Reflective and refractive diffuser

Abstract

A diffuser that includes both reflective and refractive functions to provide an effective beam shaper that, when used in a transmissive mode, can achieve certain performance features that can normally only be achieved by multiple surfaces.SOLUTION: A diffuser comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a reflective layer having a reflective layer diffuser pattern; and a refractive layer having a refractive index n> 1 and having a refractive layer diffuser pattern, wherein the refractive layer diffuser pattern is different from the reflective layer diffuser pattern, and wherein the refractive layer diffuser pattern is a diffraction grating.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1-1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application discloses a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a reflective layer, and a refractive index layer. The present invention relates to a diffuser having a refractive layer with a refractive index n>1. A system and method of using the system are also disclosed. [Background technology]

[0002] Reflective diffusers are used in a variety of applications, including general lighting, solid state lighting, displays, and A single scattering surface is useful for scattering incident beams through a diffused The reflected light is redirected when reflected from the various microstructures that characterize the laser surface. A simple method for manufacturing a reflective diffuser is to fabricate the scattering surface as a metal. The solution is to use more sophisticated dielectric coatings to avoid absorption losses. Reflective diffusers can also be used to allow the light path to be folded back. This also makes it easier to design a more compact system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] What is needed is a surface that can usually only be achieved with multiple surfaces when used in transmission mode. Both reflective and refractive functions provide an effective beam shaper capable of achieving specific performance characteristics. A diffuser comprising: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0004] Features of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the following drawings, in which like numbers refer to: The reference numbers indicate similar parts. [Figure 1]1A-1C show cross sections of a diffuser according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A-2C show cross sections of diffusers according to other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 illustrates a cross section of a diffuser according to another aspect of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 illustrates a cross section of a system including a diffuser according to another aspect of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5A-5C show cross sections of diffusers according to other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 illustrates a cross section of a system including a diffuser according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0005] [Means for solving the problem] In one embodiment, a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a reflective layer, and , a diffuser comprising a refractive layer with a refractive index n>1 is disclosed.

[0006] In another embodiment, a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a reflective layer, and The diffuser receives illumination from an illumination source that is incident on a refractive layer having a refractive index n>1. A method of using the system is disclosed, which includes the steps of: DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] For purposes of simplicity and illustration, the present disclosure will be described primarily with reference to its examples. In the description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be readily apparent that the present disclosure may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, and the structure is not described in detail.

[0008] Additionally, the elements depicted in the accompanying figures may include additional components and may be different from those described in those figures. Some of the components may be removed and / or modified without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, elements depicted in the figures may not be drawn to scale. Therefore, elements may have different sizes and / or configurations than those shown in the figures. There are cases where this happens.

[0009] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further understanding of the present teachings. It should be understood that the present disclosure is intended to provide a description of various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] In a broad and modified embodiment, a first surface 11 and a second surface opposite the first surface 11 are provided. A diffuser includes a substrate 1 having a surface 12, a reflective layer 2, and a refractive layer 3 having a refractive index n>1. A user 10 is disclosed. In one embodiment, for example, as shown in FIGS. The reflective layer 2 is in contact with the first surface 11 of the substrate 1, and the refractive layer 3 is in contact with a part of the reflective layer 2. In another embodiment, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 6, the reflective layer 2 is The diffuser 10 is in contact with the second surface 12, and the refractive layer 3 may be in contact with a portion of the substrate 1. , shaping the incident illumination – patterned or unpatterned – and reflecting The diffuser 10 may be a catadioptric diffuser that includes a refractive surface that functions in conjunction with the surface. combines the properties of transmissive and reflective micro-optical surfaces, enabling multiple functions in a single component It is possible.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the substrate 1, the reflective layer 2, and the refractive layer 3 are each The first surface (11, 21, and 31) and the second surface (corresponding to the first surface) opposite to the first surface 1A to 4. As shown, the first surface 11 of the substrate 1 can contact the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2, The first surface 21 of the reflective layer 2 can be in contact with the second surface 32 of the refractive layer 3. Instead, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 6, the second surface 12 of the substrate 1 is connected to the first surface 13 of the reflective layer 2. The first surface 11 of the substrate 1 can contact the surface 21 of the refractive layer 3, and the first surface 11 of the substrate 1 can contact the second surface 32 of the refractive layer 3. To refer to the position, the first surface (11, 21, and 31) is the illumination source. 50, and the second surfaces (12, 22, and 32) face away from the illumination source 50. Let's say.

