the mold from the optical spacer. The thermal glue may be cured prior to releasing the mold from the optical spacer. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0003]    The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the more particular description of the embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  depicts a lens wafer array including a typical lens aperture made from a prior art manufacturing process. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  depicts a method of manufacturing an optical spacer including a controlled located aperture, according to an embodiment. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  depicts a structural diagram of the  FIG. 3  method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0007]    The embodiments disclosed herein utilize a process of manufacturing that creates an optical spacer from thermal glue or adhesive. The optical spacer enables control of the location of the aperture by varying the configuration of the thermal glue. 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  depicts a method  200  of manufacturing an optical spacer including a controlled located aperture.  FIG. 3  depicts a structural diagram  300  of the steps of method  200 . It should be appreciated that diagram  300  is not limiting in size, shape, and configuration of the structural components depicted therein.  FIGS. 2 and 3  are best viewed together with the following description. Not all elements may be labeled within  FIG. 3  for clarity of illustration. 
         [0009]    In step  202 , method  200  generates a mold corresponding to a desired configuration of an optical spacer. In one example of step  202 , a mold  300  is generated from mold material  304  placed on a mold substrate  302  to create areas  306  defined by the boundaries of the mold material  304 . Mold material  304  may be integral (i.e. formed of a single continuous material) to mold substrate  302 , or may be attached onto a substrate of the same or different material. Areas  306  may be the inverse of the desired configuration of the resulting optical spacer formed using mold  300 . 
         [0010]    In step  204 , thermal glue is dispensed within the mold. In one example of step  204 , thermal glue  310  is dispensed within areas  306 . 
         [0011]    In step  206 , the thermal glue is pressed via an optical spacer substrate to form the thermal glue according to the mold. In one example of step  206 , optical spacer substrate  312  is brought into contact with mold material  304  on the opposing side of mold substrate  302 . The thermal glue  310  may then be baked or otherwise set for a given amount of time to cure. 
         [0012]    In step  208 , the mold is released from the cured optical spacer. In one example of step  208 , mold  300  is released from the cured thermal glue  310 , thereby leaving cured optical spacer  314 . 
         [0013]    In step  210 , the optical spacer of step  208  is stacked on a lens plate. In one example of step  210 , optical spacer  314  is stacked onto lens plate  316  including lenses  318  on lens plate substrate  320 . The surface of optical spacer  314  that is opposite the optical spacer substrate may be adhered or otherwise attached to lens plate  316 . 
         [0014]    In step  212 , the optical spacer substrate is removed thereby providing a lens assembly including a controlled optical aperture for the lens. In one example of step  212 , optical spacer substrate  312  is removed from thermal glue  310 , thereby providing a lens assembly  330  including an optical aperture  322  for lens  318 . The height  324 , width  326  and distance  328  away from lens  318  are each independently controllable based upon the configuration of mold  300 . Advantageously, any configuration of the aperture is possible such that various optical characteristics of the lenses are possible (i.e. controlling the MTF of the optical lens assembly). 
         [0015]    In optional step  214 , one or more lens assemblies formed via steps  202 - 212  are stacked together to produce a multi-lens lens assembly. Each lens assembly  330  may then be singulated into individual multi-lens lens assemblies if desired. 
         [0016]    Changes may be made in the above methods and systems without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.