Thin film type dimming filter and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The thin film type dimming filter is provided with a multilayer film, and the multilayer film comprises: one or more iron oxide layers; and one or more low refractive index layers having a lower refractive index than the one or more iron oxide layers. In the multilayer film, the iron oxide layers and the low refractive index layers are alternately stacked, the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms in each iron oxide layer is 4 / 3 or more and less than 3 / 2, and the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is 0.1 or more with respect to light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a thin-film type dimming filter for light in a wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Art

[0002] As a dimmer filter for light in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers, a dimmer filter using a resin to which an attenuating agent such as carbon black or titanium pigment is added is known. However, in order to manufacture the resin to which the attenuating agent is added, equipment for mixing the resin material and the attenuating agent is required. In addition, it is not easy to adjust the attenuation rate of the resin to which the attenuating agent is added during the manufacturing process. In addition, in order to prevent stray light caused by reflection from the resin surface, an anti-reflection coating is required. Thus, in order to manufacture a dimmer filter using a resin to which the attenuating agent is added, special equipment is required, and adjustment takes time, so the manufacturing cost also becomes high.

[0003] On the other hand, a thin film type dimming filter for near infrared has also been developed (for example, Patent Document 1). However, from the perspective of optical characteristics and environmental resistance, the existing thin film type dimming filter for near infrared, including the thin film type dimming filter for near infrared described in Patent Document 1, is not sufficiently satisfactory. Furthermore, a thin film type dimming filter for near infrared that is sufficiently satisfactory from the perspective of optical characteristics and environmental resistance has not yet been developed.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a thin-film type neutral density filter for near-infrared that is sufficiently satisfactory in terms of optical characteristics and environmental resistance, and a method for stably manufacturing a thin-film type neutral density filter for near-infrared that is sufficiently satisfactory in terms of optical characteristics and environmental resistance.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-352612 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a near-infrared thin-film neutral density filter that is sufficiently satisfactory in terms of optical characteristics and environmental resistance, and a method for stably manufacturing the near-infrared thin-film neutral density filter that is sufficiently satisfactory in terms of optical characteristics and environmental resistance.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] A thin-film type dimming filter according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a multilayer film, the multilayer film comprising: one or more iron oxide layers; and one or more low refractive index layers, the low refractive index layers having a refractive index lower than the one or more iron oxide layers. In the multilayer film, the iron oxide layers and the low refractive index layers are alternately stacked, the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms in each iron oxide layer to the number of iron atoms is 4 / 3 or more and less than 3 / 2, and the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is 0.1 or more for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers.

[0012] The thin-film type dimming filter of this method is a multilayer film having a ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms in each iron oxide layer of not less than 4 / 3 and not more than 3 / 2, and an extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer of not less than 0.1 for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers. Therefore, it is possible to achieve high-precision transmittance and high environmental resistance for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers.

[0013] In the thin-film ND filter of the first embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the extinction coefficients of the plurality of iron oxide layers for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm is 0.1 or more.

[0014] The thin-film dimming filter of this embodiment can achieve any transmittance in the range of 10% to 90% by including a multilayer film in which the difference between the maximum and minimum extinction coefficients of the plurality of iron oxide layers is 0.1 or more for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm.

[0015] In the thin-film dimming filter according to the second embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the total value of the thickness of the iron oxide layer is less than 500 nanometers.

[0016] In the thin-film dimming filter according to the third embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the multilayer film is provided on a plastic substrate.

[0017] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a thin-film type dimming filter comprises a multilayer film, the multilayer film comprising: one or more iron oxide layers; and one or more low refractive index layers, the low refractive index layers having a refractive index lower than that of the one or more iron oxide layers. The method for manufacturing the thin-film type dimming filter comprises the steps of alternately stacking iron oxide layers and low refractive index layers having a ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms of not less than 4 / 3 and less than 3 / 2 on a substrate, and adjusting the absorption of light by the multilayer film by the total value of the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms in each iron oxide layer and the thickness of the iron oxide layer.

