The present invention relates to a mold manufacturing method, particularly to a manufacturing method for a mold for an optical element.
By way of example, conventional manufacturing methods for a mold for a microlens array will be described below. A time require to manufacture a mold for a microlens array by machining (JP1999142609A, for example) is substantially proportional to the number of the microlenses. For example, the number of the microlenses of a microlense array used for an intermediate screen and having a size of a business card, in the array the microlenses being arranged at intervals of 100 micrometers, is approximately 500,000. Manufacturing a mold for such a microlens array by machining is not practicable from the standpoint of a time required for the manufacturing. Apart from a time required for manufacturing, when a mold is manufactured through machining, a possible change in the shape of the mold due to wear of a tool is also disadvantageous. On the other hand, when a mold for a microlens array is manufactured through the lithography technology, difficulty in forming a three-dimensional shape with a high accuracy and generation of a roundness of edges forming lines surrounding a microlens, that is, edges forming sides of the microlens in a process of laser drawing of a resist are disadvantageous.
Thus, a manufacturing method for a mold in a complicated shape, such as a mold for a microlens array having a large number of microlenses, by which the mold can be manufactured in a relatively small time and with a sufficient shape accuracy has not been developed.
Patent document 1: JP1999142609A
Accordingly, there is a need for a manufacturing method for a mold in a complicated shape, particularly a mold for an optical element, by which the mold can be manufactured in a relatively small time and with a sufficient shape accuracy. The object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method for a mold in a complicated shape, particularly a mold for an optical element, by which the mold can be manufactured in a relatively small time and with a sufficient shape accuracy.
A manufacturing method for a mold according to the present invention includes the steps of machining a base made of metal into a first shape; coating the base with a resin layer; forming the resin layer into a second shape; and forming the base into a third shape by dry etching.
According to the present invention, formation of the third shape is divided into formation of the first shape and formation of the second shape, and the formation of the first shape is carried out by machining. When the third shape is complicated, a time required for the manufacturing method is remarkably smaller than a time required for a method in which the third shape is formed directly by machining. Further, since the formation of the first shape is carried out by machining, a high accuracy in a mold shape can be obtained.
In a manufacturing method according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the first shape is a shape that presents one or plural grooves, a shape a cross section of which is uniform, the cross section being perpendicular to a direction on a surface of the base, or a shape that is axially symmetric around an axis perpendicular to a surface of the base.
According to the present embodiment, a time required for the formation of the first shape by machining is remarkably reduced.
In a manufacturing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention, the second shape is a shape that presents one or plural grooves, a shape a cross section of which is uniform, the cross section being perpendicular to a direction on a surface of the base, or a shape that is axially symmetric around an axis perpendicular to a surface of the base.
According to the present embodiment, a time required for the formation of the second shape by machining is remarkably reduced when the second shape is formed by machining.
In a manufacturing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention, the step of forming the resin layer into the second shape is carried out by machining.
In a manufacturing method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, the step of forming the resin layer into the second shape is carried out by the lithography technology.
In a manufacturing method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, the first shape presents grooves arranged in a first direction on a surface of the base, the second shape presents grooves arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a surface of the resin layer and the third shape corresponds to a shape of a microlens array.
According to the present embodiment, a mold for a microlens can be manufactured with a sufficient shape accuracy and in a time that is remarkably shorter than a time required for a case in which the third shape is formed directly by machining.
In a manufacturing method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, in the step of forming the base into the third shape by dry etching, the ratio of an etching rate of the base and an etching rate of the resin layer is in a range from 0.1 to 0.9.
In a manufacturing method according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, when an etching rate of the base is represented by r1, an etching rate of the resin layer is represented by r2, a coordinate along a direction on a surface of the base is represented by x1, a coordinate along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base formed after dry etching is represented by z where the relationship z=0 holds on the surface of the base formed after dry etching, an x1 z cross section of a target shape of the base corresponding to the first shape is represented by
z=f1(x1),
and a coordinate along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base formed before dry etching is represented by z01 where the relationship z01=0 holds on the surface of the base formed before dry etching, an x1z01 cross section of the first shape is determined so as to satisfy the expression
According to the present embodiment, the first shape is appropriately determined by the etching rates of the base and the resin layer so that the target shape of the base corresponding to the first shape can be obtained.
In a manufacturing method according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention, when an etching rate of the base is represented by r1, an etching rate of the resin layer is represented by r2, a coordinate along a direction on a surface of the base is represented by x2, a coordinate along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base formed after dry etching is represented by z where the relationship z=0 holds on the surface of the base formed after dry etching, an x2z cross section of a target shape of the base corresponding to the second shape is represented by
z=f2(x2),
and a coordinate along the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base formed before dry etching is represented by z02 where the relationship z02=0 holds on the surface of the base formed before dry etching, an x2z02 cross section of the second shape is determined so as to satisfy the expression
According to the present embodiment, the second shape is appropriately determined by the etching rates of the base and the resin layer so that the target shape of the base corresponding to the second shape can be obtained.
