Additive fabrication of optical components
Additive manufacturing of glass optical components using fused glass powder forms lightweight, stable mirror substrates with complex features, addressing the inefficiencies of conventional subtractive methods by enhancing structural integrity and enabling larger components.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2026067504
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2016-11-10
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Conventional subtractive manufacturing methods for glass optical elements, such as milling and grinding, struggle to produce small complex features efficiently, limiting the production of lightweight and stable optical components.
An additive manufacturing method involving depositing and fusing glass powder material onto a surface plate to form a core material structure, allowing for the creation of a mirror substrate with optimal three-dimensional topology that minimizes mass while providing rigidity and stability, using low-expansion titania silica glass powder and a laser for fusion.
Enables the production of lightweight glass optical components with complex features and superior stability, overcoming the limitations of conventional methods by minimizing mass and ensuring structural integrity, and enabling larger glass mirror substrates through faster and more reliable manufacturing.
Smart Images
Figure 2026116308000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to optical elements and additive manufacturing, and more particularly, to, for example, additive manufacturing of optical elements from low-expansion glass.
Background Art
[0002] Conventional lightweight glass mirror substrates are produced by subtractive manufacturing, milling, grinding, polishing, or etching material away from large glass boules. These processes can create a rigid lightweight glass structure with an accurately shaped optical surface that is stable under thermal and mechanical loads. However, because glass is brittle, it is difficult to produce many small complex features using these conventional processes, and such complex features can be important for the manufacture of lightweight optical elements.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0003] The prior art has been considered adequate for its original purpose. However, there remains a need to improve the manufacture of glass optical elements such as mirror substrates. The present disclosure provides a solution to this problem.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0004] A method of forming an optical component includes depositing a slurry comprising a glass powder material onto a surface plate and fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate to form a first core material layer on the surface plate. The method also includes continuously fusing the glass powder material into a plurality of additional core material layers to create a core material structure on the surface plate.
[0005] The method includes disposing the surface plate on a mandrel before fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate The fusion of glass powder material to a surface plate may also include the step of fusing the glass powder material to a polishable surface of the surface plate. At least one of the steps of depositing a slurry containing glass powder material and fusing glass powder material sequentially to form a plurality of additional core material layers may include the step of selectively placing the slurry containing glass powder material on only a portion of at least one of the surface plate, the first core material layer, and / or one of the additional core material layers. The step of depositing the slurry may include the step of extruding the slurry from an extruder. The fusion of glass powder material may include, for example, the step of fusing low-expansion glass powder to form low-expansion glass using a laser. The fusion of glass powder material may include the step of fusing low-expansion titania silica glass powder to form low-expansion titania silica glass. The fusion of glass powder material to a surface plate may include the step of fusing glass powder material to a surface plate with a contour that matches the optical properties.
[0006] The step of continuously fusing glass powder materials may include the step of forming a mirror substrate. The formation of the mirror substrate may include the step of forming an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of the mirror substrate while providing a level of rigidity and stability that exceeds predetermined minimum requirements. The step of continuously fusing glass powder materials may include the step of varying various material properties in the form of a continuous layer, and / or the step of varying material properties based on the position within the continuous layer.
[0007] The optical components include a glass surface plate. A first layer of low-expansion glass is fused to the glass surface plate. Multiple successively fused layers form a core material structure on the assembly including the surface plate and the first layer.
[0008] The surface plate is two-dimensional or three-dimensional, and may be contoured to match optical properties. The surface plate may include a polishable surface. The first layer is fused to the polishable surface of the surface plate. The first layer and the multiple consecutively fused layers may include a fused low-expansion glass powder material, such as low-expansion titania silica glass powder. The surface plate, the first layer, and the consecutively fused layers can form a mirror substrate. The mirror substrate may include an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of the mirror substrate while providing a level of rigidity and stability exceeding predetermined minimum requirements. The multiple consecutively fused layers may include a glass material, which has material properties that vary in the form of the consecutive layers and / or based on its position within the core material structure.
[0009] These and other features of the system and method of the subject matter of the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments together with the drawings.
