Deformable mirror device

• US 20070258158A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Sunao, Yamada, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,837,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/847
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/1822 comprising means for aligning the optical axis G02B7/1821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/0013 for carriers having multiple discrete layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1362 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/13927 during transducing, e.g. to correct for variation of the spherical aberration due to disc tilt or irregularities in the cover layer thickness

Abstract

A deformable mirror device includes a flexible member formed so as to be deformable and having a mirror surface formed on its front surface, and a pressure generating section configured so that a direction of generation of a pressure to be applied to the flexible member is variable.

Claims

1. A deformable mirror device, comprising:

a flexible member formed so as to be deformable and having a mirror surface formed on its front surface; and

pressure generating means configured so that a direction of generation of a pressure to be applied to the flexible member is variable.

2. The deformable mirror device according to claim 1,

wherein the flexible member has a cross-sectional profile such that its thickness is largest in the outermost peripheral portion and decreases in a stepwise fashion from the center of the mirror surface toward an outer periphery.

3. The deformable mirror device according to claim 1,

wherein the pressure generating means comprises a pressure applying section to apply a pressure to a surface of the flexible member opposite to the mirror surface, the pressure generating means being configured to impart driving forces independently to a plurality of locations on the pressure applying section.

4. The deformable mirror device according to claim 3,

wherein the pressure generating means includes the pressure applying section having different coils wound at a plurality of locations, and a magnetic member provided in correspondence with each of the coils, the pressure generating means being configured to be impart driving forces independently to a plurality of locations on the pressure applying section by supplying driving electric power independently to each of the coils.

5. The deformable mirror device according to claim 3,

wherein the pressure generating means comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements each secured to the pressure applying section, the pressure generating means being configured to impart driving forces independently to a plurality of locations on the pressure applying section by supplying driving electric power independently to each of the piezoelectric elements.

6. The deformable mirror device according to claim 5,

wherein the pressure applying section comprises a bar-shaped portion formed so as to project with respect to the surface of the flexible member opposite to the mirror surface.

7. An optical pickup apparatus comprising:

an objective lens;

a semiconductor laser;

a detector; and

a deformable mirror device,

wherein the deformable mirror device includes a flexible member formed so as to be deformable and having a mirror surface formed on its front surface, and pressure generating means configured so that a direction of generation of a pressure to be applied to the flexible member is variable.

8. A deformable mirror device, comprising:

a flexible member formed so as to be deformable and having a mirror surface formed on its front surface; and

a pressure generating section configured so that a direction of generation of a pressure to be applied to the flexible member is variable.