HIGH DURABILITY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE POLARIZATION OPTICS USING A LOW-ELASTICITY ORGANIC LAYER

• US 20050259205A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ColorLink, Incorporated (RealD Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, Jianmin, Robinson, Michael G., Sharp, Gary D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/129
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/03 Viewing layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/05 Bonding or intermediate layer characterised by chemical composition, e.g. sealant or spacer
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/059 Unsaturated aliphatic polymer, e.g. vinyl
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13363 Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31645 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31649 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

Described is an optical compensator device that can maintain a high degree of performance in the demanding environment of projection display. A mounting process involves using a sealant between optically clear glass or ceramic substrate and low elastic polymer retarder film. The sealant may mitigate or prevent the degradation of the retarder film by acting as an oxygen barrier that seals the substrate and increases the lifetime of the device in high luminance.

Claims

1. An optical component, comprising:

a low-elasticity, organic layer;

a sealing element at least partially surrounding the low-elasticity, organic layer, the sealing element operable by itself or with another element to substantially seal the organic layer from an environment surrounding the optical component.

2. An optical component according to claim 1 wherein the sealing element is operable with the another element to substantially seal the organic layer, and wherein the another element is a substrate layer adjacent to the organic layer, wherein the sealing element substantially seals the organic layer against the substrate.

3. An optical component according to claim 2, wherein the substrate layer is selected from the group consisting of fused silica, boro-float glass, ceramic glass, and optically clear glass.

4. An optical component according to claim 1 wherein the sealing element is operable with the another element, and wherein the another element comprises first and second substrate layers adjacent to the organic layer and on opposite sides of the organic layer, wherein the sealing element is an edge seal substantially sealing the first and second substrate layers together, whereby the sealing element and the first and second substrate layers substantially enclose and seal the organic layer.

5. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer is a molecularly aligned organic layer.

6. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer comprises a single layer.

7. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer comprises a modified polyolefin film.

8. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer is biaxially stretched.

9. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer comprises two or more layers.

10. An optical component according to claim 9, wherein the organic layer comprises a pair of crossed uniaxial molecularly aligned layers.

11. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is a barrier layer of a material selected from the group consisting of optically clear sealants, acrylic sealants, and ultraviolet cured acrylic sealants.

12. An optical component according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is a low birefringence polymer.

13. An optical component according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is an aligned polymer substrate having a stretching direction that is aligned with or orthogonal to the polarization direction of an input light.

14. An optical component according to claim 2, and further comprising an additional barrier layer formed upon the substrate, wherein the additional barrier layer is operable to perform at least one additional function selected from the group consisting of:

providing additional sealing against the environment surrounding the optical component, stiffening the substrate, making the substrate less reflective to incident light, and improving the optical characteristics of light passing through the optical component.

15. An optical component according to claim 1, and further comprising a barrier layer operable to perform at least one additional function selected from the group consisting of:

acting as the sealing element of claim 1, providing additional sealing against the environment surrounding the optical component, stiffening the optical component, making the substrate less reflective to incident light, and improving the optical characteristics of light passing through the optical component.

16. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element comprises additional organic layers that are welded to the organic layer.

17. An optical component according to claim 16, wherein the additional organic layers have no polarization function and wherein the low-elasticity, organic layer has a polarization control function.

18. An optical component according to claim 17, wherein the polarization control function of the low-elasticity, organic layer is selected from the group consisting of:

polarization rotation, polarization retardation, and wavelength-selective polarization rotation and/or retardation.

19. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is a barrier layer formed on the low-elasticity organic layer.

20. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is formed by wet/vacuum coating.

21. An optical component according to claim 1, and further comprising an antireflective coating formed outside the organic layer.

22. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element further functions as an antireflective coating.

23. An optical component according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element comprises an adhesive that is formed at least partially over the organic layer.

24. An optical component according to claim 23, wherein the adhesive comprises a monomer.

25. An optical component according to claim 1, achieving an optic axis stability of <

±

0.1° and

retardance stability of <

±

0.5 nm in a 50 Mlux environment over at least 3000 hours.

55. An optical projection system according to claim 1, wherein the optical component has an optic axis stability of <

±

0.1° and

retardance stability of <

±

0.5 nm in a 50 Mlux environment over at least 3000 hours.

