US5148322A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Micro aspherical lens and fabricating method therefor and optical device
Assignee: Omron Corp
•
Filing: 1989-11-09
•
Granted: 1992-09-15
•
Expires: 2009-11-09
Abstract
Abstract An electron-beam resist is applied over a substrate so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of a micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, a predetermined pattern is written on this resist by electron-beam lithography and then, the resist is developed, thereby to fabricate a micro aspherical lens or the prototype thereof. Consequently, a micro aspherical lens causing little on-axis aberration and chromatic aberration and having a diameter of 1 millimeter or less can be achieved with high precision. In addition, the micro aspherical lens can be produced in large quantity because the reproduction thereof is relatively easy. Furthermore, an optical fiber coupling device, a focusing optical system, an optical device, a semiconductor laser light source, an image device or the like can be constructed using the micro aspherical lens thus fabricated. Finally, a micro lens array constructed by arranging converging lenses having a diameter of approximately several to several hundred micrometers in a two-dimensional manner is used and this micro lens array is arranged ahead of a light source, thereby forming a multi-beam spot caused by diffraction in a distant position. A three-dimensional shape can be recognized with high precision by shape recognition means utilizing this multi-beam spot.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeru Aoyama
- 👤 Tsukasa Yamashita
- 👤 Shiro Ogata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:30
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/0005; G03F7/001; G02; G02B; G02B3/00; G02B3/0006; G02B3/0012; G02B3/0031; G02B3/02; G02B3/0037; G02B3/0056; G02B3/0062; G02B3/0068; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of fabricating a micro aspherical lens, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate on which a micro aspherical lens is to be fabricated so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using an electron-beam lithography system so as to irradiate an electron beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, and thereafter developing the resist, thereby to fabricate a micro aspherical lens made of the remaining resist or the prototype thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of fabricating a micro aspherical lens, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate on which a micro aspherical lens is to be fabricated so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using an electron-beam lithography system so as to irradiate an electron beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, and thereafter developing the resist, thereby to fabricate a micro aspherical lens made of the remaining resist or the prototype thereof.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of fabricating an aspherical lens or its stamper, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a first substrate so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using electron-beam lithography so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, developing the resist to produce a remaining resist having a convex portion in a form of an aspherical lens or a remaining resist having a concave portion of the same shape, and transferring onto a second substrate said remaining resist by dry etching.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of fabricating an aspherical lens or its stamper, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a first substrate so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using electron-beam lithography so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, developing the resist to produce a remaining resist having a convex portion in a form of an aspherical lens or a remaining resist having a concave portion of the same shape, and transferring onto a second substrate said remaining resist by dry etching.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A micro aspherical lens fabricated by the method as set forth in claim 2.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of fabricating a micro aspherical lens, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate on which a prototype for use in making a stamper is to be fabricated to a thickness which is larger than the maximum thickness of a micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using an electron-beam lithography system so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of radiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, developing the resist to fabricate said prototype from said remaining resist, said remaining resist having a convex portion in the form of an aspherical lens or a concave portion in the form of an aspherical lens to be fabricated, fabricating a stamper utilizing said prototype, and forming a micro aspherical lens using said stamper.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of fabricating a micro aspherical lens, comprising the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate on which a prototype for use in making a stamper is to be fabricated to a thickness which is larger than the maximum thickness of a micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using an electron-beam lithography system so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of radiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, developing the resist to fabricate said prototype from said remaining resist, said remaining resist having a convex portion in the form of an aspherical lens or a concave portion in the form of an aspherical lens to be fabricated, fabricating a stamper utilizing said prototype, and forming a micro aspherical lens using said stamper.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
A micro aspherical lens fabricated by the method as set forth in claim 4.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
84 words
A micro aspherical lens fabricated by the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using electron-beam lithography so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens, developing the resist to produce a remaining resist having a convex portion in a form of said micro aspherical lens.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
84 words
A micro aspherical lens fabricated by the steps of: applying an electron-beam resist on a substrate so as to have a thickness larger than the maximum thickness of the micro aspherical lens to be fabricated, writing a predetermined pattern on said resist using electron-beam lithography so as to irradiate an electron-beam in amounts of irradiation corresponding to the thickness of the micro aspherical lens, developing the resist to produce a remaining resist having a convex portion in a form of said micro aspherical lens.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
JPS57185401A
Cited
US4515444A
Cited
US4572611A
Cited
US4689479A
Cited
JPS62161532A
Cited
JPS62161533A
Cited
US4877717A
Cited
US4842633A
Cited
JPH01261601A
Cited
US4888076A
Cited
US4948214A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-15 | 1996-03-16 | 1996-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-15 | 2000-03-16 | 2000-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-15 | 2004-03-16 | 2004-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |