Hybrid Polymers for Conventional and Additive Manufacturing of Microoptical Elements

Abstract

Hybrid polymers constitute a class of optical materials combining properties of inorganic glass and organic polymers. The flexible synthesis and processing allows for specific tailoring of their properties as required for the fabrication of high-performance and reliable microoptical elements. While wafer-scale fabrication of microoptics using hybrid polymers is widely used in an industrial environment, they gain ever-increasing attention in additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies. This chapter introduces the chemical concepts behind hybrid polymers, discusses their synthesis and processing, and gives a record on their application for the fabrication of microoptical and photonic elements using established wafer-scale as well as emerging additive manufacturing processes, in particular inkjet printing and two-photon polymerization direct laser writing.