Laser induced self-aligned microlens and waveguide arrays using a self-writing process in a photosensitive polymer resin

A microfabricated compound eye lens, compatible to a natural compound eye shows a spherical arrangement of integrated optical units called artificial ommatidia. Each consists of a self-aligned microlens and waveguide. The increase of the waveguide length is an indispensible prerequisite for obtaining high resolution images through an artificial compound eye for wide field-of-view imaging as well as fast motion detection. This work presents an effective method for increasing the waveguide length of artificial ommatidium using a laser induces self-writing process in a photosensitive polymer resin. The experimental results show the uniform formation of waveguides and the increment of waveguide length over 500 mum.