[0010] Preferred embodiments of the apparatus and method are described below in detail with reference to the drawings, so that a person skilled in the art to which the subject matter of the disclosure belongs may easily understand the method of manufacture and use of the apparatus and method of the subject matter of the disclosure without excessive experimentation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a mirror substrate constructed according to the present disclosure, showing a mandrel, a surface plate, and a core material structure of a continuous layer that has been additively fabricated and deposited on the surface plate. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a mirror substrate, showing how an extruder selectively deposits a slurry of glass powder material. [Figure 3] This is a schematic plan view of the mirror substrate shown in Figure 1, illustrating how a laser beam fuses powder materials. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] Refer to the drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numerals indicate similar structural features or aspects of the subject matter of the disclosure. Optical components of this disclosure are described and illustrated, not limiting, for illustrative purposes. A partial diagram of an exemplary embodiment is shown in Figure 1, generally designated by reference numeral 100. Other embodiments or aspects thereof of the optical components according to this disclosure are shown in Figures 2 and 3 and described below. Using the systems and methods described herein, optical components such as mirror substrates can be additively fabricated from low thermal expansion glass.
[0013] Figure 1 shows an optical component 100, such as a mirror substrate, on a mandrel 102. A method for forming the optical component 100 includes placing a preformed glass surface plate 104 on the mandrel 102. The surface plate 104 may be made of titania silica glass, may be relatively thin, and may be contoured to suit optical properties, for example, to provide a desired or predetermined mirror contour in two or three dimensions. A glass powder material is fused to a polishable surface 114 of the surface plate 104 to form a first core material layer 106 on the surface plate 104. The glass powder material is then fused sequentially in the form of a plurality of additional core material layers 108 to create a core material structure 110 on the surface plate 104. The final layer 112 is fused to the surface of the core material structure 110 opposite to the surface plate 104, as seen from the first layer 106. The surface plate 104 becomes part of the final optical component 100.
[0014] Referring to Figure 2, the method involves depositing a liquid slurry containing glass powder material onto the polishable surface 114 of the surface plate 104 by depositing the slurry using a connected extruder 124. The extruder 124 is connected to a conveyor system 126 to selectively deposit the slurry onto only a portion of at least one of the surface plate 104, the first core material layer 106, and / or one of the additional core material layers 108. In other words, the extruder 124 extrudes the slurry onto the top surface of an assembly 115 including the surface plate 104, the first core material layer 106, and / or one or more of the additional core material layers 108, as arranged in Figures 1 and 2. The slurry may contain glass powder material, which is suspended in a liquid gel, water, or a fluid suitable for extrusion through a nozzle 128 for precise and selective deposition or printing onto the assembly 115. The slurry, after being deposited, can be dried to obtain a dry powder of glass material that can be fused into the assembly 115. The glass powder material can be configured to form a low-expansion glass material when fused; for example, low-expansion titania silica glass powder can be fused to form low-expansion titania silica glass.
[0015] Referring to Figure 3, each of these powder layers is fused into the assembly 115 to form a cross-section of the desired shape, becoming the core material structure 110. Fusion can be performed using a laser beam 116. Figure 3 schematically shows that the laser beam 116 fuses a portion 118 of the deposited powder covering the assembly 115 to form a glass layer fused only in the triangle shown in the figure. The direction of movement of the laser beam 116 around the triangular pattern is indicated by the large arrow in Figure 3. The portion 120 of the powder fused by the laser beam 116 is schematically shown in Figure 3. After fusing a given layer, before depositing a slurry for the next layer, mechanical polishing and grinding can optionally be used in creating the assembly 115, for example, to ensure that the fused layer has a uniform thickness.
[0016] This technology enables mirror substrates or other optical components having an optimal three-dimensional topology that minimizes the mass of the mirror substrate while providing a level of rigidity and stability exceeding predetermined minimum requirements. The continuously fused layers described herein may involve fusing glass powder materials such that the material properties change in the form of a continuous layer and / or based on the position within a given layer. For example, the triangular portion 118 in Figure 2 can be formed from glass having a first set of material properties, and the remaining portion 122 on the surface of the assembly 115 can be formed from glass having a second set of material properties, so that a given layer 108 has different sets of material properties within the layer itself as a function of the position within the layer 108.
[0017] Unlike conventional additive manufacturing, where a portion is printed onto a build plate and then removed from the build plate, the surface plate 104 functions as both a build plate and part of the final product. As a finishing step, the final layer 112 and / or the opposite surface 130 of the surface plate 104 shown in Figure 1 can be polished and coated.
