lens

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a lens. The lens includes a lens portion, an anti-reflective (AR) coating disposed on a surface of the lens portion, and a waterproof layer disposed on a surface of the AR coating. The waterproof layer includes an inorganic layer having multiple pores and an organic layer at least partially disposed within the multiple pores. The inorganic layer includes silicon oxynitride (SiO2). x N y ).

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0198965, filed on December 27, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to lenses. Background Technology

[0004] Recently, automotive electronics-related technologies such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving have continued to develop, and as a result, the demand for automotive camera modules and optical sensors is also growing.

[0005] In particular, the market for camera modules using lenses has grown rapidly, and camera modules installed in vehicles have been adopted in various locations such as the front, rear, and sides.

[0006] Vehicle cameras are always exposed to the external environment, making them susceptible to defects such as foreign object adhesion, lens surface contamination, and scratches due to environmental factors. These defects can significantly affect the performance of the camera module.

[0007] To consistently obtain clear images, the outermost lens of lenses used in automotive electronics may require self-cleaning technology. This is typically achieved by applying a hydrophobic coating, allowing water droplets and contaminants in contact with the lens to easily roll off due to the high contact angle.

[0008] However, hydrophobic coatings can be formed through the deposition of organic materials, and are therefore susceptible to physical damage caused by external forces, which can lead to damage to the hydrophobic coating. As a result, self-cleaning effectiveness may be reduced, and it may be difficult to obtain clear images. Therefore, hydrophobic coatings with high durability are necessary.

[0009] The above information is presented as background information and is intended to aid in understanding this disclosure. No determination or assertion is made as to whether any of the above content can be used as prior art with respect to this disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The summary portion of this invention is intended to provide a brief overview of the chosen concepts, which will be further described in the detailed description portion below. This summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] In one general aspect, the lens includes a lens portion, an anti-reflective (AR) coating disposed on the surface of the lens portion, and a waterproof layer disposed on the surface of the AR coating. The waterproof layer includes an inorganic layer having multiple pores and an organic layer at least partially disposed within the multiple pores. The inorganic layer includes silicon oxynitride (SiO₂). x N y ).

[0012] Multiple pores can be formed in the inorganic layer, and the organic layer can penetrate into the inorganic layer.

[0013] The organic layer may include fluorocarbons.

[0014] The organic layer may include a Si head base, and the Si head base may form a bond with the silicon (Si) of the inorganic layer.

[0015] The nitrogen (N) content in the inorganic layer can be higher than the oxygen (O) content.

[0016] The AR coating may include at least one low-refractive-index layer and at least one high-refractive-index layer, wherein the low-refractive-index layer may be a layer having a refractive index of less than 1.5, and the high-refractive-index layer may be a layer having a refractive index of more than 1.5.

[0017] The low refractive index layer may include a first layer formed of SiO2, and the high refractive index layer may include a second layer formed of TiO2.

[0018] The high refractive index layer may include a third layer formed of a nitride-based material.

[0019] The third layer may include at least one of AlN, Si3N4, aluminum oxynitride (AlON), and silicon oxynitride (SiON).

[0020] The low refractive index layer may include a fourth layer formed of a nitride-based material.

[0021] The fourth layer may include at least one of titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium oxynitride (TiON).

[0022] In another general aspect, the lens includes a lens portion, an anti-reflective (AR) coating disposed on a surface of the lens portion, and a waterproof layer disposed on a surface of the AR coating, wherein the waterproof layer includes an inorganic layer having multiple pores and an organic layer at least partially disposed in the multiple pores, and the inorganic layer includes silicon nitride (Si). x N y ).

[0023] Other features and aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of part "A" in the diagram.

[0026] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram showing the structure of the waterproof layer is in section "B".

[0027] Figures 4 to 14 This is a cross-sectional view of various exemplary embodiments relating to the arrangement of the anti-reflective (AR) coating disclosed herein.

[0028] Throughout the accompanying drawings and detailed embodiments, unless otherwise described, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. For purposes of clarity, illustration, and convenience, the drawings may not be drawn to scale, and the relative dimensions, scale, and depiction of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In the following description, although examples of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the examples are not limited thereto.

