Electrowetting technique for lens fabrication

An electrowetting technique for the fabrication of lenses is proposed in this work. The electrowetting technique provides a unique capability of controlling the lens profile during fabrication processes. An electrically-conductive, UV-curable polymer and the electrowetting mechanism are employed in this technique. In this work, the control of the lens profile is achieved by adjusting the voltage across a hydrophobic dielectric layer sandwiched between an electrically-conductive, UV-curable polymer (the liquid) and an electrically-conductive substrate (the electrode). The curvature and the focal length of the lens are controlled by the applied voltage. As the applied voltage increases, the curvature of the lens decreases and the focal length increases. The advantages of the electrowetting technique involve the quick and easy fabrication of lens with required profiles. The technique can also control the profile of individual lens in fabricating lens arrays.