[0018] The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and as shown in the drawings, provide optical components having an optimal three-dimensional geometric topology, including an amorphous topology having superior properties that can include very complex features, and smaller complex features that cannot be reliably produced using prior art, to achieve the required stiffness and stability for a given application and load, while minimizing, for example, the mass of a mirror substrate. Compared to the prior art, it is also possible to manufacture low-expansion glass more quickly using the techniques disclosed herein, and it is possible to make larger glass mirror substrates than in the prior art. With respect to enabling the creation of glass mirror substrates larger than what is possible using prior art techniques with a build plate, this results from the fact that, under the prior art, high-temperature additive manufacturing can cause thermal stresses that distort parts during manufacture and that there is a possibility that those parts can peel away from the build plate. This peeling process limits how large components can be manufactured under prior additive manufacturing techniques, but not with the techniques disclosed herein. The thermal expansion behavior and viscoelastic behavior of titania silica glass at high temperatures are important for the realization of larger additive manufacturing structures. The fusing of additive manufacturing layers to the build plate is also important for the realization of larger additive manufacturing structures.
[0019] The apparatus and method of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, and it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that changes and / or modifications may be made to the apparatus and method of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.
Description of the Reference Numerals
[0020] 100 Optical component 102 Mandrel 104 Surface plate 106 Core material layer 108 Core material layer 110 Core material structure 112 Final layer 114 Surface 115 Assembly 116 Laser beam Part of the deposited powder Portion of the powder to be fused Remaining portion Connecting extruder Conveyor system Nozzle Opposite surface
Claims
1. The steps include: placing a slurry containing glass powder material onto a surface plate; The steps include: fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate to form a first core material layer on the surface plate; The steps include: continuously depositing and fusing glass powder material to construct a core material structure on the surface plate as at least one additional core material layer; A method for forming optical components, including [a specific component].
2. At least one of the steps of depositing a slurry containing glass powder material and continuously fusing the glass powder material is: A step of selectively depositing a slurry containing glass powder material onto only a portion of at least one of the surface plate, the first core material layer, and / or one of the additional core material layers, The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the slurry includes the step of extruding the slurry from an extruder.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fusing glass powder materials includes a step of fusing low-expansion glass powder using a laser to form low-expansion glass.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of fusing glass powder materials includes the step of fusing low-expansion titania silica glass powder to form low-expansion titania silica glass.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate includes the step of fusing the glass powder material to a surface plate with a contour that matches the optical properties.
7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the surface plate on a mandrel before fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fusing the glass powder material to the surface plate includes the step of fusing the glass powder material to a polishable surface of the surface plate.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of continuously fusing glass powder materials includes the step of forming a mirror substrate.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of forming a mirror substrate includes the step of forming an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of the mirror substrate while providing a level of rigidity and stability that exceeds predetermined minimum requirements.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of continuously fusing glass powder materials includes a step of changing the material properties in the form of a continuous layer.
12. Glass surface plate and A first layer of low-expansion glass fused to the glass surface plate, The assembly including the surface plate and the first layer comprises at least one continuously fused layer forming a core material structure, Optical components, including those mentioned above.
13. The optical component according to claim 12, wherein the first layer and the at least one continuously fused layer comprise a fused low-expansion glass powder material.
14. The optical component according to claim 13, wherein the fused low-expansion glass powder material includes fused low-expansion titania silica glass powder.
15. The optical component according to claim 12, wherein the surface plate is at least one of two-dimensional or three-dimensional and has a contour that matches the optical properties.
16. The optical component according to claim 1, wherein the surface plate includes a polishable surface, and the first layer is fused to the polishable surface of the surface plate.
17. The optical component according to claim 1, wherein the surface plate, the first layer, and the continuously fused layer form a mirror substrate.
18. The optical component according to claim 17, wherein the mirror substrate includes an optimal three-dimensional mirror topology that minimizes the mass of the mirror substrate while providing a level of rigidity and stability that exceeds predetermined minimum requirements.
19. The optical component according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of continuously fused layers include a glass material having material properties that change in the form of a continuous layer.
20. The optical component according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of successively fused layers include a glass material having material properties that vary based on their position within the core material structure.