Method for manufacturing optical component and optical component

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology capable of marking an optical component without causing a decrease in the quality of the optical component. The optical component is manufactured by a removal process (S108, S113), in which a multilayer anti-reflection film having a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer formed in a manner covering an optical surface of an optical substrate is non-heated by irradiation with an ultrashort pulse laser to partially remove the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer of the multilayer structure, thereby exposing the high refractive index layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical component and an optical component. Background Art

[0002] As eyeglass lenses, there are lenses formed by covering the optical surface of the lens substrate with a thin film such as a hard coating film or an anti-reflection film. In recent years, a scheme has been proposed to mark eyeglass lenses by partially removing a portion of the thin film by laser irradiation (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-523447.

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In conventional laser marking, there is a risk of partial removal of a portion of the film, which may cause the film to peel off, and there is also a risk of damaging the lower layer of the removed layer. Therefore, when applied to eyeglass lens products, there is a concern that the quality may be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology capable of marking an optical component without causing a decrease in the quality of the optical component.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical component, comprising a removing step.

[0011] In this removal process, a multilayer anti-reflection film having a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer stacked in a manner that covers the optical surface of an optical substrate is subjected to non-heating processing by irradiation with an ultrashort pulse laser, thereby partially removing the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer of the multilayer structure and exposing the high refractive index layer.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention is:

[0013] The method for manufacturing an optical component according to the first aspect, wherein:

[0014] The pulse width of the ultrashort pulse laser is greater than 0.1 picoseconds and less than 100 picoseconds.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention is:

[0016] The method for manufacturing an optical component according to the first aspect or the second object, wherein:

[0017] The antireflection film is irradiated with the ultrashort pulse laser in a defocused setting.

[0018] A fourth aspect of the present invention is:

[0019] The method for manufacturing an optical component according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein:

[0020] The outermost layer is a SiO2 layer as the low refractive index layer,

[0021] The layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer is the ZrO 2 layer as the high refractive index layer.

[0022] A fifth aspect of the present invention is:

[0023] The method for manufacturing an optical component according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein:

[0024] The optical component is a spectacle lens.

[0025] A sixth aspect of the present invention is:

[0026] The method for manufacturing an optical component according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein:

[0027] In the removing step, the decorative pattern of the optical component is formed by partially removing the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer.

[0028] A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to an optical component having:

[0029] an optical substrate having an optical surface; and

[0030] an antireflection film covering the optical surface of the optical substrate,

[0031] The antireflection film has a multilayer structure in which a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer are stacked, and the low refractive index layer as the outermost layer of the multilayer structure is partially removed to expose the high refractive index layer.

[0032] An eighth aspect of the present invention is:

[0033] An optical component according to a seventh aspect, wherein:

[0034] In the high refractive index layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer, a ratio t1 / t2 of a thickness t1 of a removed portion of the low refractive index layer to a thickness t2 of an unremoved portion of the outermost layer is within a range of 0.90 to 1.00.

[0035] A ninth aspect of the present invention is:

[0036] The optical component according to the seventh or eighth object, wherein:

[0037] The outermost layer is a SiO2 layer as the low refractive index layer,

[0038] The layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer is a ZrO 2 layer as a high refractive index layer.

[0039] A tenth aspect of the present invention is:

[0040] The optical component according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, wherein:

[0041] The optical component is a spectacle lens.

[0042] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is:

[0043] The optical component according to any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, wherein:

[0044] The removed portion of the low-refractive index layer of the outermost layer constitutes a decorative pattern of the optical component.

[0045] Effects of the Invention

[0046] According to the present invention, an optical component can be marked without causing a decrease in the quality of the optical component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 It is a plan view showing an example of processing of the eyeglass lens according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the method for manufacturing the spectacle lens according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a laminated structure of thin films in a spectacle lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a laser processing device used in a method for manufacturing a spectacle lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 5A and Figure 5B It is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of a spectacle lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the optical component is a spectacle lens.

[0054] The spectacle lens has an object-side surface and an eyeball-side surface as optical surfaces. The "object-side surface" is the surface located on the object side when the glasses having the spectacle lens are worn by the wearer. The "eyeball-side surface" is the opposite surface, that is, the surface located on the eyeball side when the glasses having the spectacle lens are worn by the wearer. Usually, the object-side surface is convex, and the eyeball-side surface is concave, that is, the spectacle lens is a meniscus lens.

[0055] Figure 1 It is a plan view showing an example of processing of the eyeglass lens according to the present embodiment.

[0056] In this embodiment, a circular shape (for example, an outer diameter) is used when viewed from above. ) is subjected to an edging process (frame cutting process) to cut the lens shape to match the frame shape 2 of the glasses frame worn by the wearer, and a decorative pattern 3 representing a logo, a company's exclusive mark (house mark), etc. is marked on the optical surface in a manner located in the lens area after the frame cutting.