[0018] The method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter of the present embodiment includes the steps of alternately stacking iron oxide layers having a ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms of 4 / 3 or more and less than 3 / 2 on a substrate, and a low refractive index layer, thereby being able to manufacture a thin-film dimming filter having a high-precision transmittance and high environmental resistance for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers. In addition, the method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter of the present embodiment adjusts the light absorption of the multilayer film by the total value of the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms in each iron oxide layer and the thickness of the iron oxide layer, thereby being able to easily manufacture a thin-film dimming filter having a high-precision transmittance in the range of 10% to 90% for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers.

[0019] In the method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to the first embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the multilayer film is formed so that the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is 0.1 or more for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm.

[0020] In the manufacturing method of the thin-film type dimming filter of the present embodiment, the multilayer film is formed in such a way that the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is 0.1 to 1 for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers. Therefore, a thin-film type dimming filter composed of a multilayer film with an appropriate number of layers and having a high-precision transmittance for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers can be easily manufactured.

[0021] In the method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to the second embodiment of the second mode of the present invention, the multilayer film is formed so that the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the extinction coefficients of the plurality of iron oxide layers for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm is 0.1 or more.

[0022] In the method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter of the present embodiment, the multilayer film is formed in such a way that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the extinction coefficient of the plurality of iron oxide layers for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers is greater than 0.1, so that a thin-film dimming filter having an arbitrary transmittance in the range of 10% to 90% can be easily manufactured.

[0023] In the method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to the third embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the multilayer film is formed by vacuum deposition or sputtering. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing components of a thin-film type neutral density filter.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a flowchart for explaining the method for manufacturing the thin-film type neutral density filter of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 It is used to illustrate Figure 2 Flow chart of step S1010.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the refractive index (n) of the AD layer in the wavelength range of visible light and near infrared light.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a graph showing the extinction coefficient (k) of the AD layer in the wavelength range of visible light and near infrared.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the A layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the B layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the C layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a graph showing the transmittance and reflectance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 1 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range.

[0033] Fig.10 This is a graph showing the transmittance and reflectance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 2 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range.

[0034] Fig.11 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 1 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1 : is a diagram showing the components of a thin film type dimming filter. The thin film type dimming filter is a multilayer film formed on a substrate S. The multilayer film is formed by alternately stacking a layer of a material with a relatively low refractive index shown in L in the figure and a layer of a material with a relatively high refractive index shown in H in the figure on the substrate S. The layer of the material with a relatively low refractive index and the layer of the material with a relatively high refractive index are also referred to as an L layer and an H layer, respectively. The materials of the multiple L layers may be different from each other, and the materials of the multiple H layers may be different from each other.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a flowchart for explaining the method for manufacturing the thin-film type neutral density filter of the present invention.

[0037] exist Figure 2 In step S1010, the substrate and the multilayer film are designed in such a way as to realize a thin-film type dimming filter having target transmittance and reflectance.

[0038] Figure 3 It is used to illustrate Figure 2 Flow chart of step S1010.

[0039] exist Figure 3 In step S2010, the material of the substrate S, the materials of each L layer and H layer, and the configuration, number, and thickness of the L layer and H layer are temporarily determined.

[0040] exist Figure 3 In step S2020, optical properties such as transmittance and reflectance of the substrate and the multilayer film are obtained by simulation using film design software.

[0041] exist Figure 3 In step S2030, it is determined whether the optical properties such as transmittance and reflectance of the substrate and the multilayer film can be satisfied. If so, the process is terminated. If not, the process returns to step S2010 to change any one of the material of the substrate S, the material of each L layer and H layer, the configuration and quantity of the L layer and H layer, and the thickness.

[0042] exist Figure 2 In step S1020, a multilayer film is formed on the substrate S. The multilayer film is formed by vacuum evaporation, sputtering, or the like.

