Optical element and method for producing the same

Abstract

The application provides an optical element and a preparation method thereof, and comprises the following steps: sequentially bonding n glass elements to obtain an optical element; each glass element has a bonding surface; n is an integer and n is greater than or equal to 2; at least one of the n glass elements has a first non-bonding surface, and the first non-bonding surface comprises a curved surface; the bonding process comprises the following steps: activating the n glass elements to make the bonding surface of each glass element have an activation group; sequentially bonding the n glass elements, and making the activation groups of the bonding surfaces of each two adjacent glass elements be bonded through a chemical bond. The n glass elements can be accurately positioned, the eccentricity of the optical element formed by bonding can be avoided, the forming precision of the optical element is improved, and the manufacturing efficiency and optical performance of the optical element are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical device technology, and more specifically to an optical element and its fabrication method. Background Technology

[0002] Lenses and other optical components are widely used. However, in related technologies, optical components such as lenses generally suffer from eccentricity problems (such as deviations in the center positions of two opposing surfaces of a lens, or deviations in the center positions of multiple lenses in a lens assembly), which urgently need to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an optical element and its fabrication method, which at least solves the eccentricity problem existing in optical elements such as lenses in the prior art.

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a method for fabricating an optical element, comprising: sequentially bonding n glass elements to obtain the optical element; wherein each glass element has a bonding surface; n is an integer and n≥2, and at least one of the n glass elements has a first unbonded surface, the first unbonded surface including a curved surface; the bonding process comprises: activating the n glass elements to give the bonding surface of each glass element an activating group; sequentially bonding the n glass elements, and bonding the activating groups on the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair through a chemical reaction.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the curved surface includes a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the curved surface includes an aspherical surface.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bonding surface is a plane.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, n=2, each of the glass elements has the first unbonded surface, and the bonding surface of each glass element is disposed opposite to the first unbonded surface.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first unbonded surface of one of the n glass elements includes a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface, and the first unbonded surface of the other includes a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, n=2, one of the glass elements has a first unbonded surface and a surface to be bonded, the first unbonded surface and the surface to be bonded being disposed opposite to each other; the other glass element has a second unbonded surface and a surface to be bonded, the second unbonded surface and the surface to be bonded forming an angle.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the glass elements has a first unbonded surface, and each of the glass elements includes a bonded region and a functional region connected together, wherein the surface to be bonded exists in the bonded region, and the first unbonded surface exists in the functional region.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the bonding, there is a gap between the functional regions of each adjacent pair of the n glass elements.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the activating group includes a hydroxyl group.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the activation treatment of the n glass elements to give the bonding surface of each glass element an activating group specifically includes:

[0015] The n glass elements are cleaned using a first cleaning solution, which includes at least one of ethanol, acetone, and water.

[0016] The n glass elements are then pre-activated using a first mixture comprising concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

[0017] The n glass elements are then cleaned with a second cleaning solution, which includes a second mixture containing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide and / or a third mixture containing hydrogen chloride and hydrogen peroxide.

[0018] The n glass elements are then subjected to a second activation treatment using a fourth mixture, which includes ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of sequentially bonding the n glass elements and chemically bonding the activated groups on the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair of glass elements specifically includes: sequentially bonding the n glass elements in water, then removing the water and drying the mixture to obtain an optical element precursor pre-bonded from the n glass elements; and holding the optical element precursor at a bonding pressure greater than or equal to 15 MPa and a temperature less than or equal to 680°C for greater than or equal to 2 hours to perform the bonding, thereby obtaining the optical element.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of sequentially bonding n glass elements to obtain the optical element specifically includes: providing n substrate sheets, each substrate sheet having m glass elements; m is an integer and m≥1; stacking the n substrate sheets sequentially, and making the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one and bonded sequentially, and then bonding the glass elements of each adjacent pair in the n substrate sheets through the bonding process; and then cutting the bonded n substrate sheets according to a preset cutting position to form m optical elements formed by sequentially bonding n glass elements.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, m > 1, and the m glass elements are arranged in an array.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the substrate sheets is formed with a positioning mark. When the n substrate sheets are stacked sequentially, positioning is performed by the positioning mark to achieve the desired result and make the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate sheet comprises a glass wafer.

