Rapid fabrication of various molds for replication of polymer lens arrays

This article proposes a rapid fabrication method for the production of various molds for the replication of polymer lens arrays. The method involves ultrasonic vibration embossing with a polymer substrate and small steel ball array. Only one embossing step is required in which a concave lens array pattern is directly fabricated onto the polymer substrate. The total processing cycle time is less than 20 s. The polymer substrate with a concave lens array pattern can then be used as a mold for the replication of a polymer lens array through a polydimethylsiloxane casting process. In addition, the diameter and depth of the concave lens array pattern on the surface of the polymer substrate can be changed and controlled by adjusting the processing conditions of the ultrasonic vibration embossing process. Hence, various molds with different concave lens array patterns and thus polymer lens arrays, can be effectively fabricated at very low cost and with high throughput. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2017. (c) 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers