ABSTRACT
Future far-infrared astrophysics observatories will require focal plane arrays containing thousands of ultrasensitive, superconducting detectors, each of which require efficient optical coupling to the telescope fore-optics. At longer wavelengths, many approaches have been developed, including feedhorn arrays and macroscopic arrays of lenslets. However, with wavelengths as short as 25 µm, optical coupling in the far infrared remains challenging. In this paper, we present an approach to fabricate far-infrared monolithic silicon microlens arrays using grayscale lithography and deep reactive ion etching. The fabricated microlens arrays presented here are designed for two different wavebands: 25-40 µm and 135-240 µm. The microlens arrays have sags as deep as 150 µm, are hexagonally packed with a pixel pitch of 900 µm, and have an overall size as large as 80 by 15 mm. We compare an as-fabricated lens profile to the design profile and calculate that the fabricated lenses would achieve 84% encircled power for the designed detector, which is only 3% less than the designed performance. We also present methods developed for antireflection coating microlens arrays and for a silicon-to-silicon die bonding process to hybridize microlens arrays with detector arrays.
ABSTRACT
We show that nanoporous anodic alumina films, with pore diameters in the range 10-80 nm, can be transformed from being very hydrophilic (or super-hydrophilic) to very hydrophobic (or super-hydrophobic) by coating the surface with a thin (2-3 nm) layer of a hydrophobic polymer. This dramatic transformation happens as a result of the interplay between surface morphology and surface chemistry. The coated surfaces exhibit 'sticky' hydrophobicity as a result of ingress of water into the pores by capillary action. The wetting parameters (contact angle and contact angle hysteresis) exhibit qualitatively different dependences on pore diameters in coated and uncoated films, which are explained by invoking appropriate models for wetting.
