Title :
A simple method for fabrication of thick sol-gel microlens as a single-mode fiber coupler
Author :
Weixing Yu ; Yuan, X.C.
Author_Institution :
Sch. of Electr. & Electron. Eng., Nanyang Technol. Univ., Singapore
Abstract :
We demonstrate a cost-effective and high-volume fabrication method for building microlenses in hybrid sol-gel material. The fabrication process includes three main steps. First, the microlenses were built in photoresist by a reflowing technique. Second, surface profiles of the microlenses were transferred to an elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replica. Finally, the microlenses were fabricated by impressing the replica onto a thick sol-gel film with simultaneous ultraviolet curing. As an example, a microlens with a diameter of 80 μm and a sag height of 13 μm was fabricated for a coupling experiment between two single-mode fibers. A measured coupling efficiency of 2.2 dB (60%) was obtained, which could be further improved to approach the theoretical efficiency of 0.3 dB (93%) with an ultraprecision alignment stage.
Keywords :
curing; microlenses; optical fabrication; optical fibre couplers; optical polymers; photoresists; replica techniques; sol-gel processing; 13 micron; 60 percent; 80 micron; cost-effective high-volume fabrication method; coupling efficiency; elastic polydimethylsiloxane replica; hybrid sol-gel material; microlenses; photoresist; reflowing technique; replica impression; sag height; single-mode fiber coupler; single-mode fiber coupling experiment; surface profiles; thick sol-gel microlens; ultraprecision alignment stage; ultraviolet curing; Arrayed waveguide gratings; Curing; Glass; Lenses; Microoptics; Optical device fabrication; Optical fiber couplers; Optical materials; Optical surface waves; Resists;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LPT.2003.818053