Microlenses are a suitable approach to improve the performance of optical systems. An important optical efficiency determining parameter is the fill factor, which describes the relation of the lens area to the total optical active area. In this work, an optimization of the fill factor by optimizing the fabrication process steps is presented. The approach here is the use of i-line waferstepper lithography in combination with thermal reflow of photoresist and subsequent 1:1 pattern transfer in the lens material by reactive ion etching. For this method, the fill factor is determined by the minimum lens gap and, thus, the optical efficiency is strongly limited by the resolution limit of the i-line waferstepper lithography (350 nm). The goal of this investigation is to achieve the lowest possible lens gap even below the stepper-based resolution limit by optimizing each single process step without developing a new approach. The final result of the optimization was a fill factor improvement of 15%.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
December 2024
Research Article|
October 22 2024
Scalable fabrication approach and fill factor optimization for single pixel microlens arrays
Jens Bonitz
;
Jens Bonitz
a)
(Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Christian Helke
;
Christian Helke
(Supervision)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
2
Center for Micro and Nano Technologies (ZfM), University of Technology Chemnitz
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Nils Dittmar
;
Nils Dittmar
(Investigation)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Sebastian Schermer
;
Sebastian Schermer
(Investigation)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Micha Haase
;
Micha Haase
(Supervision)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
2
Center for Micro and Nano Technologies (ZfM), University of Technology Chemnitz
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Lutz Hofmann;
Lutz Hofmann
(Funding acquisition, Supervision)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
Danny Reuter
Danny Reuter
(Supervision)
1
Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
2
Center for Micro and Nano Technologies (ZfM), University of Technology Chemnitz
, Chemnitz 09126, Germany
Search for other works by this author on:
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 42, 062203 (2024)
Article history
Received:
September 04 2024
Accepted:
October 04 2024
Citation
Jens Bonitz, Christian Helke, Nils Dittmar, Sebastian Schermer, Micha Haase, Lutz Hofmann, Danny Reuter; Scalable fabrication approach and fill factor optimization for single pixel microlens arrays. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 1 December 2024; 42 (6): 062203. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0004036
Download citation file:
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
128
Views
Citing articles via
Future of plasma etching for microelectronics: Challenges and opportunities
Gottlieb S. Oehrlein, Stephan M. Brandstadter, et al.
Novel low-temperature and high-flux hydrogen plasma source for extreme-ultraviolet lithography applications
A. S. Stodolna, T. W. Mechielsen, et al.
Vertical silicon nanowedge formation by repetitive dry and wet anisotropic etching combined with 3D self-aligned sidewall nanopatterning
Yasser Pordeli, Céline Steenge, et al.
Related Content
Electrowetting-driven variable-focus microlens on flexible surfaces
Appl. Phys. Lett. (June 2012)
Out-of-plane microlens array fabricated using ultraviolet lithography
Appl. Phys. Lett. (April 2005)
Design of microlens illuminated aperture array fabricated by aligned ultraviolet imprinting process for optical read only memory card system
Appl. Phys. Lett. (June 2006)
Microlens beam homogenizer for excimer laser processing
J. Laser Appl. (March 2016)
Microlens arrays with integrated pores as a multipattern photomask
Appl. Phys. Lett. (May 2005)