[0024] In another aspect, the present invention provides an optical element prepared according to the above-described optical element preparation method.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the optical element is a lens or lens assembly.

[0026] In this invention, glass elements are activated to give them activated groups on the bonding surfaces. Then, a chemical reaction occurs between the activated groups of two adjacent glass elements, which are then connected by chemical bonds, thereby bonding two adjacent glass elements together. This process is repeated to bond n glass elements sequentially to obtain an optical element.

[0027] In the above preparation process, by bonding n glass elements without interfaces, it is easy to accurately position the n glass elements, improve the centering accuracy of the optical elements (the interfacial eccentricity can be less than 1μm, or even less than 0.5μm), realize the processing and forming of optical elements such as ultra-high precision lenses and lens assemblies, thereby improving the manufacturing efficiency and optical performance of optical elements and reducing costs.

[0028] Through the above-described fabrication process, optical components such as lenses (e.g., aspherical lenses, irregularly shaped lenses, etc.) and lens assemblies can be fabricated, solving the problem of eccentricity in these optical components. In addition, the fabricated lens assemblies can avoid the use of a lens barrel, that is, avoid positioning and fixing each glass component through a lens barrel, thereby reducing the size of the lens assembly and achieving miniaturization. Furthermore, the fabricated irregularly shaped lenses can avoid the use of adhesive, improving the optical performance of the irregularly shaped lenses.

[0029] Furthermore, the lens made from glass elements can reduce the height of the lens assembly formed by the lens, and can be applied to camera modules of electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, and televisions. For example, it can alleviate the phenomenon of the rear camera of a mobile phone protruding from the back of the phone. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a molding equipment used for lens molding.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical element (lens) according to one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding a lens together using two glass elements according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding a lens together with two glass elements according to another embodiment.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding a lens together with two glass elements according to another embodiment.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding a lens together with two glass elements according to another embodiment.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing lens assembly;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical element (lens assembly) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the activation and bonding process of two glass elements in one embodiment;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a molding apparatus for molding glass components according to one embodiment;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a molding apparatus for molding glass components according to another embodiment;

[0041] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding an optical element (lens) with two substrate sheets according to one embodiment.

[0042] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of bonding an optical element (lens assembly) with multiple substrate sheets according to one embodiment.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1: Platform; 2: Lower mold; 21: Mold core of the lower mold; 3: Upper mold; 31: Mold core of the upper mold; 4: Pressure plate; 5: Mold sleeve; 6: Molding area; 7: Material to be molded; 8: Gap; Detailed Implementation

[0044] Lenses and other optical components are widely used. However, in related technologies, optical components such as lenses generally suffer from eccentricity problems (such as deviations in the center positions of two opposing surfaces of a lens, or deviations in the center positions of multiple lenses in a lens assembly), which urgently need to be solved.

[0045] For example, lenses can be molded, such as through glass molding optics (GMO) molding processes. Figure 1 As shown, the molding equipment includes a platform 1, a lower mold 2 placed on the platform, an upper mold 3 that cooperates with the lower mold 2, a pressure plate 4 for pressing the upper mold 3, and a mold sleeve 5 for limiting the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 2. A molding zone 6 is formed between the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 3. During the molding process, the mold core 21 of the lower mold 2 is placed in the area enclosed by the mold sleeve 5, and the material to be molded 7 is placed in the molding zone. The upper mold 3 is pressed downward by the pressure plate 4. The mold core 31 of the upper mold 3 extends into the area enclosed by the mold sleeve 5 and presses the material to be molded 7 downward, so that the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 2 mold the material to be molded 7 to form a lens. In order to facilitate the extrusion between the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 2, a gap 8 is formed in the circumferential direction between the film sleeve 5 and the mold core 31 of the upper mold 3 and the mold core 21 of the lower mold 2. During the molding process, the upper mold 3 is prone to offset relative to the lower mold 2, which causes a deviation between the center of the upper surface and the center of the lower surface of the molded lens, i.e., eccentricity. Usually, the eccentricity of the lens (i.e., the distance L between the center C1 of its upper surface and the center C2 of its lower surface in a second direction, the second direction being parallel to the circumferential direction of the film sleeve) is as follows. Figure 2 As shown, the eccentricity (exceeding 2μm, or even exceeding 3μm or 4μm) is difficult to meet the requirements of lens components for eccentricity accuracy in electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, and televisions.

