Optical filter

Abstract

To provide an optical filter for filtering ambient light.SOLUTION: A set of optical filter layers may include a first subset including a first material having a first refractive index, the first material including at least silicon and hydrogen. The set of optical fibers may include a second subset of the optical filter layers including a second material having a second refractive index, the second material being different from the first material, and the second refractive index being smaller than the first refractive index. The set of optical filter layers may include a third subset including a third material different from the first material and the second material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application is a joint application with "OPTICAL FILTER" filed on December 20, 2019. No. 16 / 722,325 and the December 27, 2018, application entitled "U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 722,325." U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 78, entitled "OPTICAL FILTER," filed on No. 5,487, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. .

[0002] (Background technology) The optical transmitter may emit light directed at one or more objects. For example, a gesture recognition system In the system, the optical transmitter may transmit near-infrared (NIR) light toward the user, the NIR light being The light can be reflected from the user towards the optical receiver, which then receives the NIR light. information for identifying a gesture being performed by a user. For example, the device may use the information to generate a three-dimensional representation of the user, A gesture being performed by a user may be identified based on the three-dimensional representation.

[0003] Ambient light during transmission of NIR light to the user and / or reflection from the user to the optical receiver Therefore, the optical receiver must incorporate optical filters such as bandpass filters. The NIR light is optically coupled to the filter to filter the ambient light and direct the NIR light to the optical receiver. It may be possible to pass through. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one implementation, the optical filter may include a set of optical filter layers, The optical filter layers are a first subset of optical filter layers comprising a first material having a first refractive index. a first subset, wherein the first material comprises at least silicon and hydrogen; a second subset of optical filter layers comprising a second material having a refractive index of 2; The second material is different from the first material, and the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index. and an optical filter layer comprising a third material different from the first material and the second material. and a third subset of

[0005] According to one implementation, the optical filter comprises a substrate; one or more layers of high refractive index material and one or more layers of low refractive index material disposed on the plate; wherein a first portion of the incident light having a first spectral range is reflected by an optical filter. a second portion of the incident light having a second spectral range is passed through the optical filter; The one or more layers of high refractive index material are a first material and the one or more layers of low refractive index material are a second material. 2, one or more high refractive index material layers and one or more low refractive index material layers, and and one or more transitional material layers disposed on the first material, and a third material different from the second material.

[0006] According to one implementation, the optical system includes an optical transmitter that emits near-infrared (NIR) light; an optical fiber for filtering the input optical signal and providing a filtered input optical signal; a filter, wherein the input optical signal includes NIR light from the optical transmitter and ambient light from the light source; The optical filter includes a set of dielectric thin film layers, the set of dielectric thin film layers having a first refractive index a first subset of layers formed from a first material having a refractive index less than the first refractive index; a second subset of layers formed from a second material having a refractive index of 2; a third subset of layers formed from a third material different from the first material and the second material; a fourth sub-section of the layer formed from a fourth material different from the second material and the third material; and a filtered input optical signal, the filtered input optical signal being reduced compared to the input optical signal. an optical filter that receives an input optical signal containing the ambient light of a high intensity; and an output and an optical receiver for providing the electrical signal.

[0007] According to one implementation, a method for fabricating an optical filter includes: a first subset of optical filter layers having a first refractive index; a second subset of optical filter layers of the optical filter; a second subset of the optical filter layers having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index; a second material having a first thickness; and a third material different from the first material and the second material. and depositing a third subset of the optical filter layer comprising the material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more example implementations described herein. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more example implementations described herein. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more example implementations described herein. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more examples of optical and / or mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 2B]FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more examples of optical and / or mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 2C] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more examples of optical and / or mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 2D] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more examples of optical and / or mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more example sputter deposition systems for manufacturing one or more implementations described herein. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more example sputter deposition systems for manufacturing one or more implementations described herein. [Figure 3C] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more example sputter deposition systems for manufacturing one or more implementations described herein. [Figure 3D] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more example sputter deposition systems for manufacturing one or more implementations described herein. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more examples of optical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more examples of optical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a diagram of one or more examples of mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more implementations described herein. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more examples of optical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more examples of optical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 illustrates one or more examples of optical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 6C] FIG. 10 illustrates one or more examples of mechanical properties of a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 7B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of one or more exemplary implementations described herein. [Figure 8A] 1 is a plot of an example of the refractive index of a hydrogenated silicon layer. [Figure 8B] 1 is a plot of an example of the extinction coefficient of a hydrogenated silicon layer. [Figure 9] 1 is a plot of an example transmission spectrum of an optical filter described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following detailed description of example implementations is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Numbers may identify the same or similar elements. ndrix et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20170336544 Application Publication No.20170336544) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0010] An optical receiver may receive light from a light source, such as an optical transmitter. For example, an optical receiver may It can receive near-infrared (NIR) light from a target and reflect it off a human (e.g., This may include objects (users and non-users), animals, and inanimate objects (e.g., cars, trees, obstacles, furniture, walls). In this case, the optical receiver receives not only ambient light, such as light in the visible spectrum, but also NIR light. Ambient light can come from one or more sources other than the optical transmitter, such as sunlight, light from a light bulb, etc. Ambient light can reduce the accuracy of measurements related to NIR light. In target recognition systems, ambient light is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the target based on NIR light. In some instances, information about the NIR light may be used to identify the user, User characteristics (e.g., height or weight), user status (e.g., the position of the user's eyelids), location, whether the user is awake, etc.), another type of feature of the target (e.g., It can be used to recognize objects (distance to the body, size of an object, or shape of an object), etc. Therefore, the optical receiver is optically coupled to an optical filter, such as a bandpass filter, to Ambient light may be filtered to allow NIR light to pass towards the optical receiver.

[0011] For example, an optical filter may filter out some of the out-of-band light below a certain threshold, e.g., 700 nanometers. (nm), and blocking a specific wavelength range, for example, from about 700 nm to about 1700 nm. Range, range from about 800 nm to about 1100 nm, range from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm , about 920 nm to about 980 nm, and / or the like. In some examples, the dielectric layer may include a set of thin dielectric layers that can be selected and deposited to provide a uniform dielectric constant. , the passband is in the range of 800 nm to 1100 nm, and in the range of about 820 nm to about 880 nm. a range of about 920 nm to 980 nm, a range of about 870 nm to about 930 nm, In another example, a set of dielectric thin film layers may be selected to filter out ambient light. Additionally or alternatively, a set of dielectric film layers may be selected to provide out-of-band performance below a certain threshold. It blocks light in the range of about 1500 nm to about 1600 nm, and about 1520 nm to about 1580 nm range, or a wavelength centered at about 1550 nm. It is possible.

[0012] Some implementations described herein involve materials comprising silicon and hydrogen, such as hydrogenated silicon. Silicon (Si:H)-based materials, silicon germanium (SiGe)-based materials, water Silicon germanium fluoride (SiGe:H) material and / or low angle shift optical filters A set of high refractive index layers for an optical filter such as a filter may be used. The materials in the Any isotope (e.g., protium (A=1), deuterium (A=2), tritium (A=3) )) and / or any mixture thereof. Thus, the other high refractive index layer material A filter stack using a high refractive index layer having a higher effective refractive index than another filter stack using a high refractive index layer Based on the optical filter having a slot, the optical filter can provide a relatively low angular shift. Furthermore, filters using any of these high refractive index layer materials effectively filter out ambient light. The NIR light may be partially blocked or effectively blocked and pass through.

[0013] 1A-1C are diagrams of exemplary optical filters 100, 100', and 100''. 1A-1C show exemplary stacks of optical filters using three or more different materials. . Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the optical filters 100, 100′, and 100″ are: It may include an optical filter coating portion 110 and a substrate 120 .

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the optical filter coating portion 110 is For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 includes a first set of layers. The first layer includes a first set of layers 130, a second set of layers 140, and a third set of layers 135. Set 130 may include a set of high refractive index material layers, which are referred to herein as H layer 130 and can be obtained. For example, in one implementation, H layer 130 is a material comprising hydrogen and silicon (e.g., a hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) layer that may include silicon (Si) and hydrogen (H), Si and protium (A = 1), deuterium (A = 2), and / or tritium (A = 3) any isotope of H containing, a hydrogenated silicon-germanium (SiGe:H) layer and / or the like). In one implementation, H layer 130 may include a material comprising silicon and germanium (e.g., a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer and / or the like). These high refractive index materials may have a refractive index higher than 3, 3.2, 3.5, 3.6, 4 and / or the like over a range from at least 800 nanometers (nm) to 1100 nm. For example, Si:H may have a refractive index greater than 3 over a wavelength range from 800 nm to 1100 nm. In one implementation, the Si:H material has a refractive index greater than 3.5 over a wavelength range from 800 nm to 1100 nm (e.g., greater than 3.64). In one implementation, the Si:H material may have a refractive index of about 3.8 at a wavelength of about 830 nm. In one implementation, the refractive index may be greater than 3.87 at 800 nm. In one implementation, the Si:H material has a refractive index less than 4.3 over a wavelength range from 800 nm to 1100 nm. The high refractive index layer may include phosphorus, boron, nitride, argon, oxygen, carbide and / or the like).