[0057] The marking of the decorative pattern 3 can be performed by laser irradiation processing, for example, which can precisely control the irradiation position based on digital data, but it is not preferred because the marking leads to a decrease in the quality of the lens. Therefore, in this embodiment, the marking of the decorative pattern 3 is performed according to the processing steps described below.

[0058] (1) Method for manufacturing eyeglass lenses

[0059] Here, the processing steps of the eyeglass lens including the marking of the decorative pattern, that is, the steps of the method for manufacturing the eyeglass lens according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0060] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the method for manufacturing the eyeglass lens according to the present embodiment.

[0061] When manufacturing eyeglass lenses, first, a lens substrate as an optical substrate is prepared, the lens substrate is polished according to the prescription information of the eyeglass wearer, and dyed as needed (step 101, hereinafter referred to as "S").

[0062] As the lens substrate, for example, a resin material having a refractive index (nD) of about 1.50 to 1.74 is used. Specifically, as the resin material, for example, allyl diglycol carbonate, polyurethane resin, polycarbonate, thiourethane resin and episulfide resin are exemplified. However, it may not be composed of these resin materials, but may be composed of other resin materials that can obtain the desired refractive index, and may also be composed of inorganic glass. In addition, the lens substrate has optical surfaces for constituting a prescribed lens shape on the surface on the object side and the surface on the eyeball side. The prescribed lens shape may be any lens shape constituting a single-focus lens, a multi-focus lens, a progressive refractive power lens, etc., but in either case, each optical surface is composed of a curved surface determined based on the prescription information of the wearer of the glasses. The optical surface is formed by, for example, polishing, but it may also be a cast (molded) product that does not require polishing.

[0063] In addition, the polishing and dyeing treatments performed on the lens substrate can be performed using known techniques, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted here.

[0064] Next, a hard coating film (HC film) is formed on at least one optical surface of the lens substrate, preferably on both optical surfaces ( S102 ).

[0065] The HC film is formed using a curing material containing a silicon compound, for example, and is formed with a thickness of about 3 μm to 4 μm. The refractive index (nD) of the HC film is close to the refractive index of the material of the lens substrate, for example, about 1.49 to 1.74, and the film structure is selected according to the material of the lens substrate. By covering with such a HC film, the durability of the eyeglass lens can be improved.

[0066] The HC film may be formed by, for example, a dipping method using a solution in which a curing material containing a silicon compound is dissolved.

[0067] After the HC film is formed, an antireflection film (AR film) is then formed so as to overlap the HC film ( S103 ).

[0068] The AR film has a multilayer structure in which films with different refractive indices are stacked, and is a film that prevents light reflection by interference. Specifically, the AR film is composed of a multilayer structure in which a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer are stacked. The low refractive index layer is composed of, for example, silicon dioxide (SiO2) with a refractive index of about 1.43 to 1.47. In addition, the high refractive index layer is composed of a material having a higher refractive index than the low refractive index layer, such as zirconium oxide (ZrO2), tin oxide (SnO2), niobium oxide (Nb2O5), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), titanium oxide (TiO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and mixtures thereof (such as indium tin oxide (ITO)). Among them, the outermost layer of the AR film with a multilayer structure must be a low refractive index layer (for example, a SiO2 layer). By covering such an AR film, it is possible to seek to improve the visibility of the image through the eyeglass lens.

[0069] The AR film may be formed by applying, for example, ion-assisted vapor deposition.

[0070] A hydrophobic film may be formed on the low refractive index layer which is the outermost layer of the AR film.

[0071] The hydrophobic film is a film that imparts water repellency to a surface, and can be formed by coating a solution of a fluorine compound such as meta-di(trifluoromethyl)benzene.

[0072] The formation of the water-repellent film is similar to the case of the AR film and can be performed by, for example, ion-assisted vapor deposition.

[0073] After the above film forming treatment, a film such as Figure 3 The film of the stacked structure is shown.

[0074] Figure 3 It is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a laminated structure of a thin film according to the present embodiment.

[0075] The laminated structure of the example is composed of an HC film 12, an AR film 13, and a hydrophobic film 14 laminated in order on the optical surface of a lens substrate 11. The AR film 13 has a multilayer structure in which a SiO2 layer 13a as a low refractive index layer, and a SnO2 layer 13b and a ZrO2 layer 13c as high refractive index layers are laminated, and the outermost layer (i.e., the surface layer on the hydrophobic film 14 side) is the SiO2 layer 13a.

