Fabricating a PDMS optical lens with the interaction of a negatively-charged air-resin interface and an electric field

Abstract

In this paper, a technique for the fabrication of a PDMS optical lens with the aid of a high electric field was introduced. The lens was fabricated by casting liquid PDMS onto a concave resin master formed under the repulsion between the negatively charged air-resin interface and the overhead high electric field. The focal length and surface profile of the lens under different electric fields were numerically simulated and experimentally verified. It was found that the profile of the air-resin interface can be quickly tuned by the applied electric field within 1 min. The surface roughness of the fabricated lens is about 2.15 nm. The magnification of the lens increases with the increase in the applied voltage and the decrease in the radius of the resin container. A lens with a radius of 3.0 mm and a magnification of 33.55 times was fabricated by applying a voltage of 6 kV.