[0015] [[ID=2o]]

[0016] ​​​​​​​​​​​In one implementation form, the set 140 of the second layer may include a set of layers of a low refractive index material, which may be referred to as the L layer 140 in this specification. For example, the refractive index of the L layer 140 is generally lower than that of the H layer 13 0. In one implementation form, the L layer 140 may include silicon, magnesium, fluorine ide, oxygen, tantalum, nitride, niobium, titanium, aluminum, zirconium, yttrium , or a combination thereof. For example, the L layer 140 may include a silicon dioxide ( SiO2) layer, a silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer, a magnesium fluoride (MgF2) layer, penta-acid tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) layer, niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) layer, titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) layer, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, zirconium oxide (ZrO2) layer, yttrium oxide (Y2O3) layer, a combination thereof and / or others.

[0017] In one implementation form, the third set of layers 135 may correspond to a transition layer, which may be referred to as the O layer 135 in this specification. In one implementation form, the O layer 135 may include a third material different from the H layer 130 and / or the L layer 1 40. The O layer 135 may be any material including an oxide. For example, the O layer may be silicon, silicon dioxide (at any concentration) (e.g., SiO , where x , 0 < x < 2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), a combination thereof and / or others.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1B, the optical filter coating portion 110 may include a fourth set of layers 145, which may correspond to a second set of transition layers referred to as the P layer 145 in this specification. In one implementation form, the P layer 145 is the H layer 130, the O layer 135, and the L layer 140 and may include a different fourth material. Alternatively, in one implementation, the P layer 145 may be the same material or a similar material as the O layer 135 and may be any material containing an oxide. For example, the P layer 145 may be silicon, silicon oxide (e.g., SiO x , where 0 < x < 2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), combinations thereof, and / or may include others. In one implementation, FIG. 1A shows a repeating unit of the H-O-L layer, where the O layer 135 is in front of each respective H layer 130 (when counting from the air interface towards the substrate 120 ). In contrast, FIG. 1B shows a repeating unit of the H-O-L layer having a P layer 1 45 disposed between each H-O-L unit. Further in contrast, FIG. 1C shows a repeating unit of the H-L layer having an O layer disposed between each H -L unit.

[0019] In one implementation, the outermost layer (e.g., the layer closest to the air interface) may be a layer other than the L layer 140 . For example, in one implementation, the outermost layer may be the H layer 130, the O layer 135, or the P layer 1 45. In one implementation, the functional layer and / or coating may be outside the optical filter coating portion 110. For example, in one implementation, the functional layer and / or coating may include an anti-fouling coating, a protective coating, a durability coating, an anti-fogging coating, a hydrophilic coating, and / or a hydrophobic coating. In one example, the outermost layer may be a nitride.

[0020] In one implementation, the layers 130, 135, 140, and 145 are in the (H-O-L) m order , (H-O-L-O) mOrder, (HLO) m Order, (HOLP) m order, (H -OL) m -H order, (HOLP) m -H order, (HOLP) m -HO -L order, L-(HOL) m Order, LP-(HOLP) m Order, their set may be stacked in a particular order, such as a combination, another possible order, and / or other, m is the amount of layer units and has a value of 1 or more. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, , 135, and 140 are the L layer 140 and substrate disposed on the surface of the optical filter 100. The plate 120 has an H layer 130 disposed on its surface (HOL). m are arranged in the order Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 1B, layers 130, 135, 140, and 145 are optically The L layer 140 is disposed on the surface of the filter 100′, and the H layer 140 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 120. having layer 130, (HOLP) m In the example shown in Figure 1C, , layers 130, 135, and 140 are L layers disposed on the surface of optical filter 100''. 140 and an H layer 130 disposed on the surface of the substrate 120, (HLO) m In this order are arranged in order.

[0021] The amount, thickness, and / or order of layers can affect the optical filter, including optical transmission and angle shift. The coating portion 110 and / or the optical filter 100, 100', 100'' In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 may be associated with a particular amount of layers m. For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 may have a thickness of 2 The optical filter coating may include up to 200 layers, 10-100 layers, or 30-60 layers. The tinning portion 110 may include 10 to 40 H layers 130. In some examples, SiG e:H based optical filters can contain anywhere from 2 to 200 layers.

[0022] In one implementation, each layer of the optical filter coating portion 110 is associated with a particular thickness. For example, the layers 130 and 140 may have thicknesses of 1 nm to 1500 nm and 3 nm to 1 000 nm, 6 nm to 1000 nm, or 10 nm to 500 nm, and and / or the optical filter coating portion 110 is 0.1 μm to 100 μm, 0.2 In some examples, layer 13 may be of a thickness between 5 μm and 20 μm and / or other thicknesses. At least one of 0 and 140 is less than 1000 nm, less than 600 nm, 100 may involve thicknesses of less than 20 nm, or less than 20 nm, and / or optical filter coatings The coating portion 110 may have a thickness of less than 100 μm, less than 50 μm, and / or less than 10 μm. In one implementation, layers 130 and 140 may be related to a first thickness of layer 130 and the second thickness of the layer 140, the first thickness of the first subset of the layers 130 and the second thickness of the layer 130 a second thickness for a subset of layers 140, a first thickness for a first subset of layers 140, and a layer a second thickness for a second subset of 140, and / or the like, In this case, the thickness of the layers and / or the amount of layers may be related to the intended passband, Selection based on a set of intended optical properties such as intended reflectance and / or other can be selected.

[0023] Layers 135 and 145 may each have a thickness of between 1 nm and 20 nm. and / or the optical filter coating portion 110 and / or the optical filter 100 Depending on the desired optical quality of the layers 100′, 100″, the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 may be In some examples, the O layer 135 and the P layer 136 may each be associated with a thickness of less than 10 nm. 45 relate to thicknesses of 1 nm to 10 nm, 2 nm to 6 nm, or approximately 5 nm, respectively. In one implementation, the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 are each 2 nm to 6 nm thick. In one implementation, the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 may be a first thickness of the O layer 135 and a second thickness of the P layer 145, a first subset of the O layer 135 a first thickness of a second subset of O layers 135, a second thickness of a first subset of P layers 145, a first thickness of the first subset of P layers 145 and a second thickness of the second subset of P layers 145, and / or may relate to multiple thicknesses, such as, for example, Intended optical properties such as intended passband, intended reflectivity and / or other may be selected based on a set of

[0024] In one implementation, a particular SiGe-based material may be selected for the H layer 130. For example, in one implementation, the H layer 130 may be SiGe-50, SiGe-40, SiGe- 60 and / or other, and / or can be fabricated (e.g., by a sputtering procedure, as described in more detail below). via).

[0025] In one implementation, the H layer 130 is formed as a result of a sputter deposition procedure, as described herein. As a result, the H layer 130 may contain other materials such as silicon or argon. hydrogenation procedures for hydrogenating silicon or SiGe-based materials; Nitridation procedures for nitriding materials, and annealing silicon or SiGe-based materials. More than one annealing procedure, different types of procedures, silicon or SiGe based materials Doping procedure (e.g., phosphorus-based doping, nitrogen-based doping) doping, boron-based doping and / or other), or as described herein Combinations of multiple procedures (e.g., hydrogenation, nitridation, annealing, and / or For example, the H layer 130 may be fabricated using, for example, , spectral range of about 800 nm to about 1100 nm, spectral range of about 820 nm to about 1000 nm L layer over a spectral range, a specific wavelength such as about 950 nm, and / or other In another example, the H layer 130 may be selected to have a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the H layer 140. , for example, in the spectral range of about 1400 nm to about 1700 nm, about 1500 nm to about 16 00nm spectral range, specific wavelengths around 1550nm, and / or Therefore, the refractive index of the L layer 140 may be selected to be greater than that of the H layer 140. 130 has a refractive index greater than 3, a refractive index greater than 3.5, a refractive index greater than 3.8, or or greater than 4. For example, the H layer 130 may be formed of SiGe: If the H layer contains Si:H, the refractive index is greater than 4 at about 950 nm. 0 nm may be associated with about 3.74 and / or others.

