Multilayer film structure

• US 5,461,516 A
• Filed: 09/09/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasahara, Takashi, Kawano, Yoshihiro, Sano, Yoshiaki, Yamauchi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E.
• Application Number:
  US08/118,241
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 359/885, 359/890, 359/891, 359/896, 359/227, 359/358, 359/886, 385/130, 385/122, 356/432, 356/441
• US Class Current: 359/890
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/10 Optical coatings produced by application to, or surface treatment of, optical elements G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/14 affording illumination for phase-contrast observation

Abstract

A multilayer film structure includes a light absorption layer and a transparent layer so that a phase in the light absorption layer and a phase in the transparent layer have substantially constant values, irrespective of wavelengths of light transmitted through both the layers.

Claims

1. A multilayer film structure comprising:

at least two light absorption layers; and

at least two transparent layers;

said absorption layers including at least one kind of metal, wherein a spectral phase difference between light transmitted through said multilayer film structure and light transmitted through other portion excluding said multilayer film structure is approximately 90°

in the whole range of wavelength of visible light.

2. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1, wherein values of spectral absorption coefficients in substances of said light absorption layers are small on a short wavelength side and larger on a long wavelength side.

4. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1, wherein said multilayer film structure is composed of dielectric layers and metallic layers formed on a substrate, and wherein when the number of layers is taken as M and is even, one of [(M/2)±

n]-th layers [where n=0, 1, 2, . . . , {(M/2)-2}] is made of SiO₂ and when the number of layers M is odd, one of [{(M+1)/2}±

n]-th layers [where n=0, 1, 2, . . . , {[(M+1)/2]-2}] is made of SiO₂.

5. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said multilayer film structure is composed of dielectric layers and metallic layers formed on a substrate and at least one dielectric layer is made of cryolite.

6. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one of said two transparent layers is provided between said two light absorption layers so that reflecting light from one of said two light absorption layers is offset by reflecting light from the other light absorption layer, and the other transparent layer has a function of adjusting the phase difference.

7. A multilayer film structure according to claim 6, wherein each of said light absorption layers includes one of Ni, Ti, Cr, Ag, Pt, Al, nickel-chrome, Inconel, and metal oxides.

8. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one of a first layer and a last layer of said multilayer film structure is one of the transparent layers and a thickness of said one of said first or last layer satisfies a condition

9. A multilayer film structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a refractive index of each of said transparent layers satisfies a condition

10. A multilayer film structure according to claim 9, wherein each of said transparent layers includes one of MgF₂, SiO₂, and Na₃ AlF₆.

3. A multilayer film structure comprising;

at least two light absorption layers; and

at least two transparent layers;

said absorption layers including at least one kind of metal, wherein a spectral phase difference between light transmitted through said multilayer film structure and light transmitted through other portion excluding said multilayer film structure is approximately 0°

in the whole range of wavelength of visible light.

11. A multilayer film structure according to claim 3, wherein one of said two transparent layers is provided between said two light absorption layers so that reflecting light from one of said two light absorption layers is offset by reflecting light from the other light absorption layer, and the other transparent layer has a function of adjusting the phase difference.

12. A multilayer film structure according to claim 11, wherein each of said light absorption layers includes one of Ni, Ti, Cr, Ag, Pt, Al, nickel-chrome, Inconel, and metal oxides.

13. A multilayer film structure according to claim 3, wherein one of a first layer and a last layer of said multilayer film structure is one of the transparent layers and a thickness of said one of said first or last layer satisfies a condition

14. A multilayer film structure according to claim 3, wherein a refractive index of each of said transparent layers satisfies a condition

15. A multilayer film structure according to claim 14, wherein each of said transparent layers includes one of MgF₂, SiO₂, and Na₃ AlF₆.