[0046] In addition, such as Figure 7As shown, in a lens assembly, a lens barrel is usually needed to position and fix multiple lenses. The degree of eccentricity usually exceeds 2μm. At the same time, the use of a lens barrel increases the size of the lens assembly.

[0047] [Optical Component Fabrication Methods]

[0048] In view of the above problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for fabricating an optical element, comprising: sequentially bonding n glass elements to obtain an optical element; wherein each glass element has a bonding surface; n is an integer and n≥2, at least one of the n glass elements has a first unbonded surface, the first unbonded surface including a curved surface; the bonding process includes: activating the n glass elements to make the bonding surface of each glass element have an activating group; sequentially bonding the n glass elements, and bonding the activating groups of the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair through chemical bonds.

[0049] The above-described fabrication process facilitates precise positioning of n glass elements, avoiding the eccentricity problem of the bonded optical elements, improving the forming accuracy of the optical elements, and thus improving the manufacturing yield and optical performance of the optical elements. This process can be used to fabricate optical elements such as lenses (e.g., aspherical lenses), lens assemblies, etc., solving the eccentricity problem of these optical elements; specifically, it can ensure that the inter-ecentricity of optical elements such as lenses and lens assemblies does not exceed 1μm. Furthermore, as... Figure 8 As shown, by directly bonding and stacking multiple glass elements to form a lens assembly, the use of a lens barrel can be avoided, that is, the positioning and fixing of each glass element through a lens barrel can be avoided, thereby reducing the size of the lens assembly.

[0050] For example, n can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, but is not limited to this. In specific implementation, it can be set as needed.

[0051] Each of the aforementioned n glass elements has a bonding surface, which is the surface on which the glass element is bonded to other glass elements. Generally, the bonding surface of each glass element is basically planar to facilitate sequential bonding between the glass elements, but it is not limited to this. For example, the bonding surface of a glass element can also be a slightly curved surface.

[0052] At least one of the aforementioned n glass elements has a first unbonded surface, which can be one of them having a first unbonded surface, two of them having a first unbonded surface, or more of them having a first unbonded surface (such as all n glass elements having a first unbonded surface). The first unbonded surface of a glass element is the surface of the glass element that is not bonded to other glass elements.

[0053] Generally, the aforementioned curved surface may include a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface. When at least two (two or more) of the n glass elements have a first unbonded surface, the first unbonded surfaces of these glass elements may be the same or different. For example, the first unbonded surface of some glass elements may be a convex arc surface, while the unbonded surface of other glass elements may be a concave arc surface. Furthermore, when at least two of the n glass elements have a first unbonded surface, the curvature (degree of curvature) of the arc surface included by the first unbonded surface of these glass elements may be the same or different.

[0054] Specifically, the aforementioned curved surface can be an arc surface, such as the aforementioned convex arc surface or concave arc surface; or, the aforementioned curved surface can also be other irregular curved surfaces, such as multiple arc surfaces with different curvatures and / or different bending directions. For example, the first unbonded surface of the glass element is an irregular curved surface, which may specifically include convex arc surfaces and concave arc surfaces, such as two convex arc surfaces and a concave arc surface located between the two convex arc surfaces.

[0055] In some embodiments, the curved surface may include an aspherical surface, and the resulting optical element may be, for example, an aspherical lens.

[0056] In some specific embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, n=2, that is, two glass elements are bonded sequentially to obtain an optical element. The optical element can be a lens, such as the aspherical lens mentioned above. Each glass element has a first unbonded surface. The bonding surface of each glass element is opposite to the first unbonded surface. The bonding surface and the first unbonded surface of each glass element can be distributed along a first direction (that is, the direction from the bonding surface to the first unbonded surface of the glass element is basically parallel to the first direction). The projections of the bonding surface and the first unbonded surface of each glass element on a plane perpendicular to the first direction can basically overlap. The first direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the glass element.

