A method for processing a beam splitter

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for processing a beam splitter, relating to the field of optical processing technology. It employs a thin metal plate etching process to form a dot-matrix aperture mold. The mold includes limiting holes for placing a glass substrate, an etched metal mesh, and upper and lower fixing plates that cooperate with it. The etched metal mesh is fixed to the mold via the upper and lower fixing plates. Through holes are formed on the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh, serving as limiting holes for placing the glass substrate. A glass substrate is prepared and placed in the limiting holes of the mold, with one side adhering to the etched metal mesh. Vacuum film deposition is performed on the glass substrate with the etched metal mesh adhering to it to form a coated dot matrix on the glass substrate. This invention uses a mold forming method to prepare a coated dot-matrix beam splitter, which is simple, fast, and enables low-cost processing of beam splitters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical processing technology, and in particular to a method for processing a beam splitter. Background Technology

[0002] A beam splitter separates incident light into two beams at different ratios; some light passes through the lens, while some is reflected. It has wide applications in the optical systems of many scientific instruments.

[0003] Coated lattice beam splitters, such as the commonly used aluminum-coated lattice beam splitter, achieve spectral dispersion by depositing aluminum lattice of different sizes onto the surface of a glass substrate. Different dispersive ratios are achieved by adjusting the area of ​​the aluminum coating. This type of beam splitter is widely used due to its advantages of low spectral energy absorption, high efficiency, and insensitivity to incident light. Furthermore, both the reflective coating and the quartz glass have wide spectral ranges, so their combination can achieve spectral dispersion over a broad spectral range.

[0004] One method for manufacturing coated dot matrix beam splitters involves coating quartz glass and then machining away a portion of the coating to achieve a semi-transparent, semi-reflective function. This process typically uses precision engraving machines to remove the unwanted coating. Since the number of dots in the matrix often reaches thousands, the processing time is very long, and the process can scratch the mirror surface, resulting in a low yield. Therefore, finding a simple and low-cost method to manufacture coated dot matrix beam splitters is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a method for processing a beam splitter, the purpose of which is to realize the processing of a coated dot matrix beam splitter using a simple method and low cost.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention discloses a method for processing a beam splitter, the method comprising:

[0008] A dot matrix hole mold is formed using a thin metal plate etching process. The mold includes a limiting hole for placing a glass substrate, an etched metal mesh, and upper and lower fixing plates that cooperate with it. The etched metal mesh is fixed to the mold by the fixing plates on the upper and lower sides. A through hole is provided on the fixing plate on the upper side of the etched metal mesh as a limiting hole for placing the glass substrate.

[0009] Prepare a glass substrate and place the glass substrate in the limiting hole of the mold, so that one side of it is attached to the etched metal mesh;

[0010] Vacuum film deposition is performed on the glass substrate to which the etched metal mesh is attached, forming a coating dot matrix on the glass substrate.

[0011] Furthermore, the abrasive includes multiple limiting holes for placing the glass substrate.

[0012] Furthermore, the etched metal mesh is made of a magnetic material; the method further includes:

[0013] Prepare a magnetic block of the same size as the glass substrate, and attach the magnetic block to the other side of the glass substrate.

[0014] Furthermore, the magnetic pressing block is a neodymium iron boron magnet or a magnetized iron sheet; the magnetic material is SUS430 or an iron plate.

[0015] Furthermore, the magnetic pressing block is made of ordinary metal, and the etched metal mesh is made of non-magnetic material.

[0016] Furthermore, the etched metal mesh is made of SUS304.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes: using a pre-tightening structure to stretch and pre-tighten the etched metal mesh, and then using upper and lower fixing plates with multiple screws to press the pre-tightened etched metal mesh to maintain its pre-tightened state.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes: preparing a glass substrate protective layer and placing the glass substrate protective layer between the glass substrate and the pressing block.

[0019] Furthermore, the glass substrate protective layer is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0020] Furthermore, the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh is provided with support columns at both ends, the support columns support the pressure plate, the pressure plate is fixedly connected to the support columns by fixing screws, so that the pressure plate is located above the magnetic pressure block, and the magnetic pressure block and the pressure plate are connected by an elastic element.

