ABSTRACT
The emergence and rapid growth of the microelectronic industry, and its concomitant drive for the miniaturization of electronic devices, together with the optical fiber telecommunication industry and its need to couple light in and out of single mode waveguides, has created in their wake, a new area of optics termed ‘‘micro-optics’’. What is meant by this term is optical elements of dimension of a millimeter or smaller. Primarily, this has meant lenses, or elements that act as lenses, as well as structures that redirect, polarize, and otherwise alter some state or direction of light. These would include elements like, mirrors, gratings, polarizers, and the like, made in some ‘‘micro’’ form. If one includes optical waveguide structures as well, this broader classification can be considered under the name, ‘‘integrated optics’’. Another interesting aspect of the evolution of micro-optics has been, not only has the microelectronic industry supplied the need for tiny optical devices, but has been able, in some cases, to supply the technology by which it can be fabricated. We will see in a later chapter that the very microfabrication technology used to fabricate microcircuits can be used to produce
patterns that provide optical function through diffraction of light. This is but one way in which small optical elements, primarily lenses and lens arrays can be fabricated.
