Elastomeric Materials for Microsystems

Rigid materials have typically been used to fabricate MEMS and optical components (for example, diffraction gratings, lenses and mirrors). These materials have the advantages of structural rigidity and strength. In certain applications, however, rigid materials may not provide the only solution to structural problem adaptive optics is such an application [67]. Adaptive optics have com- 

It can be deformed reversibly and repeatedly without permanent distortion or relaxation of features [70]. 

It can be molded at a scale suitable for optical applications (with feature sizes in the range of 0.1 -10 pm) with high fidelity [71]. 

---