[0021] Advantages and positive effects of the present invention:

[0022] The processing method of the coated dot matrix beam splitter in this invention uses a mold forming method to prepare the coated dot matrix beam splitter. The processing method is simple and fast, and can realize the processing of coated dot matrix beam splitters at low cost. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the coated dot matrix beam splitter in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the processing method for the coated dot matrix beam splitter in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mold that includes multiple holes for placing glass substrates in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of etching a metal mesh in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a front view of the pre-tightening structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a top view of the pre-tightening structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the gap between the etched metal mesh and the large-size glass substrate in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the close bonding between the etched metal mesh and a large-size glass substrate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Limiting hole for placing the glass substrate; 2. Etched metal mesh; 3. Lower fixing plate of etched metal mesh; 4. Upper fixing plate of etched metal mesh; 5. Glass substrate; 6. Protective layer; 7. Pressure block; 8. Elastomer; 9. Pressure plate; 10. Support column; 11. Fixing screw; 12. Bracket; 13. T-shaped lead screw; 14. Lead screw nut sleeve; 15. Pressure block screw; 16. Pressure block; 17. Handle; 18. Guide shaft; 19. Linear bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0035] The coated dot matrix beam splitter can be made of various films such as aluminum-coated film and silver-coated film. The following description uses a common aluminum-coated dot matrix beam splitter as an example to illustrate the beam splitter processing method in this embodiment of the invention. It should be noted that the processing method in this invention is applicable to various coated dot matrix beam splitters.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the aluminized dot matrix beam splitter includes several dots, which are aluminized films, and the blank areas are glass substrates. The aluminum film reflects light, while the glass substrate transmits light through the blank areas. Adjusting the overall area of ​​the aluminum film can control the ratio of reflection to transmission. In other aluminized dot matrix beam splitters, the dot matrix holes can be round holes, square holes, or other regular or irregular shaped holes.

[0037] In this invention, the aforementioned aluminum-coated dot matrix beam splitter is prepared using a mold forming method. First, a dot matrix mold is formed using a thin metal plate etching process. The mold includes positioning holes for placing a glass substrate, an etched metal mesh, and upper and lower fixing plates that cooperate with it. The etched metal mesh is fixed to the mold via the upper and lower fixing plates. A through hole is formed on the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh, serving as a positioning hole for placing the glass substrate. Then, a glass substrate is prepared and placed in the positioning holes of the mold, with one side of it adhering to the etched metal mesh. Finally, vacuum film deposition is performed on the glass substrate with the etched metal mesh attached, forming a dot matrix coating on the glass substrate.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the processing method specifically includes:

[0040] S101, A dot matrix hole mold is formed using a thin metal plate etching process;

[0041] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, the mold includes a limiting hole 1 for placing the glass substrate, an etched metal mesh 2, and an upper fixing block 4 and a lower fixing plate 3 that cooperate with it.

[0042] Etched metal mesh 2 (e.g.) Figure 4 As shown, the metal mesh 2 is fixed to the mold via upper and lower fixing plates. A through hole is provided on the upper fixing plate 4 of the etched metal mesh 2, serving as a limiting hole 1 for placing the glass substrate. Preferably, one mold can be made with multiple holes for placing the glass substrate, allowing for the simultaneous forming of multiple beam splitters and improving efficiency.

[0043] In this embodiment of the invention, the etched metal mesh 2 is made of magnetic material. Specifically, the magnetic material can be SUS430 or iron plate. When selecting iron plate, it is necessary to perform surface zinc plating for rust prevention.

[0044] To ensure accurate beam splitting, the dimensional precision of the dot matrix holes in the mold is extremely high. The diameter of a single hole is typically below 0.3mm-0.5mm. For example, a 20mm*20mm semi-transparent mirror contains over 3000 aluminum-plated dots, ensuring that even a small light source can be split. The edges of the dot matrix holes must be free of burrs. Traditional machining methods are costly and difficult to implement. In this embodiment of the invention, the dot matrix holes are formed using a thin metal plate etching process. Metal etching is a technique that removes metal material through chemical reactions or physical impacts.

[0045] S102. Prepare a glass substrate 5 and place the glass substrate 5 in the limiting hole 1 of the mold, so that one side of it is attached to the etched metal mesh 2.

[0046] S103. Prepare a pressing block 7 of the same size as the glass substrate 5, and attach the pressing block 7 to the other side of the glass substrate 5;

[0047] Among them, the pressing block 7 can be a neodymium iron boron magnet or a magnetized iron sheet.

[0048] The etched metal mesh 2 and the glass substrate 5 can be tightly bonded together under the magnetic force of the magnetic material and the magnetic pressure block 7.