[0043] exist Figure 2 In step S1030, optical properties such as transmittance and reflectance of the substrate and the multilayer film are determined by measurement.

[0044] exist Figure 3 In step S1040, it is determined whether the optical properties such as transmittance and reflectance of the substrate and the multilayer film can be satisfied. If so, the process proceeds to step S1050. If not, the process proceeds to step S1070.

[0045] exist Figure 2 In step S1050, an environmental test is performed.

[0046] exist Figure 2 In step S1060, it is determined whether the result of the environmental test can be satisfied. If it can be satisfied, the process ends. If it cannot be satisfied, it returns to step S1010, and compared with optical properties such as transmittance and reflectivity, it pays more attention to environmental resistance, and redesigns the substrate and multilayer film.

[0047] exist Figure 2 In step S1070, the manufacturing conditions are changed in such a way that the thickness of each layer of the multilayer film is consistent with the design value, and the process returns to step S1020.

[0048] Here, the H layer of the multilayer film is described. In order to achieve the desired transmittance of the neutral density filter, the extinction coefficient of the H layer is important. From the perspective of the extinction coefficient, metals or metal oxides are used as the material of the H layer.

[0049] Table 1 is a table showing characteristics including extinction coefficients of typical metal films and metal oxide films used as materials for the H layer.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051]

[0052] In Table 1, n represents a refractive index and k represents an extinction coefficient. The numerical values ​​shown in the table are numerical values ​​for light having a wavelength of 1000 nanometers.

[0053] In order to obtain the desired transmittance of the neutral density filter, it is necessary to Figure 2 In step S1020, the thickness of each layer of the multilayer film is controlled with high precision according to the design value. According to Table 1, the thicknesses of the nickel layer and the titanium oxide layer with an absorptivity of 50% are 10 nanometers and 100 nanometers, respectively. Therefore, when the transmittance is controlled by changing the absorptivity according to the thickness of the layer, the sensitivity of the absorptivity of the titanium oxide layer relative to the layer thickness is smaller than that of the nickel layer, so high precision can be achieved. Generally speaking, the extinction coefficient of the metal layer is too large, so in order to achieve high transmittance accuracy, it is advantageous to use a metal oxide layer rather than a metal layer.

[0054] Conventionally, titanium oxide layers are often used as materials for the H layer of thin-film neutral density filters such as ND filters. As described above, titanium oxide layers have an appropriate extinction coefficient for near-infrared wavelength light from a manufacturing perspective, but their optical properties change greatly over time.

[0055] The inventors used iron oxide as the material of the H layer of the thin-film type neutral density filter. The reason is that iron oxide can be formed into a film by vacuum evaporation, and in particular, ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) is one of the few metal oxides that has a high absorption rate for light in the wavelength range from visible light to near infrared, and it is also expected that the change in optical properties over time will be reduced. When forming the iron oxide layer, commercially available ferroferric oxide powder is used as the evaporation material to implement the vacuum evaporation method.

[0056] Table 2 is a table showing an example of the working conditions of the vacuum vapor deposition method.

[0057] [Table 2]

[0058] project Evaporation materials Ferroferric oxide powder Gasification method of materials Electron beam (EB) heating Intracavity pressure <![CDATA[10 -3 ~10 -2 Well]]> Type of atmosphere gas oxygen Atmosphere gas flow rate 200sccm or less

[0059] sccm represents the flow rate (cubic centimeters) per minute at atmospheric pressure and 25°C.

[0060] The inventors have obtained a new finding that the composition of iron oxide changes due to a slight change in the oxygen flow rate during vacuum deposition operation, and as a result, the optical properties of the iron oxide layer change significantly.

[0061] Table 3 is a table showing the optical characteristics of the iron oxide layer represented by FeOx.

