Antireflection structure, optical unit, and optical device

• US 8,529,075 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazuhiro, Tamura, Takamasa, Tanaka, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CONSILVIO, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US12/676,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 359/601, 359/614, 359/613
• US Class Current: 359/614
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/118 having sub-optical wavelength surface structures designed to provide an enhanced transmittance, e.g. moth-eye structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/003 Light absorbing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002

Abstract

An antireflection structure having a high antireflection effect is provided.

An antireflection structure (50) reduces reflection of light having a wavelength equal to or larger than a predetermined wavelength, and absorbs the light whose reflection is reduced. The antireflection structure (50) includes a base structure portion (7) which is configured to have a plurality of structural units (70) arranged on a reference plane, and each having a tilted surface (71) so that an angle between the first side surface (71) and a reference plane (51) is a predetermined angle, and a plurality of fine concave/convex portions (8, 8, . . . ) which are formed on a surface of the base structure portion (7), and arranged within a cycle equal to or smaller than the predetermined wavelength.

Claims

1. An antireflection structure for reducing reflection of light having a wavelength equal to or larger than a predetermined wavelength, and absorbing the light whose reflection is reduced, the structure comprising:

a base structure portion which is configured to have a plurality of structural units arranged on a reference plane, and each having tilted surfaces with respect to the reference plane, and

a plurality of fine concave/convex portions formed on a surface of the base structure portion, and arranged within a cycle equal to or smaller than the predetermined wavelength,

wherein

all side surfaces of each of the structural units are the tilted surfaces, and

an angle between at least one of the tilted surfaces and the reference plane is a predetermined angle ranging from 5 degrees to 45 degrees, both inclusive.

2. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

the structural unit is formed into a pyramidal or conical shape including the tilted surfaces.

3. The antireflection structure of claim 2, wherein

the structural unit is formed into a square pyramidal shape including the tilted surfaces.

4. The antireflection structure of claim 2, wherein

the structural unit is formed into a right pyramid or right cone.

5. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

the structural unit is formed into a ridge formed of the tilted surface and a second tilted surface adjacent to the tilted surface.

6. The antireflection structure of claim 5, wherein

the structural unit is formed so that a cross section of the ridge is an isosceles triangle.

7. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

the base structure portion has a plurality of different types of structural units, and the predetermined angle differs among the structural units.

8. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

each of the fine concave/convex portions is a conical concave or convex, a prismoid concave or convex, or a linear concave or a linear convex.

9. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

each of heights of the fine concave/convex portions is equal to or larger than 0.4 times as large as the wavelength of the light whose reflection is reduced.

10. The antireflection structure of claim 1, wherein

the antireflection structure is formed into a circular cylindrical shape so that the fine concave/convex portions constitute an inner circumference surface.

11. An optical unit comprising:

an optical system; and

the antireflection structure of claim 1 arranged so that light comes from a predetermined direction, wherein

the fine concave/convex portions are regularly arranged within a cycle equal to or smaller than the wavelength of light from the optical system.

12. The optical unit of claim 11, wherein

the normal direction of the tilted surface corresponds to the predetermined direction.

13. The optical unit of claim 11, further comprising

a lens barrel containing the optical system therein, wherein

the antireflection structure is arranged in an inner circumference surface of the lens barrel.

14. An optical device comprising the optical unit of claim 11.