Durable, inorganic, absorptive, ultra-violet, grid polarizer

• US 8,755,113 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moxtek (Polatechno Co.,Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Moxtek (Polatechno Co.,Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gardner, Eric, Wang, Bin, Davis, Mark, Dredge, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US11/767,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 359/352, 359/485.03, 359/485.05, 359/487.05, 359/487.04, 359/489.06, 359/487.03
• US Class Current: 359/352
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3058 comprising electrically conductive elements, e.g. wire grids, conductive particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3075 for use in the UV G02B5/3066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3091 for use in the UV

Abstract

An inorganic, dielectric grid polarizer device includes a stack of film layers disposed over a substrate. Each film layer is formed of a material that is both inorganic and dielectric. Adjacent film layers each have different refractive indices. At least one of the film layers is discontinuous to form a form-birefringent layer with an array of parallel ribs having a period less than 400 nm. Another layer, different than the form-birefringent layer, is formed of an optically absorptive material for the ultra-violet spectrum.

Claims

1. An absorptive, ultra-violet, inorganic and dielectric grid polarizer device, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a stack of at least two layers disposed over the substrate;

c) each of the at least two layers being formed of a material that is both inorganic and dielectric;

d) adjacent layers of the at least two layers having different refractive indices;

e) the at least two layers being discontinuous to form form-birefringent layers with an array of parallel ribs having a period less than approximately 400 nm;

f) at least one of the at least two layers being formed of an optically absorptive material for an ultra-violet spectrum defining an absorptive layer; and

g) wherein the device substantially transmits one polarization orientation and substantially absorbs another polarization orientation.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of the form-birefringent layers includes silicon dioxide;

and wherein the optically absorptive material includes titanium dioxide.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

at least three layers with two of the layers being discontinuous to form form-birefringent layers with the absorptive layer of optically absorptive material disposed between the form-birefringent layers.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a plurality of alternating layers of form-birefringent layers and layers of optically absorptive material.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a third planarization layer disposed over the ribs and gaps defined between the ribs.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device has a transmitted contrast ratio greater than 20:

1 and a transmission efficiency greater than 30%.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optically absorptive material is selected from the group consisting of:

cadmium telluride, germanium, lead telluride, silicon oxide, tellurium, titanium dioxide, silicon, cadmium sulifide, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, and combinations thereof.

8. An absorptive, ultra-violet, inorganic and dielectric grid polarizer device, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a stack of at least two layers disposed over the substrate;

c) each of the at least two layers being formed of a material that is both inorganic and dielectric;

d) adjacent layers of the at least two layers having different refractive indices;

e) the at least two layers being discontinuous to form an array of parallel ribs with a period less than approximately 400 nm, each rib having;

i) a transmission layer formed of optically non-absorptive material to an ultra-violet spectrum;

ii) an absorbing layer formed of an optically absorptive material to the ultra-violet spectrum; and

f) wherein the device substantially transmits one polarization orientation and substantially absorbs another polarization orientation.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the material of the transmission layer includes silicon dioxide;

and wherein the absorbing layer includes titanium dioxide.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

at least three layers including two layers being discontinuous to form an array of parallel ribs with the absorbing layer disposed therebetween.

11. A device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a plurality of alternating layers of optically non-absorptive material and optically absorptive material.

12. A device in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a third planarization layer disposed over the ribs and gaps defined between the ribs.

13. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the device has a transmitted contrast ratio greater than approximately 20:

1 and a transmission efficiency greater than approximately 30%.

14. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the optically absorptive material is selected from the group consisting of:

cadmium telluride, germanium, lead telluride, silicon oxide, tellurium, titanium dioxide, silicon, cadmium sulifide, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, and combinations thereof.

15. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the ribs formed by the at least one of the at least two layers formed integrally with the substrate comprises ribs in the substrate.

16. An absorptive, ultra-violet, inorganic and dielectric grid polarizer device, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) a stack of at least two layers disposed over the substrate;

c) each layer of the stack being formed of a material that is both inorganic and dielectric;

d) adjacent layers of the stack having different refractive indices;

e) all of the layers of the stack being discontinuous to form form-birefringent layers with an array of parallel ribs having a period less than approximately 400 nm, the period and the different refractive indices causing the stack to substantially polarize an incident ultra-violet beam into two orthogonal polarization orientations and transmitting or reflecting one of the polarizations; and

f) at least one of the layers of the stack being formed of an optically absorptive material for an ultra-violet spectrum to substantially absorb another of the polarization orientations.

17. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein a material of the ribs of one of the layers in the stack includes silicon dioxide;

and wherein the optically absorptive material includes titanium dioxide.

18. A device in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

at least three layers with the at least one layer of optically absorptive material disposed between two layers of optically non-absorptive material for the ultra-violet spectrum.

19. A device in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a plurality of alternating layers of optically absorptive material and non-optically absorptive material for the ultra-violet spectrum.

20. A device in accordance with claim 16, further comprising:

a third planarization layer disposed over the ribs and gaps defined between the ribs.

21. A device in accordance with claim 16, wherein the device has a transmitted contrast ratio greater than approximately 20:

1 and a transmission efficiency greater than approximately 30%.

22. An absorptive, ultra-violet, inorganic and dielectric grid polarizer device, comprising:

a) a substrate;

b) at least three vertically stacked layers disposed over the substrate having a combined thickness of less than 150 nm;

c) the at least three layers being formed of materials that are both inorganic and dielectric;

d) adjacent layers of the at least three layers having different refractive indices;

e) the at least three layers being discontinuous to form a form form-birefringent layers with an array of parallel ribs having a period less than approximately 400 nm;

f) at least one of the at least three layers including an optically absorptive material to an ultra-violet spectrum; and

g) wherein the device substantially transmits one polarization orientation and substantially absorbs another polarization orientation.