[0057] Specifically, the two glass elements mentioned above are denoted as glass element A and glass element B, respectively. Glass element A and glass element B are bonded together to form an optical element. The bonding surface and the non-bonding surface of glass element A are distributed along a first direction, and the projections of the bonding surface and the non-bonding surface of glass element A onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction can substantially overlap. The first direction is parallel to the thickness direction of glass element A. The bonding surface and the non-bonding surface of glass element B are distributed along the first direction, and the projections of the bonding surface and the non-bonding surface of glass element B onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction can substantially overlap. The first direction is parallel to the thickness direction of glass element B.

[0058] Furthermore, the first unbonded surface of one of the two glass elements (i.e., glass element A and glass element B) may include a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface, and the first unbonded surface of the other may include a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface. The curvature (degree of curvature) of the first unbonded surfaces of the two glass elements may be the same or different.

[0059] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first unbonded surface of glass element A and the first unbonded surface of glass element B can be convex curved surfaces, or, as... Figure 4 As shown, the first unbonded surface of glass element A and the first unbonded surface of glass element B can be concave curved surfaces, or, as... Figure 5 As shown, the first unbonded surface of glass element A is a convex arc surface, and the first unbonded surface of glass element B is a concave arc surface.

[0060] The curvature of the first unbonded surface of glass element A can be greater than, equal to or less than the curvature of the first unbonded surface of glass element B.

[0061] In addition, for irregularly shaped lenses (such as...) Figure 6 The irregularly shaped lens (shown in the diagram) is difficult to manufacture using molding or other processes. Therefore, it typically requires bonding different glass elements together with adhesives to form the lens. However, the introduction of adhesives results in the presence of different materials such as glass and adhesive within the lens, affecting its optical performance. The optical element fabrication method provided in this invention is suitable for fabricating irregularly shaped lenses. It involves bonding multiple glass elements used to form the lens using the aforementioned process, thereby avoiding the use of adhesives and ensuring the optical performance of the lens.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, at least one of the above n glass elements has multiple surfaces, and two connected surfaces form an included angle, α, where 0 < α < 90°. For example, the glass element with multiple surfaces is a triangular pyramid, and one or more of its multiple surfaces are bonding surfaces. When multiple of its multiple surfaces are bonding surfaces, each bonding surface bonds a glass element, thereby forming an irregular lens (i.e., an optical element).

[0063] For example, such as Figure 6As shown, n=2, the optical element (irregular lens) is made of two glass elements bonded together. One of the glass elements, A, has a first unbonded surface and a surface to be bonded. Its first unbonded surface is curved, specifically an aspherical surface, and the surface to be bonded is a plane. The other glass element, B, has multiple surfaces, one of which is the surface to be bonded, and the remaining surfaces are second unbonded surfaces (but not limited to this, it is also possible that two, three, or more of the multiple surfaces of glass element B are surfaces to be bonded, and correspondingly, each surface to be bonded is bonded to a glass element A or other shaped glass element). Its second unbonded surface forms an angle α with the surface to be bonded, and the surface to be bonded is a plane. The glass element B is, for example, a triangular pyramid. Through the above-described optical element fabrication process, the bonding surfaces of glass element A and glass element B are bonded together to obtain an optical element (irregularly shaped lens). This avoids the use of adhesive materials, that is, avoids bonding glass element A and glass element B together with adhesive materials, and avoids the adverse effects on the optical performance of the irregularly shaped lens, thereby improving the optical performance of the irregularly shaped lens.

[0064] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, each glass element has a first unbonded surface, and each glass element includes a connected bonding region and a functional region. The bonding surface exists in the bonding region, and the first unbonded surface exists in the functional region. That is, n glass elements are sequentially bonded through the bonding regions of these glass elements to obtain an optical element. The optical functional region of the obtained optical element is mainly formed by the functional regions of these glass elements (i.e., the functional regions of these glass elements form the optical functional region of the optical element, used to perform the optical function of the optical element). This optical element is, for example, a lens assembly; where n can be an integer greater than or equal to 3, for example, such as... Figure 8 As shown, n = 7.

[0065] In this case, the projections of the bonding area and the functional area of ​​each glass element onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction can be connected but not overlap, that is, the projections of the bonding surface and the first non-bonding surface of each glass element onto a plane perpendicular to the first direction do not overlap, and the first direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the glass element.

