Optical retarders and methods of making the same

• US 20070165308A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Abraxis Biosensors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Abraxis Biosensors, LLC
• Inventors: Wang, Jian, Deng, Xuegong
• Application Number:
  US11/300,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/494
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001

Abstract

In one aspect, the disclosure features an article that includes a first layer having spaced-apart rows of a first material, and a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer having spaced-apart rows of a second material. The rows of the first layer extend along a first direction and the rows of the second layer extend along a second direction non-parallel with the first direction and each layer is independently birefringent for light of a wavelength λ propagating along an axis that intersects the first and second layers, where λ is in a range from about 150 nm to about 5,000 nm.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a first layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a first material, and

a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a second material,

wherein the rows of the first layer extend along a first direction and the rows of the second layer extend along a second direction non-parallel with the first direction and each layer is independently birefringent for light of a wavelength λ

propagating along an axis that intersects the first and second layers, where λ

is in a range from about 150 nm to about 5,000 nm.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second materials are different.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second materials is a dielectric material.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second materials is a dielectric material selected from a group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second materials is a nanolaminate material.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second materials is a nanolaminate material comprising one or more materials selected from a group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

7. The article of claim 1, further comprising a third layer supported by the second layer and comprising spaced-apart rows of a third material extending along a third direction that is non-parallel with at least one of the first and second directions and wherein the third layer is birefringent for light of wavelength λ

propagating along an axis that intersects the first, second, and third layers.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein the third direction of the rows of the third material is parallel with one of the first and second directions.

9. The article of claim 7, wherein the third direction of the rows of the third material is non-parallel with both of the first and second directions.

10. The article of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third materials comprises a dielectric material selected from a group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein each of the first, second, and third materials is a nanolaminate material independently selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer further comprises rows of a third material alternating with the spaced-apart rows of the first material and extending along the first direction, the third material being different from the first material.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the third material defines a substrate, the rows of the third material are defined by walls of trenches within the substrate, and the first material is disposed within the trenches.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the first and third materials are dielectric materials.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the first material is a nanolaminate material.

17. The article of claim 13, further comprising a layer of the first material disposed between the rows of the first layer and the rows of the second layer.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the layer of the first material is contiguous with the rows of the first material of the first layer.

19. The article of claim 18, further comprising an antireflection film disposed between the layer of the first material and the rows of the second material of the second layer.

20. The article of claim 13, wherein the second layer further comprises rows of a fourth material alternating with the spaced-apart rows of the second material and extending along the second direction, the fourth material being different from the second material.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the fourth material defines a substrate, the rows of the fourth material are defined by walls of trenches within the substrate, and the second material is disposed within the trenches.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the second and fourth materials are dielectric materials.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the first material and second materials comprise one or more materials selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, SiN_x, Si, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, HfO₂, Nb₂O₅, and MgF₂.

24. The article of claim 1, wherein an angle between the first and second directions is at least about 10°

.

28. The article of claim 1, wherein an angle between the first and second directions is about 80°

or less.

30. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer is a monolithic layer.

32. The article of claim 30, wherein the second layer is a monolithic layer.

33. The article of claim 1, further comprising an antireflection film disposed between the first and second layers.

34. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers each independently have an optical retardation of at least about 1 nm for light of the wavelength λ

.

40. The article of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second layers has an optical retardation that is greater than the optical retardation of the other layer, a difference between the optical retardations of the first and second layers is at least about 1 nm for light of the wavelength λ

.

43. The article of claim 1, wherein a combined thickness of the first and second layers is about 9 microns or less.

46. The article of claim 43, wherein the first and second layers each independently have a thickness of about 5 microns or less.

49. The article of claim 1, wherein centers of successive rows of the first layer are spaced apart by about 400 nm or less.

58. The article of claim 1, wherein the article retards incident radiation at wavelengths λ

₁ and λ

₂ by respective amounts Γ

₁ and Γ

₂, where |λ

₁−

λ

₂| is at least about 15 nm, Γ

₁ and Γ

₂ are substantially equal, and both λ

₁ and λ

₂ are in a range from about 150 nm to about 5,000 nm.

66. A system, comprising:

the article of claim 58, and

a polarizer,

wherein the article and polarizer are configured so that during operation the polarizer substantially polarizes radiation of wavelengths λ

₁ and λ

₂ prior to the radiation being received by the article.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the article transmits radiation received by the article and the system further comprises a second polarizer configured so that during operation the second polarizer receives radiation after the radiation is transmitted by the article.

68. A system, comprising:

the article of claim 1, and

a polarizer,

wherein the article and polarizer are configured so that during operation the polarizer substantially polarizes radiation of a wavelength λ

prior to the radiation being received by the article.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the article transmits radiation received by the article and the system further comprises a second polarizer configured so that during operation the second polarizer receives radiation after the radiation is transmitted by the article.

25-27. -27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

35-39. -39. (canceled)

41-42. -42. (canceled)

44-45. -45. (canceled)

47-48. -48. (canceled)

50-57. -57. (canceled)

59-65. -65. (canceled)

70. An article, comprising:

a first layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a first material, centers of adjacent rows of the first material being spaced apart by about 400 nm or less, and

a second layer supported by the first layer, the second layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a second material, centers of adjacent rows of the second material being spaced apart by about 400 nm or less;

wherein the rows of the first layer extend along a first direction and the rows of the second layer extend along a second direction non-parallel with the first direction.

71-95. -95. (canceled)

96. A method, comprising:

forming a first layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a first material using atomic layer deposition, the rows of the first material extending along a first direction, and

disposing a second layer over first layer, the second layer comprising spaced-apart rows of a second material extending along a second direction non-parallel with the first direction.

97-104. -104. (canceled)