[0026] In one implementation, a particular material may be selected for the L layer 140. For example, the L layer 140 is a set of SiO2 layers, a set of Al2O3 layers, a set of TiO2 layers, and a set of Nb2O5 layers. Set, Ta2O5 layer set, MgF2 layer set, Si3N4 layer set, ZrO2 layer In this case, the L layer 140 may include a set of Y2O3 layers, a set of Y2O3 layers, and / or others. may be selected to include a refractive index lower than that of the H layer 130.

[0027] In one implementation, the H layer 130 and / or the L layer 140 may be associated with a particular extinction coefficient. For example, for the H layer 130 containing silicon and hydrogen, the absorption coefficient is For example, the extinction coefficient may be less than about 0.001 over a range from about 800 nm to about 1100nm spectral range, about 900nm to about 1000nm spectral range, about 9 It may be less than about 0.001 over a wavelength of 54 nm, and / or other. For the H layer 130 containing ammonium, such an extinction coefficient is , less than about 0.007 (0.004 for Si:H at 800 nm), about 0.003 extinction coefficient of less than (0.002 for Si:H at 800 nm), less than about 0.001 The extinction coefficient may be from about 800 nm to about 11 00nm spectral range, approximately 900nm to approximately 1000nm spectral range, approximately 954 Additionally or alternatively, absorption may be defined over wavelengths of 100 nm and / or other wavelengths. The optical coefficient is in the spectral range of about 1400 nm to about 1700 nm, and in the spectral range of about 1500 nm to about 16 00nm spectral range, specific wavelengths around 1550nm and / or other In one implementation, the particular material used for the L layer 140 can be defined as the desired width of the spectral range, the desired center wavelength shift in relation to changes in the angle of incidence (AOI), and The selection may be based on the following:

[0028] In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' are substrate optical filters. The coating 180 may be included on the side opposite the coating portion 110. The coating 180 may be a single layer or multiple layers. In some examples, the coating 180 is an anti-reflective coating. It may be a coating, a blocking filter, and / or a bandpass filter. Coating 180 is SiO x , SiO2, TiO2, Ta2O5 and / or In one example, the coating 180 may include at least one of the following oxides: SiO Additionally or alternatively, coating 180 may be alternating layers of TiO2 and TiO2. It may have a similar structure to the optical filter coating portion 110 and may include three or more materials. In one implementation, the coating 180 is the H layer of the optical filter coating portion 110. 130, L layer 140, O layer 135, and / or P layer 145.

[0029] The optical filter coating portion 110 may be any coating and / or sputtering. It can be produced by any method, including but not limited to, the ring process. 1A, the optical filter coating portion 110 is formed by depositing an H layer on a substrate 120. The H layer 130 may be fabricated by depositing a H layer 130 and then depositing an O layer 135 on the H layer 130 . Next, an L layer 140 can be deposited on the O layer 135, and then a second H layer 130 can be deposited on the L layer 140. This can be repeated until the desired amount of layers is deposited. The optical filter coating portion 110 is formed by depositing an H layer 130 on a substrate 120. Then, an O layer 135 is deposited on the H layer 130. 40 may be deposited on the O layer 135, and a P layer 145 may be deposited on the L layer 140. Two H layers 130 may be deposited on the P layer 145 until the desired amount of layer is deposited. Similarly, the optical filter coating portion 110 as shown in FIG. The method involves depositing an H layer 130 on a substrate 120 and then depositing an L layer 140 on the H layer 130. Next, an O layer 135 can be deposited on the L layer 140, followed by a second An H layer 130 may be deposited on the O layer 135. This may be repeated until the desired amount of layers has been deposited. In some cases, layers 130, 135, 140, 145 and / or others may be returned. Other materials may be present in one or more of the layers. For example, during the deposition process, The materials used to apply the ink may bleed into the underlying layers.

[0030] In one implementation, certain materials may be deposited during the manufacturing process, but the optical filter coating The final composition of the shaping portion 110 may differ from that deposited. For example, Si:H A first H layer 130 of SiO2 may be deposited on the substrate 120. A first O layer 135 of SiO2 may be deposited on the substrate 120. The first L layer 140 of Ta2O5 may be deposited on the first H layer 130 of SiO2 The second H layer 130 of Si:H can be deposited on the first L layer of Ta2O5. The second O layer 135 of SiO2 can be deposited on the second H layer 13 of Si:H. A second L layer 140 of Ta2O5 can be deposited on a second O layer 135 of SiO2. can be deposited on. Thus, the final optical filter coating portion 110 is the substrate- can appear when Si:H-SiO2-Ta2O5-Si:H-SiO2-Ta2O5 is deposited. However, in one implementation, the O layer 135 can appear as a transition layer (e.g., for example, substrate-Si:H-SiO -Ta2O5-Si:H-SiOx-Ta2O5, where x 0 < x < 2, and by way of example SiO ), SiO 1.3 ), SiO 1.7 and / or others). In one implementation, the O layer 135 may not be of the same material (e.g., the first O layer 135 may be SiO2, and the second O layer 135 may be SiO 1.3 ). Additionally, or alternatively, one or more H layers 130 may contain oxygen or oxygen-based materials (e.g., SiOH, Si GeOH, SiGeO and / or others). Additionally, or alternatively, the final optical filter coating portion 110 may include a first Si:H layer deposited on a substrate, a first SiO2 layer deposited on the first Si:H layer, a first Ta2O5 layer deposited on the first SiO2 layer, a second Si:H layer deposited on the first Ta2O5 layer, a second Si: H layer, a second SiO2 layer deposited on the second Si:H layer, a second Ta2O 5 layer deposited on the second SiO2 layer, and a third SiO2 layer deposited on the second Ta2O5 layer. In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 can be manufactured using a sputtering procedure. For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 can be manufactured using a pulse magnetron -based sputtering procedure on a glass substrate or another type of substrate .

[0031] [[ID=�8]]In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 can be manufactured using a sputtering procedure. For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 can be manufactured using a pulse magnetron -based sputtering procedure on a glass substrate or another type of substrate . Sputter layers 130, 135, 140, and / or 145 onto substrate 120, which may be In one implementation, a first cathode for sputtering silicon and Multiple cathodes are used for sputtering, including a second cathode for sputtering silicon and germanium. In this case, multiple cathodes may be used in a silicon for the second cathode selected to ensure a specific concentration of germanium for The first cathode may be a silicon or silicon germanium cathode. A hydrogen flow may be added during the sputtering procedure to hydrogenate the silicon. To nitride silicon or silicon germanium, a nitrogen flow is used during the sputtering procedure. In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 can withstand temperatures up to about 280 degrees Celsius. a first annealing step at a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius to about 400 degrees Celsius, and a second annealing step at a temperature of about 320 degrees Celsius. a second annealing step at a temperature such as between about 250 degrees Celsius and about 350 degrees Celsius; and / or other, In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 is As described, it can be fabricated using SiGe:H coated from a target. For example, a SiGe compound target with a selected ratio of silicon to germanium is used. Sputtering optical filter coatings with specific silicon to germanium ratios The portion 110 may be manufactured.

[0032] In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 is another type of optical filter. causing a reduced angular shift compared to the angular shift caused by For example, the optical refractive index can be determined based on the refractive index of the H layer 130 relative to the refractive index of the L layer 140. The filter coating portion 110 may be a different type of optical filter with a different type of high refractive index material. This can cause a reduced angular shift compared to optical filters.

[0033] In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 is attached to a substrate, such as substrate 120. For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 is attached to a glass substrate or The optical filter coating may be attached to another type of substrate. The imaging portion 110 is mounted on a detector or on a silicon wafer containing an array of detectors. It can be coated directly onto the substrate (e.g., by photolithography, lift-off processes, etc.). In one implementation, the optical filter coating portion 110 is For example, the optical filter coating portion 110 may be applied to an optical filter having an air medium as an incident medium. In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 10 0" can be placed between the sets of prisms. In another example, a separate material such as clear epoxy can be used. The incident medium may be used and / or a polymer substrate (e.g., a polycarbonate substrate, Alternative substrates may be used, such as cyclic olefin copolymer (COP) substrates and / or others. It can be used.

[0034] In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' have a transmittance greater than 90%. The filter may be an interference filter having a transmission passband with a transmittance level. For a transmission passband, the transmission passband is the lowest wavelength where the transmittance is greater than 90%. The upper wavelength boundary is defined as the highest wavelength at which the transmittance is less than 90%. , the transmission passband is greater than 90%, greater than 94%, or greater than 95% average For example, the average transmittance of the passband may be greater than 94%, The peak transmittance of the region can be greater than 97%, which can depend on the wavelength range (e.g. , the above values ​​may apply to wavelengths greater than about 840 nm, and the above values ​​may apply to shorter wavelengths. (It can be about 2% lower, and the transmittance of SiGe:H can also be lower).

