Infinite Machines licenses Brown University technology for optics manufacturing
Infinite Machines (Incline Village, NV) has acquired an exclusive license on two laser technologies from Brown University Research Foundation (Providence, RI). The technologies will be used to manufacture high-value, glass-based microstructures. One technique directly forms accurate microlenses from semiconductor glass by heating with a laser that has an energy greater than the bandgap. These microlenses are expected to reduce production costs for products such as camcorders, CD players, and fax machines. The other process is for machining and rapid-prototyping of borosilicate glass for diffractive optical elements and microchannels, for example, using a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and etching solutions (see Laser Focus World, Mar. 1996, p. 131). The technique is expected to cut time and cost from the manufacture of glass microcircuits for biotechnology and medical instruments. Both processes were developed by Brown University Professor of Engineering and Physics Nabil M. Lawandy and his associates. Carle Conway, Infinite Machines chairman, says the licensing agreement will open the door to a share in what he estimates to be a $500 million annual market.