[0066] In this process, the functional areas of each glass element are opposite sides of a first unbonded surface. The direction from the first unbonded surface on one side to the first unbonded surface on the other side can be parallel to the thickness direction (first direction) of the glass element. The bonding area and functional area of ​​each glass element can be distributed along a second direction (i.e., the bonding surface and the first unbonded surface on the same side of each glass element are distributed along the second direction). The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, the first direction is parallel to the thickness direction of the glass element, and the second direction is, for example, parallel to the length direction of the glass element.

[0067] Under normal circumstances, such as Figure 8 As shown, each glass element may include two bonding regions, and its functional region is located between the two bonding regions. That is, the two bonding regions of each glass element are located at opposite ends of the glass element. In other words, each glass element may include bonding regions, functional regions, and bonding regions distributed sequentially along the second direction. In this way, the bonding regions at opposite ends of the above n glass elements are bonded sequentially to form an optical element.

[0068] In some specific embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, after the bonding regions of n glass elements are bonded sequentially, there is a gap between the functional regions of each pair of adjacent glass elements in the resulting optical element.

[0069] Generally, through the above activation treatment, the activated groups form chemical bonds (such as covalent bonds) with the elements on the bonding surfaces of the glass elements, thereby bonding the activated groups to the bonding surfaces of the glass elements. During the bonding process, n glass elements are sequentially bonded together so that the bonding surfaces of every two adjacent glass elements come into contact. That is, in two adjacent glass elements, the bonding surface of one element comes into contact with the bonding surface of the other element. A chemical reaction occurs between the activated groups on the bonding surface of one element and the activated groups on the bonding surface of the other element, so that the activated groups on the bonding surfaces of the two elements are bonded through chemical bonds (such as covalent bonds), thereby achieving a high-strength bond between the two adjacent glass elements. This process is repeated to achieve sequential bonding of n glass elements.

[0070] The activating groups on the bonding surfaces of the above n glass elements can be the same or different.

[0071] In some embodiments, the activating group may include an oxygen-containing group, such as a hydroxyl group (-OH), but is not limited thereto, and may also be other groups that can be bonded by chemical reaction.

[0072] For example, the bonding surface of the glass element has silicon, which is silicon in the material forming the glass element. Specifically, the glass element may include silicon oxide, through which a Si-O-Si network is formed. The Si-O-Si network undergoes chemical bond breaking to form Si. + Si-O- - By using these ionic bonding activation groups, the activated structural network of the bonding surface is bonded with activation groups, such as forming Si-OH (the activation group is -OH), thereby achieving bonding between two adjacent glass elements.

[0073] Figure 9 The bonding process of two glass elements (glass element A and glass element B) is shown in the reference. Figure 9During the activation treatment, an activation solution that can react with silicon oxide (such as the first mixture, fourth mixture, etc. described below) can be used to activate the bonding surfaces of the glass element, causing the chemical bonds in the glass network (Si-O-Si network) of the bonding surfaces to break, forming SiO2. + Si-O- - This causes the silicon-oxygen network to break and suspend activation groups (e.g., the activation group is -OH, forming Si-OH), thereby enabling the bonding surface of the glass element to have activation groups, and then bonding (forming Si-O-Si) is achieved through chemical reaction between the activation groups of the bonding surfaces of two adjacent glass elements (dehydration condensation reaction as shown in reaction formula 1 below).

[0074] Reaction formula 1: Si-OH + OH-Si → Si-O-Si + H2O

[0075] In some specific embodiments, n glass elements are activated to give each glass element a bonding surface with an activated group, specifically including the following steps S1 to S4.

[0076] S1. The first cleaning solution is used to clean n glass components. The first cleaning solution includes at least one of ethanol (alcohol), acetone and water, which can remove soluble organic contaminants and cleaning agents from the surface of the glass components.

[0077] In practice, the n glass elements can be ultrasonically cleaned sequentially with ethanol, acetone, and water, for a total of 3 cleaning cycles. Each cleaning cycle can last from 30 to 120 minutes, for example, 30 minutes, 50 minutes, 70 minutes, 90 minutes, 100 minutes, 120 minutes, or any combination thereof. The ethanol used can be anhydrous ethanol (or anhydrous alcohol).

