Abstract: The present disclosure describes techniques that, in some instances, can help reduce stress and potential damage during the manufacture of optical elements such as those that include a metastructure formed by imprinting. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing an optical element includes imprinting a stamp into a polymeric material on a substrate, wherein the stamp includes first projections corresponding to an active area of the stamp for formation of meta-atoms in the polymeric material. The stamp further includes a protective structure laterally surrounding the first projections. The protective structure includes at least one additional projection extending in parallel to the first projections. The method includes removing the stamp from the polymeric material, thereby forming openings in the polymeric material in positions corresponding to the first projections and in one or more positions corresponding to the at least one additional projection.

Abstract: A method includes pressing a face of a stamp into a first portion of a replication material disposed on a substrate, to cause the replication material to have a predetermined characteristic, exposing the first portion of the replication material to illumination, to modify the first portion of the replication material, and subsequently removing a second portion of the replication material that was not exposed to the illumination. An optical device includes a substrate, a portion of replication material disposed on a first surface of the substrate, the portion of replication material forming one or more diffractive optical elements, and a masking layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being opposite the first surface, in which a sidewall of the replication material has a straight profile, and in which the masking layer defines an aperture aligned with the portion of the replication material.

Abstract: A method includes treating a surface of a substrate to cause the surface to include a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, providing a replication material over the hydrophilic portion, and imprinting the replication material to cause the replication material to have a predetermined characteristic.

Abstract: Illumination modules are operable, in some implementations, to project a homogenous diffuse illumination onto a scene. Some implementations allow different subsets of light emitting elements to be addressed independently so that they can be turned on (or off) at different times, which can facilitate multi-mode operation.

Abstract: Image sensor modules include primary high-resolution imagers and secondary imagers. For example, an image sensor module may include a semiconductor chip including photosensitive regions defining, respectively, a primary camera and a secondary camera. The image sensor module may include an optical assembly that does not substantially obstruct the field-of-view of the secondary camera. Some modules include multiple secondary cameras that have a field-of-view at least as large as the field-of-view of the primary camera. Various features are described to facilitate acquisition of signals that can be used to calculate depth information.

Abstract: The method regards manufacturing devices by replication, wherein each of the devices comprises a device surface. The method comprises producing the devices from a replication material by replication using a replication tool (1), wherein the replication tool (1) comprises a tool material comprising replication sites (4) comprising a replication surface (5) each. Each of the replication surfaces (5) corresponds to a negative of the device surface of a respective one of the devices. The tool material comprises, in addition to the replication sites, one or more mitigating features (7) for reducing asymmetric form errors of the device surfaces. Replication tools (1) and methods for manufacturing these are also described.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a multitude of devices comprises: providing a replication tool comprising a tool material; conditioning the replication tool, wherein the conditioning comprises applying a treatment to the tool material, wherein the treatment comprises exposing the tool material to a conditioning material. And it further comprises, after the conditioning: carrying out one or more replication processes, wherein in each of the one or more replication processes, one or more of the devices are produced from a replication material by replication using the replication tool. The treatment can comprise dimensionally changing the tool material by the exposure of the tool material to the conditioning material. Before carrying out the replication processes, the conditioning material can be hardened and removed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plurality of optical elements comprising the steps of providing a substrate (120) providing a tool (100) comprising, a plurality of replication sections (106) each defining a surface structure of one of the optical elements, and at least one contact spacer portion (112), aligning the tool (100) and the substrate (120) with respect to each other and bringing the tool (100) and a first side of the substrate (120) together, with replication material (124) between the tool (100) and the substrate (120), the contact spacer portion (112) contacting the first side of the substrate (120), hardening the replication material (124), and separating the tool (100) from the substrate (120) with the hardened replication material adhering to the substrate (120), wherein the tool (100) has yard line features (304) around at least a portion of the replication sections (106), the yard line features (304) configured to contain the replication material (124) on a first side of the yard line with respec

Abstract: An optoelectronic module includes a spacer with an optical component mounting surface, a fluid permeable channel, and a module mounting surface. The fluid permeable channel and module mounting surface allow the channels to be sealed to foreign matter during certain manufacturing steps and to remain free from blockages, such as solidified flux, during certain manufacturing steps. Further, the channels can permit heat to escape from the optoelectronic module during operation.

Abstract: Image sensor modules include primary high-resolution imagers and secondary imagers. For example, an image sensor module may include a semiconductor chip including photosensitive regions defining, respectively, a primary camera and a secondary camera. The image sensor module may include an optical assembly that does not substantially obstruct the field-of-view of the secondary camera. Some modules include multiple secondary cameras that have a field-of-view at least as large as the field-of-view of the primary camera. Various features are described to facilitate acquisition of signals that can be used to calculate depth information.