[0076] After the film is formed, Figure 2As shown, the eyeglass lens formed with the film is subjected to frame cutting processing and marking of decorative patterns. For example, if decorative processing is performed after frame cutting processing (S104: after cutting), first, clamp fixing (blocking) (S105) is performed, and the clamp fixing is to install the optical surface of one side of the eyeglass lens as the processing object (specifically, the optical surface that is not subjected to decorative processing as described later) on a special clamp. Then, the fixed eyeglass lens is placed on an edge grinding machine, and the eyeglass lens is subjected to edge grinding processing (frame cutting processing), and the outer shape of the eyeglass lens is cut into a frame shape (S106). Regarding the clamp fixing and frame cutting processing, it can be carried out using known techniques, and detailed description is omitted here.

[0077] After the frame cutting process, the decoration process (i.e., marking of the decorative pattern) is then performed. During the decoration process, the lens height of the processing area of ​​the processed surface (specifically, the optical surface on the side that is not fixed) of the eyeglass lens to be processed is first measured in a fixed state (i.e., the three-dimensional shape of the processing area on the processed surface) (S107). There is no particular limitation on the measurement method, and it can be considered to be performed using, for example, a non-contact three-dimensional measuring machine.

[0078] After measuring the lens height of the processing area, laser processing is then performed to irradiate the processing area with laser, and raster scanning (S108) is performed to move the irradiation position of the laser based on the pre-prepared pattern data. Instead of raster scanning, vector scanning (Vector Scan) may be performed. Thus, the processing area of ​​the processed surface of the eyeglass lens is marked with a decorative pattern. In addition, the details of the laser processing for marking the decorative pattern will be described later.

[0079] After marking the decorative pattern, the eyeglass lens is removed from the special fixture by releasing the fixture (S109), and the removed eyeglass lens is cleaned (S110) to remove the residues, attachments (foreign matter), etc. left during marking. Then, the eyeglass lens is finally inspected for appearance (S111), and the manufacturing of the eyeglass lens is completed.

[0080] On the other hand, for example, if the frame is cut after the decoration process (S104: before cutting), first, the lens height of the processed area of ​​the processed surface of the eyeglass lens to be processed (i.e., the three-dimensional shape of the processed area on the processed surface) is measured (S112). The measurement method is the same as that of the above-mentioned case where the decoration process is performed after the frame is cut.

[0081] After measuring the lens height of the processing area, laser processing is then performed to irradiate the processing area with laser, and raster scanning (S113) is performed to move the irradiation position of the laser based on the pre-prepared pattern data. Vector scanning may also be performed instead of raster scanning. Thus, the processing area of ​​the processed surface of the eyeglass lens is marked with a decorative pattern. In addition, the details of the laser processing for marking the decorative pattern will be described later.

[0082] After marking the decorative pattern, the marked eyeglass lens is subjected to frame cutting processing. During the frame cutting processing, firstly, the optical surface of one side of the eyeglass lens to be processed is mounted on a special fixture to fix the lens (S114), and then the fixed eyeglass lens is placed on an edge grinding machine, and the eyeglass lens is subjected to edge grinding processing (frame cutting processing), and the outer shape of the eyeglass lens is cut into a frame shape (S115). After the frame cutting processing, the eyeglass lens is removed from the special fixture by clamp release (S116), and the removed eyeglass lens is subjected to lens cleaning for removing residues, attachments (foreign matter), etc. during processing (S117). Then, after the final lens appearance inspection (S118), the manufacture of the eyeglass lens is completed.

[0083] (2) Details of laser processing

[0084] Next, laser processing for marking a decorative pattern will be described in more detail.

[0085] In this embodiment, the AR film 13 covering the optical surface of the lens substrate 11 is irradiated with laser light to partially remove the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer of the AR film 13, thereby marking the decorative pattern. That is, the marking of the decorative pattern is carried out through a removal process in which the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer, is partially removed by laser processing by irradiating laser light to expose the high refractive index layer on the lower layer side. The exposed high refractive index layer is, for example, the ZrO2 layer 13c. If the ZrO2 layer 13c, which is the high refractive index layer, is exposed, the SnO2 layer 13b, which is the high refractive index layer on the upper layer side, can also be removed together with the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer. If the SnO2 layer 13b is allowed to be removed, the SnO2 layer 13b can be formed to be thin (for example, about 5 nm).

[0086] Here, a laser processing device used for laser processing is briefly described.

[0087] Figure 4A and Figure 4B It is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a laser processing device used in the method for manufacturing eyeglass lenses according to the present embodiment.

[0088] like Figure 4AAs shown, the laser processing device used in this embodiment has a laser light source unit 21, an AOM (Acousto Optics Modulator) system unit 22, a beam shaping unit 23, a scanning galvanometer (galvanoscanner) unit 24, and an optical system 25, and is configured to irradiate the AR film 13 with laser through these units 21 to 25.

[0089] The laser light source unit 21 is a component that emits laser light for laser processing, and is configured to emit ultrashort pulse laser light.

