Heptagon Micro Optics Pte. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Ams Sensors Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Alexander Bietsch

Hartmut Rudmann

Bruno Michel

Stephan Heimgartner

Emmanuel Delamarche

Heinz Schmid

Simon Gubser

Heiko Wolf

Robert Lenart

Markus Rossi

Mario Cesana

Jukka Alasirnio

Nicola Spring

Ville Kettunen

Ashok Lahiri

Jens Geiger

Susanne Westenhöfer

Bojan Tesanovic

Tobias Senn

Michael William Chaw

Michel Barge

Mark Clinton Thurber

Frank Sobel

Devanraj Kupusamy

Peter Roentgen

Ian Robson McFadyen

Peter Riel

Susanne Westenhoefer

Michel Bruno

Matthias Maluck

Samuele Laffranchini

Matthias Geisler

Jukka ALASIRNIÖX

The device () comprises a first member () and a second member () which are stacked upon each other in a direction vertical direction. The first and second members comprise a central portion (C; C) each, and the first member () comprises at least a first distancing element () abutting the second member (). The device () comprises a gap zone (G) and a bonding material (), wherein the gap zone is peripheral to the central portions (C; C), and in the gap zone (G), a gap () is present between the first and second members. A portion of the gap () is filled by the bonding material () bonding the first and second members to each other in a bonding zone (B) comprised in the gap zone. A height (h) of the gap () is defined by the first distancing element ().

Wafer-level manufacture of micro-devices and related two-piece devices, in particular micro-optical systems

The present disclosure describes optical element stack assemblies that include multiple substrates stacked one over another. At least one of the substrates includes an optical element, such as a DOE, on its surface. The stack assemblies can be fabricated, for example, in wafer-level processes.

Optical element stack assemblies

The wafer-level method for applying N&#x2265;2 first elements to a first side of a substrate, wherein the substrate has at the first side a first surface including the steps of providing the substrate, wherein at least N barrier members are present at the first side, and wherein each barrier member is associated with one of the first elements. For each of the first elements, the method includes bringing a first amount of a hardenable material in a flowable state in contact with the first surface, the first amount of hardenable material being associated with the first element; controlling a flow of the first amount of hardenable material on the first surface with the associated barrier member; and hardening the first amount of hardenable material to interconnect the first surface and the respective element.

Wafer-level manufacture of devices, in particular of optical devices

The wafer stack () comprises a first wafer (OW1) referred to as optics wafer and a second wafer (SW) referred to as spacer wafer, said optics wafer (OW1) having manufacturing irregularities. The spacer wafer (SW) is structured such that it at least partially compensates for said manufacturing irregularities. The corresponding method for manufacturing a device, which in particular can be an optical device, comprises carrying out a correction step for at least partially compensating for manufacturing irregularities. Such a correction step comprises providing a wafer (SW) referred to as spacer wafer, wherein that spacer wafer is structured for at least partially compensating for said manufacturing irregularities. Those manufacturing irregularities may comprise a deviation from a nominal value, e.g., a irregularities in focal length. The invention can allow to mass produce high-precision devices at a high yield.

Wafer-level fabrication of optical devices with front focal length correction

A replication tool for producing an optical structure comprising an optical element includes a central section having the shape defining a negative of a portion of the optical structure and a vertically aligned central axis; a surrounding section laterally surrounding the central section; and one or more contact standoffs defining a plane referred to as contact plane. In a first azimuthal range, the surrounding portion provides a first compensation surface facing away from the central axis, and in a second azimuthal range, the surrounding portion provides a second compensation surface facing away from the central axis. In any cross-section containing the central axis in the second azimuthal range, a steepness of the second compensation surface is higher than a steepness of the first compensation surface in any cross-section containing the central axis in the first azimuthal range.