26. An optical component, comprising:

a substrate layer;

a low-elasticity, molecularly aligned layer adjacent to the substrate layer; and

a sealing element connected to at least the substrate layer, the sealing element operable with the substrate layer to substantially seal the low-elasticity, molecularly aligned layer from an environment surrounding the optical component.

27. An optical component according to claim 26 wherein the sealing element is a barrier layer substantially between the molecularly aligned layer and another substrate layer.

28. An optical component according to claim 26 and further comprising another substrate layer adjacent to the molecularly aligned layer, wherein the sealing element is an edge seal substantially sealing the substrate layer and the another substrate layer together, whereby the sealing element and the substrate layers substantially enclose and seal the molecularly aligned layer.

29. An optical component according to claim 26, wherein the molecularly aligned layer comprises multiple layers.

30. An optical component according to claim 26, wherein the molecularly aligned layer is a modified polyolefin film.

31. An optical projection system having and projection light path and comprising:

a light source for providing a projection light and positioned at the beginning of the projection light path;

a projection lens for substantially projecting light from the optical projection system and positioned at the ending of the projection light path;

an optical component containing a low-elasticity organic layer positioned in the projection light path and passing the projection light through it, the optical component comprising a sealing element for sealing the low-elasticity organic layer from the environment surrounding the optical component.

32. An optical projection system according to claim 31 wherein the optical component further comprises a substrate layer and wherein the sealing element is operable to substantially seal the organic layer against a substrate layer adjacent to the organic layer.

33. An optical projection system according to claim 32, wherein the substrate layer is selected from the group consisting of fused silica, boro-float glass, ceramic glass, and optically clear glass.

34. An optical projection system according to claim 31 wherein the optical component further comprises first and second substrate layers and wherein the optical sealing element is operable to substantially seal the organic layer between the first and second substrate layers on either side of the organic layer, whereby the sealing element and the first and second substrate layers substantially enclose and seal the organic layer.

35. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the organic layer is a molecularly aligned organic layer.

36. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the organic layer comprises a single layer.

37. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the organic layer comprises a modified polyolefin film.

38. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the organic layer is biaxially stretched.

39. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the organic layer comprises two or more layers.

40. An optical projection system according to claim 39, wherein the organic layer comprises a pair of crossed uniaxial molecularly aligned layers.

41. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the sealing element is a barrier layer of a material selected from the group consisting of optically clear sealants, acrylic sealants, and ultraviolet cured acrylic sealants.

42. An optical projection system according to claim 32, wherein the substrate is a low birefringence polymer.

43. An optical projection system according to claim 32, wherein the substrate is an aligned polymer substrate having a stretching direction that is aligned with or orthogonal to the polarization direction of an input light.

44. An optical projection system according to claim 32, wherein the optical component further comprises an additional barrier layer formed upon the substrate, wherein the additional barrier layer is operable to perform at least one additional function selected from the group consisting of:

providing additional sealing against the environment surrounding the optical component, stiffening the substrate, making the substrate less reflective to incident light, and improving the optical characteristics of light passing through the optical component.

45. An optical projection system according to claim 32, wherein the optical component further comprises an additional barrier layer and wherein the additional barrier layer is further operable to perform at least one additional function selected from the group consisting of:

acting as the sealing element of claim 31, providing additional sealing against the environment surrounding the optical component, stiffening the optical component, making the substrate less reflective to incident light, and improving the optical characteristics of light passing through the optical component.

46. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the sealing element comprises additional organic layers that are welded to the organic layer.

47. An optical projection system according to claim 46, wherein the additional organic layers have no polarization function and wherein the low-elasticity, organic layer has a polarization control function.

48. An optical projection system according to claim 47, wherein the polarization control function of the low-elasticity, organic layer is selected from the group consisting of:

polarization rotation, polarization retardation, and wavelength-selective polarization rotation and/or retardation.

49. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the sealing element is a barrier layer formed on the low-elasticity organic layer.

50. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the barrier layer is formed by wet/vacuum coating.

51. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the optical component further comprises an antireflective coating formed outside the organic layer.

52. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the sealing element further functions as an antireflective coating.

53. An optical projection system according to claim 31, wherein the sealing element comprises an adhesive that is formed at least partially over the organic layer.

54. An optical projection system according to claim 53, wherein the adhesive comprises a monomer.