[0049] The thinner the etched metal plate, the higher the precision of the etched holes. Generally, metal plates with a thickness of 0.1mm-0.3mm are used. This results in poor rigidity of the etched metal mesh 2, leading to gaps when it is bonded to the large glass substrate 5. Figure 7 As shown, this leads to inaccurate or even failed dimensions of the aluminum-plated dot matrix.

[0050] In order to ensure that the etched metal mesh 2 is completely adhered to the glass substrate 5 and to minimize the gap between the etched metal mesh 2 and the glass substrate 5, in this embodiment of the invention, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, a magnetically pressed block 7 of equal size is attached to the glass substrate 5 on the upper side of the glass substrate, and the glass and the etched metal mesh 2 are tightly bonded together by magnetic force. The side of the glass substrate that is bonded to the etched metal mesh 2 is the lower side of the glass substrate, and the other side is the upper side of the glass substrate.

[0051] S104. Vacuum aluminum evaporation is performed on the glass substrate 5 with the etched metal mesh 2 attached to it to form an aluminum-plated dot matrix on the glass substrate 5.

[0052] Vacuum evaporation, or simply evaporation, refers to a process in which a coating material (or film material) is evaporated under vacuum conditions using a specific heating and evaporation method, causing the vaporized particles to condense on the substrate surface to form a film. Evaporation is an early and widely used vapor deposition technology, offering advantages such as simple film formation, high film purity and density, and unique film structure and properties.

[0053] In practice, the mold lattice holes can be prepared first, followed by the magnetic pressing block 7 and the glass substrate 5; or the magnetic pressing block 7 and the glass substrate 5 can be prepared first, followed by the mold lattice holes; or they can be prepared simultaneously. The order of preparation is not limited by the step number.

[0054] The processing method described in the above embodiments is suitable for beam splitters with high requirements for dot matrix size accuracy or large size. The aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitter is prepared by using a mold forming method. The structure of magnetic etched metal mesh + magnetic pressing sheet is used to make the glass substrate and the etched metal mesh tightly bonded under the action of magnetic force. The processing method is simple and fast, and can realize the processing of aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitters at low cost.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] The processing methods specifically include:

[0057] S201, A dot matrix hole mold is formed using a thin metal plate etching process;

[0058] The mold includes a limiting hole 1 for placing the glass substrate, an etched metal mesh 2, and mating upper fixing plate 4, lower fixing plate 3, and a pre-tightening structure. The etched metal mesh 2 is fixed to the mold by the fixing plates on the upper and lower sides. The upper fixing plate 4 of the etched metal mesh 2 has through holes, which serve as the limiting holes 1 for placing the glass substrate. Preferably, one mold can be made with multiple holes for placing the glass substrate, forming multiple beam splitters at one time, thus improving efficiency.

[0059] In this embodiment, the etched metal mesh 2 is made of a non-magnetic material, such as SUS304.

[0060] S202. Use a pre-tightening structure to stretch and pre-tighten the etched metal mesh 2;

[0061] The pre-tightening structure is a structure used for stretching and pre-tightening the etched metal mesh 2, such as... Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the pre-tightening structure includes components such as: bracket 12, T-shaped lead screw 13, lead screw nut sleeve 14, clamping block screw 15, clamping block 16, crank handle 17, guide shaft 18, and linear bearing 19. The pre-tightening structure pre-tightens the etched metal mesh 2 along its cross-sectional direction. In this state, upper and lower fixing plates, along with multiple screws, press the pre-tightened etched metal mesh 2 firmly to maintain the pre-tightened state. Then, the clamping block 16 of the mechanical mechanism is released. This improves the rigidity of the metal mesh in the mold, thus ensuring a tight fit between the glass substrate 5 and the etched metal mesh 2.

[0062] S203. Prepare glass substrate 5 and place glass substrate 5 in the limiting hole 1 of the mold, so that one side of it is attached to the etched metal mesh 2.

[0063] S204. Vacuum aluminum evaporation is performed on the glass substrate 5 with the etched metal mesh 2 attached to it to form an aluminum-plated dot matrix on the glass substrate 5.

[0064] The processing method described in the above embodiments is suitable for beam splitters with high requirements for dot matrix size accuracy or large size. The aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitter is prepared by using a mold forming method. The etched metal mesh made of SUS304 material is stretched and pre-tightened under the action of the pre-tightening structure, so that it is tightly attached to the glass substrate. The processing method is simple and fast, and can realize the processing of aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitters at low cost.

