Title :
Diamond milling of micro-optics
Author :
Sweatt, W.C. ; Gill, D.D. ; Adams, D.P. ; Vasile, MJ ; Claudet, A.A.
Author_Institution :
Sandia Nat. Labs., Albuquerque
Abstract :
A diamond mill (a tiny end mill) can cut aspheric lenses and mirrors with diameters smaller than 0.5 mm. The cutting tool has a two-dimensional shape and is spun about the axis of the surface to be cut. As the spinning tool is plunged into the substrate, it cuts a radially symmetric surface to sub-micron accuracies. Commercially available circular diamond tools can be modified to aspheric shapes using a focused ion beam. Fabrication examples will be presented and the optical performance of an array of micro-lenses will be described.
Keywords :
aspherical optics; cutting tools; focused ion beam technology; microlenses; micromirrors; milling; optical arrays; optical fabrication; turning (machining); aspheric lenses; aspheric mirrors; circular diamond tools; diamond milling; focused ion beam; microlenses array performance; microoptics; optical fabrication; spinning tool; two-dimensional shaped cutting tool; Cutting tools; Ion beams; Lenses; Milling machines; Mirrors; Optical arrays; Optical device fabrication; Particle beam optics; Shape; Spinning;
Journal_Title :
Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/AES-M.2008.4444483
