Microlenses fabricated by ultraviolet excimer laser irradiation of poly(methyl methacrylate) followed by styrene diffusion

A new technique of microlens array fabrication based on the use of excimer laser radiation is described. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates are treated with many low-energy KrF laser pulses and exposed to styrene vapor. The irradiated material swells, producing spherical microlenses that are stabilized by UV polymerization. The chemistry of this process and the optical quality of the lenses are discussed