COLOR SEPARATION BY USE OF BINARY OPTICS

We describe the preliminary design, fabrication, and demonstration of an array of micro-optics that is used to separate colors locally on the focal plane. The 64 x 64 array combines 100 mum x 100 mum, F/2 refractive microlenses with a 17-mum period grating. The microlenses concentrate the incoming radiation, while the grating disperses the radiation according to wavelength. The element, with a minimum feature size of 1 mum and total depth of 8 mum, is fabricated on a silicon wafer (for use in the 8-12-mum band) by means of a nonstandard binary-optics process.