Optical element, method for producing optical element, and optical system having the optical element

• US 6,262,847 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Seitoku
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, AUDREY Y
• Application Number:
  US09/450,678
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 359/359, 359/360, 359/580, 359/584, 359/585, 427/162, 427/166, 427/561
• US Class Current: 359/584
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers

Abstract

An optical element has a transparent substrate, an undercoat formed on the substrate, wherein the undercoat comprises dielectric multi-layered films, each film having a thickness in a range of 50 to 100 nm, and a reflective film formed on the undercoat.

Claims

1. An optical element comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an undercoat formed on the substrate, said undercoat comprising a first dielectric layer having a refractive index substantially the same as a refractive index of said substrate, a second dielectric layer having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said substrate, and a third dielectric layer having a refractive index lower than the refractive index of said substrate, wherein said first, second and third dielectric layers are successively laminated on said substrate in that order and each dielectric layer has a thickness within a range of 50 nm to 100 nm; and

a reflective film formed on said undercoat.

2. The optical element according to claim 1, further comprising an overcoat formed on said reflective film.

3. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein said reflective film is a metal film.

4. The optical element according to claim 3, wherein said reflective film is an Al (aluminum) film.

5. The optical element according to claim 3, wherein said reflective film is an Ag (silver) film.

6. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein each of said first, second and third dielectric layers comprises a material selected from the group consisting of SiO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, and mixtures thereof.

7. The optical element according to claim 6, wherein said first dielectric layer consists of SiO, said second dielectric layer consists of one of ZrO₂ and TiO₂, and said third dielectric layer consists of SiO₂.

8. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein said undercoat further comprises:

a fourth dielectric layer having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of said substrate; and

a fifth dielectric layer having a refractive index lower than the refractive index of said substrate,

wherein said forth and fifth dielectric layers are successively laminated on said third dielectric layer.

9. The optical element according to claim 8, wherein each of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth dielectric layers comprises a material selected from the group consisting of SiO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, TiO₂, Ta₂O₅ and mixtures thereof.

10. The optical element according to claim 9, wherein said first dielectric layer consists of SiO, said second and fourth dielectric layers consist of ZrO₂, and said third and fifth dielectric layers consist of SiO₂.