Diffractive optical element, method of producing same, and optical apparatus

• US 6,999,235 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Assaf, Fayez G.
• Application Number:
  US10/940,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20050046947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 359/558, 359/565, 359/566, 359/569, 359/576, 359/353, 359/355, 359/356
• US Class Current: 359/576
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1814 structurally combined with one or more further optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms or other diffraction gratings G02B5/189 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1847 Manufacturing methods

Abstract

A diffractive optical element simultaneously realizes a plurality of optical functions and is small in size and excellent in productivity. The diffractive optical element has a multilayer member composed of a plurality of layers each of which is made of an optical material. Adjacent layers of the multilayer member are in contact with each other, and have different refractive indexes from each other. The multilayer member includes boundary faces between the contacted adjacent layers. Uneven patterns that cause transmitted light to undergo desired diffraction are formed on at least two faces of three faces including the boundary faces and outer surfaces of the multilayer member. The uneven patterns formed on different faces have different shapes or sizes in the direction of the layers of the multilayer member.

Claims

1. A diffractive optical element, comprising

a multilayer member composed of a plurality of layers each of which is made of an optical material, wherein:

adjacent layers in the multilayer member are in contact with each other, and have different refractive indexes from each other;

the multilayer member has therein one or more boundary face(s) between the contacted adjacent layers;

an uneven pattern is formed on each of at least two faces of three or more faces including the one or more boundary face(s) and outer surfaces of the multilayer member, the uneven pattern causing transmitted light to undergo an intended diffraction;

the uneven patterns formed on different faces have at least one of different shapes and different sizes from each other in a direction in which the layers of the multilayer member extend, such that the uneven patterns do not match each other when viewed in a direction that is orthogonal to the direction in which the layers extend; and

a difference in the refractive indexes between all the adjacent layers on which the uneven patterns are formed is more than 0.01, and all the uneven patterns that are formed on the boundary face of the adjacent layers have heights that are set by taking into consideration the difference of the refractive indexes between the adjacent layers.

2. The diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the multilayer member includes two or more resin layers each of which is made of a resin optical material;

at least two of the two or more resin layers are in contact with each other at their adjacent positions; and

at least one of the uneven patterns is formed on a boundary face between the contacted resin layers.

3. An optical apparatus, comprising

the diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the diffractive optical element is disposed in a predetermined optical path of the optical apparatus such that the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross the predetermined optical path.

4. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

the optical apparatus uses a laser beam;

each of the layers of the diffractive optical element is made of an optical material that is transparent in a wavelength band of the laser beam; and

the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross an optical path of the laser beam.

5. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the wavelength band of the laser beam used by the optical apparatus is an infrared wavelength band of 1.4 μ

m to 1.7 μ

m.

6. An optical apparatus, comprising

the diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the diffractive optical element is disposed in a predetermined optical path of the optical apparatus such that the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross the predetermined optical path.

7. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

the optical apparatus uses a laser beam;

each of the layers of the diffractive optical element is made of an optical material that is transparent in a wavelength band of the laser beam; and

the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross an optical path of the laser beam.

8. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the wavelength band of the laser beam used by the optical apparatus is an infrared wavelength band of 1.4 μ

m to 1.7 μ

m.

9. A diffractive optical element, comprising

a multilayer member composed of three or more layers each of which is made of an optical material, wherein:

adjacent layers in the multilayer member are in contact with each other, and have different refractive indexes from each other;

the multilayer member has therein two or more boundary faces between the contacted adjacent layers;

an uneven pattern is formed on each of at least two of the two or more boundary faces, the uneven pattern causing transmitted light to undergo an intended diffraction;

the uneven patterns formed on different faces have at least one of different shapes and different sizes from each other in a direction in which the layers of the multilayer member extend, such that the uneven patterns do not match each other when viewed in a direction that is orthogonal to the direction in which the layers extend; and

a difference in the refractive indexes between all the adjacent layers on which the uneven patterns are formed is more than 0.01, and all the uneven patterns that are formed on the boundary face of the adjacent layers have heights that are set by taking into consideration the difference of the refractive indexes between the adjacent layers.

10. The diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

the multilayer member includes two or more resin layers each of which is made of a resin optical material;

at least two of the two or more resin layers are in contact with each other at their adjacent positions; and

at least one of the uneven patterns is formed on a boundary face between the contacted resin layers.

11. An optical apparatus, comprising

the diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 10, wherein

the diffractive optical element is disposed in a predetermined optical path of the optical apparatus such that the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross the predetermined optical path.

12. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

the optical apparatus uses a laser beam;

each of the layers of the diffractive optical element is made of an optical material that is transparent in a wavelength band of the laser beam; and

the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross an optical path of the laser beam.

13. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the wavelength band of the laser beam used by the optical apparatus is an infrared wavelength band of 1.4 μ

m to 1.7 μ

m.

14. An optical apparatus, comprising

the diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the diffractive optical element is disposed in a predetermined optical path of the optical apparatus such that the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross the predetermined optical path.

15. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

the optical apparatus uses a laser beam;

each of the layers of the diffractive optical element is made of an optical material that is transparent in a wavelength band of the laser beam; and

the faces on which the uneven patterns are formed cross an optical path of the laser beam.

16. The optical apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein

the wavelength band of the laser beam used by the optical apparatus is an infrared wavelength band of 1.4 μ

m to 1.7 μ

m.

17. A method of producing a diffractive optical element composed of layers, in which uneven patterns are formed between two adjacent layers, respectively, to cause transmitted light to undergo an intended diffraction, and the uneven patterns have, at least one of different shapes and different sizes from each other in a direction in which the layers extend, such that the uneven patterns do not match each other when viewed in a direction that is orthogonal to the direction in which the layers extend, the method comprising:

a first step of forming a first uneven pattern on a surface of a layer made of a predetermined optical material; and

a second step of forming a resin layer made of a resin optical material on the first uneven pattern and forming a second uneven pattern on a surface of the resin layer, the resin optical material having a refractive index that is different from a refractive index of the predetermined optical material,

wherein the first uneven pattern has a height that is set by taking into consideration a difference in the refractive indexes between the predetermined optical material and the resin layer formed on the first uneven pattern, and the difference in the refractive indexes between the predetermined optical material and the resin layer is more than 0.01, and

wherein the second step comprises;

a first sub step of coating a non-cured material of the resin optical material on the first uneven pattern;

a second sub step of bringing a mold having an inverted shape of the second uneven pattern into contact with the non-cured material; and

a third sub step of curing the non-cured material with the mold contacted therewith.

18. The method of producing a diffractive optical element as set forth in claim 17, wherein in the third sub step the non-cured material is cured by light radiation.