Patent ID: 8469578

Claim:
A method for manufacturing an optical element, said method comprising the acts of: providing a first optical member having at least a first surface with a structure formed therein, wherein at least a portion of said structure is configured to have a lower threshold for release of a substance adhered thereto than neighboring portions of the first surface; providing on said first surface of the first optical member a second optical member formed by a shrinkable substance; shrinking said substance such that said second optical member is released from said first optical member at said portion and a cavity is formed by parallel surfaces of said first and second optical members at said portion, enabling total internal reflection at at least one of a first interface between said first optical member and said cavity and a second interface between said second optical member and said cavity, wherein said cavity is between the neighboring portions devoid of cavities, and wherein a distance between the first optical member and the second optical member at the portion is larger than a distance between the first optical member and the second optical member at the neighboring portions.