[0035] In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' are configured to provide a wavelength of 400 nm to 110 nm. 0nm wavelength range, or over the wavelength range of 300nm to 1100nm, may result in blocking outside the passband (e.g., stopbands on one or both sides of the passband) In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' have a wavelength range of 400 nm to 110 nm. A cutoff level within the stopband greater than optical density 2 (OD2) over a wavelength range of 0 nm Rejection greater than optical density 3 (OD3) over the wavelength range of 300 nm to 1100 nm In-band cutoff level, or optical density 4 over the wavelength range of 300nm to 1100nm In some examples, the optical filter 100 may have a cutoff level greater than (OD4). 100', 100'' is greater than OD2 from 400nm to 800nm, or 400 It can provide a blocking level greater than OD3 from 800 nm to 1000 nm. For stopbands with wavelengths below the passband, the stopband is at a specified OD level. defined by the upper wavelength boundary with the highest wavelength greater than the specified level (e.g., OD2 or OD3). and the stop band for wavelengths above the pass band has a cutoff level of a specified OD level (e.g. In some cases, the minimum wavelength is greater than OD2 or OD3. In some cases, the average blocking level of the stop band is greater than OD2 or OD3. Optical filters 100, 100', and 100'' are available with OD2 values ​​from 400nm to 800nm. Average cutoff level, or OD4 or greater, from 400nm to 800 It can provide average cut-off levels of OD3 up to nm.

[0036] In some cases, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' may be long wavelength pass edge filters. The passband may be a filter having an edge wavelength in the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm. However, in most cases, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' are A bandpass filter such as a low bandpass filter. Usually, the center wavelength of the passband is The wavelength range is 800nm ​​to 1100nm. Usually, the center wavelength of the passband is 800nm ​​to In some examples, the passband is less than 55 nm, 50 nm, or The entire passband can be 800 nm to 1100 nm, or even less than 45 nm FWHM. In some instances, the FWHM can be adjusted to suit the application, thermal management of the light source, etc. , depending on various factors including the design of the optical filter 100, 100', 100'', angle range, etc. For example, at 5 nm, thermally controlled devices operate over a narrow angular range. The light source and optical filter 100, 100', 100'' may be configured to provide a threshold (e.g., 1 nm). In another example, at 120 nm, the device has a manufacturing tolerance of It is possible to have a light source with a high temperature change in light source wavelength, and a wide temperature range for a large acceptance angle (e.g., In this case, the light source can be manufactured to be more flexible. In one implementation described herein, The passband has a transmission level greater than 90%, greater than 94%, and greater than 95%. , and / or other wavelengths. However, in other examples It should be understood that there may be other suitable definitions of the passband. In one implementation, the stop bands are defined as transmission levels above OD2, above OD3, and above OD4. It may be defined as including wavelengths greater than D4 and / or other wavelengths. However, However, it should be understood that in other examples, other suitable definitions of the stopband may exist.

[0037] In one implementation, the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' are configured to provide a filter that reflects light with a change in the angle of incidence. The CWL of the passband can be adjusted as the angle of incidence changes from 0° to 30°. In some cases, the CWL of the passband is shifted by less than 20 nm. A change in the incidence angle from 0° to 30° can shift the passband C by a factor of less than 15 nm. The WL shifts between 20 nm and 6 nm in magnitude when the incident angle changes from 0° to 30°. The CWL of the passband decreases by 12 nm when the incident angle changes from 0° to 30°. The CWL of the passband shifts by an order of magnitude as the angle of incidence changes from 0° to 30°. shifts between 12nm and 6nm.

[0038] As noted above, Figures 1A-1C are provided merely as one or more examples. The example may be different from that described with respect to FIGS. 1A - 1C.

[0039] FIGS. 2A - 2D are diagrams of one or more examples of optical and / or mechanical properties of a stack of materials related to one or more exemplary implementations described herein.

[0040] An optical filter having a configuration as shown in and / or referred to in the drawings as shown above by FIG. 2A and chart 200. FIGS. 1A - 1C have a design in which the H layer 130 contains Si:H as a high refractive index material and the L layer 140 contains Ta2O5 as a low refractive index material (e.g., using a secondary spacer), and the H layer 130 contains Si:H as a high refractive index material and the L layer 140 contains SiO2 as a low refractive index material, and a lower angle shift can be achieved. For example, FIG. 2A shows a plot indicating the transmittance as a function of wavelength for six different designs. In particular, among the various plots shown in FIG. 2A, there are three designs having a primary, secondary, and tertiary spacer layer containing Si:H and in which the L layer 140 contains SiO2 as a low refractive index material, and three designs in which the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 contain an oxide such as silicon oxide (e.g., SiO :0, 0 < x < 2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), etc., and further the L layer 140 contains Ta2O5 as a low refractive index material and has a primary, secondary, and tertiary spacer layer containing Si:H. As shown, all designs exhibit substantially similar performance at an AOI of 0 degrees. x

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2B and by chart 210, referring to FIGS. 1A - 1C, the thickness (nanometers) of an optical filter having a configuration as shown and / or described above. ​ The refractive index (units) may depend on the material used for the low refractive index material of the L layer 140. For example, As previously discussed with reference to FIG. 2A, SiO2 and Ta2O5 are substantially However, the bandpass filter shown in chart 210 provides similar performance. Therefore, Ta2O5 may be used as the low refractive index material for the L layer 140 (or other reflective layer). and / or silicon oxide (e.g., SiO x , where 0 <x<2)また The inclusion of a transition layer such as silicon dioxide (SiO2) is important regardless of the order of the spacer layer. Increased overall design thickness compared to designs using SiO2 as the low index material For example, for the primary spacer layer, the physical thickness of the Ta2O5-containing design is 3500 nm, and the physical thickness of the SiO2-containing design is less than 3250 nm, and the secondary spectrum For the surface layer, the physical thickness of the Ta2O5-containing design is over 4000 nm, and the SiO2 The physical thickness of the design containing TaO is about 3600 nm, and for the tertiary spacer layer, TaO The physical thickness of the design containing 5 is about 4500 nm, and the physical thickness of the design containing SiO2 is about 4500 nm. is about 4000 nm. In general, the index ratio of Si:H to Ta2O5 is Since the thickness is lower than that of the Ta2O5-containing design, the overall thickness of the design can be increased.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2C and chart 220, Ta2O5 is used as the low refractive index material. Use of this method reduces unwanted downshifts of the central wavelength (CWL) due to the increased AOI. For example, Chart 220 shows a different bandpass filter than the Ta2O5-containing design. A comparison of CWL shifts (in nanometers) for designs containing spacer-order SiO2 is shown. As shown, Ta2O5 has a higher refractive index than SiO2, CWL downshifting is generally achieved by designing SiO2-containing bandpass spacers of any order. The design containing less Ta2O5 compared to the previous design. In an optical filter having a configuration as shown and / or described above with reference to In this case, a material having a relatively high refractive index (e.g., T instead of SiO2) is used in the L layer 140. The use of a2O5) can generally reduce the bandpass angle shift.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2D and by chart 230, the low refractive index material is Ta2O5 The use of 120). For example, chart 230 The bandpass filters are based on whether Ta2O5 or SiO2 is used for the coating. The figures show a comparison of the total stress (in megapascals (MPa)) exerted by the coating. As shown, the stress exerted by magnetron sputtered Ta2O5 is The stress is substantially lower than that exerted by magnetron sputtered SiO2, so the total The applied stress is generally Therefore, the structures shown and / or described above with reference to FIGS. In an optical filter having such a structure, if a material with a relatively low stress is used, stress on the substrate is reduced. This can reduce the stresses that can be obtained.

[0044] In this way, a material with a low refractive index (such as SiO2) is converted into a material with a high refractive index (Ta2O5). Substitution generally reduces the bandpass angle shift and the use of (thinner) lower-order spacers For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, a primary spacer including Ta2O5 can The secondary spacer may have a thickness similar to that of the SiO2-containing secondary spacer, and the Ta2O5-containing secondary spacer may have a thickness similar to that of the SiO2-containing secondary spacer. It may have a thickness similar to that of the tertiary spacer including SiO2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2C, The primary spacer containing a2O5 has the same angle shift as the secondary spacer containing SiO2. The secondary spacer containing Ta2O5 exhibited the same angle shift as the tertiary spacer containing SiO2. As further shown in FIG. 2D, the Ta Moving to the primary spacer containing 2O5 results in lower stress (similar to the angle shift) Similarly, the thickness of the tertiary spacer containing SiO2 is increased to the thickness of the secondary spacer containing Ta2O5. Moving to the next spacer, the stress becomes lower. The stress applied to the substrate by the This can be reduced by using materials with low refractive index, for example, as explained above. What are the benefits of replacing materials with higher refractive index (e.g., SiO2) such as Ta2O5? Although described above, similar benefits can be achieved with other materials such as Nb2O5, TiO2 and / or others. It can be realized with other materials with higher refractive index than iO2.

