FABRICATION OF MICRO-OPTICS FOR DIODE LASERS AND AMPLIFIERS USING INK-JET TECHNOLOGY

We will develop a new low cost, data driven manufacturing technique for direct printing of micro-optical elements onto optical substrates and devices. We will apply our ink-jet printing technology to form and place microscopic droplets of optical materials, such as UV-cured resins and sol-gel glasses, in order to construct micro-optics for use with diode lasers and amplifiers. In prior non-conventional applications of ink-jet technologies we have produced and reliably place microdroplets 20-150 microns in diameter of materials ranging from metal solders and fluxes for micro-electronics applications to optical waxes, epoxies and polymers for microlens fabrication. Micro-optical applications which we will evaluate for Phase I include the delivery of droplets of optical materials directly onto the output facets of diode lasers to improve their performance and onto optical substrates to form arrays of high numercial aperture microlenses for coupling arrays of diode lasers, amplifiers and optical fibers. Future (Option Task plus Phase II) applications of this "optics-jetting" technology to be investigated include placement of lenslets onto the ends of optical fibers and fabrication of active micro-optical components, such as novel micro-lasers for high spectral purity or femtosecond applications.