Manufacture of optical elements by replication and corresponding replication tools and optical devices

Fabricating optical devices can include mounting a plurality of singulated lens systems over a substrate, adjusting a thickness of the substrate below at least some of the lens systems to provide respective focal length corrections for the lens systems, and subsequently separating the substrate into a plurality of optical modules, each of which includes one of the lens systems mounted over a portion of the substrate. Adjusting a thickness of the substrate can include, for example, micro-machining the substrate to form respective holes below at least some of the lens systems or adding one or more layers below at least some of the lens systems so as to correct for variations in the focal lengths of the lens systems.

Optical modules including focal length adjustment and fabrication of the optical modules

The optical device comprises a first substrate comprising at least one optical structure comprising a main portion and a surrounding portion at least partially surrounding said main portion. The device furthermore comprises non-transparent material applied onto said surrounding portion. The opto-electronic module comprises a plurality of these optical devices comprised in said first substrate. The method for manufacturing an optical device comprises the steps of Said non-transparent material is present on at least said surrounding portion still in the finished optical device.

Optical devices and opto-electronic modules and methods for manufacturing the same

The waveguide structure can be manufactured on wafer-scale and comprises a holding structure and a first and a second waveguides each having a core and two end faces. The holding structure comprises a separation structure being arranged between the first and the second waveguide and provides an optical separation between the first and the second waveguide in a region between the end faces of the first and second waveguides. A method for manufacturing such a waveguide structure with at least one waveguide comprises shaping replication material by means of tool structures to obtain the end faces, hardening the replication material and removing the tool structures from a waveguide structures wafer comprising a plurality of so-obtained waveguides.

Method for manufacturing waveguide structures on wafer-level and corresponding waveguide structures

Optical modules are made using customizable spacers to reduce variations in the focal lengths of the optical channels, to reduce the occurrence of tilt of the optical channels, and/or prevent adhesive from migrating to active portions of an image sensor.

Optical modules including customizable spacers for focal length adjustment and/or reduction of tilt, and fabrication of the optical modules

A method for manufacturing one or more optical devices, each comprising a first member and a second member, and a spacer arranged between the first and second members. The method includes manufacturing a spacer wafer including a multitude of the spacers. Manufacturing the spacer wafer includes providing a replication tool having spacer replication sections; bringing the replication tool in contact with a first surface of another wafer; bringing a vacuum sealing chuck into contact with a second surface of the other wafer while the other wafer remains in contact with the replication tool; and injecting a liquid, viscous or plastically deformable material through an inlet of the vacuum sealing chuck so as to substantially fill the spacer replication sections.

Optical devices, in particular computational cameras, and methods for manufacturing the same

An opto-electronic sensor module (e.g., an optical proximity sensor module) includes a substrate, a light emitter mounted on a first surface of the substrate, the light emitter being operable to emit light at a first wavelength, and a light detector mounted on the first surface of the substrate, the light detector being operable to detect light at the first wavelength. The module includes an optics member disposed substantially parallel to the substrate, and a separation member disposed between the substrate and the optics member. The separation member may surround the light emitter and the light detector, and may include a wall portion that extends from the substrate to the optics member and that separates the light emitter and the light detector from one another. The separation member may be composed, for example, a thermosetting polymer material, a UV-curing polymer material or a visible light-curing polymer material, wherein the separation member further includes one or more inorganic fillers and/or dyes that make the separation member substantially non-transparent to light detectable by the light detector and/or emitted by the light emitter.

Opto-electronic module including a non-transparent separation member between a light emitting element and a light detecting element

Then optical device comprises a first member (P) and a second member (O) and, arranged between said first and second members, a third member (S) referred to as spacer. The spacer (S) comprises &#x2014;one or more portions referred to as distancing portions (Sd) in which the spacer has a vertical extension referred to as maximum vertical extension; &#x2014;at least two separate portions referred to as open portions () in which no material of the spacer is present; and &#x2014;one or more portions referred to as structured portions (Sb) in which material of the spacer is present and in which the spacer has a vertical extension smaller than said maximum vertical extension. Such optical devices can be used in or as multi-aperture cameras.

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Thalwil, Switzerland

Alexander Bietsch