[0045] In one implementation, a bandpass design using Si:H and Ta2O5 is performed using Si:H and Ta2O5. The transmittance is reduced due to absorption at the interface with Ta2O5. Non-compounds of materials (e.g., SiO2, Al2O3 and / or others) that firmly bond the Adding a thin layer at any time can prevent interfacial absorption, which reduces transmittance. Rather, very thin layers that do not react with oxygen (e.g., aluminum nitrite, Si3N4 and Adding a Si:H / TaO layer between the Si:H and TaO reduces the transmittance of the interface. In this way, the interface absorption can be reduced and the interface between Si:H and Ta2O5 can be prevented. This can increase the transmittance without strict control of the thin layers added to the This is because the ratio of the thickness to the design thickness is small. can benefit from a sharper transition between the For optical filters that cannot accommodate bending, a low-stress approach allows for more The use of Fabry-Perot cavities may be possible, thereby exceeding the stress limit. Instead, the transition between the low and high transmission T bands can be abrupt.

[0046] In this manner, the particular material used in the L layer 140 can be selected to provide a bandpass coating. This reduces the stress on the wafer, which makes it less likely to warp, and therefore , which makes handling before singulation easier. Otherwise, if less warpage is required requires an additional stress balancing coating on the backside of the wafer, which increases costs This increases the likelihood of wafer breakage during handling. If the stress in the coating is lower, thinner substrates can be used to fabricate optical filters. This allows the sensor system to be thinner with thinner optical filters, The use of optical filters allows for more flexibility during assembly and reduces the chance of parts touching. This can cause damage, reduced performance and / or other issues. Many cavities can be used to make the transition sharper without exceeding stress tolerances. This can result in a better signal-to-noise ratio. Smaller diameters can result in narrower bandwidth and better signal-to-noise ratios for the same optical angle. .

[0047] As noted above, Figures 2A-2D are provided merely as one or more examples. Examples may differ from those described with respect to Figures 2A-2D.

[0048] 3A-3D illustrate a spatula for manufacturing one or more exemplary implementations described herein. FIG. 3 is a diagram of one or more examples of a nozzle deposition system 300.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3A, an exemplary sputter deposition system includes a vacuum chamber 310, a substrate 312, and a Plate 320, cathode 330, target 331, cathode power supply 340, anode 350, It may include a plasma activation source (PAS) 360 and a PAS power supply 370. 1. Silicon material, specific concentration of silicon selected based on the optical properties of the specific concentration It may include germanium materials and / or other. In another example, the angle of the cathode 330 is a specific concentration of silicon and / or silicon germanium, as described herein. The PAS power supply 370 may be configured to sputter silicon onto the substrate 320. It may be used to power the S360 and may include a radio frequency (RF) power source. A power supply 340 may be utilized to power the cathode 330, and may be a pulsed direct current (DC) C) a power supply, in which case the sputter deposition system may deposit one or more layers by DC sputtering. The metal may be sputtered onto the substrate 320 via tapping.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3A, the target 331 contains hydrogen (H2), argon, etc. Silicon hydride (Si:H) materials, silicon hydride materials, A layer of silicon-germanium (SiGe:H) material, and / or other material may be deposited on the substrate 32. The inert gas is introduced through the anode 350 and / or PAS 360. Hydrogen can be provided to the chamber through a vacuum via a PAS360 which helps activate the hydrogen. In addition, or alternatively, the cathode 330 may be configured to in which case hydrogen may be introduced from another part of the vacuum chamber 310, or The anode 350 may cause hydrogen activation, in which case the anode 350 pumps hydrogen into a vacuum chamber. In one implementation, hydrogen may be introduced into chamber 310. In one implementation, hydrogen may be introduced into chamber 310 using a mixture of hydrogen gas, hydrogen gas and a noble gas (e.g., For example, the PAS360 may be in the form of a mixture with argon gas. The plasma from the PAS 360 and the plasma from the cathode 330 may be positioned within the vicinity of the boundary of the PAS 360. The use of PAS360 allows for the overlap of Si:H and and / or may allow the SiGe:H layer to be deposited at a relatively high deposition rate. In some embodiments, the Si:H and / or SiGe:H layers are grown at a rate of about 0.05 nm / sec to about 2.0 nm / sec. At a deposition rate of about 0.5 nm / s to about 1.2 nm / s, seconds and / or other deposition rates.

[0051] The sputtering procedures are described herein with respect to specific geometries and specific implementations. However, other shapes and implementations are possible. For example, hydrogen may be seen from another direction, From a gas manifold at the boundary close to the cathode 330 and / or from other , can be injected.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 3B-3C, a similar sputter deposition system includes a vacuum chamber 310 , a substrate 320, a first cathode 380, a second cathode 390, a first target 381 , the second target 391, the cathode power supply 340, the anode 350, the PAS 360, and and a PAS power supply 370. In this case, the first target 381 is a silicon target. The second target 391 may be a germanium target. As described herein, the first target 381 is referred to as a silicon target 381. The second target 391 may be referred to as a germanium target 391. While the first target 381 and / or the second target 391 have a high refractive index It will be appreciated that other suitable materials may be used to form the material layers.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3B, the silicon target 381 is oriented at approximately 0 degrees relative to the substrate 320. The germanium target 391 is oriented (e.g., approximately parallel to the substrate 320) such that the In this case, the silicon and germanium are oriented at about 120 degrees relative to the The cathodes 380 and 390 respectively irradiate the silicon target 381 and the silicon target 392. and germanium targets 391 are sputtered onto the substrate 320. .

[0054] In a similar sputter deposition system, silicon target 38 was used as the target for the sputter deposition shown in FIG. 3C. The silicon dioxide gas and the germanium target 391 are each oriented at approximately 60 degrees relative to the substrate 320. The silicon and germanium are directed toward the silicon target 381 and the germanium target 382, ​​respectively. from the manganese target 391 by cathode 380 and cathode 390, respectively. , is sputtered onto the substrate 320.

[0055] In a similar sputter deposition system, a silicon target was used, as shown in Figure 3D. 381 is oriented at approximately 120 degrees relative to the substrate 320, and the germanium target 391 is , oriented at approximately 0 degrees relative to the substrate 320. In this case, the silicon and germanium The cathodes 380 and 390 respectively drive the silicon target 3 81 and a germanium target 391 are sputtered onto the substrate 320 .

[0056] 3A-3D, the respective configurations of components in a silicon sputter deposition system are as follows: Silicon, silicon and germanium, and / or other materials with different relative concentrations Although different configurations of components are described herein, silicon and Different relative concentrations of germanium may also occur in different materials, different manufacturing processes, and / or can be achieved using other methods.

[0057] As noted above, Figures 3A-3D are provided merely as one or more examples. Examples may differ from those described with respect to Figures 3A-3D.

[0058] 4A-4B illustrate a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. 10 is a diagram of one or more examples of optical properties of the

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4A and by chart 410, a set of characteristics may be, for example, S Measured on iGe layers (e.g., SiGe:H layers for use in optical filters) In general, increasing the cathode angle of cathode-sputtered silicon leads to the following results: As will be explained in more detail below, the relationship between the silicon content and the germanium content in the optical filter is For example, a high refractive index layer of an optical filter deposited at 30° can accommodate an increase in the aluminum content. In the case of 35 degrees, the high refractive index layer may be associated with a germanium content of about 7.5%. For deposition at 50°C, the optical filter may be associated with a germanium content of about 22%. In the case of a deposition of 1000 .mu.m, the optical filter may involve a germanium content of about 90%.

[0060] 4A and further shown by chart 410, the refractive index at a wavelength of 950 nm n is the cathode that is sputtered to form a set of high refractive index material layers by sputtering materials. As shown, the silicon Silicon germanium (SiGe) and annealed silicon germanium (SiGe -280C) (e.g., silicon where the annealing procedure is performed at 280 degrees Celsius (C) In the case of germanium, an increase in the cathode angle corresponds to an increase in the refractive index. The refractive index of silicon layers containing nium is Germanium-based optical filters, such as silicon-based (Si-280C) optical filters This improves the performance of optical filters that contain SiGe layers because the SiGe content is larger than that of silicon that does not contain Si. .