[0090] In the present embodiment, the ultrashort pulse laser refers to a laser having a pulse width of, for example, 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 100 picoseconds, preferably a laser having a pulse width of 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 30 picoseconds, and more preferably a laser having a pulse width of 0.1 picoseconds or more and less than 15 picoseconds. There is no particular restriction on the lower limit of the pulse width, as long as it exceeds 0 femtoseconds, and as described above, a pulse width of, for example, 0.1 picoseconds or more (including 1 picosecond or more) can be preferably used.

[0091] The wavelength of an ultrashort pulse laser is, for example, THG (Third Harmonic Generation, 3 times the frequency) of 355nm, or SHG (Second Harmonic Generation, 2 times the frequency) of 532nm. However, it is not limited to this, and it can also be, for example, a fundamental wavelength of 1064nm or FHG (Forth Harmonic Generation, 4 times the frequency) of 266nm. The pulse energy of an ultrashort pulse laser is, for example, greater than 0.1μJ and less than 30μJ (maximum about 60μJ) at 50kHz. The beam diameter of an ultrashort pulse laser is, for example, greater than 10μm and less than 30μm.

[0092] As long as such ultrashort pulse laser light can be emitted, the specific structure of the laser light source unit 21 is not particularly limited.

[0093] The AOM system unit 22 is a component that suppresses excessive irradiation of laser light that causes processing unevenness during laser processing by canceling the laser beam output when the scanning galvanometer unit 24 starts operating or when the operation is about to end.

[0094] The beam shaping unit 23 is a component that converts the energy distribution of the laser light from the laser light source unit 21 from a Gaussian energy distribution to a top-hat energy distribution, thereby enabling laser processing using laser light with uniform energy distribution.

[0095] The scanning galvanometer unit 24 is a component that can realize scanning based on the laser light by moving the irradiation position of the laser light from the laser light source unit 21 in two or three dimensions, thereby enabling marking of a desired pattern by laser processing. In addition, the scannable range of the laser light by the scanning galvanometer unit 24 (i.e., the maximum laser processing area) 4 is set to a size and shape that can completely include the outer shape of the eyeglass lens to be processed (see Figure 1 ).

[0096] The optical system 25 is composed of a combination of an optical lens such as a telecentric lens and a reflecting mirror, and is a member for guiding the laser light from the laser light source unit 21 so that the laser light reaches a processed portion of the eyeglass lens.

[0097] In addition, if Figure 4B As shown, the laser processing device used in the present embodiment is configured to be able to implement laser (i.e., ultrashort pulse laser) irradiation to the AR film 13 through the optical system 25 or the like with a defocus setting. The so-called defocus setting refers to setting the focal position F of the laser to be irradiated by a predetermined defocus distance from the surface of the AR film 13, which is the part to be processed based on the laser. As long as the laser irradiation is performed with such a defocus setting, the beam energy can be dispersed on the surface of the AR film 13 irradiated by the laser, thereby achieving uniform film removal processing. This is particularly useful in a case where the height of the irradiated part may vary due to the influence of the surface shape of the AR film 13. However, it is not necessarily limited to the defocus setting. For example, the laser irradiation may be performed with a focusing setting in which the focal position F is consistent with the surface of the AR film 13, or with an in-focus setting in which the focal position F is away from the defocus setting in the opposite direction.

[0098] Next, a description will be given of a laser processing step performed using the laser processing apparatus having the above configuration.

[0099] During laser processing, the spectacle lens to be processed is first placed in the laser processing device. At this time, the spectacle lens is placed in such a way that the optical surface of the spectacle lens, more specifically, the surface of the AR film 13 in the optical surface, becomes the processed surface. The optical surface to be processed may be any one of the surface on the object side and the surface on the eyeball side, and here, for example, the surface on the eyeball side is used as the processed surface.

[0100] After the eyeglass lens is placed, the laser light source unit 21 and the scanning galvanometer unit 24 are operated based on the pre-prepared pattern data (i.e., pattern data defining the decorative pattern). Thus, the processing area of ​​the processed surface of the eyeglass lens is irradiated with ultrashort pulse laser in a pattern shape corresponding to the decorative pattern.

[0101] When irradiated with ultrashort pulse laser, the ultrashort pulse laser passes through the hydrophobic film 14 on the processed surface of the eyeglass lens and reaches the AR film 13 on the processed surface. When the ultrashort pulse laser reaches, the AR film 13 is processed without heating by the ultrashort pulse laser.

[0102] The so-called non-heating processing, also known as ablation processing, refers to a technology that utilizes the multi-photon absorption phenomenon of ultrashort pulse lasers to perform processing in a non-heating manner. More specifically, non-heating processing is a removal process that suppresses the influence of heat around the processing part as much as possible, and even materials that melt only at a relatively high temperature under atmospheric pressure can be instantly melted, evaporated, and scattered by the laser irradiation part. According to such non-heating processing, since the molten part evaporates and scatters instantly and is removed, it is possible to implement processing with less thermal influence on the processing part and suppress thermal damage (deformation caused by heat, etc.).

