Digital Imager Enhancement and Investigating Grayscale Photomasks Technologies for Fabrication of Micro-optics

数字成像仪增强和研究用于微光学制造的灰度光掩模技术

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06777
• 负责人: Chapman, Glenn
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=678661
• 关键词: Digital; Imager; Enhancement; Investigating; Grayscale

New microfabrication techniques have had a dramatic impact on society, by transforming microchips into digital imaging sensors and micro-optics. From scientific instrumentation to commercial photography, imaging sensors are now used to integrate sensors with micro-optics and control electronics onto single chips. This proposed research combines the two areas of opto-electronics (the combination of electronics and optics) and nanofabrication, the technique used to build the micro-optics.******1) In opto-electronics my research group focuses on digital pixel arrays in cameras. Imagers develop a growing number of defects over time that degrades image quality and reduces the sensor life. Using commercial camera images, and software analysis algorithms, we study defect development to identify faulty pixels characteristics, and pinpoint the causal mechanism. Research will improve developed formulas that show the trend towards larger sensor area, higher sensitivity and shrinking pixel size creates exponential growth in both defect strength, and development rates, which can reach 1000's of defects per year. We will investigate applications such as novel ways to improve image repair based on software-correcting pixels that use knowledge about the defect parameters, creating parameters to give better metrics for choosing cameras in high radiation environments like the Space Station, and using these defect patterns and parameters to create a camera-unique "fingerprint" for forensic identification in security and criminal investigations.******2) In nanofabrication, we investigate the fabrication of grayscale photomasks, which are a technology critical to cost-effective 3D structures. Existing commercial grayscale masks are either very limited in transparency control or accurate but highly expensive. We are developing bimetallic thin films of Bismuth, Indium and Tin, forming a thermal resist which oxidizes and becomes transparent under laser exposure. With equipment that varies the laser power on these films, direct-write grayscale photomasks will be developed which the control transparency to a high accuracy (256 steps) in a low cost mask. Since mask transparency is only one limiting factor in the vertical control ability of microstructure, we will then combine this new mask with new fabrication methods to transfer these patterns into the creation of very accurate 3D structures for micro-optics. The micro-optic application requires highly precise shapes to create the proper optical images. Our research also intends to apply this method to the creation of micro-optics for applications in improving camera pixels, creating less distorting thin Fresnel lenses, and a thin Gabor lens for heads-up displays. In microfluidic designs, we will create 3D shapes in microchannels with unique fluid mixing properties and integrate micro-optics into fluorescence based lab-on-a-chip systems.

新的微加工技术通过将微芯片转化为数字成像传感器和微光学，对社会产生了巨大的影响。从科学仪器到商业摄影，成像传感器现在用于将传感器与微光学和控制电子集成到单个芯片上。这项提议的研究结合了光电子学（电子学和光学的结合）和纳米制造这两个领域，纳米制造是用来构建微光学的技术。******1)在光电子学方面，我的研究小组专注于相机中的数字像素阵列。随着时间的推移，成像仪会出现越来越多的缺陷，这些缺陷会降低图像质量，降低传感器的使用寿命。利用商业相机图像和软件分析算法，我们研究缺陷的发展，以识别故障像素的特征，并查明因果机制。研究将改进已开发的公式，这些公式显示出更大的传感器面积、更高的灵敏度和缩小的像素尺寸的趋势，从而使缺陷强度和发展速度呈指数增长，每年可达到1000个缺陷。我们将研究一些应用，如改进图像修复的新方法，这些方法基于软件校正像素，利用缺陷参数的知识，创建参数，为在空间站等高辐射环境中选择相机提供更好的指标，并使用这些缺陷模式和参数创建相机独特的“指纹”，用于安全和刑事调查中的法医鉴定。******2)在纳米制造中，我们研究了灰度掩模的制造，这是一项具有成本效益的3D结构的关键技术。现有的商业灰度掩模要么在透明度控制方面非常有限，要么精确但非常昂贵。我们正在开发铋、铟和锡的双金属薄膜，形成一种热阻剂，在激光照射下氧化并变得透明。通过改变这些薄膜上的激光功率的设备，将开发出直接写入的灰度掩模，该掩模在低成本掩模中控制透明度到高精度（256步）。由于掩膜透明度只是微观结构垂直控制能力的一个限制因素，因此我们将把这种新掩膜与新的制造方法结合起来，将这些图案转移到非常精确的3D结构中，用于微光学。微光学应用需要高度精确的形状来创建适当的光学图像。我们的研究还打算将这种方法应用于微光学的创造，以提高相机像素，创造更少扭曲的薄菲涅耳透镜，以及用于平视显示器的薄Gabor透镜。在微流体设计中，我们将在具有独特流体混合特性的微通道中创建3D形状，并将微光学集成到基于荧光的芯片实验室系统中。