Ophthalmic antireflection coatings with metal, dielectric, substrate, metal, dielectric in sequence

• US 4,070,097 A
• Filed: 11/08/1976
• Issued: 01/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Gelber, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US05/739,478
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 350/164, 350/165, 350/166, 350/163, 350/314, 350/2, 428/432, 428/433, 427/164-168, 351/44
• US Class Current: 359/581
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/116 including electrically conducting layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/02 Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses

Abstract

Ophthalmic anti-reflection coating for use on spectacles with lenses having an eye side and an outside. A first coating is disposed on the eye side of each lens and the second coating is disposed on the outside of each lens. The first and second coatings are formed of a metal layer and a dielectric layer having a low index of refraction. The metal layer in the first coating is adjacent the lens on the eye side and the dielectric layer in the second coating is adjacent the lens on the outside.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic anti-reflection coating structure for use on spectacles for the eyes of a wearer having at least one lens comprised of a convex surface and a concave surface having a first coating on the convex surface and a second coating on the concave surface, each coating surface and a second concave surface consisting of a metal layer and a dielectric layer having a low index of refraction in the range of 1.38 to 1.45, the reflection of each coating being asymmetric on opposite sides and being lower than the transmission on both sides the metal layer being nearer the convex surface than the dielectric layer on the convex surface and the dielectric layer being nearer the concave surface than the metal layer on the concave surface.

2. A coating as in claim 1 wherein said metal is a material comprised essentially of nickel and chromium and wherein said dielectric is magnesium fluoride.

3. A coating as in claim 1 wherein said dielectric layer has a substantially quarter wave optical thickness at the design wave length at approximately 550 nanometers.

4. A coating as in claim 1 wherein said metal layer has a thickness ranging from 10 to 40 Angstroms.

5. A coating as in claim 1 wherein the transmissivity of the lens with coatings on the first and second surface is in the vicinity of approximately 85%.

6. A spectacle for the eyes of a wearer comprising a glass substrate having a first concave and a second convex surface, a first coating disposed on said first surface and a second coating disposed on said second surface, said first and second coatings each consisting of a relatively thin metal layer having a thickness of approximately 10-40 nanometers and a dielectric layer having a low index of refraction in the vicinity of 1.38 to 1.45, said metal layer of the first coating being adjacent the first surface and said metal layer of the second coating being remote from the second surface, each of the first and second coatings being asymmetric by reflection on opposite sides and having a reflection which is low in comparison to the transmission.

7. A spectacle as in claim 6 wherein said dielectric layer is formed of magnesium fluoride having a thickness of approximately one quarter of the design wave length of approximately 550 nanometers of the coating.

8. A spectacle as in claim 6 wherein said metal is a material comprising essentially nickel and chromium having a thickness ranging from 10 to 40 Angstroms.

9. A spectacle as in claim 6 wherein the substrate with the first and second coatings disposed on the first and second surfaces has a transmissivity in the vicinity of approximately 885%.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a substrate having a first concave surface and a second convex surface, a first coating disposed on said first surface and a second coating disposed on said second surface, said first and second coatings each consisting of a relatively thin metal layer and a dielectric layer having a low index of refraction in the vicinity of 1.38 to 1.45, said metal layer of the first coating being adjacent the first surface and the metal layer of the second coating being remote from the second surface, each of the first and second surfaces with the first and second coatings thereon being asymmetric by reflection on opposite sides and having a reflection which is low in comparison to the transmission said coatings providing a combined fingerprint visibility as viewed from outside the convex surface of less than approximately 0.06.