Review of High-Throughput Surface Treatments for Microlens Arrays

Hannah B. Musgrove; Ilia N. Ivanov; Hanna M. Szczepanowska; Jun Qu

doi:10.1021/acsaom.5c00364

Review of High-Throughput Surface Treatments for Microlens Arrays

Hannah B. Musgrove
, Ilia N. Ivanov
, Hanna M. Szczepanowska
, Jun Qu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Microlenses are increasingly being integrated into modern manufactured devices. From printed security devices and screens to solar panels and microscopes, these optical materials offer high control over light focusing. Thus, understanding how to treat the surfaces of these fragile, transparent devices on an integrated manufacturing line is essential. Here, we review the surface treatments for the following application categories: cleaning, increasing surface energy, decreasing surface energy, and tunable surface modifications. This overview describes methods available for the large-scale manufacturing of microlens arrays and the potential impact of those treatments on common optical surfaces. Objectives and qualitative compatibility parameters are compared, and outlooks are provided for further study to aid in streamlining the method selection and process optimization for microlenses and similar optical components.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	13-28
Number of pages	16
Journal	ACS Applied Optical Materials
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaom.5c00364
State	Published - Jan 23 2026

Funding

Research was supported by the Department of Energy Project Number SPPS 2248-Z626-23. Research, editing, and conceptual support also by Harry Meyer III (ORNL), Donghong Li (BEP), and Steve Carlo (BEP). Note: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05- 00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. The U.S. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Keywords

lens manufacturing
micro-optics
optics fabrication
polymer interfaces
surface treatments
wettability

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10.1021/acsaom.5c00364

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title = "Review of High-Throughput Surface Treatments for Microlens Arrays",

abstract = "Microlenses are increasingly being integrated into modern manufactured devices. From printed security devices and screens to solar panels and microscopes, these optical materials offer high control over light focusing. Thus, understanding how to treat the surfaces of these fragile, transparent devices on an integrated manufacturing line is essential. Here, we review the surface treatments for the following application categories: cleaning, increasing surface energy, decreasing surface energy, and tunable surface modifications. This overview describes methods available for the large-scale manufacturing of microlens arrays and the potential impact of those treatments on common optical surfaces. Objectives and qualitative compatibility parameters are compared, and outlooks are provided for further study to aid in streamlining the method selection and process optimization for microlenses and similar optical components.",

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author = "Musgrove, \{Hannah B.\} and Ivanov, \{Ilia N.\} and Szczepanowska, \{Hanna M.\} and Jun Qu",

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doi = "10.1021/acsaom.5c00364",

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AU - Musgrove, Hannah B.

AU - Ivanov, Ilia N.

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N2 - Microlenses are increasingly being integrated into modern manufactured devices. From printed security devices and screens to solar panels and microscopes, these optical materials offer high control over light focusing. Thus, understanding how to treat the surfaces of these fragile, transparent devices on an integrated manufacturing line is essential. Here, we review the surface treatments for the following application categories: cleaning, increasing surface energy, decreasing surface energy, and tunable surface modifications. This overview describes methods available for the large-scale manufacturing of microlens arrays and the potential impact of those treatments on common optical surfaces. Objectives and qualitative compatibility parameters are compared, and outlooks are provided for further study to aid in streamlining the method selection and process optimization for microlenses and similar optical components.

AB - Microlenses are increasingly being integrated into modern manufactured devices. From printed security devices and screens to solar panels and microscopes, these optical materials offer high control over light focusing. Thus, understanding how to treat the surfaces of these fragile, transparent devices on an integrated manufacturing line is essential. Here, we review the surface treatments for the following application categories: cleaning, increasing surface energy, decreasing surface energy, and tunable surface modifications. This overview describes methods available for the large-scale manufacturing of microlens arrays and the potential impact of those treatments on common optical surfaces. Objectives and qualitative compatibility parameters are compared, and outlooks are provided for further study to aid in streamlining the method selection and process optimization for microlenses and similar optical components.

KW - lens manufacturing

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KW - optics fabrication

KW - polymer interfaces

KW - surface treatments

KW - wettability

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Review of High-Throughput Surface Treatments for Microlens Arrays

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