[0062] [Table 3]

[0063]

[0064] The AD layer in Table 3 is a single-layer film composed of FeOx formed on a glass substrate. The A layer is an iron oxide layer formed without introducing oxygen as an atmospheric gas. The B layer is an iron oxide layer formed at the oxygen flow rate shown in Table 2. The C layer is an iron oxide layer formed at a greater oxygen flow rate than that of the B layer. The D layer is an iron oxide layer formed at a sufficiently large oxygen flow rate. The values ​​of x for the AD layer are 1.29, 1.35, 1.47, and 1.5, respectively. It should be noted that the value of x is obtained by the following steps using a crystal oscillator of a film-forming device that controls the film thickness by weight change. First, the FeOx film formed on the crystal oscillator, i.e., the AD layer, is heated in air and completely oxidized to form a Fe2O3 film. Next, the increase in the number of oxygen atoms is obtained from the weight change of the film before and after complete oxidation. Furthermore, the number of iron atoms is obtained from the weight of the Fe2O3 film after complete oxidation. Finally, x is estimated from the number of iron atoms and the increase in the number of oxygen atoms.

[0065] In Table 3, n represents the refractive index and k represents the extinction coefficient. The values ​​shown in the table are for light with a wavelength of 1000 nanometers. The method for calculating n and k is as follows. For light with a wavelength of 1000 nanometers, the reflectivity and transmittance of the AD layer formed on the glass substrate are measured. The transmittance is calculated by the ratio of the transmitted light amount of the glass substrate formed with a single-layer film and the ratio of the transmitted light amount of the glass substrate alone. Commercially available film design software (such as Essential Macleod, Optilayer, etc.) can be used to uniquely determine the values ​​of n, k and film thickness (layer thickness) from more than three sets of measurement data of transmittance, reflectivity, incident angle, and S / P polarized light.

[0066] The absorptivity is the ratio of the outgoing light amount I to the incident light amount I0 and is determined by the following formula.

[0067] [Number 1]

[0068]

[0069] Here, d represents the optical path length of the film thickness, and λ represents the wavelength of light.

[0070] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the refractive index (n) of the AD layer in the wavelength range of visible light and near infrared light. Figure 4 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Figure 4 The vertical axis represents the refractive index. The unit of wavelength is nanometer.

[0071] Figure 5 It is a graph showing the extinction coefficient (k) of the AD layer in the wavelength range of visible light and near infrared. Figure 5 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Figure 5 The vertical axis represents the extinction coefficient. The unit of wavelength is nanometer.

[0072] According to Table 3 and Figure 5 , the extinction coefficient of the D layer is much smaller than that of the AC layer. The reasons are as follows. The extinction coefficient of the AC layer is higher because the AC layer contains both divalent iron atoms and trivalent iron atoms. In the AC layer, electron transitions occur between divalent iron atoms and trivalent iron atoms, and this electron transition is a permitted transition, and the light absorption is large, so the AC layer has a larger extinction coefficient. On the other hand, the D layer does not contain divalent iron atoms, so only dd transitions occur in the trivalent iron atoms of ferric oxide (Fe2O3) in the D layer, and this electron transition is a forbidden transition, and the light absorption is small, so the extinction coefficient of the D layer is greatly reduced. It should be noted that, in this way, depending on the value of x of the iron oxide layer, the value of the extinction coefficient of the iron oxide layer varies greatly.

[0073] It should also be noted that the extinction coefficient of the D layer for light in the wavelength region of 700 nanometers or more is significantly smaller than the extinction coefficient for visible light.

[0074] It should also be noted that the difference between x of the C layer and x of the D layer is extremely small, but since the C layer contains a trace amount of trivalent iron atoms, the extinction coefficient of the C layer is greatly increased compared to that of the D layer.

