Mold and method of producing the same

Abstract

(1) Alignment mark transfer portion(s) is/are formed on the transfer molding surface of a mold that is used for press-molding a optical element fixing member and having alignment marks; (2) alignment mark(s) is/are formed on the mold material by dry-etching, and the mold material is worked using the alignment mark(s) as a reference to form the transfer molding surface constituted by a plurality of transfer patterns, in order to obtain a mold for press-molding; and (3) the transfer patterns are formed by dry-etching, or a transfer molding bare surface for transfer patterns is formed by dry-etching and a mold release film is formed thereon to reflect the shape of the transfer molding base surface, in order to obtain a mold for press-molding.

1 . A mold having a transfer molding surface of a predetermined shape and is used for press-molding a shaping material into a optical element fixing member, wherein alignment mark-transfer portion(s) is/are formed on the transfer molding surface in order to obtain a press-molded article having alignment mark(s).  
     
     
         2 . A mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold comprises a base member and a mold release film formed on the surface of the base member, the base member comprising (1) a hard material containing WC or (2) a cermet containing TiN, TiC or Al 2 O 3 , and the surface of the mold release film serves as a transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         3 . A mold according to  claim 1 , wherein the mold comprises SiC or amorphous carbon.  
     
     
         4 . A method of producing a mold having a transfer molding surface of a predetermined shape and is used for press-molding a shaping material into a optical element fixing member, wherein shaping portion(s) for forming alignment mark transfer portion(s) is/are formed by dry-etching on the mold material so that the alignment mark transfer portion(s) is/are formed on the transfer molding surface of the mold for obtaining a optical element fixing member and having the alignment mark(s), a mold release film is formed so that the shaping portion(s) is/are covered and that the surface of the mold release film serves as the transfer molding surface, thereby to obtain a mold having the alignment mark transfer portion(s) which comprise the shaping portion(s) and the mold release film covering the surface(s) of the shaping portion(s), the surface of the mold release film serving as the transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         5 . A method of producing a mold having a transfer molding surface of a predetermined shape and is used for press-molding a shaping material into a optical element fixing member, wherein alignment mark transfer portion(s) is/are formed by dry-etching on the mold material so as to be positioned on the transfer molding surface of the mold in order to obtain a optical element fixing member and having the alignment mark(s).  
     
     
         6 . A optical element fixing member, wherein alignment mark(s) for determining a positional relationship relative to other member(s) is/are integrally molded, and the alignment mark(s) have a surface roughness which is different from a surface roughness on the periphery of the alignment mark(s).  
     
     
         7 . A optical element fixing member according to  claim 6 , wherein the member comprises a glass.  
     
     
         8 . A method of producing a mold having a transfer molding surface constituted by a plurality of transfer patterns and is used for press-molding a shaping material into an article of a predetermined shape, wherein alignment mark(s) is/are formed on a mold material by dry-etching, and the mold material is worked using the alignment mark(s) as reference(s) in order to form the transfer molding surface constituted by the plurality of transfer patterns.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein a rare gas, a simple gas of the CF type or a simple gas of the Cl type is/are used as the etching gas(es) at the time of forming the alignment mark(s) by dry-etching.  
     
     
         10 . A method of producing a mold having a transfer molding surface constituted by a plurality of transfer patterns and is used for press-molding a shaping material into an article of a predetermined shape, wherein alignment mark(s) is/are formed on a mold material by dry-etching, the mold material is worked by using the alignment mark(s) as reference(s) in order to form a transfer molding bare surface constituted by bare transfer patterns that serve as bases for the transfer patterns, and a mold release film is formed so as to cover at least the transfer molding bare surface, the surface of the mold release film serving as a transfer surface.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein a single kind of gas or plural kinds of gases selected from the group consisting of a rare gas, a simple gas of the CF type and a simple gas of the Cl type is/are used as the etching gas(es) at the time of forming the alignment mark(s) by dry-etching.  
     
     
         12 . A mold comprising a base member having a transfer molding bare surface of a predetermined shape formed by dry-etching, and a mold release film formed on the transfer molding bare surface so as to reflect the shape of the transfer molding bare surface, the surface of the mold release film serving as a transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         13 . A mold according to  claim 12 , wherein the base member comprises (1) a hard material containing WC, or (2) a cermet containing TiN, TiC or Al 2 O 3 .  
     
     
         14 . A mold according to  claim 12 , wherein transfer pattern(s) corresponding to rugged pattern(s) of a diffraction element, is/are formed on the transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         15 . A mold having a transfer molding surface formed on the mold material by dry-etching.  
     
     
         16 . A mold according to  claim 15 , wherein the mold comprises amorphous carbon.  
     
     
         17  A mold according to  claim 15 , wherein transfer pattern(s) corresponding to rugged pattern(s) of a diffraction element, is/are formed on the transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         18 . A method of producing a mold by obtaining a base member by forming, on the mold material by dry-etching, a transfer molding bare surface that serves as a base for the transfer molding surface, and forming a mold release film on the transfer molding bare surface so as to reflect the shape of the transfer molding bare surface, the surface of the mold release film serving as a transfer molding surface.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein, in obtaining a base member by forming a transfer molding bare surface on a mold material by dry-etching by using, as the mold material, either (1) a hard material containing WC or (2) a cermet containing TiN, TiC or Al 2 O 3 , use is made, as etching gas(es), of a single kind of gas or plural kinds of gas(es) selected from the group consisting of a rare gas, a simple gas of the carbon fluoride type and a simple gas of the chlorine type.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein there is formed a transfer molding base surface having rugged pattern(s) corresponding to rugged pattern(s) of the diffraction element.  
     
     
         21 . A method of producing a mold by forming a transfer molding surface on a mold material by dry-etching.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein, in forming a transfer molding surface on a mold material by dry-etching by using amorphous carbon as the mold material, use is made of a rare gas, a simple gas of the carbon fluoride type or a simple gas of the chlorine type as etching gas(es).  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein there is formed a transfer molding surface having transfer pattern(s) corresponding to rugged pattern(s) of a diffraction element.  
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a diffraction element of a glass relying upon the press-molding by using a set of molds including the mold of  claim 12  or  claim 15  as an upper mold or as a lower mold.