OPTICAL COMPONENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20130222913A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nikon-Essilor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TOMODA, Masaoki, Ito, Satoru, Ishimura, Kei, Okumura, Hirotatsu
• Granted Patent: US 10,371,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/513
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/221 Ion beam deposition C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/113 using inorganic layer materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/18 Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films G02B1/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/104 having spectral characteristics for purposes other than sun-protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/105 having inhomogeneously distributed colouring

Abstract

An optical component includes: a plastic base which has a convex surface and a concave surface; and a multilayer film which is disposed on at least the convex surface of the plastic base. The multilayer film has an average reflectivity of 2% to 10% over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm.

Claims

1. An optical component comprising:

a plastic base which has a convex surface and a concave surface; and

a multilayer film which is disposed on at least the convex surface of the plastic base,

wherein the multilayer film has an average reflectivity of 2% to 10% over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm.

2. The optical component according to claim 1,

wherein the multilayer film has a reflectivity of 1.5% or less over a wavelength range of 580 nm to 780 nm.

3. The optical component according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein an antireflection film having an average reflectivity of 1.5% or less over a wavelength range of 380 nm to 780 nm is disposed on the concave surface of the plastic base.

4. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the average reflectivity of the multilayer film disposed on the convex surface of the plastic base over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm is greater than the average reflectivity of the multilayer film disposed on the concave surface of the plastic base over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm.

5. The optical component according to claim 4,

wherein the average reflectivity of the multilayer film disposed on the convex surface of the plastic base over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm is 5% to 10%, and the average reflectivity of the multilayer film disposed on the concave surface of the plastic base over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm is 2% to 4%.

6. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

wherein the plastic base is colored and its transmissivity is 5% to 85%.

7. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

a water-and-oil repellent film including a fluorine-substituted alkyl group-containing organosilicon compound which is provided on the outermost layer of the multilayer film which is most distant from the plastic base.

8. The optical component according to claim 7,

wherein the fluorine-substituted alkyl group-containing organosilicon compound is at least one or more of the types of fluorine-substituted alkyl group-containing organosilicon compounds selected from among the following general formulas (1) to (6):

9. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein the multilayer film is a multilayer film of four or more layers.

10. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

wherein a functional thin film is provided between the plastic base and the multilayer film.

11. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 10,

wherein a dielectric film or a metallic film having a thickness of 20 nm or less is provided between a high refractive index material and a low refractive index material constituting the multilayer film.

12. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

wherein the high refractive index material includes zirconium dioxide, and the low refractive index material includes silicon dioxide.

13. The optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 12 for use in a spectacle lens.

14. A method of manufacturing the optical component according to any one of claims 1 to 13 which includes a plastic base which has a convex surface and a concave surface and a multilayer film which is disposed on at least the convex surface of the plastic base, the method comprising the steps of:

heating the plastic base; and

forming the multilayer film on the plastic base after adjusting the temperature of the plastic base to a predetermined temperature by the heating step,

wherein the step of forming the multilayer film has a process of forming a high refractive index layer having a multilayer structure by alternately applying a high refractive index material and a low refractive index material in multilayers, and a process of forming, on the high refractive index layer, a low refractive index layer having a lower refractive index than that of the high refractive index layer, and

wherein an average reflectivity of the multilayer film over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 500 nm is 2% to 10%.

15. The method of manufacturing the optical component according to claim 14,

wherein a step of forming the multilayer film using a vacuum deposition method is included.

16. The method of manufacturing the optical component according to claim 14 or 15,

wherein the step of forming the multilayer film includes a step of forming at least one of the layers constituting the multilayer film while carrying out ion beam assist.

17. The method of manufacturing the optical component according to claim 16,

wherein the ion beam assist is performed using at least one type of gas selected from among an inert gas, oxygen gas, and a mixed gas of inert gas and oxygen gas.

18. The method of manufacturing the optical component according to claim 17,

wherein the inert gas is argon.