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4B and by chart 420, a set of high refractive index material layers Another set of optical properties is measured for the sample. As shown, the absorption at a wavelength of 950 nm is The present invention relates to a method for depositing a high refractive index material layer using a sputtering method. This can be measured in relation to the cathode angle used in the ring procedure. Increasing the amount of charge (e.g., increasing the cathode angle) is generally associated with increased absorption (or loss). However, annealed SiGe (SiGe-280C) The absorption of the optical filter associated with similar cathode angles is significantly higher than that of uncoated SiGe. For example, annealed SiGe can reduce the low-angle The cathode angle corresponds to a refractive index that meets the refractive index threshold for use in the degree shift. This can be related to the loss value that meets the absorption threshold for use in a filter. By annealing SiGe (or SiGe:H), The low angle shift coating has a relatively high refractive index and does not excessively absorb NIR light. It can be used as a

[0062] As noted above, Figures 4A and 4B are provided merely as one or more examples. 4A and 4B.

[0063] 5A-5B show properties of a set of materials associated with one or more implementations described herein. 10 is a diagram of one or more examples of

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5A and by chart 510, a set of mechanical properties is The stress values ​​(in megapascals (M)) are measured for a set of refractive index material layers. Pa) is the type of material for the high refractive index material layer and the temperature for depositing the high refractive index material layer. The stress value can be measured in relation to the cathode angle used in the sputtering procedure. It may be a compressive stress on the high refractive index material layer as a result of the tartering procedure. For example, Increasing the manganese content (e.g., increasing the cathode angle) leads to a decrease in the stress in the SiGe layer. As shown, at similar cathode angles, the annealed SiG e is associated with reduced stress values ​​compared to unannealed SiGe. For example, annealed SiGe meets the refractive index threshold for use in optical filters. The cathode angle corresponding to the refractive index exceeds the stress threshold for use in optical filters. The manufacturing procedure may involve cutting the wafer into multiple pieces for multiple optical filters. In cases where this is involved, lowering the stress value may reduce the difficulty of manufacturing. Lowering the stress may allow for a reduction in the thickness of the substrate compared to other types of materials with higher stress values. Thus, by annealing SiGe (or SiGe:H), SiGe (or SiGe:H) with a relatively high refractive index and low angle shift coating without excessive stress. The unannealed optical filter can be used as a filter. Compared to optical filters using pure silicon, optical filters This improves manufacturability of the optical filter and reduces its thickness.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 5B and by chart 520, the set of optical properties is The measurements are taken for a set of bandpass filters centered at a wavelength of 0 nm. As such, the transmittance of the first optical filter and the second optical filter can be adjusted by using annealing and For example, in FIG. 5B, reference numeral 522 indicates the first The reference numeral 524 may correspond to a first optical filter, and the reference numeral 525 may correspond to a second optical filter. Each of these generally has similar parameters (e.g., a set of four cavities, 3.1 max. A set of micrometer-thick, high-index layers containing SiGe and silicon dioxide (SiO2) A set of low refractive index layers including anti-reflection coating on the second side, no anti-reflection coating on the second side, 47.5 degree cathode angle (for example, this may correspond to about 80% germanium in a set of high index layers) However, in FIG. 5B, reference numeral 522 indicates a method for producing a crystalline structure using annealing. The reference numeral 524 may correspond to a first optical filter having one or more high refractive index layers formed thereon. , may correspond to a second optical filter in which annealing is not utilized.

[0066] Thus, as shown in FIG. 5B and by reference numerals 522 and 524, The use of annealing is to increase the transmittance at approximately 950 nm by annealing the optical filter. 7% (e.g., greater than 80% or about 85% at about 950 nm) % or greater). For example, as shown by reference numeral 524, The transmittance at 100 nm can be less than 80% if no annealing is used. Then, annealing SiGe (or SiGe:H) H) for low-angle shimmers with improved transmission compared to unannealed optical filters. In another example, it can be used as an anti-reflective coating (e.g., The inclusion of an anti-reflection coating on the back surface of the optical filter allows the first optical filter to be Compared to the filter, the transmittance can be improved by about an additional 5%.

[0067] FIG. 5B is a graph showing a specific set of characteristics for the first and second optical filters. While examples are provided, other examples described herein may be used to analyze other properties of optical filters. This may also show improved performance in the ring.

[0068] FIG. 5B shows an example of the optical properties of a bandpass filter, which can be similarly improved. The optical properties include short-wave pass filters, long-wave pass filters, anti-reflection coatings, and non-polarizing beams. beam splitter, polarizing beam splitter, dielectric reflector, multi-bandpass filter, notch For the manufacture of notch filters, multi-notch filters, neutral density filters, and / or other It may be relevant.

[0069] As noted above, Figures 5A and 5B are provided merely as one or more examples. The examples may differ from those described with respect to Figures 5A and 5B.

[0070] 6A-6C illustrate a set of materials associated with one or more exemplary implementations described herein. 6 is a diagram of one or more examples 600 of characteristics of a device.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 6A and by chart 610, hydrogenated silicon (Si:H )-based optical filters and hydrogenated silicon germanium (SiGe:H)-based optical filters. A set of optical properties is shown for a set of optical filters, including The set of filters may utilize silicon dioxide (SiO2) as the low refractive index material. As shown, the transmittance at a set of wavelengths is measured for a set of optical filters. In the case of SiGe:H optical filters, the associated refractive index is 3.871 at 950 nm, whereas Si: The Si:H optical filter is associated with a refractive index of 3.740 at 950 nm. As a result of the SiGe:H optical filter having a higher refractive index than the SiGe:H optical filter The filter can be associated with a reduction in physical thickness. For example, a Si:H optical filter is 6.3 microns thick. The SiGe:H optical filter is 5.4 micrometers thick. Furthermore, SiGe:H optical filters may be associated with greater blocking efficiency. (For example, SiGe:H optical filters have a higher resolution at about 700 nm than Si:H optical filters.) Quarter wave stacks are more absorbing and consequently block a wavelength range that includes 700 nm. coating is reduced).

[0072] As shown in FIG. 6B, chart 620 shows the range from 950 nanometers to 1000 nanometers. 6 shows a portion of chart 610 in the wavelength range of the , the angular shift is for Si:H optical filters at angles of incidence (AOI) from 0 to 30 degrees. 13.0 for SiGe:H optical filters at 16.5 nm and angles of incidence from 0 to 30 degrees nm. In this case, the SiGe:H optical filter is The angle shift is smaller than that of the filter, indicating improved optical performance.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6C and by chart 630, Si:H optical filters and and SiGe:H optical filter designs, such as the optical filters of FIGS. 1A-1C; and A set of optical characteristics is shown. As shown, the set of optical filters is It is related to board sizes from 100mm to 300mm and board thicknesses from 0.15mm to 0.7mm. For each wafer size and wafer thickness, the SiGe:H optical filter is This reduces the substrate deflection compared to conventional filters, thus improving the durability and Furthermore, due to the reduced stress values, other materials with higher stress values ​​can be manufactured. compared to other board designs based on reducing the chance of breakage compared to other board designs For a similar substrate thickness, the substrate size can be increased.

[0074] As noted above, Figures 6A-6C are provided merely as one or more examples. may differ from that described with respect to Figures 6A-6C.

[0075] 7A-7B are diagrams of one or more exemplary embodiments 700 described herein. As shown in FIG. 7A, an example implementation 700 may include a sensor system 710. The sensor system 710 may be part of an optical system and may include an electrical system corresponding to the sensor measurements. The sensor system 710 may include an optical filter structure including an optical filter 730. The optical filter structure 720 includes a passband It may include an optical filter 730 or another type of optical filter that performs the filtering function. The sensor system 710 is aimed at a target 760 (e.g., a person, an object, etc.). It includes an optical transmitter 750 for transmitting an optical signal.

[0076] Although implementations may be described herein with respect to optical filters in sensor systems, this The implementations described herein may be used in other types of systems, such as in a sensor system. In one implementation, the optical filter 730 may be used externally and / or externally. For example, optical filter 730 may perform a polarizing beam splitting function for the As described herein, the second polarization is preferably received by optical sensor 740. If desired, reflect a first portion of the light with a first polarization and transmit a second portion of the light with a second polarization. Additionally or alternatively, the optical filter 730 may provide a reverse polarized beam splitter for the light. It may perform a lit function (e.g., beam combining).