[0012] The substrate 1 may have a first surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite the first surface 11. The substrate 1 can support the diffuser 10. The substrate 1 can be used for large products (such as For example, large wafers, glass sheets, glass wafers, or plastic films) It may be manufactured with other dimensions or machines (dicing substrate, core substrate, etc.). 1 is a monolithic substrate made entirely of inorganic materials (e.g., fused silica, silicon, gel In another embodiment, the substrate 1 may include a coating on the substrate. The substrate 1 may be a transparent inorganic film, such as Ta2O5 deposited on a glass substrate. A material that is both bright and transparent—for example, one that allows some of the incident illumination to pass through unimpeded. In other embodiments, the substrate 1 may be opaque and may comprise glass or plastic. It's okay.

[0013] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1A-4, the diffuser 10 includes a reflective layer 2 can be present on the first surface 11 of the substrate 1. In another embodiment, As shown, a reflective layer 2 can be present on the second surface 12 of the substrate 1. The layer 2 is made of a material that has a high reflectivity and has a high reflectivity in the desired spectral range. For example, any material having a desired spectral range of 50 The reflectivity may include any material that has a reflectivity between 100% and 100%. An example of a reflective material is aluminum. Aluminum has good reflective properties, is inexpensive, and can be formed into thin films or is easy to deposit as a thin film. Other materials may also be used in place of aluminum. For example, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, nickel, cobalt, niobium, and chromium , tin, and combinations, mixtures, or mixed crystals of these or other metals are used as reflective materials. In some embodiments, the reflective material may be a white or light-colored metal. Reflective materials include transition metals and lanthanide metals and their combinations as well as metal curvatures. metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal sulfides, or metals and one or more of these metals It may include, but is not limited to, a combination or a mixture.

[0014] Reflective materials can filter light in multiple spectral ranges, such as visible light (approximately 380 nm to approximately 800 nm). m), ultraviolet light (approximately 200 nm to approximately 400 nm), and infrared light (approximately 800 nm to approximately 1 mm) Infrared wavelengths include near infrared, short wave infrared, mid infrared, and long wave infrared. It can be seen.

[0015] The reflective layer 2 is made up of a plurality of layers that can form a diffuser pattern, as shown in FIG. 1A. The first surface 21 may include a light scattering portion. Layer 2 has a second surface 22 that includes a plurality of light scattering portions that may form a diffuser pattern. The light scattering portion can spatially spread the incident illumination. , microstructures, diffraction gratings, arrays of microlenses, etc. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 5A, the plurality of light scattering portions are formed on the first surface 2 The plurality of light scattering portions may be present along the entire length of the first or second surface 22. 21 or the second surface 22 along one or more portions of the length thereof. For example, As shown in FIG. 2A, the first portion 23 of the reflective layer 2 has a plurality of light scattering portions. Additionally, there may be no light scattering portion along the second portion 24 of the reflective layer 2.

[0016] The first surface 21 and optionally the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2 may be, for example, a portion or the entire length of the reflective layer 2. In FIG. 1A, first surface 21 may have a plurality of light scattering portions along its entire length. 5A, the first surface 22 is planar, i.e., flat and / or smooth. The surface 21 is planar, i.e., flat and / or smooth, and the second surface 22 has a plurality of 1B and 5B, the first surface 21 and the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2 are flat. It is planar.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1C and 5C, the first surface 21 and the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2 are curved. Curved shapes - for example, concave, convex, or a combination of concave and convex shapes - are acceptable. For example, a first portion of the reflective layer 2 may be concave and a second portion of the reflective layer 2 may be convex. 2 may be curved over a portion of the substrate 1.