[0065] Example 3

[0066] The processing methods specifically include:

[0067] S301, A dot matrix hole mold is formed using a thin metal plate etching process;

[0068] The mold includes a limiting hole 1 for placing the glass substrate, an etched metal mesh 2, and mating upper fixing plate 4, lower fixing plate 3, and a pre-tightening structure. The etched metal mesh 2 is fixed to the mold by the fixing plates on the upper and lower sides. The upper fixing plate 4 of the etched metal mesh 2 has through holes, which serve as the limiting holes 1 for placing the glass substrate. Preferably, one mold can be made with multiple holes for placing the glass substrate, forming multiple beam splitters at one time, thus improving efficiency.

[0069] In this embodiment, the etched metal mesh 2 is made of magnetic material. Specifically, the magnetic material can be SUS430 or iron plate. When choosing iron plate, it is necessary to perform surface zinc plating for rust prevention.

[0070] S302. Use a pre-tightening structure to stretch and pre-tighten the etched metal mesh 2;

[0071] The pre-tightening structure is a structure used for stretching and pre-tightening the etched metal mesh 2, such as... Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the pre-tightening structure includes components such as: bracket 12, T-shaped lead screw 13, lead screw nut sleeve 14, clamping block screw 15, clamping block 16, crank handle 17, guide shaft 18, and linear bearing 19. The pre-tightening structure pre-tightens the etched metal mesh 2 along its cross-sectional direction. In this state, upper and lower fixing plates, along with multiple screws, press the pre-tightened etched metal mesh 2 firmly to maintain the pre-tightened state. Then, the clamping block 16 of the mechanical mechanism is released. This improves the rigidity of the metal mesh in the mold, thus ensuring a tight fit between the glass substrate 5 and the etched metal mesh 2.

[0072] S303. Prepare a glass substrate 5 and place the glass substrate 5 in the limiting hole 1 of the mold, so that one side of it is attached to the etched metal mesh 2.

[0073] S304. Prepare a pressing block 7 of the same size as the glass substrate 5, and attach the pressing block 7 to the other side of the glass substrate 5;

[0074] Among them, the pressing block 7 can be a neodymium iron boron magnet or a magnetized iron sheet.

[0075] The etched metal mesh 2 and the glass substrate 5 can be tightly bonded together under the magnetic force of the magnetic material and the magnetic pressure block 7.

[0076] S305. Vacuum aluminum evaporation is performed on the glass substrate 5 with the etched metal mesh 2 attached to it to form an aluminum-plated dot matrix on the glass substrate 5.

[0077] The processing method described in the above embodiments is suitable for beam splitters with high requirements for dot matrix size accuracy or large size. The aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitter is prepared by using a mold forming method. The method utilizes a magnetic etched metal mesh + pre-tightening structure + magnetic pressure block. The etched metal mesh is stretched and pre-tightened under the action of the pre-tightening structure. At the same time, under the magnetic force of the magnetic etched metal mesh and the magnetic pressure block, the etched metal mesh is tightly bonded to the glass substrate. The processing method is simple and fast, and can realize the processing of aluminum-plated dot matrix beam splitters at low cost.

[0078] Example 4

[0079] The processing methods specifically include:

[0080] S401, a dot matrix hole mold is formed by thin metal plate etching process;

[0081] The mold includes a limiting hole 1 for placing a glass substrate, an etched metal mesh 2, and an upper fixing plate 4 and a lower fixing plate 3 that cooperate with it. The etched metal mesh 2 is fixed to the mold by the fixing plates on the upper and lower sides. The upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh 2 has through holes, which serve as the limiting holes 1 for placing the glass substrate. Preferably, one mold can be made with multiple holes for placing the glass substrate, forming multiple beam splitters at one time, thus improving efficiency. In this embodiment of the invention, the etched metal mesh 2 can be made directly from stainless steel.

[0082] S402. Prepare a glass substrate 5 and place the glass substrate 5 in the limiting hole 1 of the mold, so that one side of it is attached to the etched metal mesh 2.

[0083] S403. Prepare a pressing block 7 of the same size as the glass substrate 5, and attach the pressing block 7 to the other side of the glass substrate 5;

[0084] Among them, the pressing block 7 is a common metal pressing block.