Abstract: Optical stack assemblies and fabrication techniques thereof. The optical stack assembly includes first and second sub-assemblies, each of which include a substrate and a sub-structure fixed to the respective substrate. Each sub-structures includes a respective first edge feature and a respective second edge feature that project away from the substrate of that sub-structure, each second edge feature being disposed laterally closer to an outer periphery of the respective sub-structure than the first edge feature of the same sub-structure. The first edge feature of the first sub-structure is in direct contact with the first edge feature of the second sub¬structure, while the second edge feature of the first sub-structure and the second edge feature of the second sub-structure are attached to one another by adhesive. At least one of the first or second sub-structures includes an optical element on a same side of the sub-structure as the first and second edge features of that sub-structure.

Abstract: The method regards manufacturing devices by replication, wherein each of the devices comprises a device surface. The method comprises producing the devices from a replication material by replication using a replication tool (1), wherein the replication tool (1) comprises a tool material comprising replication sites (4) comprising a replication surface (5) each. Each of the replication surfaces (5) corresponds to a negative of the device surface of a respective one of the devices. The tool material comprises, in addition to the replication sites, one or more mitigating features (7) for reducing asymmetric form errors of the device surfaces. Replication tools (1) and methods for manufacturing these are also described.

Abstract: A clamping device for clamping a tool includes a tool holder with a collet and a clamping nut in and the tool holder has a mechanism for clamping the tool holder and for detecting and displaying a torque applied to the clamping nut.

Abstract: Image sensor modules include primary high-resolution imagers and secondary imagers. For example, an image sensor module may include a semiconductor chip including photosensitive regions defining, respectively, a primary camera and a secondary camera. The image sensor module may include an optical assembly that does not substantially obstruct the field-of-view of the secondary camera. Some modules include multiple secondary cameras that have a field-of-view at least as large as the field-of-view of the primary camera. Various features are described to facilitate acquisition of signals that can be used to calculate depth information.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a multitude of devices comprises: providing a replication tool comprising a tool material; conditioning the replication tool, wherein the conditioning comprises applying a treatment to the tool material, wherein the treatment comprises exposing the tool material to a conditioning material. And it further comprises, after the conditioning: carrying out one or more replication processes, wherein in each of the one or more replication processes, one or more of the devices are produced from a replication material by replication using the replication tool. The treatment can comprise dimensionally changing the tool material by the exposure of the tool material to the conditioning material. Before carrying out the replication processes, the conditioning material can be hardened and removed.

Abstract: An optoelectronic module includes a spacer with an optical component mounting surface, a fluid permeable channel, and a module mounting surface. The fluid permeable channel and module mounting surface allow the channels to be sealed to foreign matter during certain manufacturing steps and to remain free from blockages, such as solidified flux, during certain manufacturing steps. Further, the channels can permit heat to escape from the optoelectronic module during operation.

Abstract: Optical assemblies include a stack of optical elements each of which has one or more alignment features. Each alignment feature traces a respective curve along a surface of one of the optical elements. The alignment feature(s) of one optical element fit within the alignment feature(s) of the other. In some cases, the alignment features can help establish more precise lateral alignment of the optical elements.

Abstract: A clamping device for clamping a tool includes a tool holder with a collet and a clamping nut in and the tool holder has a mechanism for clamping the tool holder and for detecting and displaying a torque applied to the clamping nut.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes optoelectronic modules (e.g., hybrid lens array packages) that have multiple optical channels, each of which includes at least one beam shaping element (e.g., a lens) that is part of a laterally contiguous array. Each optical channel is associated with a respective light sensitive region of an image sensor. Some or all of the channels also can include at least one beam shaping element (e.g., a lens) that is not part of a laterally contiguous array. In some cases, the arrays can include alignment features to facilitate alignment of the arrays with one another.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods of attaching surfaces together. In one aspect, a method includes depositing a first adhesive onto a first surface of a first item, the first adhesive forming a pattern that at least partially surrounds a region of the first surface where there is no first adhesive. A second adhesive is jetted onto the region of the first surface, wherein the second adhesive has a viscosity lower than a viscosity of the first adhesive. The first surface of the first item and a second surface of a second item are brought into contact with one another. The method also includes curing the first and second adhesives. While the methods can be particularly suitable for manufacturing optical light guide elements, the methods also can be used in other contexts and applications as well.