Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics X 2017 |
| Publisher | SPIE |
| ISBN (electronic) | 9781510606715 |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Feb 2017 |
| Event | Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics X 2017 - San Francisco, United States Duration: 29 Jan 2017 → 1 Feb 2017 |
Publication series
| Name | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
|---|---|
| Volume | 10115 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0277-786X |
| ISSN (electronic) | 1996-756X |
Abstract
Optical data communication is increasingly interesting for many applications in industrial processes. Therefore mass production is required to meet the requested price and lot sizes. Polymer optical waveguides show great promises to comply with price requirements while providing sufficient optical quality for short range data transmission. A high efficient fabrication technology using polymer materials could be able to create the essential backbone for 3D-optical data transmission in the future. The approach for high efficient fabrication technology of micro optics described in this paper is based on a self-assembly effect of fluids on preconditioned 3D-thermoformed polymer foils. Adjusting the surface energy on certain areas on the flexible substrate by flexographic printing mechanism is presented in this paper. With this technique conditioning lines made of silicone containing UV-varnish are printed on top of the foils and create gaps with the exposed substrate material in between. Subsequent fabrication processes are selected whether the preconditioned foil is coated with acrylate containing waveguide material prior or after the thermoforming process. Due to the different surface energy this material tends to dewet from the conditioning lines. It acts like regional barriers and sets the width of the arising waveguides. With this fabrication technology it is possible to produce multiple waveguides with a single coating process. The relevant printing process parameters that affect the quality of the generated waveguides are discussed and results of the produced waveguides with width ranging from 10 to 300 μm are shown.
Keywords
- 3D-Routing, Flexographic printing, Polymer Optical Waveguide, Self-Assembly, Thermoforming
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Computer Science(all)
- Computer Science Applications
- Mathematics(all)
- Applied Mathematics
- Engineering(all)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics X 2017. SPIE, 2017. 1011503 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 10115).
Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Research › peer review
}
TY - GEN
T1 - Manufacturing of polymer optical waveguides using self-assembly effect on pre-conditioned 3D-thermoformed flexible substrates
AU - Hoffmann, Gerd Albert
AU - Wolfer, Tim
AU - Zeitler, Jochen
AU - Franke, Jörg
AU - Suttmann, Oliver
AU - Overmeyer, Ludger
PY - 2017/2/20
Y1 - 2017/2/20
N2 - Optical data communication is increasingly interesting for many applications in industrial processes. Therefore mass production is required to meet the requested price and lot sizes. Polymer optical waveguides show great promises to comply with price requirements while providing sufficient optical quality for short range data transmission. A high efficient fabrication technology using polymer materials could be able to create the essential backbone for 3D-optical data transmission in the future. The approach for high efficient fabrication technology of micro optics described in this paper is based on a self-assembly effect of fluids on preconditioned 3D-thermoformed polymer foils. Adjusting the surface energy on certain areas on the flexible substrate by flexographic printing mechanism is presented in this paper. With this technique conditioning lines made of silicone containing UV-varnish are printed on top of the foils and create gaps with the exposed substrate material in between. Subsequent fabrication processes are selected whether the preconditioned foil is coated with acrylate containing waveguide material prior or after the thermoforming process. Due to the different surface energy this material tends to dewet from the conditioning lines. It acts like regional barriers and sets the width of the arising waveguides. With this fabrication technology it is possible to produce multiple waveguides with a single coating process. The relevant printing process parameters that affect the quality of the generated waveguides are discussed and results of the produced waveguides with width ranging from 10 to 300 μm are shown.
AB - Optical data communication is increasingly interesting for many applications in industrial processes. Therefore mass production is required to meet the requested price and lot sizes. Polymer optical waveguides show great promises to comply with price requirements while providing sufficient optical quality for short range data transmission. A high efficient fabrication technology using polymer materials could be able to create the essential backbone for 3D-optical data transmission in the future. The approach for high efficient fabrication technology of micro optics described in this paper is based on a self-assembly effect of fluids on preconditioned 3D-thermoformed polymer foils. Adjusting the surface energy on certain areas on the flexible substrate by flexographic printing mechanism is presented in this paper. With this technique conditioning lines made of silicone containing UV-varnish are printed on top of the foils and create gaps with the exposed substrate material in between. Subsequent fabrication processes are selected whether the preconditioned foil is coated with acrylate containing waveguide material prior or after the thermoforming process. Due to the different surface energy this material tends to dewet from the conditioning lines. It acts like regional barriers and sets the width of the arising waveguides. With this fabrication technology it is possible to produce multiple waveguides with a single coating process. The relevant printing process parameters that affect the quality of the generated waveguides are discussed and results of the produced waveguides with width ranging from 10 to 300 μm are shown.
KW - 3D-Routing
KW - Flexographic printing
KW - Polymer Optical Waveguide
KW - Self-Assembly
KW - Thermoforming
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019486543&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.2249121
DO - 10.1117/12.2249121
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85019486543
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics X 2017
PB - SPIE
T2 - Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics X 2017
Y2 - 29 January 2017 through 1 February 2017
ER -