Electro-optical component including a fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) protective coating and related methods

• US 6,678,082 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North South Holdings Incorporated (Spherix Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pike, Randy T., Adkins, Calvin Lee, Bryant, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRA, TUYEN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/952,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 359/245, 359/246, 359/251, 359/252, 359/254, 359/255, 359/256, 359/239, 359/315, 359/322, 359/323, 359/900, 385/8, 385/2, 385/3, 372/12
• US Class Current: 359/245
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/4025 (I) or (II) containing fluorine other than as leaving group (X)
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 171/00 Coating compositions based on polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain based on polyacetals C09D159/00; based on epoxy resins C09D163/00; based on polythioether-ethers C09D181/02; based on polyethersulfones C09D181/06; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A method for applying a protective coating to an electro-optical component includes positioning the electro-optical component in a chamber and applying a coating composition to at least one surface of the electro-optical component to form the protective coating thereon. The coating composition may include fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) and an anti-reflection agent. The anti-reflection agent may include at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant, for example.

Claims

1. A method for applying a protective coating to an electro-optical component comprising:

positioning the electro-optical component in a chamber; and

applying a coating composition comprising fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) and an anti-reflection agent to at least one surface of the electro-optical device to form the protective coating thereon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the coating composition comprises at least one of spray coating and spin coating.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the coating composition comprises applying the coating composition to form a conformal protective coating on substantially the entire at least one surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-reflection agent comprises at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the protective coating has a thickness of less than about 25 μ

m.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising cleaning the at least one surface prior to applying the coating composition.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising heating the electro-optical component during applying the coating composition.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein heating comprises heating at a temperature in a range of about 25 to 100°

C.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising curing the protective coating of the electro-optical component in the chamber for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electro-optical component comprises at least one of a micro-optoelectromechanical system (MOEMS), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an optical switch, a mirror array, an optic router, an optical wavelength conditioner, an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, an optical transceiver, a laser diode, a holographic grating, a diffraction grating, and a lens.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one surface is non-planar.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating composition further comprises a solvent.

13. A method for applying a protective coating to an electro-optical component comprising:

positioning the electro-optical component within a vacuum chamber;

evacuating the vacuum chamber; and

spraying at least one surface of the electro-optical component with a coating composition comprising fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) and an anti-reflection agent to form the protective coating thereon.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein spraying the at least one surface comprises spraying to form a conformal protective coating on substantially the entire at least one surface.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the anti-reflection agent comprises at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein evacuating the vacuum chamber comprises evacuating the vacuum chamber to a pressure of about 1×

10<sup>−

4</sup> Torr to 1×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Torr.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the protective coating has a thickness of less than about 3 μ

m.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising cleaning the at least one surface prior to spraying.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising heating the electro-optical component during spraying.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein heating comprises heating at a temperature in a range of about 70 to 100°

C.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising curing the protective coating of the electro-optical component in the vacuum chamber for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the electro-optical component comprises at least one of a micro-optoelectromechanical system (MOEMS), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an optical switch, a mirror array, an optic router, an optical wavelength conditioner, an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, an optical transceiver, a laser diode, a holographic grating, a diffraction grating, and a lens.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one surface is non-planar.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the coating composition further comprises a solvent.

25. A method for re-working an electro-optical component including a fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) (12F-PEK) protective coating thereon comprising:

removing the 12F-PEK protective coating to expose at least one portion of the electro-optical component; and

applying a coating composition comprising fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) (12F-PEK) and an anti-reflection agent to the at least one exposed portion of the electro-optical component.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein applying the 12F-PEK comprises:

positioning the electro-optical device within a vacuum chamber;

evacuating the vacuum chamber; and

spraying the electro-optical device with the 12F-PEK.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein applying the 12F-PEK comprises at least one of spray coating and spin coating.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the anti-reflection agent comprises at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the protective coating has a thickness of less than about 25 μ

m.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising cleaning the at least one surface prior to applying the coating composition.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising heating the electro-optical component during applying the coating composition.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein heating comprises heating at a temperature in a range of about 25 to 100°

C.

33. The method of claim 25 further comprising curing the protective coating of the electro-optical component in the chamber for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the electro-optical component comprises at least one of a micro-optoelectromechanical system (MOEMS), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an optical switch, a mirror array, an optic router, an optical wavelength conditioner, an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, an optical transceiver, a laser diode, a holographic grating, a diffraction grating, and a lens.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein the coating composition further comprises a solvent.

36. An electro-optical component comprising:

a substrate and at least one electro-optical device thereon; and

a protective coating on said substrate and said at least one electro-optical device comprising fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) and an anti-reflection agent.

37. The electro-optical component of claim 36 wherein the anti-reflection agent comprises at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant.

38. The electro-optical component of claim 36 wherein the protective coating has a thickness of less than about 3 μ

m.

39. The electro-optical component of claim 36 wherein the at least one electro-optical device has a non-planar surface, and wherein the protective coating substantially covers the non-planar surface.

40. The electro-optical component of claim 36 wherein the electro-optical device comprises at least one of a micro-optoelectromechanical system (MOEMS), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), an optical switch, a mirror array, an optic router, an optical wavelength conditioner, an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, an optical transceiver, a laser dode, a holographic grating, a diffraction grating, and a lens.

41. A coating for an electro-optical component comprising:

a solvent;

fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone); and

an anti-reflection agent.

42. The coating of claim 41 wherein said anti-reflection agent comprises at least one of an inorganic salt, an organofunctionalized additive, and an erbium dopant.

43. The coating of claim 41 wherein the coating comprises about 2.0 to 8.5% by weight of the fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) and about 1.0 to 6.0% by weight of the anti-reflection agent.