SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal will demonstrate the feasibility of producing diffraction-limited anamorphic microlens arrays for Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors used on very large aperture astronomical telescopes with multiple off-axis laser guide stars. A high-quality lenslet arrays will be fabricated with gray scale mask lithography and reactive chemical etching. Four advanced gray scale photolithographic mask technologies will be evaluated. Two will be selected for gray scale mask fabrication. A selection between the two masks will be made from the quality of the lenslets they produce in photoresist. The best performing photoresist lenslets will be reactive ion etching at our teaming partner's facility, MEMS Optical, Inc. to produce finished micro-lens array.

Keywords:
Microlithography, Mcao, Micro-Lens Arrays, Gray Scale/Tone Lithography, Micro Optics, E-Beam Writing

To better quantify the benefits from the advanced microlens technology developed in the Phase I we plan to have microlenses installed in three astronomical telescopes. In Phase II we are planning to complete the fabrication of the remaining 4 microlenses needed for Gemini telescope and ,also fabricate microlenses for SOR telescopes in New Mexico (NGAS)and Hawaii. This will provide a direct evaluation of advanced gray-scale technology from the end users point of view. Data will be collected from these telescopes to quantitify the performance improvements achieved. Our Plan also includes further development of gray-scale mask technology toward making smoother microlenses with better knife edge performance in Hartmann sensors. This will mean further development of phase-shift mask technology. We also plan on tackling the problem of larger format microlens arrays such as needed by (Thirty Meter Telescope) TMT.

Benefit:
The first commercial goal is to become the supplier of diffraction-limited anamorphic microlens arrays for Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors in advance astronomical telescopes requiring multiple off axis artificial guide stars. The inclusion of such micro-lenses would allow Hubble like performance from grown based telescopes. The same technology that can produce these high quality anamorphic micro-lens arrays will have wide spread application to all micro-lens products. Current US market for micro-lens arrays is in excess of $30,000,000 dollars and supports several micro-lens and mask manufactures. The success of this SBIR would introduce a new more capable technology into the market place. This SBIR would advance the quality and sophistication of micro-optics manufacturing in the USA."

Keywords:
Microlithography, Mcao, Micro-Lens Arrays, Gray Scale/Tone Lithography, Micro Optics, E-Beam Writing, Gemini, Tmt