Fabrication of optical microlensens by a new inkjet printing technique based on pyro-electrohydrodynamic (PEHD) effect

Year: 2012

Authors: Coppola S., Vespini V., Grimaldi I.A., Loffredo F., Villani F., Miccio L., Grilli S., Ferraro P.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto nazionale di Ottica INO-CNR
Department of Engineering Materials and Structures, University of Naples Federico II,
Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
(ENEA), Portici Research Center, P.le E. Fermi 1, 80055 Portici (Naples), Italy

Abstract: Here the pyroelectric functionality of a Lithium Niobate (LN) substrate is used for non-contact manipulation of liquids. In this work we introduced the use of a pyro-electrohydrodynamc (PEHD) dispenser for the manipulation of high viscous polymer materials leading to the fabrication of arrays of microlenses. The set-up used for the experiment is described and the fabricated microlenses are analyzed by means of the Digital Holography (DH) set-up in transmission mode and through profilometric analysis. PMMA based ink was employed for the realization of optical quality microsctructures whose geometrical properties and, hence, the focal lengths were controlled by modifying the printing configuration of the PEHD method. The profilometric results are in agreement with those calculated using the digital holography technique.

Journal/Review: PROCEEDINGS OF SPIE

Volume: 8428      Pages from: 84280O  to: 84280O

KeyWords: polymer microlenses; pyro-electrodynamic; Digital Holography; Lithium Niobate; inkjet printing
DOI: 10.1117/12.922624

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