Micro-Optics

Blazed gratings

A blazed grating is a diffraction grating which is designed to have an optimized efficiency at a particular wavelength and diffraction order. Both the angle of their sawtooth-like profile and the groove spacing is tuned to match the application in question. Blazed gratings are key components in a number of optical instruments, such as monochromators and spectrometers, which in turn are important tools for many fields of science, sensors, and communication systems. - Courtesy of IGI

Textured surfaces and decorative effects

Surface texturing by Grayscale Lithography is used to tailor a surface to exhibit properties like hydrophobicity, friction, haptics, and adhesion. This is of interest for example in touch panels, dirt-repellent coatings, medicine, and many other areas. Our example shows a compound structure – a complex structure made out of micro- and nanostructures. The insect eye, for instance (in particular the moth- or fly-eye), consists of a series of compound structures. - Courtesy of ShenZhen Nahum-Eli Optical Technology Inc.

Diffusers and reflectors

Targeted 3D micro-structuring of a surface leads to controlled reflection or diffusion of light. This type of uniform 2.5D structuring can be accomplished with Grayscale Lithography. Tailored diffusers have applications for example in light sources and illumination, like backlight units in LCD displays. The example shows a retro-reflector structure. - Courtesy of karmic.ch

Microlenses, microlens arrays

Similar to Fresnel lenses and blazed gratings, microlenses and microlens arrays are key components in modern-day micro-optics. They are used in wavefront sensors, for fiber coupling, or for homogenizing light sources. With Grayscale Lithography, the customization of microlens arrays in terms of geometrical density, shape, and radius of curvature is quickly and easily accomplished.

Micro-lenses, micro-lens arrays

This image illustrates a further example for micro-lenses, in this case concave in shape. The example shows lenses written in 15 μm thick AZ4562, with a pitch of 30 μm and a radius of curvature of 16 μm.

Diffractive Optical Elements (DOE)

Multi-level DOEs are valuable devices commonly used for light modulation. By changing the phase profile of a laser beam, DOEs can split and shape the beam in well-defined ways, enabling the efficient generation of beam arrays or complex light patterns. Incredibly precise and sophisticatedly patterned DOEs can be created using Grayscale lithography.

Fresnel lenses

This compact lens design consists of a number of concentric rings. Originally invented to reduce mass and volume of lenses used in lighthouses, it is now a crucial component in today's micro-optics and optoelectronics, for example in miniature cameras such as we find on our mobile phones.