Abstract
A novel type of liquid microlens, bounded by a microfabricated, distensible membrane and activated by a microfluidic liquid-handling system, is presented. By use of an elastomer membrane fabricated by spin coating onto a dry-etched silicon substrate, the liquid-filled cavity acts as a lens whereby applied pressure changes the membrane distension and thus the focal length. Both plano–convex and plano–concave lenses, individual elements as well as arrays, were fabricated and tested. The lens surface roughness was seen to be ∼9 nm rms, and the focal length could be tuned from 1 to 18 mm. This lens represents a robust, self-contained tunable optical structure suitable for use in, for example, a medical environment.
© 2005 Optical Society of America
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