Method for making a member having microstructure elements arranged thereon

• US 4,523,807 A
• Filed: 05/25/1984
• Issued: 06/18/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): ADAMS JR, RUSSELL E
• Application Number:
  US06/614,398
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 350/127, 350/128, 350/67, 350/417, 350/431, 350/162 ZP, 354/200
• US Class Current: 359/455
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0215 the surface having a regular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0221 the surface having an irregular structure G02B5/0226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0268 characterized by the fabrication or manufacturing method

Abstract

Method for a member having microstructure elements arranged thereon. Three or more coherent beams are projected on a recording material from finite angular directions relative to each other to form a pattern on the recording material. The pattern recorded on the recording material is subjected to a developing treatment to obtain microstructure elements.

Claims

1. A method of making a microstructure member, comprising:

providing light beams which are emitted from an arrangement of two or more light sources and which are interferable with one another;

superposing the light beams axially without re-imaging to produce equally spaced interference fringes having two-dimensional monotonous periodicity; and

exposing a recording medium to the produced interference fringes with a fixed relative position between the interference fringes and the recording medium.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes three point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said three point light sources being located on a circle.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes three point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said three point light sources being located on an ellipse.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes three point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said three point light sources being located at apexes of a substantially equilateral triangle.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes four point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said four point light sources being located on a circle.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes four point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said four point light sources being located on an ellipse.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes four point light sources for emitting beams which are interferable with one another, said four point light sources being located at apexes of square.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light source arrangement includes four point light sources located at apexes of lozenge.

9. An image projection screen, such as a focussing screen of a camera produced by a method according to any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein the microstructure is of a relief type.

10. An image projection screen having a microstructure member prepared by the method according to any one of claims 9 through 8, wherein said microstructure member has a periodic structure (ls/mm), and the resolving power (li/mm) of a projected image on said screen and the resolving power (lo/mm) of a projected image observation system to the pattern on said screen are related according to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">lo≃

ls˜

li (difference between ls and li) (1)

or

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">lo>

ls˜

li (2).

11. A microstructure member produced by a method according to any one of claims 1 through 8, which has a mesh structure through which a material is passed.