Fabrication process for acoustic lens array for use in ink printing

Abstract

An acoustic lens array fabrication process includes the formation of a microlens array mold stamper through the melting of a photoresist resin deposited on formed pedestals of a substrate. Heating of the resin causes formation of semi-spherical photoresist mounds. A further processing step, such as reactive ion etching, is used to transfer the geometry of the photoresist mounds to the substrate material, thereby forming a microlens mold stamper with convex mounds. The microlens mold stamper is then pressed into an upper surface of a acoustic ink print head substrate heated to a predetermined temperature, allowing the convex mounds to form concave impressions in the acoustic ink print head substrate, thereby forming the microlens array.