[0103] When non-heating processing is performed by irradiation of ultrashort pulse laser, in the AR film 13, the SiO2 layer 13a as the outermost layer in the multilayer structure constituting the AR film 13 is partially removed in a pattern shape corresponding to the decorative pattern. In addition, the corresponding part of the hydrophobic film 14 is also removed along with this. Furthermore, along with the removal of the SiO2 layer 13a, the SnO2 layer 13b located on the lower layer side of the SiO2 layer 13a is also partially removed. As a result, the ZrO2 layer 13c located on the lower layer side of the SnO2 layer 13b is exposed at the removal site of the SiO2 layer 13a. At this time, if the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer is exposed, the SnO2 layer 13b, which is the high refractive index layer on its upper layer side, can be removed together with the outermost SiO2 layer 13a. If the SnO2 layer 13b is allowed to be removed, the SnO2 layer 13b can be formed to a thinner thickness (for example, about 5nm).

[0104] Generally speaking, as a laser processing for partially removing a thin film, a heating processing using a laser with a pulse width of the order of nanoseconds or more is widely used, rather than the non-heating processing described above. In the heating processing, the relationship between the transmittance (absorption) of the laser and the thin film is utilized so that the energy of the laser is absorbed by the processed portion of the thin film, thereby removing the thin film. However, in the case where such a heating processing is applied to the AR film 13, since each layer of the multilayer structure constituting the AR film 13 has laser absorption, not only the outermost layer of the multilayer structure but also multiple layers including the outermost layer are removed. In addition, there is a risk of thermal damage around the removed processed portion. In particular, damage caused by thermal damage may remain on the surface of the lower layer exposed after removal.

[0105] In contrast, according to the above-mentioned non-heating processing, since the removal processing is performed by utilizing the effect of the pulse width rather than the absorption energy effect of the laser, the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer in the multilayer structure constituting the AR film 13, can be removed. Moreover, since it is a non-heating processing, there is little thermal influence on the processing part and the surrounding area, and thermal damage can be suppressed. Specifically, for example, when the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer of the AR film 13, is removed, the SnO2 layer 13b, which is the layer directly below the SiO2 layer 13a, is also removed, thereby exposing the ZrO2 layer 13c, which is a high refractive index layer, but it is possible to suppress damage to the exposed surface of the ZrO2 layer 13c.

[0106] By performing the laser processing as described above, the SiO 2 layer 13 a which is the outermost layer of the AR film 13 is partially removed to expose the ZrO 2 layer 13 c which is a high refractive index layer, thereby marking the processed surface of the eyeglass lens with a decorative pattern.

[0107] (3) The structure of eyeglass lenses.

[0108] Next, the structure of the spectacle lens obtained by the manufacturing method of the steps described above, that is, the structure of the spectacle lens according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0109] Figure 5A and Figure 5B It is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of a spectacle lens according to the present embodiment.

[0110] like Figure 5A As shown in FIG. 1 , the spectacle lens according to the present embodiment is configured such that an HC film 12, an AR film 13, and a hydrophobic film 14 are sequentially stacked on an optical surface of a lens substrate 11. The AR film 13 has a multilayer structure in which a SiO2 layer 13a as a low refractive index layer and a SnO2 layer 13b and a ZrO2 layer 13c as high refractive index layers are stacked, and the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer of the multilayer structure, is partially removed, and the ZrO2 layer 13c, which is the high refractive index layer, is exposed. In conjunction with this, the hydrophobic film 14 covering the AR film 13 and the SnO2 layer 13b, which is the layer directly below the SiO2 layer 13a, are also partially removed in the same manner as the SiO2 layer 13a as the outermost layer. That is, the eyeglass lens involved in this embodiment is constructed to have: a non-processed area 15 in which the optical surface of the lens substrate 11 is covered with the HC film 12, the AR film 13, and the hydrophobic film 14; and a laser scanning area (patterned area) 16 in which the outermost SiO2 layer 13a in the AR film 13, the layer directly below it, namely the SnO2 layer 13b, and the hydrophobic film 14 are partially removed to expose the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer.

[0111] In the non-processing area 15 and the laser scanning area 16, since one side is covered by the SiO2 layer 13a and the other side exposes the ZrO2 layer 13c, the reflectivity of each light is different depending on the presence or absence of the SiO2 layer 13a. Therefore, when the eyeglass lens is viewed from the appearance, the pattern shape formed by the laser scanning area 16 can be identified. In other words, if the laser scanning area 16 is formed in a pattern shape corresponding to the decorative pattern, the decorative pattern can be identified. In this way, the removed portion of the SiO2 layer 13a of the outermost layer of the AR film 13 can be used to constitute a decorative pattern. In order to be able to identify it as a decorative pattern, for the laser scanning area 16 where the SiO2 layer 13a is removed, it is sufficient to expose the high refractive index layer. Therefore, if the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer is exposed in the laser scanning area 16, the high refractive index layer on the upper side, that is, the SnO2 layer 13b, can be removed together with the outermost SiO2 layer 13a.

