Resin composite-type optical element and process for producing the resin composite-type optical element

• US 7,901,787 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Miyakawa, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Vivian
• Application Number:
  US12/659,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/522
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/021 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/005 Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of methacrylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/16 Homopolymers or copolymers of esters containing halogen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/223 containing organic substances, e.g. dyes, inks or pigments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a resin composite-type optical element capable of cutting off ultraviolet light even though it uses a photocurable resin. A resin composite-type optical element of the embodiment of the present invention is a resin composite-type optical element having a base material and a resin layer, and the resin layer has at least a first resin layer which is a molded product of a photocurable resin and which has an internal transmittance of not less than 85% for light of the wavelength of 400 nm in the thickness of 100 μm and an internal transmittance of not more than 3% for light of the wavelength of 360 nm in the thickness of 100 μm.

Claims

1. A resin composite-type optical element comprising a base material and a resin layer,

wherein the resin layer comprises at least a first resin layer which is a molded product of a photocurable resin and which has an internal transmittance of not less than 85% for light of the wavelength of 400 nm in the thickness of 100 μ

m and an internal transmittance of not more than 3% for light of the wavelength of 360 nm in the thickness of 100 μ

m.

2. The resin composite-type optical element according to claim 1, which has a coat layer on a surface of the base material opposite to the resin layer,

wherein the surface on the coat layer side has a reflectance of not more than 1% for light of wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm and not less than 2% for the light of the wavelength of 360 nm.

3. The resin composite-type optical element according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer comprises a plurality of resin layers, which satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

a) the layers are formed on one surface of the base material, and

b) the layers are formed on both surfaces of the base material, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of resin layers is said first resin layer.

4. The resin composite-type optical element according to claim 1, wherein at least one layer of the first resin layer consists of a cured product of a precursor composition containing:

a bifunctional fluorinated (meth)acrylate;

a bifunctional (meth)acrylate with a fluorene structure;

a photopolymerization initiator; and

at least one of a benzotriazole type ultraviolet absorber and a dihydroxybenzophenone type ultraviolet absorber, or an ultraviolet absorber having a molar absorption coefficient of not less than 500 at the wavelength of 380 nm.

5. The resin composite-type optical element according to claim 1, wherein a transmittance of said optical element is not more than 50% for the light of the wavelength of 360 nm.

6. The resin composite-type optical element according to claim 1, which is an aspherical optical element or a diffractive optical element.

7. A process for producing a resin composite-type optical element comprising a base material and a resin layer,

said process comprising:

forming as said resin layer at least a first resin layer which is a molded product of a photocurable resin and which has an internal transmittance of not less than 85% for light of the wavelength of 400 nm in the thickness of 100 μ

m and an internal transmittance of not more than 3% for light of the wavelength of 360 nm in the thickness of 100 μ

m; and

applying light of a wavelength of not less than 400 nm to a precursor composition of the first resin layer to cure the precursor composition, thereby forming the first resin layer.

8. The process for producing the resin composite-type optical element according to claim 7, wherein the precursor composition contains a photopolymerization initiator having a molar absorption coefficient of not less than 5 for light of the wavelength of 405 nm.

9. The process for producing the resin composite-type optical element according to claim 7, which comprises forming at least one layer of the first resin layer, using a precursor composition containing:

a bifunctional fluorinated (meth)acrylate;

a bifunctional (meth)acrylate with a fluorene structure;

a photopolymerization initiator; and

at least one of a benzotriazole type ultraviolet absorber and a dihydroxybenzophenone type ultraviolet absorber, or an ultraviolet absorber having a molar absorption coefficient of not less than 500 at the wavelength of 380 nm.

10. The process for producing the resin composite-type optical element according to claim 7, wherein the precursor composition is one having the internal transmittance of not more than 1% for the light of the wavelength of 360 nm when the thickness is 10 mm.