Fibered reflective micro objectives for miniaturized scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy

This paper reports on the design, fabrication and characterization of a novel micro-optical system for imaging that is based on a miniaturized reflective objective. The fabrication process innovatively combines two additive micro-fabrication techniques: inkjet printing, to create the smooth spherical mirror shape, and stencil lithography, for local metal deposition. The process is highly flexible and thus allows the fabrication of reflective micro-objectives of different optical properties, which can be tailored for targeted applications. The fabricated micro-objectives presented here are designed for endoscopic microscopy and exhibit a spot size of 1 micrometer, which represents a two-fold improvement over commercial spherical microlenses of comparable size.