[0112] The laser scanning area 16 constituting the decorative pattern is formed by removing the SiO2 layer 13a, the outermost layer of the AR film 13, and the SnO2 layer 13b, the layer directly below it. That is, the removal object is limited to the minimum layer including the SiO2 layer 13a. Therefore, for each layer of the multilayer structure constituting the AR film 13, it is possible to suppress the peeling caused by the formation of the laser scanning area 16. For example, in the case of laser processing using the absorption of laser light, not only the outermost layer of the multilayer structure but also multiple layers including the outermost layer are removed, but the more layers there are, that is, the deeper the groove depth of the removal part, the higher the risk of film peeling. In contrast, as in the laser scanning area 16 in the present embodiment, if the removal part is limited to the minimum including the outermost layer SiO2 layer 13a, there will be no effect on the lower layer side, so it is possible to suppress the peeling of the film caused by the formation of the removal part.

[0113] As described above, the removal of the SiO2 layer 13a, the outermost layer of the AR film 13, can be achieved by non-heating processing using irradiation of ultrashort pulse laser. According to such non-heating processing, the thermal influence on the processing part and the surrounding area is small, and thermal damage can be suppressed. Therefore, in the laser scanning area 16 constituting the decorative pattern, along with the removal of the SiO2 layer 13a, the SnO2 layer 13b, the layer directly below the SiO2 layer 13a, is also removed, thereby exposing the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer, but it is possible to suppress damage to the exposed surface of the ZrO2 layer 13c.

[0114] If the damage to the exposed surface of the ZrO2 layer 13c can be suppressed, the reduction in film thickness caused by the removal of the SiO2 layer 13a can also be suppressed in the ZrO2 layer 13c. The film thickness of the SiO2 layer 13a, SnO2 layer 13b, ZrO2 layer 13c, etc. can be determined by obtaining an electron microscope image of the cross section of the AR film 13 and analyzing the obtained image.

[0115] Figure 5B A specific example of the observation result obtained by electron microscope of the cross section of AR film 13 is shown. Figure 5A , and an electron microscope image of the laser scanning area 16 and the non-processing area 15 is shown. In addition, in the non-processing area 15, the SiO2 layer 13a, the SnO2 layer 13b, and the ZrO2 layer 13c are stacked, but since the SnO2 layer 13b is thin (for example, about 5nm), it is difficult to identify in the image. On the other hand, in the laser scanning area 16, the SiO2 layer 13a and the SnO2 layer 13b are removed, thereby exposing the ZrO2 layer 13c.

[0116] According to the electron microscope image of the legend, in the ZrO2 layer 13c exposed by removing the SiO2 layer 13a, the thickness t1 of the laser scanning area 16 where the SiO2 layer 13a is removed and the thickness t2 of the non-processed area 15 covered by the SiO2 layer 13a are not much different from each other. More specifically, the ratio t1 / t2 of the thickness t1 of the removed portion of the SiO2 layer 13a to the thickness t2 of the unremoved portion of the SiO2 layer 13a is, for example, within the range of 0.90 or more and 1.00 or less, preferably within the range of 0.95 or more and 1.00 or less, and more preferably within the range of 0.99 or more and 1.00 or less.

[0117] As such, in the exposed ZrO2 layer 13c as the high refractive index layer, the film thickness reduction caused by the removal process of the SiO2 layer 13a is suppressed, or even if the film thickness reduction occurs, the reduction amount is extremely small. This is because the laser scanning area 16 is formed by non-heating processing using irradiation of ultrashort pulse laser, and no damage is caused to the ZrO2 layer 13c as the underlying layer. This means that if the ratio t1 / t2 of the thickness of the exposed ZrO2 layer 13c falls within the above range, the laser scanning area 16 is formed without damaging the ZrO2 layer 13c, and it can be inferred that the formation of the laser scanning area 16 is performed using non-heating processing based on ultrashort pulse laser.

[0118] According to the spectacle lens constructed as described above, even if a decorative pattern is marked, it is possible to suppress the peeling of each layer of the AR film 13 constituting the multi-layer structure, and the exposed ZrO2 layer 13c is not damaged. Therefore, even in the case of a product applied to a spectacle lens, it is possible to mark the spectacle lens with a decorative pattern without causing a decrease in the quality of the product.