[0078] S2. Then, the first mixture is used to pre-activate the n glass elements. The first mixture includes concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, which can further clean the organic matter on the surface of the glass elements and at the same time pre-hydroxylate (i.e. pre-activate) the bonding surfaces of the glass elements.

[0079] Specifically, in the first mixture, the volume ratio of concentrated sulfuric acid to hydrogen peroxide can be 2:1 to 4:1, and the pre-activation treatment conditions can be a temperature of 40 to 120°C, for example, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, 80°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, 120°C or any combination thereof, and a time of 10 to 120 min, for example, 10 min, 30 min, 50 min, 70 min, 90 min, 100 min, 120 min or any combination thereof.

[0080] S3. Then, the n glass components are cleaned with a second cleaning solution. The second cleaning solution includes a second mixture containing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide and / or a third mixture containing hydrogen chloride and hydrogen peroxide. It can remove impurities such as insoluble organic matter, ions and heavy metal atoms from the surface of the glass components. In specific implementation, the glass components can be cleaned in the second mixture or in the third mixture.

[0081] S4. Next, a fourth mixture is used to perform a secondary activation treatment on the n glass elements. This fourth mixture includes ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. In practice, the glass elements can be placed in this fourth mixture for the secondary activation treatment. During the activation process, ammonia reacts with the surface of the glass elements, causing the chemical bonds on the surface to break (e.g., Si-O-Si breaking). Hydrogen peroxide further bonds a large number of activation groups onto the glass elements (e.g., attaching a large amount of Si-OH to the bonding surface of the glass element, forming a hydration layer), thus achieving the activation treatment of the glass elements and giving their surface activation groups.

[0082] In addition, n glass elements are sequentially bonded together, so that the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair come into contact and are bonded through a chemical reaction between the activated groups of the two, specifically including the following steps S5 to S6.

[0083] S5: Bond n glass elements sequentially in water, then drain the water and dry the material to obtain an optical element precursor composed of n pre-bonded glass elements.

[0084] In practice, n glass elements can be placed in a container filled with water, bonded together in sequence according to a preset position, the water in the container is then drained, and the elements are transferred to an oven for drying, such as a vacuum oven for vacuum drying. This process allows the n glass elements to be pre-bonded, forming an optical element precursor composed of the pre-bonded n glass elements.

[0085] Specifically, the drying conditions can be: a temperature of 50 to 120°C, for example, 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, 80°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, 120°C or any combination thereof, and a time of 30 to 60 minutes, for example, 30 minutes, 35 minutes, 40 minutes, 45 minutes, 50 minutes, 55 minutes, 60 minutes or any combination thereof.

[0086] S6: The optical element precursor is kept at a bonding pressure greater than or equal to 15 MPa and a temperature less than or equal to 680°C for more than or equal to 2 hours to perform bonding and obtain the optical element.

[0087] In practice, the optical element precursor (i.e., n pre-bonded glass elements) can be transferred to a molding die, a bonding pressure of 15 MPa or higher can be applied, and the die can be kept at 680°C or lower in a vacuum oven for 2 hours or higher to achieve high-strength bonding. The molding die used may include, for example, a stainless steel mold.

[0088] Furthermore, the aforementioned glass components can be molded, specifically molded using a molding device, such as... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the molding apparatus may include: a platform 1, a lower mold 2 placed on the platform, an upper mold 3 cooperating with the lower mold 2, a pressure plate 4 for pressing the upper mold 3, and a mold sleeve 5 for limiting the upper mold 3 and the lower mold 2. A molding zone 6 is formed between the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 3. During the molding process, the mold core 21 of the lower mold 2 is placed in the area enclosed by the mold sleeve 5, and the material to be molded 7 is placed in the molding zone. The pressure plate 4 presses the upper mold 3 downwards, and the mold core 31 of the upper mold 3 extends into the area enclosed by the mold sleeve 5 and presses the material to be molded 7 downwards, thus molding the material to be molded 7 into a glass element. The shapes of the upper mold and the lower mold corresponding to the molding zone can be set according to the preset surface shape of the glass element to be formed. For example, the upper mold is a concave arc surface, and the lower mold is a flat surface (e.g., ...). Figure 10 As shown), or, the upper mold is a flat surface and the lower mold is a concave arc surface (as shown). Figure 11 As shown), the two opposing surfaces of the glass element thus fabricated are a convex arc surface (the first non-bonding surface) and a flat surface (the bonding surface).

