Methods and apparatus for creating an aspheric optical element and the aspheric optical elements formed thereby
First Claim
1. A method of coating a combiner substrate to create an aspheric combiner, the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a mask in an aligned relation with the combiner substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the combiner substrate is exposed;
rotating at least one of the mask and the combiner substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the combiner substrate; and
depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the combiner substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the combiner substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric combiner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for coating optical substrates, such as a combiner substrate, is provided so as to create aspheric optical elements, such as aspheric combiners for heads up displays. Due to its asphericity, the aspheric optical element, such as an aspheric combiner, can compensate or correct for optical aberrations within an optical system, such as a heads up display. However, the coating method and apparatus of the present invention allows aspheric optical elements, including aspheric combiners, to be repeatedly fabricated in a less expensive manner. The coating apparatus includes a fixture for holding an optical substrate, such as a combiner substrate, in a predetermined aligned relation with a mask. The mask defines an opening having a predetermined shape which varies in at least one radial direction and through which a portion of the optical substrate is exposed. By creating a relative rotation between the mask and the optical substrate, an aspheric dielectric layer can be deposited on the substrate, such as via ion assisted deposition, which has a thickness which varies in a predetermined manner along at least one radial direction in correspondence to the predetermined shape of the opening defined by the mask. In order to create an aspheric combiner, a reflection coating can then be deposited upon the aspheric dielectric coating to reflect visual images provided by a cathode ray tube of the heads up display to the pilot without undesirable aberrations.
102 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of coating a combiner substrate to create an aspheric combiner, the method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a mask in an aligned relation with the combiner substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the combiner substrate is exposed; rotating at least one of the mask and the combiner substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the combiner substrate; and depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the combiner substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the combiner substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric combiner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for coating a combiner substrate to create an aspheric combiner, the apparatus comprising:
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a mask which defines an opening having a shape which varies in at least one radial direction; a fixture for holding said mask and the combiner substrate in an aligned relation such that a portion of the combiner substrate is exposed through the opening defined by said mask; rotation means, operably connected to said fixture, for rotating at least one of said mask and the combiner substrate to create a relative rotation between said mask and the combiner substrate; and deposition means for depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the combiner substrate exposed by the opening defined by said mask while said rotation means creates the relative rotation between said mask and the combiner substrate, wherein the aspheric dielectric layer deposited by said deposition means has a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by said mask to thereby create an aspheric combiner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An aspheric combiner comprising:
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a combiner substrate having a first surface with a first shape; an aspheric dielectric layer disposed on the first surface of said combiner substrate, wherein said aspheric dielectric layer has a thickness which varies in a radial direction to thereby create a second surface with a second shape, different than the first shape; and a reflection coating disposed on the second surface of said aspheric dielectric layer, wherein said reflection coating is comprised of at least one dielectric layer which at least partially reflects light having a wavelength within a range of wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of coating an optical substrate to create an aspheric optical element, the method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a mask in an aligned relation with the optical substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the optical substrate is exposed; rotating at least one of the mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the optical substrate; and depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the optical substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for coating an optical substrate to create an aspheric optical element, the apparatus comprising:
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a mask which defines an opening having a shape which varies in at least one radial direction; a fixture for holding said mask and the optical substrate in an aligned relation such that a portion of the optical substrate is exposed through the opening defined by said mask; rotation means, operably connected to said fixture, for rotating at least one of said mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between said mask and the optical substrate; and deposition means for depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by said mask while said rotation means creates the relative rotation between said mask and the optical substrate, wherein the aspheric dielectric layer deposited by said deposition means has a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by said mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. An aspheric optical element fabricated according to a coating process comprising the steps of:
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positioning a mask in an aligned relation with an optical substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the optical substrate is exposed; rotating at least one of the mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the optical substrate; and depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the optical substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification