Fabrication of two-dimensional arrays of microlenses and their applications in photolithography

Abstract

This paper describes several methods for the fabrication of microlenses, and demonstrates a lithographic technique that uses a microlens array to pattern the intensity of light incident on photoresist. Three different methods were used to fabricate microlenses: (i) self-assembly of transparent microspheres, (ii) melting and reflow of photoresist on glass substrates and (iii) self-assembly of liquid polymers on functionalized surfaces. These methods provide different advantages and convenience for the fabrication of microlenses. Microlens arrays produced by these techniques were used in photolithography to produce arrays of micropatterns in photoresist. The distribution of these micropatterns replicates the distribution of the microlenses in the array. Two types of illumination are used for exposure in this technique: collimated flood illumination and illumination through a mask. Depending on which type of exposure is used, a single microlens array can produce different patterns on its image plane: (i) an array of circular or noncircular microlenses under collimated illumination produces an array of optical micropatterns on an image plane positioned within micrometer distances from the lens array. The array of optical micropatterns corresponds to the distribution of spatial irradiance generated by simple lensing of the microlens array. The shapes of these micropatterns depend on the shapes and profiles of the microlenses. (ii) Under illumination patterned by a mask, each microlens approximately replicates the image of the patterned light source and produces a micro-scale image of this source on its image plane. The array of microlenses generates an array of repetitive micropatterns on the common image plane of the lens array. The shapes of the micropatterns depend on the patterns of the masks. Gray-scale masks can be used to produce repetitive microstructures with controlled profiles. Both techniques can generate microstructures with submicron resolution. We demonstrate that both methods produce arrays of uniform micropatterns over an area larger than 10 cm2.