Lens for a light detector

• US 6,114,688 A
• Filed: 08/24/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kozo, Kamiyama, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R
• Application Number:
  US09/138,679
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 250/216, 250/208.1, 250/214 R, 250/214.1, 250/353, 359/708, 359/710, 359/719, 359/741, 359/742, 359/743
• US Class Current: 250/216
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction

Abstract

A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface, a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to a light detecting surface, at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, a light detecting surface, and in a cross-sectional view along the axis Z of the light detector, one end of the lens is comprised of a central spherically curved surface having a first radius of curvature, and a peripheral spherically curved surface having a second radius of curvature. In another aspect of the invention, a flat surface is further arranged between the central spherically curved surface and the peripheral spherically curved surface. In the invention, the lens is comprised of just one lens element, and is formed by resin molding.

Claims

1. A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface with at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, and a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens being positioned to surround the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens further comprising:

a central spherically curved outer surface portion having a first radius of curvature; and

a peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion having a second radius of curvature.

2. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein an internal diameter of the peripheral spherically curved surface is equal to a diameter of the central spherically curved surface.

3. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein an internal diameter of the peripheral spherically curved surface is greater than a diameter of the central spherically curved surface.

4. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein a length of the cylindrical converging lens on a focusing direction is equal to or less than a maximum length for mounting the light detector on a substrate.

5. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical converging lens is formed by resin molding.

13. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical converging lens further comprises a flat outer surface portion arranged between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the peripheral spherically outer curved surface portion.

14. The light detector according to claim 13, wherein the flat outer surface portion is substantially parallel to the light detecting surface.

15. The light detector according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the cylindrical converging lens is discontinuous at a border between the peripheral spherically outer curved surface portion and the central spherically curved outer surface portion.

16. The light detector according to claim 15, wherein the cylindrical converging lens is symmetrical, and the curvature of the cylindrical converging lens is discontinuous at a border located on either side of a plane of symmetry for said converging lens and between the peripheral spherically outer curved surface portion and the central spherically curved outer surface portion.

17. The light detector according to claim 13, wherein the curvature of the cylindrical converging lens is discontinuous at a border between the peripheral spherically outer curved surface portion and the flat outer surface portion and at a border between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the flat outer surface portion.

6. A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface, at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens being positioned to surround the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens further comprising:

a central spherically curved outer surface portion having a first radius of curvature; and

a peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion having a second radius of curvature, wherein the central spherically curved outer surface portion has a maximum height measured along an axis extending from the photo sensing chip that is approximately equal to a maximum height of the peripheral spherically curved portion measured along said axis such that a height of the cylindrical converging lens is reduced.

7. The light detector according to claim 6, wherein an internal diameter of the peripheral spherically curved surface is larger than a diameter of the central spherically curved surface.

8. The light detector according to claim 6, wherein a length of the cylindrical converging lens on a focusing direction is equal to or less than a maximum length for mounting the light detector on a substrate.

9. The light detector according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical converging lens is formed by resin molding.

18. The light detector according to claim 6, wherein the cylindrical converging lens further comprises a flat outer surface portion arranged between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion.

10. A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface, at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens being positioned to surround the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens further comprising:

a central spherically curved outer surface portion having a first radius of curvature and a first maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface;

a peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion having a second radius of curvature and a second maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface; and

a flat surface portion arranged between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion, having a third maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface,

wherein the first, second, and third maximum vertical distances from the light detecting surface are equal.

11. A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface, at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens being positioned to surround the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens further comprising:

a central spherically curved outer surface portion having a first radius of curvature and a first maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface;

a peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion having a second radius of curvature and a second maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface; and

a flat surface portion arranged between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the peripheral spherically curved surface, having a third maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface less than the first and second maximum vertical distances from the light detecting surface.

12. A light detector comprising a photo sensing chip having a light detecting surface, at least one electrode connected to the photo sensing chip, a cylindrical converging lens to collect incident light from different directions to the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens being positioned to surround the light detecting surface, the cylindrical converging lens further comprising:

a central spherically curved outer surface portion having a first radius of curvature and a first maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface;

a peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion having a second radius of curvature and a second maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface; and

a flat surface portion arranged between the central spherically curved outer surface portion and the peripheral spherically curved outer surface portion, having a third maximum vertical distance from the light detecting surface equal to the second and less than the first maximum vertical distances from the light detecting surface.