Distributed refractive index lens and method for manufacturing the same

• US 7,710,657 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Hidenobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Spector; David N
• Application Number:
  US11/813,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20090052048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 264/1.38, 264/2.7, 348/46, 348/49, 348/54, 348/59, 359/652, 359/653, 359/654, 385/120, 385/129, 427/510, 427/515
• US Class Current: 359/654
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0894 provided with masks or diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/001 Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00028 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/00 Optical elements, e.g. lenses, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 183/16 in which all the silicon atoms are connected by linkages other than oxygen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0087 with index gradient

Abstract

A distributed refractive index lens and method of producing the lens are disclosed. The lens has a plurality of areas having refractive index distributions, and includes a plate-like member containing polysilane. The refractive index distribution of these areas is a distribution that includes a change in a refractive index in a direction parallel to a plane of the plate-like member, and includes a substantial uniform refractive index in a direction perpendicular to the plane.

Claims

1. A production method of a distributed refractive index lens comprising a plurality of areas having refractive index distribution, said production method including:

a first step of supplying a base material containing polysilane as a main ingredient; and

a second step of applying ultraviolet rays having an intensity distribution to said base material to form said refractive index distribution on said base material;

wherein a center axis of a change of a refractive index in said each area is orthogonal with respect to a direction of an ultraviolet-exposure to said polysilane.

2. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 1, wherein said refractive index distribution on each of said plurality of areas has a maximum refractive index distributed at a location of said center axis, as a maximum portion, and includes a change in said refractive index decreasing with distance from said location of said center axis in said area including said maximum refractive index.

3. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 2, wherein said base material in which said areas have been formed is a member in which siloxane structures are distributed in said base material containing polysilane as a main ingredient such that said refractive index distribution correlates with the distribution of the siloxane structures in the base material.

4. A three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 2; and

a display device array placed on a side of one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens and having a plurality of display devices facing maximum parts of a plurality of refractive index distributions in said distributed refractive index lens.

5. A three-dimensional image pickup apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 2; and

a camera that photographs an image of a subject placed on one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens, the image being formed on another end surface of the distributed refractive index lens.

6. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 2, wherein said refractive index distribution in a plane which is orthogonal with respect to said center axis includes a concentric circular distribution around said maximum refractive index in said area.

7. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of said center axes corresponding to said plurality of maximum portions are placed periodically and substantially parallel.

8. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 7, wherein said center axis is an axis of rotational symmetry of said refractive index distribution in said area.

9. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third step of supplying a plurality of the base materials which are formed in said second step and laminating each said base material together in a thickness direction of said base material,

wherein

said refractive index distribution of each respective area is a distribution around said center axis, in which said refractive index substantially decreases with distance from said center axis in a direction substantially perpendicular to said center axis,

each of said center axes for said plurality of areas is substantially parallel to a lamination surface of each of said laminated base materials, and said center axes are substantially parallel to each other, and

one of opposite side surfaces of said laminated base materials perpendicular to said center axes is an incident surface of light, and another one of the opposite side surfaces is an emission surface of said light.

10. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 9, wherein said refractive index distribution on each of said areas is a distribution in which said refractive index substantially decreases with distance from said respective center axis in all directions in any plane substantially perpendicular to said respective center axis.

11. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 10, wherein

in said third step, said base materials are laminated so that opposite end portions of said plural areas are exposed in said opposite sides and said exposed opposite end portions are placed in the matrix state, and

said refractive index distribution and a distance between said opposite end portions of said areas are determined so that light from a subject entering each area from said incident surface form an image of said subject on a surface of each end portion exposed in said emission surface.

12. A three-dimensional image pickup apparatus including:

the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 9; and

a camera instrument which picks up an image formed on each end portion of said areas on said emission surface of said distributed refractive index lens.

13. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of areas in said distributed refractive index lens are placed in a matrix, and opposite end portions of said areas are exposed in said opposite sides, and

said refractive index distribution and a distance between said opposite end portions of said areas are determined so that light from a subject entering each area from said incident surface forms an erect image of said subject on a surface of each end portion exposed in said emission surface.

14. A three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus including:

the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 9; and

a display instrument which displays an image formed for three-dimensional display on each position corresponding to each end portion of said areas on said incident surface of said distributed refractive index lens.

15. A production method for producing a distributed refractive index lens including a plurality of areas having a refractive index distribution, comprising:

a polysilane material preparing step of preparing a substrate of polysilane material to which an oxide is added in a predetermined distribution; and

an ultraviolet irradiation step of applying ultraviolet rays having an intensity distribution to said substrate of said polysilane material to form said refractive index distribution on said polysilane material,

wherein said predetermined distribution of said oxide is a distribution in which a concentration of said oxide is lower at a part closer to an irradiation surface of said polysilane material to which said ultraviolet rays are applied.

16. The production method according to claim 15, wherein said polysilane material preparing step includes a polysilane material applying step of applying said polysilane material on a transparent substrate, and

in said ultraviolet irradiation step, the ultraviolet rays are applied from opposite sides:

an upper surface of said polysilane material and a lower surface thereof through said transparent substrate.