[0089] Furthermore, as described above, glass components including bonding regions and functional regions (such as those fabricated as...) Figure 8 The lens assembly shown can also be manufactured by the above-described optical element manufacturing method, for example, by the above-described steps S1 to S6. For example, the above-described glass element A and glass element B can be molded separately, and then glass element A and glass element B can be bonded by the above-described process to obtain a lens (including a functional area and a bonding area), and then a lens assembly can be manufactured by using multiple of the lenses.

[0090] In some specific embodiments, n glass elements are sequentially bonded to obtain an optical element, specifically including: such as Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, n substrate sheets are provided, each containing m glass elements; m is an integer and m≥1. The n substrate sheets are stacked sequentially, and the glass elements in the n substrate sheets are aligned one-to-one and bonded sequentially. Then, the glass elements of each adjacent pair in the n substrate sheets are bonded through the bonding process described above (such as S1 to S6). The bonded n substrate sheets are then cut according to a preset cutting position, for example, by laser cutting, to form m optical elements composed of n glass elements bonded sequentially. Through this process, m groups of glass elements (each group containing n glass elements) can be integrally processed in a molding die, enabling the mass production of m optical elements composed of n glass elements bonded sequentially.

[0091] In practice, each substrate sheet can be molded to form m glass elements. For example, as shown... Figure 12 As shown, n=2, meaning there are two substrate sheets, denoted as substrate A and substrate B. After substrate A is molded, m glass elements A are formed, and after substrate B is molded, m glass elements B are formed. Substrate A and substrate B are aligned and stacked, with one glass element A in substrate A corresponding to one glass element B in substrate B, so that the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one, and then bonding is performed. After bonding, the substrate sheets are cut at preset cutting positions (the connection positions between two adjacent glass elements in the substrate sheet) to divide them into m optical elements (i.e., lenses). The inter-eccentricity of the resulting lenses does not exceed 1μm (i.e., the submicron level bonding assembly eccentricity accuracy is less than or equal to 1μm).

[0092] For example, such as Figure 13 As shown, when the glass element includes a bonding region and a functional region (such as the glass element being manufactured as shown in the figure), Figure 8 When the lens assembly is shown, the preset cutting position of two adjacent glass elements in the substrate is located at the connection position of the bonding area of ​​the two adjacent glass elements. After cutting, m optical elements (i.e., lens assembly) are formed, with the inter-eccentricity not exceeding 1μm (i.e., the submicron level bonding assembly eccentricity accuracy is less than or equal to 1μm), and no lens barrel is required, reducing the size of the lens barrel assembly.

[0093] For example, m can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, etc., but is not limited to this. In specific implementation, it can be set as needed.

[0094] In addition, such as Figure 12 As shown, the number of glass elements on each substrate sheet can be multiple (i.e., m > 1), and these multiple (m) glass elements can be arranged in an array.

[0095] In addition, such as Figure 12As shown, each substrate sheet has a positioning mark. When n substrate sheets are stacked sequentially, they are positioned using these positioning marks to ensure that the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one. The positioning marks can be formed during the molding process of the substrate sheets to create the glass elements.

[0096] The positioning marks can be symbols set on the substrate sheets, such as cross symbols, but are not limited to these, as long as they can achieve the positioning of n substrate sheets. For example, when n substrate sheets are stacked, the positioning marks of the n substrate sheets are made to coincide, that is, positioning is achieved, so that the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one.

[0097] The substrate sheet described above can be circular, but is not limited to this; it can also be other regular or irregular shapes. In some specific embodiments, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the substrate sheet mentioned above may include a glass wafer.

[0098] Optical components

[0099] The optical element provided in this embodiment of the invention is prepared according to the above-described optical element preparation method. As shown above, the optical element has a small inter-ectic deviation, specifically not exceeding 1 μm.