[0030] The following detailed embodiments are provided to aid the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatus, and / or systems described herein will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure. For example, the order of operations described herein is merely illustrative and is not limited to the order set forth herein, except for operations that must occur in a specific order, as will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure. Furthermore, for clarity and conciseness, descriptions of features well-known in the art may be omitted.

[0031] The features described herein may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein are provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways in which the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure.

[0032] Throughout this specification, when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is described as being "on," "connected to," or "attached to" another element, the element may be directly "on," directly "connected to," or directly "attached to" the other element, or there may be one or more other elements between the element and the other element. Conversely, when an element is described as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly attached to" another element, there are no other elements between the element and the other element.

[0033] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more items; similarly, “at least one” includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more items.

[0034] Although terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used herein to describe various components, parts, regions, layers, or sections, these components, parts, regions, layers, or sections are not limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are used only to distinguish one component, part, region, layer, or section from another. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the examples described herein, the first component, first part, first region, first layer, or first section mentioned in these examples may also be referred to as a second component, second part, second region, second layer, or second section.

[0035] Spatial relative terms such as “above,” “above,” “below,” and “under” may be used herein for descriptive convenience to describe the relationship of one element relative to another, as shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition to covering the orientation depicted in the drawings, these spatial relative terms are intended to also cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as being “above” or “above” another element would be located “below” or “under” that other element. Thus, depending on the spatial orientation of the device, the term “above” covers both orientations of “above” and “below”. The device may also be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0036] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing various examples only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural form as well. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” indicate the presence of the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0037] Due to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, the shapes shown in the accompanying drawings may vary. Therefore, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the accompanying drawings, but include shape variations that occur during manufacturing.

[0038] It should be noted that in this document, the term "may" is used relative to examples, such as regarding what an example may include or implement, meaning that there exists at least one example that includes or implements such a feature, but not all examples are limited to this.

[0039] The features of the examples described herein can be combined in various ways that will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure. Furthermore, although the examples described herein have multiple configurations, other configurations that will become apparent upon understanding this disclosure are also possible.

[0040] One aspect of this disclosure is aimed at providing lenses with improved abrasion resistance and weather resistance.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of part "A" in the diagram.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The lens 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a lens portion 100, an anti-reflective (AR) coating 200, and a waterproof layer 300.

[0043] The shape or type of the lens portion 100 is not limited, and the lens portion 100 can be implemented in the form of an optical device suitable for such as a camera module.

[0044] Therefore, the shape of the lens portion 100 can be modified to be different. Figure 1 Other forms of the form shown.

[0045] The lens portion 100 can be formed of glass. However, the lens portion 100 can also be formed of other materials, such as plastic resin that includes a resin component.

[0046] For example, plastic resins may include at least one of polycarbonate and polyolefin.

[0047] Here, polyolefins may include at least one of cyclic olefin polymers and cyclic olefin copolymers.

[0048] AR coating 200 can be applied to one surface of lens portion 100. AR coating 200 can reduce the reflectivity of the surface of lens 10, thereby reducing or preventing flare.

[0049] Reference Figure 2 The AR coating 200 may include at least one low-refractive-index layer and at least one high-refractive-index layer. That is, the AR coating 200 may include a first layer 201 and a second layer 202 with different refractive indices, and the first layer 201 and the second layer 202 may be stacked alternately once or multiple times to form a multilayer structure.

[0050] High and low refractive indices can be distinguished from each other based on a refractive index of 1.5. Therefore, a low refractive index material can be a material with a refractive index less than 1.5, and a high refractive index material can be a material with a refractive index greater than 1.5.

[0051] The first layer 201 can be a low-refractive-index layer and can be formed of SiO2. The second layer 202 can be a high-refractive-index layer and can be formed of TiO2.

[0052] A waterproof layer 300 can be applied to one surface of the AR coating 200. The waterproof layer 300 serves to prevent surface oxidation of the lens portion 100. The waterproof layer may include inorganic and organic layers. See below for further details. Figure 3 Describe the structure of the waterproof layer.

[0053] The waterproof layer 300 may include an inorganic layer 310 having a plurality of pores P and an organic layer 320 at least partially disposed in the plurality of pores P.

[0054] SiO2, with its inorganic porous structure, can be easily dissolved by ionized alkali metals under harsh environmental conditions. When SiO2 dissolves, the organic waterproof layer formed on it may also be lost, causing the waterproof layer to lose its function.