[0018] In some embodiments, the reflective layer 2 may extend along the entire length of the substrate 1 or may extend over the entire length of the substrate 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the reflective layer 2 may extend along a portion of the substrate. 1, and each portion of the reflective layer 2 (e.g., first portion 23) are separated by empty areas (e.g., second portions 24) of the reflective layer 2. As shown, the reflective layer 2 includes two or more first portions 23 containing planar reflective material and a second portion 24 containing a reflective material. The two or more first portions 24 each include a region where no material is present. 3 are separated by the two or more second portions 24, so that the reflective layer 2 forms a diffraction grating. do.

[0019] The first surface 21 and / or the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2 does not have a diffuser pattern. In another embodiment, the first surface 21 and / or the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2 may be It may include or constitute a diffuser pattern.

[0020] The reflective layer 2 includes one or more of a plurality of light scattering portions, a planar surface, and one or more of the reflective layer 2. and optionally a plurality of light scattering portions and one or more portions free of reflective material. In one embodiment, the first surface 21 of the reflective layer 2 may have a periodic microstructure, lamellar structure, or Random microstructures, symmetric, asymmetric, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional surface profiles The file may include:

[0021] The diffuser 10 also includes a refractive layer 3 that may be present over at least a portion of the reflective layer 2. The refractive index n of the refractive layer 3 is n>1. The refractive layer 3 can be made of any material having a refractive index n>1. The refractive layer 3 may be formed of a material that has a certain degree of transparency to incident illumination. do.

[0022] In some embodiments, the refractive layer 3 may cover and / or extend along the entire length of the reflective layer 2. As described above, the refractive layer 3 has a first surface 31 and a surface opposite to the first surface 31 that is in contact with the reflective layer 2. 1A and 1B, the refractive layer 3 The second surface 32 of the refractive layer 3 can contact the first surface 21 of the reflective layer 2. 1C, the second surface 32 of the refractive layer 3 is curved. The shape may be a concave shape, a convex shape, or a combination of a concave and a convex shape. The surface 31 may have a diffuser pattern 4. Diffuser Pattern of the Refractive Layer 4 may be the same as the diffuser pattern of the reflective layer or may be different.

[0023] The first surface 31 of the refractive layer 3 may be flat or curved (concave or convex). For example, the first surface 31 may be provided with a plurality of different portions along its length. In some cases, the first surface 31 may have a shape that combines these. It can have a function.

[0024] In other embodiments, in portions of the diffuser 10 where no reflective material is present, the reflective material shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C As shown in FIG. 1, a refractive layer 3 may be present on one or more portions of the substrate 1 . For example, the first portion of the refractive layer 3 may extend over the entire reflective layer 2. The second portion of the refractive layer 3 can extend over a portion of the substrate 1. In some embodiments, the refractive layer 3 may be present on a portion of the reflective layer 2.

[0025] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, for example, the reflective layer 2 is formed on the first surface of the substrate 1. The refractive layer 3 may be present on the first surface 11 of the substrate 1 while the refractive layer 3 is present on the second surface 12 of the substrate 1. Cut.

[0026] In one embodiment, the first surface 31 of the refractive layer 3 is a diffraction grating, a microlens array, or a periphery. The first surface 31 may have a periodic structure. The first surface 31 can be general, symmetric, asymmetric, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional. The first surface 31 may be planar. , or may be curved.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a system 100 having an illumination source 50 and a diffuser 10. The diffuser 10 is described above. In addition, the diffuser 10 is made of a patterned optical material. The patterned optical material may include a substrate 1 having a second surface 12 including a first surface 7. The material 7 can extend the entire length of the second surface 12 of the substrate 1. The turned optical material 7 may be present in the first portion and absent in the second portion. The chemical material 7 is a polymeric material that can be replicated on the substrate 1, such as a free radical. Cationic curing acrylates, cationic curing epoxies, UV crosslinkable polymers, and thermally curable Alternatively, the optical material 7 may be formed from the molybdenum of the substrate 1 itself. It may be a polylithic part and may be formed by, for example, reactive ion etching (fused silica, silicon for hard materials such as silicon and germanium) or direct casting (for injection casting) such as glass molding or plastic molding or embossing processes It can be manufactured through a process.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a system 100 having an illumination source 50 and a diffuser 10. The user 10 is described above. The illumination source 50 is received by the pattern 4 on the first surface 31 of the refractive layer 3. The incident light beam 51 can be received by the refractive layer 3. and can be transmitted through the substrate 1 and incident on the reflective layer 2 on the second surface 12 of the substrate 1. The incident beam 51 is reflected by a plurality of light scattering centers on the second surface 22 of the reflective layer 2. This can enter the diffuser 10.