[0100] The aforementioned optical elements can be lenses or lens assemblies. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the lens assembly includes multiple glass elements, each of which includes a bonding region and a functional region. These glass elements are sequentially bonded together via the bonding region, with a gap between each pair of adjacent glass elements. This lens assembly eliminates the need for a lens barrel or other structure to fix the multiple glass elements, thereby reducing the size of the lens assembly. The glass elements in the lens assembly can also be fabricated using the aforementioned optical element manufacturing method.

[0101] In the description of this invention, terms such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, such as to distinguish between components to more clearly illustrate / explain the technical solution, and should not be construed as indicating or implying the number of technical features indicated or the order of features with substantial significance.

[0102] 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 for fabricating an optical element, characterized in that, include: The optical element is fabricated by sequentially bonding n glass elements; Each of the glass elements has a bonding surface; n is an integer and n≥2, and at least one of the n glass elements has a first non-bonding surface, which includes a curved surface; The bonding process includes: The n glass elements are activated so that the bonding surface of each glass element has activated groups; The n glass elements are sequentially bonded together, and the activated groups on the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair are bonded together by a chemical reaction.

2. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The curved surface includes convex arc surfaces and / or concave arc surfaces.

3. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface includes aspherical surfaces.

4. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bonding surface is a plane.

5. The method for fabricating an optical element according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Where n=2, each of the glass elements has the first unbonded surface, and the bonding surface of each glass element is disposed opposite to the first unbonded surface.

6. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 5, characterized in that, One of the n glass elements has a first unbonded surface comprising a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface, and the other has a first unbonded surface comprising a convex arc surface and / or a concave arc surface.

7. The method for fabricating an optical element according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, At least one of the n glass elements has multiple surfaces, two of which are connected and form an angle, and one or more of the multiple surfaces are surfaces to be bonded.

8. The method for fabricating an optical element according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Each of the glass elements has the first unbonded surface, and each of the glass elements includes a bonded region and a functional region connected together. The surface to be bonded exists in the bonded region, and the first unbonded surface exists in the functional region.

9. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 8, characterized in that, After the bonding is performed, there is a gap between the functional areas of each adjacent pair of the n glass elements.

10. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The activating group includes hydroxyl groups.

11. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1 or 10, characterized in that, The activation treatment of the n glass elements, so that the bonding surface of each glass element has an activating group, specifically includes: The n glass elements are cleaned using a first cleaning solution, which includes at least one of ethanol, acetone, and water. The n glass elements are then pre-activated using a first mixture comprising concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The n glass elements are then cleaned with a second cleaning solution, which includes a second mixture containing ammonia and hydrogen peroxide and / or a third mixture containing hydrogen chloride and hydrogen peroxide. The n glass elements are then subjected to a second activation treatment using a fourth mixture, which includes ammonia and hydrogen peroxide.

12. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1 or 10, characterized in that, The step of sequentially bonding the n glass elements, and chemically bonding the activated groups on the bonding surfaces of each adjacent pair, specifically includes: The n glass elements are bonded together in water, then the water is drained and dried to obtain an optical element precursor formed by the pre-bonding of the n glass elements. The optical element precursor is held at a bonding pressure greater than or equal to 15 MPa and a temperature less than or equal to 680°C for more than or equal to 2 hours to perform the bonding, thereby obtaining the optical element.

13. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of sequentially bonding n glass elements to obtain the optical element specifically includes: Provide n substrate sheets, each of which has m glass elements; m is an integer and m≥1; The n substrate sheets are stacked sequentially, and the glass elements in the n substrate sheets are aligned one-to-one and bonded sequentially. Then, the glass elements of each two adjacent substrate sheets are bonded together through the bonding process. The bonded n substrate sheets are then cut according to the preset cutting positions to form m optical elements, which are formed by sequentially bonding n glass elements.

14. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 13, characterized in that, m > 1, and the m glass elements are arranged in an array.

15. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, Each of the substrate sheets is formed with a positioning mark. When the n substrate sheets are stacked in sequence, the positioning marks are used for positioning to achieve the goal of making the glass elements in the n substrate sheets correspond one-to-one.

16. The method for fabricating an optical element according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, The substrate sheet includes a glass wafer.

17. An optical element, characterized in that, The optical element is prepared according to the method described in any one of claims 1-16.

18. The optical element according to claim 17, characterized in that, The optical element is a lens or lens assembly.

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