Fabrication of Diffractive and Micro-optical Elements Using Microlens Projection Lithography

A simple method for the fabrication of diffraction elements and arrays of micro-optical elements, using an array of microlenses, is demonstrated. The resulting diffraction patterns depend on both the period and the profile of the microstructures. This technique can be used to fabricate diffraction gratings and micro-optical elements with features that are uniform over areas > 10 cm2 in a single exposure (see Figure).