17. The production method according to claim 15, wherein said polysilane material preparing step includes a polysilane material filling step of filling said polysilane material between a plurality of transparent substrates placed in parallel with a predetermined distance therebetween, and

in said ultraviolet irradiation step, the ultraviolet rays are applied from opposite sides of said polysilane material so as to be applied to said polysilane material through said plurality of transparent substrates.

18. The production method according to claim 15, wherein said ultraviolet irradiation step includes applying the ultraviolet rays to said polysilane material through a diffraction grating so that ultraviolet ray having said intensity distribution are applied to said polysilane material.

19. A three-dimensional image pickup apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 15; and

a camera that photographs an image of a subject placed on one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens, the image being formed on another end surface of the distributed refractive index lens.

20. A three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 15; and

a display device array placed on a side of one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens and having a plurality of display devices facing maximum parts of a plurality of refractive index distributions in said distributed refractive index lens.

21. The production method according to claim 15, wherein said ultraviolet irradiation step includes:

placing a mask plate having an ultraviolet rays transmittance distribution in parallel with said polysilane material on one surface of said polysilane material, and

applying the ultraviolet rays having a substantially uniform intensity through said mask plate so that said ultraviolet rays having an intensity distribution are applied to said polysilane material.

22. The production method according to claim 21, wherein said ultraviolet irradiation step further includes:

placing another mask plate having a common ultraviolet rays transmittance distribution as said mask plate in parallel on an opposite side of said polysilane material, and

applying the ultraviolet rays having the substantially uniform intensity from two directions outside said mask plate and said another mask plate so that the ultraviolet rays having said intensity distribution are applied to opposite sides of said polysilane material through said mask plate and said another mask plate.

23. The production method according to claim 15, wherein said intensity distribution of said ultraviolet rays is a distribution in which an intensity of said ultraviolet rays applied to a part with a first refractive index is higher than an intensity of said ultraviolet rays applied to another part with a second refractive index to achieve said refractive index distribution, the first refractive index being lower than the second refractive index.

24. The production method according to claim 23, wherein said distribution of said oxide is a distribution in which a concentration of said oxide becomes maximum in a central part of a thickness of said polysilane material, and decreases with distance from said central part, and

in said ultraviolet irradiation step, said ultraviolet rays are applied from opposite sides of said polysilane material.

25. A production method for producing a distributed refractive index lens in which a plurality of laminating base materials including respective areas having predetermined refractive index distributions are laminated in a thickness direction of said base material, said production method including:

a first step of supplying a base material containing polysilane as a main ingredient,

a second step of applying ultraviolet rays having an intensity distribution to said base material to form said refractive index distribution on said base material, and

a third step of supplying a plurality of the base materials which are formed in said second step and laminating each said base material together in a thickness direction of said base material,

wherein a direction of a change of a refractive index in said each area is according to a direction of an ultraviolet exposure to said polysilane.

26. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 25, wherein said base material in which said areas have been formed is a member in which siloxane structures are distributed in said base material containing polysilane as a main ingredient such that said refractive index distribution correlates with the distribution of the siloxane structures in the base material.

27. A three-dimensional image pickup apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 25; and

a camera that photographs an image of a subject placed on one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens, the image being formed on another end surface of the distributed refractive index lens.

28. A three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus including:

a display panel having the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 25; and

a display device array placed on a side of one end surface of said distributed refractive index lens and having a plurality of display devices facing maximum parts of a plurality of refractive index distributions in said distributed refractive index lens.

29. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 25, wherein

said refractive index distribution of said areas is a distribution in which said refractive index substantially decreases from a center toward a lamination surface of said laminated base material in said thickness direction of said base material in which said areas have been formed,

one of opposite side surfaces of said laminated base materials substantially parallel to said laminating direction is an incident surface of light, and another one of the opposite side surfaces is an emission surface of said light.

30. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 29, wherein said refractive index distribution and a distance between said opposite end portions are determined so that light from a subject entering said incident surface form an image of said subject on an end surface of each of said laminated base material exposed in said emission surface.

31. A three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus including:

the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 29, and

a display instrument which displays an image for three-dimensional display on each end surface of each said laminating member on said incident surface of said distributed refractive index lens.

32. The three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus according to claim 31 including:

a sensor which detects a position of a user using said three-dimensional image reproduction apparatus; and

a drive instrument which rotates said distributed refractive index lens on the basis of a detection result of said sensor.

33. A three-dimensional image pickup apparatus including:

the distributed refractive index lens produced by the production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 29; and

a camera instrument which picks up an image formed on an end surface of each said laminating member on said emission surface of said distributed refractive index lens.

34. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 33, wherein in said distributed refractive index lens, said refractive index distribution and a distance between said opposite end portions are determined so that an erect image of a subject is formed on the end surface of each said laminating member exposed in said emission surface when light from a subject enters said incident surface.

35. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 25, wherein said refractive index distribution of each of said areas has a maximum refractive index which is zonally distributed, as a maximum portion, and includes a change in said refractive index decreasing with distance from said location of said maximum portion in said area including said maximum refractive index.

36. The production method of a distributed refractive index lens according to claim 35, wherein said plurality of maximum parts are placed in parallel at regular intervals.