Micro-optical refractive array

High-efficiency refractive optical elements Micro-optical structures for complex optical tasks

Refractive optical elements (ROEs) refract light thanks to microstructured surfaces and functionally resemble familiar conventional lenses and prisms. Thanks to the extreme miniaturization of corresponding functionalities of refractive macro optics, ROE enable very compact, lightweight and elegant, optical solutions.

  • High level of flexibility
  • Polychromatic to achromatic
  • High numerical aperture
Illustration example of ROE structure

Smart solutions for your application

Refractive micro-optical elements miniaturize well-known conventional macro-optics. The functional definition is largely based on their surface topography profile. The asymmetrical profiles have flexible and high optical functionalities. They are combined with a high level of efficiency, a wide angular spectrum and a high degree of homogeneity.

We adapt our technology for your specific application and design precise mono- and achromatic solutions for you.

  

Technical options

  • Single-sided & double-sided wafer patterning
  • Diffractive and refractive optical design & simulation
  • Wave optical propagation
  • High-efficiency optical elements
  • Optical elements with low roughness
  • Precision manufacturing in high volumes
  • Precision measurement technology
  • Dicing
  • Structuring various optical materials: SiO2, CaF2, silicon, high refractive index glass etc.

  

ROE functionalities

  • Microlens arrays

    Microlens arrays

    Beam homogenization for any incoming beam geometry with high homogeneity and high efficiency for a wide range of wavelengths (for white light, if applicable). Microlens arrays enable highly efficient applications in LED and laser lighting.

  • Beam shaping

    Beam shaping

    Beam transformation with customized optical distribution (without speckle generation) of a defined incident beam profile of arbitrary quality.

  • Achromatic diffusers

    Achromatic diffusers

    Highly specific and controlled intensity distribution (symmetric and asymmetric) with maximum efficiency and low scattered light for partial, incoherent, monochromatic or white light. Micro-optical diffusers optimize your LED and laser lighting applications.

  • Phase masks with continuous profile

    Phase masks with continuous profile

    Correction or modulation of the wavefront to enhance contrast in imaging systems, to generate specific focal geometries, and to reconstruct high-resolution 3D images in high-resolution microscopy.

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Your benefits

Features overview
high flexibility of the optical function

Wave-optical consideration of the structural properties produces higher flexibility in the addressed intensity angle spectrum and allows the generation of almost any angular distribution.

polychromatic to achromatic application

The refractive optical elements do not contain any cracks and show refractive property, which is very suitable from polychromatic to achromatic applications. Unlike diffractive optical elements, the refractive optical elements with their "smooth" surface profile shapes produce higher efficiency with no zero diffraction order.

No zero order

The refractive optical elements do not contain any cracks and show a refractive mode of action. Unlike diffractive optical elements, the refractive optical elements with their "smooth" surface profile shapes produce higher efficiency with no zero diffraction order.

High numerical aperture

Refractive optical elements that exhibit minimal structural resolution yet have a numerical aperture of up to 0.7 and efficiency approaching 100% can be fabricated using economical lithographic methods.

High optical transmission (>90%)

The smooth surface without cracks of the optical elements combined with an optimized optics design, which takes the input conditions into account, leads to a very high optical efficiency (90%), which can be increased with an adapted anti-reflective coating.

General specifications

Features

Parameters

Operating wavelength

193 nm < λ < 2 μm, VUV to NIR

Materials

Photoresist, quartz glass, glass, Si, CaF₂

Substrate dimensions

0.5 mm to 300 mm

Substrate thickness

1 mm to 50 mm

Type

One- and two-sided structuring

Downloads

    • Microoptics for high-end optical systems

      Microstructured optics for high end optical systems.

      Pages: 1
      File size: 48 KB
    • ZEISS OEM Solutions Broschüre

      Pages: 24
      File size: 1 MB

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  • 1

    From regular periodic micro-lens arrays to randomized continuous phase profiles, Advanced Optical Technologies, Band 4, Heft 1, Seiten 47–61, eISSN 2192-8584, ISSN 2192-8576, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1515/aot-2014-0062