Tunable optical filter and method of manufacturing same

• US 20050068627A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Murata, Akihiro, Nakamura, Ryosuke, Kamisuki, Shinichi, Yoda, Mitsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US10/915,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068627A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/578
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/26 using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

A tunable optical filter is provided by joining a movable unit that supports a movable body moving up and down freely, and whose top surface has a highly reflective film formed thereon, a drive electrode unit in which a drive electrode facing the movable body with an electrostatic gap EG therebetween is formed, and an optical gap unit in which a highly reflective film facing the highly reflective film with an optical gap OG therebetween is formed.

Claims

1. A tunable optical filter comprising:

a movable unit supporting a movable body that moves up and down freely, a movable mirror being formed on one surface of the movable body;

a drive electrode unit in which a drive electrode facing the movable body with a given electrostatic gap therebetween is formed; and

an optical gap unit in which a fixed mirror facing the movable mirror with a given optical gap therebetween is formed, the optical gap unit, the drive electrode unit, and the movable unit being joined to each other.

2. The tunable optical filter according to claim 1 wherein an insulating film is formed on at least one of an area of the drive electrode that faces the movable body, and an area of the movable body that faces the drive electrode.

3. The tunable optical filter according to claim 2 wherein an antireflection film formed on the other surface of the movable body is also used as the insulating film.

4. The tunable optical filter according to claim 1, wherein:

the movable unit is composed of silicon;

at least one of the drive electrode unit and the optical gap unit are composed of glass containing an alkali metal; and

at least one of the joining between the movable unit and the drive electrode unit, and the joining between the movable unit and the optical gap unit is implemented by anodic bonding.

5. A method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter comprising:

(a) forming a first concave portion in a first substrate, and thereafter forming a drive electrode on the first concave portion so as to form a drive electrode unit;

(b) forming a second concave portion in a second substrate, and thereafter forming a fixed mirror on the second concave portion so as to form an optical gap unit;

(c) joining a third substrate on which an active layer having electrical conductivity, an insulating layer, and a base layer are sequentially deposited, to the drive electrode unit such that the drive electrode faces the active layer, and then removing the base layer and the insulating layer sequentially and forming a movable body in the active layer, and thereafter forming a movable mirror on the movable body; and

(d) joining a structure that has been manufactured in step (c) to the optical gap unit such that the movable mirror faces the fixed mirror.

7. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 5 wherein an insulating film is formed on an area to face the movable body of the drive electrode, in step (a).

8. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 5 wherein the joining is implemented such that the drive electrode faces the active layer after an insulating film is formed on an area to face the drive electrode as the movable body of the active layer, in step (c).

9. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 8 wherein the insulating film and an antireflection film are formed on an area to become the movable body of the active layer, in step (c).

12. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 5, wherein:

the active layer is composed of silicon;

at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate are composed of glass containing an alkali metal; and

the joining is implemented by anodic bonding in at least one of step (c) and step (d).

6. A method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter comprising:

(a) forming a first concave portion in a first substrate, and thereafter forming a drive electrode on the first concave portion so as to form a drive electrode unit;

(b) forming a second concave portion in a second substrate, and thereafter forming a fixed mirror on the second concave portion so as to form an optical gap unit;

(c) joining a third substrate on which an active layer having electrical conductivity on which a movable mirror is formed, an insulating layer, and a base layer are sequentially deposited, to the optical gap unit such that the movable mirror faces the fixed mirror, and then removing the base layer and the insulating layer sequentially and forming a movable body in the active layer; and

(d) joining a structure that has been manufactured in step (c), to the drive electrode unit such that the movable body faces the drive electrode.

10. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 6 wherein an insulating film is formed on an area to become the movable body and face the drive electrode before the movable body is formed, in step (c).

11. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 10 wherein the insulating film and an antireflection film are formed on an area to become the movable body before the movable body is formed, in step (c).

13. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 6 wherein an insulating film is formed on an area to face the movable body of the drive electrode, in step (a).

14. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 13 wherein the joining is implemented such that the drive electrode faces the active layer after an insulating film is formed on an area to face the drive electrode as the movable body of the active layer, in step (c).

15. The method of manufacturing a tunable optical filter according to claim 14 wherein the insulating film and an antireflection film are formed on an area to become the movable body of the active layer, in step (c).