[0075] According to Table 3, the thickness of the D layer for obtaining an absorption rate of 50% is 5-11 times the thickness of the AC layer. Therefore, compared with the case of the AC layer, the film formation time of the D layer becomes longer, and the production efficiency decreases. In addition, if the thickness becomes larger, the environmental resistance such as cracking caused by the increase in film stress caused by environmental changes will be reduced. Therefore, from the perspective of absorption rate, the D layer is not preferred as the H layer. If Table 3 and Figure 5 The extinction coefficient of is , from the aspect of absorptivity, the AC layer is preferably used as the H layer. In addition, the extinction coefficients of the A layer and the B layer are considerably larger than the extinction coefficient of the C layer, so from the aspect of absorptivity, the A layer and the B layer are more preferred than the C layer in many applications.

[0076] Figure 6This is a graph showing the transmittance of the A layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0077] Figure 7 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the B layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0078] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the C layer with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0079] Figure 6-Figure 8 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Figure 6-Figure 8 The vertical axis represents transmittance. The unit of wavelength is nanometer, and the unit of transmittance is percentage. The AC layer formed on the substrate was kept in an environment of 60° C. and 90% relative humidity for 72 hours to perform an environmental test.

[0080] If you compare Figure 6-Figure 8 , the change in transmittance of the A layer before and after the environmental test is greater than that of the B layer and the C layer. Thus, from the perspective of environmental resistance, the B layer and the C layer are preferred over the A layer.

[0081] As described above, iron oxide FeOx can contain both divalent iron atoms and trivalent iron atoms. FeO is composed only of divalent iron, and Fe2O3 is composed only of trivalent iron. Generally, the larger the x of FeOx is and the less divalent iron is (the closer to Fe2O3), the more environmental resistance is increased. The reason is that the less divalent iron is, the smaller the apparent optical change is, and the oxidation rate is suppressed.

[0082] Therefore, from the viewpoint of the extinction coefficient (absorption rate) and environmental resistance, the range of x of the iron oxide (FeOx) layer which is preferable as the H layer is as follows.

[0083] [Number 2]

[0084]

[0085] When x of the iron oxide (FeOx) layer satisfies the formula (1) like the B layer and the C layer, the extinction coefficient of the iron oxide layer is 0.1 or more for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm.

[0086] In the formula (1), in consideration of environmental resistance, x may be larger than 4 / 3.

[0087] It should be noted that in Figure 2 When designing a multilayer film in step S1010, for example, by combining an H layer with a relatively high extinction coefficient such as layer B with an H layer with a relatively low extinction coefficient such as layer C, the degree of freedom in design is improved, and a wide range of transmittance of a thin-film type dimming filter can be easily achieved.

[0088] The following describes embodiments of the present invention.

[0089] Table 4 is a table showing the constituent components of the thin-film type dimming filters of Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention. The thin-film type dimming filters of Examples 1 and 2 are multilayer films formed on a plastic substrate. The multilayer film is formed by alternately stacking L layers and H layers. The material of the plastic substrate is polyetherimide, and the refractive index for light of a wavelength of 850 nanometers is 1.64. The multilayer film of Example 1 has 7 layers, and the first to seventh layers are L layer, H layer, L layer, H layer, L layer, H layer, and L layer, respectively. Here, the first layer is a layer adjacent to the substrate, and the seventh layer is the outermost layer. The material of the L layer of the first layer is aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and the material of the other L layers is silicon dioxide (SiO2). The H layer is the B layer described above. The total value of the thickness of the H layer of the multilayer film of Example 1 is 147 nanometers. The multilayer film of Example 2 has 9 layers, and the first to ninth layers are L layer, H layer, L layer, H layer, L layer, H layer, L layer, H layer, L layer, and L layer, respectively. Here, the first layer is a layer adjacent to the substrate, and the ninth layer is the outermost layer. The material of the first layer L is aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and the material of the other L layers is silicon dioxide (SiO2). The H layer is the B layer described above. The total thickness of the H layer of the multilayer film of Example 2 is 258 nanometers.

[0090] [Table 4]

[0091]

[0092] The target value of the transmittance of the thin-film type neutral density filter of Example 1 is 50% for light with a wavelength of 850 nanometers, and the target value of the transmittance of the thin-film type neutral density filter of Example 2 is 28% for light with a wavelength of 850 nanometers.