[0055] In the waterproof layer 300 of the lens 10 according to the present disclosure, the inorganic layer 310 may be formed of a robust material, and the organic layer 320 may penetrate into the inorganic layer 310 through a plurality of pores P formed in the inorganic layer 310 to form an inorganic-organic composite layer.

[0056] Inorganic layer 310 may include silicon oxynitride (SiO2) x N yAs an amorphous inorganic material, in this disclosure, to improve the property of SiO2 being easily soluble in water, an inorganic layer 310 can be formed by mixing SiO2 with silicon nitride (Si3N4), which has high durability. Silicon nitride (Si3N4) can have higher resistance to water, metal ions, etc. than SiO2. Nitrogen (N) can form strong bonds with silicon (Si) atoms to suppress reactions with water, metal ions, etc. and reduce dissolution. Therefore, when the inorganic layer 310 is formed by mixing SiO2 and silicon nitride (Si3N4), the chemical durability of the waterproof layer 300 can be improved. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. As will be described below, the inorganic layer 310 can be made solely of silicon nitride (Si3N4). x N y )form.

[0057] Silicon oxynitride (SiO) x N y It can be in a non-stoichiometric state. x and y can refer to the variable atomic ratio of oxygen (O) to nitrogen (N). The values ​​of x and y can vary depending on the deposition conditions.

[0058] The inorganic layer 310 can have a higher nitrogen (N) content than an oxygen (O) content. When SiO2 and silicon nitride (Si3N4) are mixed, increasing the silicon nitride content can reduce dissolution. Therefore, an inorganic layer 310 with a higher nitrogen content than an oxygen content can help improve dissolution.

[0059] Reference Figure 3 The inorganic layer 310 can be made of amorphous silicon oxynitride (SiO2). x N y The inorganic layer 310 can form multiple pores P. The organic layer 320 can penetrate into the inorganic layer 310 through the multiple pores P.

[0060] The organic layer 320 can be at least partially disposed within the multiple pores P. The organic layer 320 can penetrate into the inorganic layer 310 through the multiple pores P, and can form a robust composite structure. Therefore, even when the organic layer 320 is partially damaged, a highly durable waterproof layer 300 can still be formed.

[0061] The organic layer 320 can be bonded to the inorganic layer 310. Specifically, the organic layer 320 can be bonded to bonding sites such as silanol groups (Si-OH) present on the surface of the inorganic layer 310.

[0062] Organic layer 320 may include fluorocarbons. Fluorine (F) in fluorocarbons exhibits high water repellency due to its high electronegativity and low reactivity, and can impart hydrophobicity to organic layer 320. Fluorocarbons can exhibit a chain structure, and the water repellency can be controlled by the length and arrangement of the chains.

[0063] The organic layer 320 may include a Si head group. The Si head group may form a bond with the silicon (Si) of the inorganic layer 310. The Si head group may form a chemical bond such as Si-O-Si through a condensation reaction with the silanol group (Si-OH) of the inorganic layer 310.

[0064] According to the modified example, the inorganic layer 310 may include silicon nitride (Si). x N y Silicon nitride (Si) is used as an amorphous inorganic material. That is, the inorganic layer 310 can be made solely of silicon nitride (Si). x N y It is formed without using SiO2.

[0065] It includes only silicon nitride (Si) x N y In the structure of ), the inorganic layer 310 can exhibit higher stability and durability. That is, it can effectively improve the dissolution phenomenon. However, compared with the silicon nitride (Si) in it... x N y Compared to the case of mixing with SiO2, the organic layer 320 can bond with a relatively small number of bonding sites.

[0066] When the inorganic layer 310 is made of silicon nitride (Si) x N y During formation, the organic layer 320 can form bonds with the silaneamine groups (Si-NH2) present on the surface of the inorganic layer 310. The non-shared electron pairs of the silaneamine groups (Si-NH2) can provide reactivity and can form hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces with the Si head groups of the organic layer 320.

[0067] A waterproof layer 300 can be formed on one surface of the AR coating 200 using electron beam deposition and / or thermal deposition processes. First, an inorganic layer 310 can be deposited using electron beam deposition. Subsequently, an organic layer 320 can be deposited on the inorganic layer 310 using thermal deposition. During thermal deposition, the organic layer 320 can penetrate into the inorganic layer 310 through multiple pores P, and the organic layer 320 can undergo the aforementioned condensation reaction or form the aforementioned hydrogen bonds with the inorganic layer 310.

