Abstract
Aspheric lenses used in the thermal imaging are typically fabricated using expensive single-crystal materials (Ge and ZnS, etc.) by the costly single point diamond turning (SPDT) process. As a potential solution to reduce cost, compression molding method using chalcogenide glass has been attracted to fabricate IR optic. Thermal deformation of a molded lens should be compensated to fabricate chalcogenide aspheric lens with form accuracy of the submicron-order. The thermal deformation phenomenon of molded lens was analyzed ant then compensation using mold iteration process is followed to fabricate the high accuracy optic. Consequently, it is obvious that compensation of thermal deformation is critical and useful enough to be adopted to fabricate the lens by molding method.
