ABSTRACT
A microlens is a lens with relatively small dimensions ranging from a few microns to several millimeters for its use in microoptics. Wide applications of microlens arrays for arrayed device coupling and parallel optical image processing have been developed. The arrayed microoptics technology would be very helpful for advanced ultra-parallel optical systems. This concept has become important in order to avoid complexities in optical coupling between various optical components. A key component is a microlens and several methods to realize this has been developed. A graded-index microlens was developed along with the production of graded-index multimode fibers by using an ion exchange technique, so-called selfoc lens. One of the applications of planar microlens arrays is a self-aligned put-in microconnector. It consists of a number of microconnectors utilizing the coupling between the optical plugs on the microlens substrate and the fiber jacks made on the core of fibers.