[0085] S404. Vacuum aluminum evaporation is performed on the glass substrate 5 with the etched metal mesh 2 attached to it to form an aluminum-plated dot matrix on the glass substrate 5.

[0086] In practice, the lattice hole mold can be prepared first, followed by the pressing block and glass substrate 5; or the pressing block and glass substrate can be prepared first, followed by the lattice hole mold; or they can be prepared simultaneously. The order of preparation is not limited by the step number.

[0087] The processing method described in the above embodiments is suitable for beam splitters with low requirements for dot matrix size accuracy or small size (e.g., beam splitters with a diameter of less than 20mm). Because the area is small, the gap between the etched metal mesh and the glass substrate has little impact. Ordinary metal blocks can tightly bond the etched metal mesh and the glass substrate together. The structure is simple and can achieve good results.

[0088] Example 5

[0089] Based on Examples 1, 3, and 4, the following steps may also be included:

[0090] A pressure plate 9 is provided on the other side of the pressure block 7. The pressure block 7 and the pressure plate 9 are connected by an elastic body 8. Support columns 10 are provided at both ends of the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh 2. The pressure plate 9 is supported by the support columns 10 and is fixedly connected to the support columns 10 by fixing screws 15.

[0091] Excessive clamping force can cause overall deformation of the mold, resulting in an excessive gap between the etched metal mesh 2 and the glass substrate 5. A structure similar to a spring or slat is needed to both fix the glass substrate 5 and control the clamping force effectively.

[0092] The other side of the pressure block 7 refers to the side that is not attached to the glass substrate.

[0093] Based on Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 3, the above embodiments add an elastomer, which can both fix the glass substrate and effectively control the clamping force.

[0094] Example 6

[0095] Based on the above embodiments 1, 3, 4, and 5, the following steps are also included:

[0096] Prepare a glass substrate protective layer 6 and place the glass substrate protective layer 6 between the glass substrate 5 and the pressure block 7.

[0097] Among them, the glass substrate protective layer 6 is made of a material similar to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is a resin material that is not easy to scratch the glass and can also play a certain role in cushioning.

[0098] The above embodiments, based on other embodiments, add a glass substrate protective layer, which not only makes the glass less susceptible to scratches but also provides a certain degree of cushioning.

[0099] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of processing a beam splitter, characterized by, The method comprises: A thin metal plate etching process is used to form a dot matrix hole mold; the mold comprises limiting hole positions for placing glass substrates, an etched metal mesh, and upper and lower fixing plates matched with the etched metal mesh; the etched metal mesh is fixed with the mold through the upper and lower fixing plates; a through hole is formed in the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh, serving as a limiting hole position for placing a glass substrate; A glass substrate is prepared and placed in the limiting hole position of the mold, with one side of the glass substrate adhering to the etched metal mesh; The glass substrate adhering to the etched metal mesh is subjected to vacuum film evaporation to form a film dot matrix on the glass substrate; A pressing block with the same size as the glass substrate is prepared and adhered to the other side of the glass substrate; the upper fixing plate of the etched metal mesh is provided with support columns at both ends, the support columns support a pressing plate, the pressing plate is fixedly connected with the support columns through fixing screws, the pressing plate is located above the pressing block, and the pressing block and the pressing plate are connected through elastic members; For a spectrophotometric piece with a diameter greater than or equal to 20 mm, the method further comprises: stretching and pre-tightening the etched metal mesh by using a pre-tightening structure, and then pressing the pre-tightened etched metal mesh to maintain the pre-tightening state by using the upper and lower fixing plates and multiple screws; the etched metal mesh is made of a magnetic material; the magnetic material is SUS430 or an iron plate; the pressing block is a neodymium iron boron magnet or a magnetized iron sheet; For a spectrophotometric piece with a diameter less than 20 mm, the pressing block is a common metal pressing block, the etched metal mesh is made of a non-magnetic material, and the etched metal mesh is made of SUS304.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein The mold comprises multiple limiting hole positions for placing glass substrates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the plurality of grooves comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of grooves in the substrate by a laser beam; and forming a plurality of grooves in the substrate by a mechanical tool. Further comprising: A glass substrate protection layer is prepared and placed between the glass substrate and the pressing block.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of forming the plurality of grooves comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of grooves in the substrate by a laser beam; and forming a plurality of grooves in the substrate by a mechanical tool. The glass substrate protection layer is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material.

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