[0068] Figures 4 to 14 This is a cross-sectional view of various exemplary embodiments relating to the arrangement of the AR coating disclosed herein.

[0069] Reference Figures 4 to 14 The AR coating 200 disclosed herein may also include a third layer 203 or a fourth layer 204 formed of a nitride-based material.

[0070] When the AR coating 200 is configured to include only the first layer 201 and the second layer 202 described above, oxide-based materials such as TiO2 and SiO2 may have low hardness and may therefore be susceptible to scratches on the lens surface caused by external environment.

[0071] The AR coating 200 disclosed herein may further include a third layer 203 and a fourth layer 204 formed of a nitride-based material, and may have improved durability.

[0072] To increase the hardness of AR coating 200, nitride-based materials can be preferred over oxide-based materials. More specifically, titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium oxynitride (TiON) can be used as alternatives to the low-refractive-index material SiO2, and AlN, Si3N4, aluminum oxynitride (AlON), and silicon oxynitride (SiON) can be used as alternatives to the high-refractive-index material TiO2.

[0073] Therefore, the high refractive index layer of the AR coating 200 may include a third layer 203 formed of a nitride-based material, and the third layer 203 may include at least one of AlN, Si3N4, aluminum oxynitride (AlON), and silicon oxynitride (SiON). The low refractive index layer of the AR coating 200 may include a fourth layer 204 formed of a nitride-based material, and the fourth layer 204 may include at least one of titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium oxynitride (TiON).

[0074] When the band gap is less than the photon energy at a given wavelength, the incident photon may not be able to penetrate the layer and may be absorbed. Furthermore, when the material has a significantly low band gap close to the conduction and valence bands, reflection may occur. Therefore, the nitride-based materials of the third layer 203 and the fourth layer 204 described above can have band gaps greater than 3.1 eV.

[0075] In the following exemplary embodiments, all or part of the first layer 201 of the AR coating 200 may be replaced with a low-refractive-index fourth layer 204, or all or part of the second layer 202 of the AR coating 200 may be replaced with a high-refractive-index third layer 203.

[0076] Reference Figure 4 The AR coating 200 can be formed by alternately stacking the first layer 201 and the second layer 202 from the bottom, and the high refractive index layer 203 can be disposed below the uppermost low refractive index layer 201.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 The AR coating 200 can be formed by alternately stacking the first layer 201 and the second layer 202 from the bottom, and the low refractive index layer fourth layer 204 can be disposed above the uppermost high refractive index layer second layer 202.

[0078] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of AR coating 200 formed by alternately stacking oxide-based and nitride-based materials.

[0079] Reference Figure 6 The AR coating 200 may have a structure in which a first layer 201 and a third layer 203 are stacked alternately, wherein the first layer 201 is a low refractive index layer and is formed of an oxide-based material, and the third layer 203 is a high refractive index layer and is formed of a nitride-based material.

[0080] Reference Figure 7 The AR coating 200 may have a structure in which a second layer 202 and a fourth layer 204 are stacked alternately, wherein the second layer 202 is a high refractive index layer and is formed of an oxide-based material, and the fourth layer 204 is a low refractive index layer and is formed of a nitride-based material.

[0081] Figures 8 to 11 It is a cross-sectional view of a thick layer of nitride-based material formed on the middle part of the AR coating 200.

[0082] Reference Figure 8 The AR coating 200 can be formed by alternately stacking a first layer 201 and a second layer 202 from the bottom, and a high-refractive-index third layer 203 can be disposed above the low-refractive-index first layer 201 in the middle portion. In this case, the third layer 203 can be relatively thicker than the first layer 201 and the second layer 202.

[0083] Reference Figure 9 The AR coating 200 may include a third layer 203 with a high refractive index layer disposed from the bottom. The first layer 201 and the second layer 202 may be stacked alternately on the third layer 203. In this case, the third layer 203 may be relatively thicker than the first layer 201 and the second layer 202.

[0084] Reference Figure 10 The AR coating 200 can be formed by alternately stacking a first layer 201 and a second layer 202 from the bottom, and a low-refractive-index fourth layer 204 can be disposed above the high-refractive-index second layer 202 in the middle portion. In this case, the fourth layer 204 can be relatively thicker than the first layer 201 and the second layer 202.

