Hybrid imprinting process to fabricate a multi-layer compound eye for multispectral imaging.

We present a high-precision hybrid imprinting method to fabricate multi-layer micro-optical structures on nonplanar substrates using a custom-built vacuum imprinting system; with the application of kinematic couplings that align the flexible stamps in all six degrees of freedom, a cross-layer pattern registration precision of 400 nm has been achieved on nonplanar substrates. To demonstrate the precision and feasibility of the new process and instrument, we have designed and fabricated a multi-layer artificial compound eye (ACE) for multispectral imaging. The shapes and sizes of all 12 micro-lenses on the ACE are optimized and integrated with different color filers (red, green and blue) so that the light from different channels and of different spectral contents will focus to the same plane, where the photodetector is located. Next, the multi-layer ACE is installed in a portable optical system for simultaneous multispectral imaging, i.e., to perform pattern detection by looking at specific frequency windows. Imaging experiments are devised and performed on (1) color blindness test cards, (2) space image, and (3) breast and gastric tumor samples. The results confirm the system's capabilities of frequency separation, extraction of hidden information, and tumor identification.