[0077] As further shown in FIG. 7A and by reference numeral 770, the input optical signal is The input optical signal is directed to the filter structure 720. The N This may include IR light and ambient light from the environment in which the sensor system 710 is utilized. For example, if the optical filter 730 is a bandpass filter, the optical transmitter 750 may be a for gesture recognition system (e.g., gestures performed by target 760) Near infrared (NIR) light may be directed at the user, and the NIR light may be measured by optical sensor 740. To achieve this, a target 760 (e.g., In this case, the ambient light may be reflected from one or more ambient light sources (e.g., a light source). In another example, multiple light beams may be directed from a target (such as a sphere or the sun) to the optical sensor 740. 7. A subset of the light beams may be directed at a target 760, as shown, through an optical sensor. 7. The reflected light may be reflected towards the optical filter structure 720, which may be positioned at an oblique angle relative to the sensor 740. In one implementation, a different tilt angle may be used (e.g., 0 for a bandpass filter). In some implementations, the optical filter structure 720 is configured to disposed and / or formed directly on the optical sensor 740 rather than being located remotely therefrom. For example, the optical filter structure 720 can be formed, for example, using photolithography. The optical sensor 740 may be coated and patterned. The filter structure 720 may include a substrate 120, a coating 180, and / or other In another example, the optical filters may include any of the elements of the optical filters 100, 100', 100'' described above. The optical transmitter 750 may be used to detect objects approaching a vehicle, for example, to provide a visually impaired person with a visually impaired person with a visual impairment. To detect objects, to detect proximity to objects (e.g., using LIDAR technology) ), and / or other ways of directing NIR light onto another type of target 760. The NIR light and ambient light can then be directed towards the optical sensor 740.

[0078] As further shown in FIG. 7A and by reference numeral 780, a portion of the optical signal is 7. The light passes through the optical filter 730 and the optical filter structure 720. For example, the optical filter 73 0 is the optical filter coating portion of the optical filters 100, 100', and 100''. 110 and may reflect a first polarization of light in a first direction. The optical filter 730 is configured to filter out NIR light without blocking too much and to reduce the incidence angle of the input optical signal. The present invention blocks visible light from the input optical signal without causing excessive angular shift with increasing .DELTA..times ...

[0079] As shown in FIG. 7A and further indicated by reference numeral 790, the optical sensor 740 Based on the portion of the light signal that passes through, the optical sensor 740 recognizes or provides an output electrical signal to the sensor system 710, such as for use in detecting the presence of an object. In one implementation, a different arrangement of the optical filter 730 and the optical sensor 740 may be used. For example, rather than passing the second portion of the optical signal collinearly with the input optical signal, The optical filter 730 directs a second portion of the optical signal to an optical sensor 740 at a different location. In another example, the optical sensor 740 may be an avalanche photodiode. detectors, indium-gallium-arsenide (InGaAs) detectors, infrared detectors, and / or or other.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 7B, a similar exemplary implementation 700 includes a sensor system 710, An optical filter structure 720, an optical filter 730, an optical sensor 740, an optical transmitter 750, and and target 760. FIG. 7B shows a configuration including an optical filter 730 as described herein. 7 shows a particular exemplary implementation 700 including:

[0081] The optical transmitter 750 emits light at an emission wavelength in the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm. The optical transmitter 750 emits a dimming light (e.g., a light pulse). LED, LED array, laser diode, or laser diode array The optical transmitter 750 emits light toward the target 760, which emits The sensor system 710 reflects the reflected light back towards the sensor system 710. In the case of a gesture recognition system, the target 760 is the user of the gesture recognition system. The sensor system 710 may also include a proximity sensor system, a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system, and a system, distance sensing system, depth sensor, and / or another suitable sensor system. It is possible.

[0082] The optical filter 730 is adapted to receive the emitted light after reflection by the target 760. The optical filter 730 includes an emission wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm. The optical filter 730 has a passband that at least partially overlaps with the wavelength range of The optical filter 730 is a bandpass filter such as a bandpass filter. It transmits light emitted from the optical transmitter 750 while substantially blocking ambient light.

[0083] The optical sensor 740 is adapted to receive the emitted light after transmission by the optical filter 730. In one implementation, the optical filter 730 is disposed directly on the optical sensor 740. For example, the optical filter 730 is formed in a wafer level process (WLP). Coating and patterning (e.g., photolithography) onto a sensor (e.g., a proximity sensor) Graphically.

[0084] If the sensor system 710 is a proximity sensor system, the optical sensor 740 is a proximity sensor. The sensor system detects the emitted light to sense the proximity of the target 760. If the system 710 is a 3D imaging system or a gesture recognition system, the optical sensor The sensor 740 may be a 3D image sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD) chip or a complementary metal and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips, which detect the emitted light and The 3D image sensor provides a 3D image of the target 760, which is the user. systems (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips or digital signal processors) converts optical information into electrical signals for processing by a processor (e.g., a digital signal processor (DSP) chip). For example, if the sensor system 710 is a gesture recognition system, the processing system may It processes the 3D image of the user and recognizes the user's gestures.

[0085] As noted above, Figures 7A-7B are provided merely as one or more examples. may differ from that described with respect to Figures 7A-7B.

[0086] In this way, a set of hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) layers, a set of SiGe-based layers, a set of silicon germanium (SiGe:H) layers, and / or other layers in the visible light band. Another type used for out-of-band blocking, NIR transmission, and / or high refractive index layer sets Optical filters that provide filtering of light with reduced angular shift compared to materials It can be used as a high refractive index material for optical filter coatings. , SiGe, SiGe:H, etc., and / or based on the annealing procedure, Outer blocking and in-band transmission are improved compared to other types of materials.

[0087] FIG. 8A shows the relationship between the hydrogen flow rate of the as-deposited Si:H layer and the hydrogen flow rate from 800 nm to 1120 nm. 1 shows a plot of the refractive index at wavelengths of 1000 sq. m / s. As shown, the refractive index generally increases with increasing hydrogen flow. Generally, the refractive index changes almost in proportion to the flow rate of hydrogen. The yield of the Si:H layer produced at a hydrogen flow rate of 80 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) was The refractive index is greater than 3.55 in the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1120 nm. The refractive index is greater than 3.65, greater than 3.7, or greater than 3.75 at 800 nm. and about 3.8 at 800 nm.

[0088] Figure 8B shows the hydrogen flow rate for the as-deposited Si:H layer at wavelengths from 800 nm to 880 nm. The plot of the absorption coefficient of 920 nm to 1120 nm is shown. The extinction coefficient (e.g., absorption coefficient) generally decreases with increasing hydrogen flow rate. Generally, the extinction coefficient changes approximately exponentially with the hydrogen flow rate. In particular, the absorption coefficient of the hydrogenated silicon layer formed at a hydrogen flow rate of 80 sccm is 800n It is less than 0.0004 over the wavelength range from 1000 nm to 1120 nm.

[0089] As noted above, Figures 8A-8B are provided merely as one or more examples. may differ from that described with respect to FIGS. 8A-8B.

[0090] FIG. 9 is an exemplary 900 plot of the transmission spectrum of an optical filter described herein. For example, FIG. 9 shows a structure of alternating SiO2 and Si:H, designated by reference numeral 910. Transmission spectra of an example three-material stack compared to an example two-material stack side-by-side. The transmission spectra are shown. Three material stacks corresponding to reference numeral 920 are fabricated. For example, the O layer 135 may be made of SiO2. 3 nm layer, H layer 130 may be deposited as a Si:H layer, and L layer 140 may be deposited as a T The Si:H layer may be deposited as an Al2O5 layer, and an SiO2 layer may be deposited before each Si:H layer. Note that, as described above, the exemplary stack depth analysis corresponding to reference numeral 120 is SiO H and / or SiO x (where 0 < x < 2) may be included in the filter options. These layers may be represented as a transition from Si:H to Ta2O5 rather than as three different layers.

[0091] To fabricate the three-material stack corresponding to reference numeral 930, the layers may be deposited as shown in FIG. 1B. In this case, the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 may be deposited as 3 nm layers of SiO2, the H layer 130 may be deposited as a Si:H layer, the L layer may be deposited as a Ta2O5 layer, and thereby the SiO2 layers may be deposited before and after each Si:H layer. However, as described above, the exemplary stack depth analysis corresponding to reference numeral 930 may include filter options including SiOH and / or SiO x (where 0 < x < 2). Examples include substrate - Si:H - SiO2 - Ta2O5 - SiO2 - Si:H - SiO2 - Ta2O x x x x x ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0092] To fabricate three material stacks corresponding to reference number 940, the layers can be deposited as shown in FIG. 1A For example, the O layer 135 can be deposited as a 6 nm layer of SiO2, the H layer 130 can be deposited as a Si:H layer, and the L layer 140 can be deposited as a Ta2O5 layer , and the SiO2 layer can be deposited before each Si:H layer. However, as described above, the depth analysis of an exemplary stack corresponding to reference number 940 may include filter options including SiOH and / or SiO x ( here, 0 < x < 2). These layers can be represented as a transition from Si:H to Ta2O5 rather than as three different layers.