[0119] (4) Effects of this embodiment

[0120] According to the present embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0121] (a) In the present embodiment, the AR film 13, which is one of the thin films covering the optical surface of the lens substrate 11, is partially removed, and the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer of the AR film 13, is exposed to expose the ZrO2 layer 13c, which is the high refractive index layer, thereby marking the eyeglass lens with a decorative pattern. In this way, if the minimum layer including the SiO2 layer 13a, which is the outermost layer of the AR film 13, is removed, it is possible to suppress the peeling of each layer of the multilayer structure constituting the AR film 13 due to the removal.

[0122] (b) In this embodiment, the outermost layer of the AR film 13, the SiO2 layer 13a, is partially removed by non-heating processing using ultrashort pulse laser irradiation, thereby exposing the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer, thereby marking the eyeglass lens with a decorative pattern. According to such non-heating processing, since the removal processing is performed by utilizing the effect of the pulse width rather than the absorption energy effect of the laser, the minimum layer including the outermost layer of the AR film 13, the SiO2 layer 13a, can be removed. In addition, since it is a non-heating processing, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of thermal damage around the processing part, thereby suppressing the occurrence of damage on the exposed surface of the ZrO2 layer 13c exposed by removing the SiO2 layer 13a.

[0123] (c) As described above, in this embodiment, the outermost layer of the AR film 13, that is, the SiO2 layer 13a, is removed by using an ultrashort pulse laser to expose the ZrO2 layer 13c, which is a high refractive index layer, thereby marking the eyeglass lens with a decorative pattern. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the peeling of the layers of the AR film 13, and the exposed ZrO2 layer 13c is not damaged. Therefore, even in the case of a product applied to an eyeglass lens, it is possible to mark the eyeglass lens with a decorative pattern without causing a decrease in the quality of the product.

[0124] (d) In the present embodiment, the pulse width of the ultrashort pulse laser is 0.1 picosecond or more and less than 100 picoseconds, preferably 0.1 picosecond or more and 30 picoseconds or less, and more preferably 0.1 picosecond or more and 15 picoseconds or less. If it is such a pulse width, non-heating processing can be reliably performed. In other words, the SiO2 layer 13a is removed by utilizing the effect of the pulse width rather than the absorption energy effect of the laser, and as a result, the above-mentioned effect can be reliably obtained.

[0125] (e) In the present embodiment, when non-heating processing is performed by irradiation of ultrashort pulse laser, ultrashort pulse laser is irradiated to the AR film 13 with a defocus setting. If laser irradiation is performed with such a defocus setting, the beam energy can be dispersed on the surface of the AR film 13 irradiated with the laser, thereby achieving uniform film removal processing. This is particularly useful when the height of the irradiated portion may vary due to the influence of the surface shape of the AR film 13.

[0126] (f) In the present embodiment, since non-heating processing is performed by irradiation with ultrashort pulse laser, damage to the exposed surface of the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer exposed by removing the SiO2 layer 13a can be suppressed. Therefore, in the ZrO2 layer 13c, the reduction in film thickness caused by the removal processing of the SiO2 layer 13a can also be suppressed. Specifically, when the SiO2 layer 13a is partially removed and the SnO2 layer 13b is also removed, the ratio t1 / t2 of the thickness t1 of the ZrO2 layer 13c at the removed portion of the SiO2 layer 13a and the thickness t2 of the ZrO2 layer 13c at the unremoved portion of the SiO2 layer 13a, for example, is within the range of 0.90 or more and 1.00 or less, preferably within the range of 0.95 or more and 1.00 or less, and more preferably within the range of 0.99 or more and 1.00 or less. As described above, in the ZrO2 layer 13c, the film thickness reduction caused by the removal of the SiO2 layer 13a is suppressed so as not to occur, or even if it does occur, the reduction is extremely small. Therefore, when applied to eyeglass lenses, it is very preferable in terms of marking the eyeglass lenses with decorative patterns without causing the quality of the product to be reduced.

[0127] (5) Modifications, etc.

[0128] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above disclosure is for illustrating exemplary embodiments of the present invention. That is, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0129] In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the case where the optical component is a spectacle lens is exemplified, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention can be applied to optical components other than spectacle lenses in exactly the same manner.

[0130] In the above embodiment, although the case of marking a decorative pattern by non-heating processing using ultrashort pulse laser is exemplified, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the non-heating processing using ultrashort pulse laser can be applied to processing other than marking a decorative pattern in the same manner as long as it is used to perform some patterning processing on the optical surface of an optical component.

[0131] In the above embodiment, although the outermost layer of the AR film 13 is the SiO2 layer 13a as a low refractive index layer, and the layers below the SiO2 layer 13a are the SnO2 layer 13b and the ZrO2 layer 13c as high refractive index layers, when the SiO2 layer 13a is partially removed, the SnO2 layer 13b is also removed, thereby exposing the ZrO2 layer 13c as a high refractive index layer, but the present invention is not limited to this. The AR film 13 may also be composed of layers other than the SiO2 layer 13a, the SnO2 layer 13b, and the ZrO2 layer 13c. In addition, if the outermost layer of the AR film 13 is a low refractive index layer, it may also be a layer other than the SiO2 layer 13a. The same is true for the layer below it. If it is a high refractive index layer, it may also be a layer other than the SnO2 layer 13b or the ZrO2 layer 13c. For example, the SnO 2 layer 13 b removed together with the SiO 2 layer 13 a may be replaced by a thin ITO layer having conductivity.