In a manufacturing method according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention, the third shape is formed by making a shape resulting from the first shape and a shape resulting from the second shape overlap each other.
In a manufacturing method according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention, the third shape is formed by combining a shape resulting from the first shape and a shape resulting from the second shape without making the shape resulting from the first shape and the shape resulting from the second shape overlap each other.
In step S1010 of
In step S1020 of
In step S2010 of
In step S2020 of
In step S2030 of
In general, if the first shape is a shape of grooves arranged in a predetermined direction, a shape, a cross section of the shape perpendicular to a certain direction on the base surface being uniform, or a shape that is axially symmetric around an axis perpendicular to the base surface, a time required for machining can be remarkable reduced.
In step S1030 of
In step S1040 of
In step S3010 of
In Table 1, “Pitch”, “Depth” and “Aspect ratio” mean ranges of the pitch, the depth and the aspect ratio of a periodic structure of surface roughness such as a grating. “Corner R” represents a range of the curvature radius of a corner of a mold. The minimum curvature radius of a corner of a mold formed through machining is greater than the minimum curvature radius of a corner of a mold formed through the lithography technology. A “binary profile” means a shape the height of which has two values, that is, greater one and smaller one.
When it is determined that machining is employed, the process goes to step S3020. When it is determined that the lithography technology is employed, the process goes to step S3030.
In step S3020, machining is employed to form the second shape.
In step S3030, the lithography technology is employed to form the second shape.
In step S3040 of
In step S1050 of
How to form the base into the third shape through dry etching will be described below.
It is assumed that the cross sections of the grooves in
When the resin layer 103 is etched to the bottom of the groove having the depth of a1 in
The depth b1 of the groove in the base 101 shown in
The ratio of the depth b1 and the depth a1 is given by the following expression.
Thus, the ratio of the depth b1 and the depth a1 is determined by the etching rate r1 of the base and the etching rate r2 of the resin layer.
It is assumed that the cross sections of the grooves in
In
Accordingly, the depth b2 of the groove in the base 101 shown in
The ration of the depth b2 and the depth a2 is given by the following expression.
Thus, the ratio of the depth b2 and the depth a2 is determined by the etching rate r1 of the base and the etching rate r2 of the resin layer.
In the description given above, it is assumed that the cross sections of the grooves in
How to determine a shape of the base 101 to be formed before dry etching and a shape of the resin layer 103 to be formed before dry etching when an etching rate r1 of the base 101 and an etching rate r2 of the resin layer 103 are given will be described below.
As shown in
z=f1(x1)
As shown in
the target shape of the base 101 shown in
As shown in
z=f2(x2)
As shown in
the target shape of the base 101 shown in
Other embodiments will be described below.
A lens 201A shown in
A lens 201B shown in
According to the present invention, a mold of a desired shape can be manufactured in a relatively short time and with a sufficient accuracy by a combination or an overlapping of plural shapes.
Experimental results of the manufacturing method shown in
Table 2 shows the manufacturing conditions.
The material of the base is a nickel phosphorous film formed on a steel member. The thickness of the film is 100-200 micrometers. The resin layer is made of polymethyl methacrylate PMMA (OEBR1000 of TOK). The thickness of the resin layer is 12 micrometers.
A cross section of a groove formed on a surface of the base and on a surface of the resin layer, the cross section being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove, is of an arc of circle, the radius of the circle being 50 micrometers. The groove depth is 5 micrometers. The groove width is approximately 44 micrometers.
Ion beam etching was employed as dry etching in step S1050 of
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4842633 | Kuribayashi | Jun 1989 | A |
5049177 | Nakata | Sep 1991 | A |
5436764 | Umetani | Jul 1995 | A |
6432328 | Hamanaka | Aug 2002 | B2 |
6989932 | Cho | Jan 2006 | B2 |
20050093210 | Umetani et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1 679 532 | Jul 2006 | EP |
11-142609 | May 1999 | JP |
2005-132679 | May 2005 | JP |
2006-188416 | Jul 2006 | JP |
WO 2010087208 | Aug 2010 | WO |
Entry |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Oct. 9, 2018 corresponding to International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2018/029069, and partial English translation thereof. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200156983 A1 | May 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62544185 | Aug 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2018/029069 | Aug 2018 | US |
Child | 16752082 | US |