[0093] To fabricate three material stacks corresponding to reference number 950, the layers can be deposited as shown in FIG. 1B In this case, the O layer 135 and the P layer 145 can be deposited as a 6 nm layer of SiO2 , the H layer 130 can be deposited as a Si:H layer, and the L layer 140 can be deposited as a Ta2 O5 layer, whereby the SiO2 layer can be deposited before and after each Si:H layer . However, as described above, the depth analysis of an exemplary stack corresponding to reference number 950 may include filter options including SiOH and / or SiO x (here, 0 < x < 2) may be included. Examples include substrate - Si:H - SiO2 - Ta2O​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​x -Ta2O5, or combinations thereof, are included, where x is the O layer 135 and / or may not be equal for each P layer 145, 0 < x < 2 (e.g., Si O 1.3 , SiO 1.7 , Si, and / or others). These layers can be represented as a transition from Si:H to Ta2O5 rather than as four different layers. For manufacturing three material stacks corresponding to reference numeral 960, layers of Si:H and Ta2O

[0094] 5 can be alternately deposited (e.g., without SiO2 layers). However, as described above, a depth analysis of an exemplary stack corresponding to reference numeral 960 can include filter options including SiOH and / or Ta2O (where 0 < Y < 5). These layers can be represented as a transition from Si:H to Ta2O5 rather than as two different layers. Y For manufacturing three material stacks corresponding to reference numeral 970, the layers can be deposited as shown in FIG. 1C. For example, the O layer 135 can be deposited as a 3 nm SiO2 layer, the H layer can be deposited as a Si:H layer, the L layer 140 can be deposited as a Ta2O5 layer, and the SiO2 layer can be deposited after each Si:H layer. However, as described above, a depth analysis of an exemplary stack corresponding to reference numeral 970 can include filter options including SiOH and / or <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ plate - Si:H - Ta2O5 - SiOx - Si:H - Ta2O Y ; substrate - SiOH - Ta2 O5 - SiO x - SiOH - Ta2O Y 、 or combinations thereof are included, where x may not be equal for each O layer 435, and 0 < x < 2 (for example, S iO 1.3 、 SiO 1.7 、 Si, and / or others), Y may not be equal for each L layer 140 and 0 < Y < 5 may be possible.

[0096] In the various examples above, when the structure includes layers arranged as Si:H - SiO2 - Ta2O5 - SiO2 - Si: H and / or others, SiO x can be used as a transition material at the interface between the Si:H layer and the S iO2 layer, from the SiO2 layer to the Si:H layer, and / or others, such as between the Si:H layer and the SiO2 layer. Further, when the structure includes layers arranged as Si:H - S iO2 - Ta2O5 and / or others, and SiO used as a transition material at one or more interfaces between the Si:H layer and the Si x O2 layer is present, the upper SiO x portion may be in a less oxidized state than complete, and the silicon - based layer can be oxidized by an amount sufficient to prevent the Ta2O5 layer from taking oxygen away. Further, as described above, when the structure includes layers arranged as Si:H - Ta2O5 - Si:H and / or others 、 one or more transition materials from Si:H to Ta2O5, one or more transition materials from Ta2O5 to Si:H and / or others may exist.

[0097] As noted above, Figure 9 is provided merely as one or more examples. Other examples are shown in Figure 9 may differ from that described with respect to

[0098] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to disclose implementations. It is not intended to be limited to the precise form shown. and variations are possible or may be obtained from the implementation techniques.

[0099] Some implementations are described herein in relation to thresholds. When used in a context, meeting a threshold can mean exceeding the threshold, being greater than the threshold, or exceeding the threshold. Higher than, greater than or equal to threshold, less than threshold, less than threshold, lower than threshold, less than or equal to threshold, equal to threshold , and / or other values.

[0100] Specific combinations of features are claimed and / or described in the specification. Although disclosed, these combinations do not limit the disclosure of various implementations. Indeed, many of these features are specifically set forth in the claims. and / or may be combined in ways not disclosed in the specification. Each enumerated dependent claim may directly depend on only one claim, but may also depend on various The disclosure of any implementation includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims within the scope of the claims. Includes:

[0101] Any element, act, or instruction used in this document is irrelevant unless expressly stated. It should not be construed as being essential or necessary. The words "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items, and "one or more" is not used. "one or more" may be used interchangeably. In this case, the article "the" includes one or more items referred to in relation to the article "the." and may be used interchangeably with "the one or more" Furthermore, as used herein, the term "set" refers to one or more Items above (e.g., related items, unrelated items, related and unrelated items) and / or other combinations thereof, and "one or more" If only one item is intended, " The phrase "one and only one" or similar language may be used. In this case, "has", "have", "having", and / or other terms are intended to be free-form terms. The phrase "based on" means "at least in part" unless otherwise specified. means "based, at least in part, on" Also, as used herein, the term "or" Terms are intended to be inclusive when used in a series and unless otherwise specified ( For example, "either" or "only one of" Replaces "and / or" when used in conjunction with "and of" It can be used as possible.

Claims

1. a set of optical filter layers; The set of optical filter layers comprises: a first subset of optical filter layers comprising a first material having a first refractive index; a first subset, the first material comprising at least silicon and hydrogen; a second subset of optical filter layers comprising a second material having a second refractive index; 、 The second material is different from the first material and the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index. a second subset smaller than an optical filter layer comprising a third material different from the first material and the second material; a third subset, Optical filters.

2. The first material is hydrogenated silicon (Si:H) materials, Silicon germanium (SiGe) material, or hydrogenated silicon germanium (SiGe:H) materials; The optical filter of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. The second material is Silicon dioxide (SiO ２ )material, Aluminum oxide (Al ２ O ３ )material, Titanium oxide (TiO ２ )material, Niobium pentoxide (Nb ２ O ５ )material, Tantalum pentoxide (Ta ２ O ５ )material, Magnesium fluoride (MgF ２ )material, Zirconium oxide (ZrO ２ )material, Yttrium oxide (Y ２ O ３ )material, Silicon nitride (Si ３ N ４ )material, boron-based materials, or phosphorus-based materials, The optical filter of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

4. a fourth subset of optical filter layers; A fourth subset of the optical filter layers comprises at least the first material and the second material. The optical filter of claim 1 , comprising a fourth material different from the material.

5. The optical filter of claim 1 further comprising a substrate on which the set of optical filter layers is disposed. filter.

6. the set of optical filter layers is disposed on a first side of the substrate; wherein the coating is disposed on a second side of the substrate. The optical filter according to claim 5 .

7. The first refractive index is in a spectral range of about 800 nanometers (nm) to about 1100 nm. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein the number of saturations is greater than 3.

8. The first refractive index is about 3.5 at wavelengths from about 800 nanometers (nm) to about 1100 nm.

7. The optical filter of claim 1 .

9. The second refractive index is in a spectral range of about 800 nanometers (nm) to about 1100 nm.

2. The optical filter of claim 1, wherein the .lambda.

10. The second refractive index is in a spectral range of about 800 nanometers (nm) to about 1100 nm.

2. The optical filter according to claim 1, wherein the range is 1.6 to 2.

4.

11. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein the optical filter is a bandpass filter.

12. The optical filter of claim 1 , wherein the optical filter is annealed.

13. an optical transmitter that emits near-infrared (NIR) light; an optical filter for filtering an input optical signal and providing a filtered input optical signal; It is the input optical signal includes the NIR light from the optical transmitter and ambient light from a light source; the optical filter includes a set of dielectric thin film layers; The set of dielectric thin film layers comprises: a first subset of layers formed from a first material having a first refractive index; a layer formed from a second material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index; a second subset of a layer formed from a third material different from the first material and the second material; A subset of 3, a fourth material different from the first material, the second material, and the third material; a fourth subset of layers formed from the Including, The filtered input optical signal has a reduced intensity compared to the input optical signal. Including light, An optical filter; an optical receiver that receives the filtered input optical signal and provides an output electrical signal; An optical system comprising:

14. The optical filter is associated with a transmittance of greater than 80% at about 950 nanometers.

14. The optical system of claim 13.

15. The optical filter is associated with a transmittance of greater than 90% at about 950 nanometers.

14. The optical system of claim 13.

16. the optical filter is associated with a transmittance of greater than 80% at about 1550 nanometers; 14. The optical system of claim 13.

17. the optical filter is associated with a transmittance of greater than 90% at about 1550 nanometers; 14. The optical system of claim 13.

18. The optical system of claim 13 , wherein the first subset of layers is hydrogenated.

19. depositing a first subset of optical filter layers of the optical filter; a first subset of the optical filter layers comprising a first material having a first refractive index; Steps and depositing a second subset of optical filter layers of the optical filter; A second subset of the optical filter layers has a second refractive index that is less than the first refractive index. providing a second material having a a third material different from the first material and the second material; depositing a subset of 3; 1. A method for making an optical filter, comprising:

20. the first subset of optical filter layers, the second subset of optical filter layers, or or one or more of the third subset of optical filter layers are deposited by DC sputtering. The method of claim 19 wherein the deposition is via

Images