[0093] Fig. 9 This is a graph showing the transmittance and reflectance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 1 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range. Fig. 9 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Fig. 9 The vertical axis represents transmittance (scale on the left) and reflectance (scale on the right). The wavelength is in nanometers, and the transmittance and reflectance are in percentages. Fig. 9 The transmittance of the thin-film type neutral density filter of Example 1 is 51% with respect to light having a wavelength of 850 nanometers, and the reflectance with respect to light having a wavelength of 850 nanometers is about 0.5%.

[0094] Fig.10 This is a graph showing the transmittance and reflectance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 2 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range. Fig. 9 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Fig. 9The vertical axis represents transmittance (scale on the left) and reflectance (scale on the right). The wavelength is in nanometers, and the transmittance and reflectance are in percentages. Fig.10 The transmittance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 2 is 27% for light having a wavelength of 850 nanometers, and the reflectance is about 0.2% for light having a wavelength of 850 nanometers.

[0095] Fig.11 This is a graph showing the transmittance of the thin-film neutral density filter of Example 1 with respect to light in the near-infrared wavelength range before and after the environmental test.

[0096] Fig.11 The horizontal axis represents the wavelength, Fig.11 The vertical axis represents transmittance. The unit of wavelength is nanometer, and the unit of transmittance is percentage. The environmental test is carried out by keeping the thin film type dimming filter of Example 1 formed on the substrate in an environment with a temperature of 121°C, a pressure of 0.21 MPa, and saturated water vapor for a certain period of time. As the oxidation of the iron oxide layer proceeds, the transmittance increases, but the increase in transmittance is within 3%, which is within the allowable range.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the material of the L layer is aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon dioxide (SiO2), but the material of the L layer may also be magnesium fluoride (MgF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), a mixture of silicon dioxide / aluminum oxide (SiO2 / Al2O3), etc.

Claims

1. A thin-film type dimming filter, comprising a multilayer film, the multilayer film comprising: one or more iron oxide layers; and one or more low refractive index layers, the low refractive index layers having a refractive index lower than that of the one or more iron oxide layers, wherein the iron oxide layers and the low refractive index layers are alternately stacked, the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms in each iron oxide layer to the number of iron atoms is greater than 4 / 3 and less than 3 / 2, and the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is greater than 0.1 for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers.

2. The thin-film type dimming filter according to claim 1, wherein: For light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nanometers to 2000 nanometers, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the extinction coefficient of the plurality of iron oxide layers is 0.1 or more.

3. The thin-film type dimming filter according to claim 1, wherein: The total thickness of the iron oxide layer is less than 500 nanometers.

4. The thin-film type dimming filter according to claim 1, wherein: The multilayer film is provided on a plastic substrate.

5. A method for manufacturing a thin-film type dimming filter, the thin-film type dimming filter comprising a multilayer film, the multilayer film comprising: one or more iron oxide layers; and one or more low refractive index layers, the low refractive index layers having a refractive index lower than that of the one or more iron oxide layers, the method comprising the steps of alternately stacking iron oxide layers and low refractive index layers having a ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms of not less than 4 / 3 and less than 3 / 2 on a substrate, and adjusting the absorption of light by the multilayer film by the total value of the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of iron atoms in each iron oxide layer and the thickness of the iron oxide layer.

6. The method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to claim 5, wherein: The multilayer film is formed so that the extinction coefficient of each iron oxide layer is 0.1 or more for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm.

7. The method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to claim 5, wherein: The multilayer film is formed so that the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the extinction coefficient of the plurality of iron oxide layers for light of any wavelength in the wavelength range of 700 nm to 2000 nm is 0.1 or more.

8. The method for manufacturing a thin-film dimming filter according to claim 5, wherein: The multilayer film is formed by vacuum evaporation or sputtering.

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