[0029] The system 100 is positioned on the opposite side of the first surface 31 from the illumination source 50. a substrate 1 having a second surface 32 facing the first surface 31; a reflective layer 2 present on the first surface 31; into a diffuser 10 having a refractive layer 3 on part of it, the refractive index n being n>1 The method may be used in a method comprising receiving illumination from a light source. The light can be transmitted by the refractive layer 3 towards the reflective layer 2. 2 in the opposite direction—for example, along ray 5 in FIG. 4. The refractive layer 3 directs the light towards the substrate 1 and diffuses it without any obstruction. It passes through ray 10 - for example, along ray 6 in Figure 4.

[0030] From the above description, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present teachings can be embodied in a variety of forms. Therefore, although these teachings have been described with reference to specific embodiments and examples thereof, The true scope of the teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0031] The scope of the present disclosure should be broadly construed. The present disclosure includes the devices, activities, and methods disclosed herein. discloses equivalents, means, systems, and methods for achieving dynamic and mechanical action. It is intended that each disclosed device, article, method, means, mechanical element, or mechanism In this regard, the present disclosure provides various methods and apparatus for implementing the many aspects, mechanisms and devices disclosed herein. It is intended that the disclosure also encompass and teach any and all objects, means, systems and methods. The claims of this application should be interpreted broadly as well. The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, therefore, modifications that do not depart from the gist of the invention. Such modifications are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. is not considered to be a departure from the scope.

Claims

1. a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; A reflective layer; a refractive layer having a refractive index n>1; A diffuser having

2. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer includes a plurality of light scattering portions. Fuser.

3. 2. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light scattering portions are microstructures, diffraction The diffuser is selected from a grating and an array of microlenses.

4. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is planar.

5. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is curved.

6. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer extends the entire length of the substrate. There is a diffuser.

7. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer comprises two reflective layers along the length of the substrate. and each portion of the reflective layer is separated by a portion where no reflective material is present. Diffuser.

8. 2. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the refractive layer is a first surface of the reflective layer. a diffuser in contact with a surface, the second surface of the refractive layer being planar.

9. 2. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the refractive layer is a first surface of the reflective layer. a diffuser in contact with the surface, and the second surface of the refractive layer is curved.

10. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the refractive layer has a first surface and a second surface. a second, opposing surface; the second surface contacts the reflective layer; the first surface having a diffuser pattern; Diffuser.

11. 11. The diffuser of claim 10, wherein the reflective layer has a diffuser pattern. , the diffuser pattern of the refractive layer is different from the diffuser pattern of the reflective layer; Diffuser.

12. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the refractive layer extends over the entire length of the reflective layer. Extendable diffuser.

13. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the refractive layer is in contact with the entire reflective layer. a second portion of the refractive layer extending across a portion of the substrate; 。

14. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein a portion of the refractive layer contacts a portion of the substrate. Yes, a diffuser.

15. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the substrate is patterned. a diffuser including an optical material.

16. 10. The diffuser of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the refractive layer comprises a diffraction grating, a microphone, A diffuser including a lens array or periodic structure.

17. an illumination source; The diffuser of claim 1 . A system comprising:

18. A method of using a system, comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a reflective layer; receiving illumination that enters a diffuser that includes a refractive layer having a refractive index n>1. How to do it.

19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein a portion of the illumination is reflected by the refractive layer through the reflective layer. The transmitted illumination is reflected by the reflective layer through the refractive layer. The light is reflected in the opposite direction.

20. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein a portion of the illumination is directed to the substrate by the refractive layer. The method of claim 1, wherein the light is directed toward the diffuser and passes through the diffuser unimpeded.

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