[0085] Reference Figure 11 The AR coating 200 may have a fourth low-refractive-index layer 204 disposed from the bottom. The second layer 202 and the first layer 201 may be stacked alternately on the fourth layer 204. In this case, the fourth layer 204 may be relatively thicker than the first layer 201 and the second layer 202.

[0086] As described, when a thick third layer 203 or fourth layer 204 formed of a nitride-based material is disposed on the middle portion of the AR coating 200, the third layer 203 or fourth layer 204 can serve as a substrate, thereby further improving the overall hardness of the lens.

[0087] Figures 12 to 14 An AR coating 200 formed solely from nitride-based materials is shown.

[0088] Reference Figure 12 The AR coating 200 may have a structure in which a fourth layer 204 and a third layer 203 are stacked alternately from the bottom.

[0089] Reference Figure 13 AR coating 200 may have a third layer 203' that is thicker than both the third layer 203 and the fourth layer 204, which is set in Figure 12 The structure in the middle part of the structure.

[0090] Reference Figure 14 AR coating 200 may have a fourth layer 204' that is thicker than both the third layer 203 and the fourth layer 204. Figure 12 The structure in the middle part of the structure.

[0091] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the lens may have improved abrasion resistance and weather resistance.

[0092] While specific examples have been shown and described above, it will be apparent upon understanding this disclosure that various changes in form and detail may be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein are to be understood in a descriptive sense only and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects in each example should be considered applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results may still be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and / or if components in the described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in different ways and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited by the specific embodiments but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be understood to be included in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A lens, comprising: Lens part; An anti-reflective coating is applied to the surface of the lens portion; as well as A waterproof layer is provided on the surface of the anti-reflective coating. The waterproof layer comprises an inorganic layer having multiple pores and an organic layer at least partially disposed within the multiple pores, and The inorganic layer includes silicon oxynitride.

2. The lens according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of pores are formed in the inorganic layer, and The organic layer permeates into the inorganic layer.

3. The lens according to claim 1, wherein, The organic layer comprises fluorocarbons.

4. The lens according to claim 1, wherein, The organic layer includes a Si head base, and The Si head base forms a bond with the silicon in the inorganic layer.

5. The lens according to claim 1, wherein, The nitrogen content in the inorganic layer is higher than the oxygen content.

6. The lens according to claim 1, wherein, The antireflective coating includes at least one low-refractive-index layer and at least one high-refractive-index layer, wherein the low-refractive-index layer is a layer having a refractive index of less than 1.5, and the high-refractive-index layer is a layer having a refractive index of more than 1.

5.

7. The lens according to claim 6, wherein, The low-refractive-index layer includes a first layer formed of SiO2, and The high refractive index layer includes a second layer formed of TiO2.

8. The lens according to claim 6, wherein, The high refractive index layer includes a third layer formed of a nitride-based material.

9. The lens according to claim 8, wherein, The third layer includes at least one of AlN, Si3N4, aluminum oxynitride, and silicon oxynitride.

10. The lens according to claim 6, wherein, The low refractive index layer includes a fourth layer formed of a nitride-based material.

11. The lens according to claim 10, wherein, The fourth layer includes at least one of titanium nitride and titanium oxynitride.

12. A lens, comprising: Lens part; An anti-reflective coating is applied to the surface of the lens portion; as well as A waterproof layer is provided on the surface of the anti-reflective coating. The waterproof layer comprises an inorganic layer having multiple pores and an organic layer at least partially disposed within the multiple pores, and The inorganic layer includes silicon nitride.

13. The lens according to claim 12, wherein, The plurality of pores are formed in the inorganic layer, and The organic layer permeates into the inorganic layer.

14. The lens according to claim 12, wherein, The organic layer comprises fluorocarbons.

15. The lens according to claim 12, wherein, The organic layer includes a Si head base, and The Si head base forms a bond with the silicon in the inorganic layer.

16. The lens according to claim 12, wherein, The antireflective coating includes at least one low-refractive-index layer and at least one high-refractive-index layer, wherein the low-refractive-index layer is a layer having a refractive index of less than 1.5, and the high-refractive-index layer is a layer having a refractive index of more than 1.5.

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