Diffractive optical element and optical apparatus having the same

• US 6,650,477 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakai, Takehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Juba, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASSAF, FAYEZ G
• Application Number:
  US09/871,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 359/569, 359/565, 359/566, 359/572, 359/576
• US Class Current: 359/569
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1866 Transmission gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence

Abstract

A diffractive optical element includes a diffraction optical part provided with a phase-type diffraction grating. The diffraction grating of the diffraction optical part has on the surface thereof minute uneven structure of which the period is substantially constant. The period is smaller than a wavelength used.

Claims

1. A laminated-type diffractive optical element comprising:

a first diffraction optical part provided with a phase-type diffraction grating; and

a second diffraction optical part provided with a phase-type diffraction grating;

wherein said laminated-type diffractive optical element has high diffraction efficiency in a desired used wavelength region by making a material forming the phase-type diffraction grating of said first diffraction optical part different from a material forming the phase-type diffraction grating of said second diffraction optical part,

at least one of the diffraction gratings of said first diffraction optical part and said second diffraction optical part has on the surface thereof minute uneven structure smaller than a predetermined wavelength in the used wavelength region, and

said first diffraction optical part and said second diffraction optical part are disposed in proximity to each other with an air layer interposed therebetween.

2. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein said minute uneven structure has periodicity.

3. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein the period of said minute uneven structure is substantially constant.

4. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein said minute uneven structure has periodicity in a direction parallel to a direction in which the diffraction grating on which it is formed extends.

5. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein areas in which said minute uneven structure is not formed exist near the end portions of gratings constituting said diffraction gratings.

6. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein said wavelength used is any wavelength within the entire region of visible light.

7. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein said minute uneven structure has an anti-reflection function.

8. An optical apparatus provided with the diffractive optical element according to claim 1.