COATING WITH ADHESION LAYER FOR UV OPTICS

• US 20170052293A1
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Cangemi, Michael Jerome, Cox, Gerald Philip, Oudard, Jean-Francois
• Granted Patent: US 10,578,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2400/10 Presence of inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 5/02 involving pretreatment of the surfaces to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/143 for use with ultraviolet radiation
• 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 5/22 Absorbing filters G02B5/201 - G02B5/208 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue

Abstract

An optical assembly and a method for making the optical assembly. The optical assembly includes an optical element; an adhesion promoter; a blocking coating; a holder; and an adhesive configured to adhere the optical element to the holder. The blocking coating includes a light absorber that does not transmit light with wavelengths from greater than or equal to about 250 nm to less than or equal to about 400 nm; The light absorber is positioned such that light having a wavelength from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm is not incident to the adhesive. The adhesion promoter improves adhesion of the blocking coating to the optical element and reduces the likelihood of delamination during handling, operation, or clearing of the optical assembly.

Claims

1. An optical assembly comprising:

an optical element;

a holder for the optical element;

a blocking coating positioned between the optical element and the holder, the blocking coating including a light absorber that does not transmit light with wavelengths from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm;

an adhesion promoter positioned between the light absorber and the optical element; and

an adhesive configure to adhere the optical element to the holder;

wherein the light absorber is positioned such that light having a wavelength from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm is not incident to the adhesive.

2. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical element is a lens.

3. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the blocking coating further includes an anti-reflective layer positioned between the light absorber and the optical element.

4. The optical assembly of claim 3, wherein the anti-reflective layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, and mixtures thereof.

5. The optical assembly of claim 3, wherein the anti-reflective layer has a reflectance of less than or equal to about 20% for light with wavelengths of from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm.

6. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the light absorber comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, and mixtures thereof.

7. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the light absorber comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of chromium, titanium, zinc, nickel, manganese, iron, niobium, silver, gold, halfnium, aluminum, tantalum, oxides thereof, nitrides thereof, and carbides thereof.

8. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the adhesion promoter comprises a fluoride material.

9. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the adhesion promoter comprises MgF₂.

10. The optical assembly of claim 9, wherein the optical element comprises CaF₂.

11. The optical assembly of claim 10, wherein the light absorber comprises Cr.

12. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the adhesion promoter is directly adjacent the optical element.

13. The optical assembly of claim 12, wherein the blocking coating is directly adjacent the adhesion promoter.

14. The optical assembly of claim 12, wherein the light absorber is directly adjacent the adhesion promoter.

15. An optical assembly comprising:

an optical element;

a blocking coating, the blocking coating including a light absorber that does not transmit light with wavelengths from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm; and

an adhesion promoter positioned between the light absorber and the optical element.

16. The optical assembly of claim 15, wherein the blocking coating further includes an anti-reflective layer positioned between the optical element and the light absorber.

17. The optical assembly of claim 16, wherein the anti-reflective layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, and mixtures thereof.

18. The optical assembly of claim 15, wherein the light absorber comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of chromium, titanium, zinc, nickel, manganese, iron, niobium, silver, gold, halfnium, aluminum, tantalum, oxides thereof, nitrides thereof, and carbides thereof.

19. The optical assembly of claim 15, wherein the adhesion promoter comprises a fluoride material.

20. The optical assembly of claim 15, wherein the adhesion promoter comprises MgF₂.

21. The optical assembly of claim 20, wherein the optical element comprises CaF₂.

22. A method for reducing degradation of an adhesive in an optical assembly, the method comprising:

applying an adhesion promoter to an optical element, the adhesion promoter comprising a fluoride material;

applying a blocking coating to the adhesion promoter, the blocking coating including a light absorber that does not transmit light with wavelengths from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm;

applying an adhesive to the blocking coating; and

configuring the light absorber and the adhesive so that light with wavelengths from greater than or equal to about 190 nm to less than or equal to about 500 nm is not incident to the adhesive.