Wafer-Level Micro-Optics: Trends in Manufacturing, Testing and Packaging

Micro-optics is an indispensable key enabling technology (KET) for many applications today. The important role of micro-optical components is based on three different motivations: miniaturization, high functionality and packaging aspects. It is obvious that miniaturized systems require micro-optics for light focusing, light shaping and imaging. More important for industrial applications is the high functionality of micro-optics that allows combining these different functions in one element. In DUV Lithography Steppers and Scanners an extremely precise beam shaping of the Excimer laser profile is required. High-precision diffractive optical elements are well suited for this task. For Wafer-Level Cameras (WLC) and fiber optical systems the packaging aspects are more important. Wafer-Level Micro-Optics technology allows manufacturing and packaging some thousands of sub-components in parallel. We report on the state of the art in wafer-based manufacturing, testing and packaging.