An inexpensive device and method of fabricating microlenses able to be pre-aligned with other optical components (e.g., mirrors, splitters, and prisms, cylindrical lenses, plano-plates and prisms) fabricated on the same substrate to form an integrated optical platform. This integrated optical platform enhances optical systems by reducing coupling losses, cross-talking, and dispersion, and allowing for the simultaneous optical focusing of one or more light beams in a true, three-dimensional arrangement. The novel device comprises an optical lens having an out-of-plane orientated, optical axis (i.e., the optical axial is parallel to the substrate on which the optical bench system is located) with a quasi-parabolic surface.