We report on the development of sub-millimeter size adaptive liquid microlenses and microlens arrays using two immiscible liquids to form individual lenses. Microlenses and microlens arrays having aperture diameters as small as 50 microns were fabricated on a planar quartz substrate using patterned hydrophobic/hydrophilic regions. Liquid lenses were formed by a self-assembled oil dosing process that created well-defined lenses having a high fill factor. Variable focus was achieved by controlling the lens curvature through electrowetting. Greater than 70° of contact angle change was achieved with less than 20 volts, which results in a large optical power dynamic range.

Date Published: 13 March 2013
PDF: 13 pages
Proc. SPIE 8616, MOEMS and Miniaturized Systems XII, 861610 (13 March 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2004353

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8616:
MOEMS and Miniaturized Systems XII
Wibool Piyawattanametha; Yong-Hwa Park, Editor(s)