Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution
Abstract Microlens arrays (MLAs) based on the selective wetting have opened new avenues for developing compact and miniaturized imaging and display techniques with ultrahigh resolution beyond the traditional bulky and volumetric optics. However, the selective wetting lenses explored so far have been...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Light: Science & Applications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-023-01174-7 |
| _version_ | 1797806489183715328 |
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| author | Zhihao Liu Guangwei Hu Huapeng Ye Miaoyang Wei Zhenghao Guo Kexu Chen Chen Liu Biao Tang Guofu Zhou |
| author_facet | Zhihao Liu Guangwei Hu Huapeng Ye Miaoyang Wei Zhenghao Guo Kexu Chen Chen Liu Biao Tang Guofu Zhou |
| author_sort | Zhihao Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Microlens arrays (MLAs) based on the selective wetting have opened new avenues for developing compact and miniaturized imaging and display techniques with ultrahigh resolution beyond the traditional bulky and volumetric optics. However, the selective wetting lenses explored so far have been constrained by the lack of precisely defined pattern for highly controllable wettability contrast, thus limiting the available droplet curvature and numerical aperture, which is a major challenge towards the practical high-performance MLAs. Here we report a mold-free and self-assembly approach of mass-production of scalable MLAs, which can also have ultrasmooth surface, ultrahigh resolution, and the large tuning range of the curvatures. The selective surface modification based on tunable oxygen plasma can facilitate the precise pattern with adjusted chemical contrast, thus creating large-scale microdroplets array with controlled curvature. The numerical aperture of the MLAs can be up to 0.26 and precisely tuned by adjusting the modification intensity or the droplet dose. The fabricated MLAs have high-quality surface with subnanometer roughness and allow for record-high resolution imaging up to equivalently 10,328 ppi, as we demonstrated. This study shows a cost-effective roadmap for mass-production of high-performance MLAs, which may find applications in the rapid proliferating integral imaging industry and high-resolution display. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:08:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2252c5e5a41f45a1beee706b7baecfed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2047-7538 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:08:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Light: Science & Applications |
| spelling | doaj.art-2252c5e5a41f45a1beee706b7baecfed2023-06-11T11:25:37ZengNature Publishing GroupLight: Science & Applications2047-75382023-06-011211910.1038/s41377-023-01174-7Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolutionZhihao Liu0Guangwei Hu1Huapeng Ye2Miaoyang Wei3Zhenghao Guo4Kexu Chen5Chen Liu6Biao Tang7Guofu Zhou8Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversitySchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Nanyang Technological UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology & Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal UniversityAbstract Microlens arrays (MLAs) based on the selective wetting have opened new avenues for developing compact and miniaturized imaging and display techniques with ultrahigh resolution beyond the traditional bulky and volumetric optics. However, the selective wetting lenses explored so far have been constrained by the lack of precisely defined pattern for highly controllable wettability contrast, thus limiting the available droplet curvature and numerical aperture, which is a major challenge towards the practical high-performance MLAs. Here we report a mold-free and self-assembly approach of mass-production of scalable MLAs, which can also have ultrasmooth surface, ultrahigh resolution, and the large tuning range of the curvatures. The selective surface modification based on tunable oxygen plasma can facilitate the precise pattern with adjusted chemical contrast, thus creating large-scale microdroplets array with controlled curvature. The numerical aperture of the MLAs can be up to 0.26 and precisely tuned by adjusting the modification intensity or the droplet dose. The fabricated MLAs have high-quality surface with subnanometer roughness and allow for record-high resolution imaging up to equivalently 10,328 ppi, as we demonstrated. This study shows a cost-effective roadmap for mass-production of high-performance MLAs, which may find applications in the rapid proliferating integral imaging industry and high-resolution display.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-023-01174-7 |
| spellingShingle | Zhihao Liu Guangwei Hu Huapeng Ye Miaoyang Wei Zhenghao Guo Kexu Chen Chen Liu Biao Tang Guofu Zhou Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution Light: Science & Applications |
| title | Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution |
| title_full | Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution |
| title_fullStr | Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution |
| title_short | Mold-free self-assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record-high resolution |
| title_sort | mold free self assembled scalable microlens arrays with ultrasmooth surface and record high resolution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-023-01174-7 |
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