[0132] In the above embodiment, an example is given of removing the outermost layer of the AR film 13, namely the SiO2 layer 13a, and the SnO2 layer 13b as the layer directly below it, by non-heating processing using an ultrashort pulse laser. Thus, as described above, an effect of suppressing film peeling is obtained. In this way, the non-heating processing using an ultrashort pulse laser can be carried out in a manner of removing multiple layers including the outermost layer. Even in the case of removing multiple layers including the outermost layer, by using non-heating processing using an ultrashort pulse laser, damage to the exposed surface of the layer exposed by removal can be suppressed, and thus the reduction in film thickness caused by the removal processing can be suppressed. That is, even in the case of removing multiple layers including the outermost layer, for the layer directly below the removed layer, the ratio t1 / t2 of the thickness t1 of the removed portion to the thickness t2 of the unremoved portion is, for example, within the range of 0.90 or more and 1.00 or less, preferably within the range of 0.95 or more and 1.00 or less, and more preferably within the range of 0.99 or more and 1.00 or less. This means that the present disclosure includes the following inventive concepts.

[0133] That is, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an optical component having:

[0134] an optical substrate having an optical surface; and

[0135] an antireflection film covering the optical surface of the optical substrate,

[0136] The anti-reflection film is configured to have a multi-layer structure, and at least one layer constituting the multi-layer structure is partially removed,

[0137] The layer immediately below the at least one layer is configured such that a ratio t1 / t2 of a thickness t1 of a removed portion of the at least one layer to a thickness t2 of a non-removed portion of the at least one layer is within a range of 0.90 to 1.00.

[0138] Description of Reference Numerals

[0139] 1: Eyeglass lenses (optical components);

[0140] 2: Frame shape;

[0141] 3: decorative pattern;

[0142] 4: Scannable range;

[0143] 11: Lens substrate (optical substrate);

[0144] 12: HC film;

[0145] 13: AR film;

[0146] 13a: SiO2 layer (low refractive index layer);

[0147] 13b: SnO2 layer (high refractive index layer);

[0148] 13c: ZrO2 layer (high refractive index layer);

[0149] 14: Hydrophobic membrane;

[0150] 15: Non-processing area;

[0151] 16: laser scanning area (patterning area);

[0152] 21: Laser light source;

[0153] 22: AOM System Department;

[0154] 23: Beam shaping department;

[0155] 24: Scanning galvanometer part;

[0156] 25: Optical system.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an optical component, comprising a removal step, In the removal step, a multilayer antireflection film having a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer stacked in a manner covering an optical surface of an optical substrate is subjected to non-heating processing by irradiation with an ultrashort pulse laser to partially remove the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer of the multilayer structure for marking. The pulse width of the ultrashort pulse laser is greater than 0.1 picoseconds and less than 100 picoseconds. In the high refractive index layer located below the laser scanning area where the low refractive index layer is partially removed, a ratio t1 / t2 of a thickness t1 of the removed portion of the low refractive index layer to a thickness t2 of the unremoved portion of the low refractive index layer is within a range of greater than 0.90 and less than 1.

00.

2. The method for manufacturing an optical component according to claim 1, wherein: The antireflection film is irradiated with the ultrashort pulse laser in a defocused setting.

3. The method for manufacturing an optical component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The outermost layer is a SiO2 layer as the low refractive index layer, The layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer is the ZrO 2 layer as the high refractive index layer.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The optical component is a spectacle lens.

5. The method for manufacturing an optical component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the removing step, the decorative pattern of the optical component is formed by partially removing the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer.

6. An optical component, comprising: an optical substrate having an optical surface; and an antireflection film covering the optical surface of the optical substrate, The antireflection film has a multilayer structure in which a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer are stacked, and the low refractive index layer of the outermost layer of the multilayer structure is partially removed to expose the high refractive index layer. In the high refractive index layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer, a ratio t1 / t2 of a thickness t1 of a removed portion of the low refractive index layer to a thickness t2 of an unremoved portion of the low refractive index layer is within a range of 0.90 to 1.

00.

7. The optical component according to claim 6, wherein: The outermost layer is a SiO2 layer as the low refractive index layer, The layer exposed by removing the low refractive index layer is a ZrO 2 layer as a high refractive index layer.

8. The optical component according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The optical component is a spectacle lens.

9. The optical component according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The removed portion of the low-refractive index layer of the outermost layer constitutes a decorative pattern of the optical component.

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