Reflective optical systems and their fabrication

摘要

A process for fabricating a reflective optical system, comprising: (a) providing at least a first mandrel and a second mandrel, each (e.g. conical) mandrel having an open end and, at the end thereof opposite said open end, a negative surface defining in negative shape a reflective surface (e.g. plano, spherical, conical, general asphere, toroidal, a grating, or a fly eye mirror), (b) optionally providing a connecting portion, the connecting portion including at least one attachment member; (c) rigidly and releasably attaching the first mandrel and the second mandrel to each other thereby forming a mandrel assembly, optionally using said at least one attachment member; (d) positioning the mandrel assembly in an electroforming bath and performing an electroforming operation for a predetermined period, thereby forming an optical system on the mandrel assembly; and (e) separating the mandrel assembly from the optical system, the optical system thereby having at least first and second hollow sections, the hollow sections having reflective surfaces corresponding to said negative surfaces of the mandrels, whereby an optical path is defined between said first and second reflective surfaces. The process may include providing an intermediate mandrel disposed between the first and second mandrels. A reflective optical system, obtainable by the process, is also disclosed, the optical system comprising: at least first and second electroformed hollow sections, each hollow section having an open end and, at the end thereof opposite said open end, a reflective surface; wherein the reflective surfaces are disposed and oriented such that an optical path is defined therebetween. The fabricated optical system may be for use as an afocal relay, or in numerous image forming or lithography applications.