Tunable interference filters

The tunable interference filter design with an electrostatic actuator and connecting portion ensures precise wavelength control and accurate light transmission by avoiding substrate distortion, improving wavelength precision and reducing half-width in transmittance.

JP7794052B2Active Publication Date: 2026-01-06SEIKO EPSON CORP
View PDF 8 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022052233
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-03-28
Publication Date
2026-01-06
Estimated Expiration
2042-03-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional tunable interference filters face limitations in gap dimension change due to the use of piezoelectric elements, leading to substrate distortion and tilting, which affects wavelength precision and transmission accuracy.

Method used

A configuration with a first and second reflective film on substrates connected by a connecting portion and a driving portion that changes the distance between them using an electrostatic actuator, allowing precise control of the gap without substrate bending.

Benefits of technology

Enables high-precision transmission of light at a desired wavelength with narrow transmittance characteristics by maintaining mirror parallelism and preventing substrate deformation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007794052000001
    Figure 0007794052000001
  • Figure 0007794052000002
    Figure 0007794052000002
  • Figure 0007794052000003
    Figure 0007794052000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a wavelength variable interference filter that can highly accurately output light with a desired target wavelength.SOLUTION: A wavelength variable interference filter comprises: a first substrate; a second substrate that faces the first substrate at a predetermined interval; a first reflection film that is installed on the first substrate; a second reflection film that is installed on the second substrate and faces the first reflection film at a first interval; a connection part that is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a driving unit that changes the first interval. The connection part has a first facing surface that faces the first substrate and is partially connected with the first substrate. A portion of the first facing surface of the connection part not connected with the first substrate forms a displacement part that faces the first substrate at a second interval. The displacement part has a second facing surface that faces the second substrate and is partially connected with the second substrate. The driving unit deflects the displacement part to change the second interval, thereby changing the first interval.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tunable interference filter. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a tunable interference filter has been known which has a pair of mirrors arranged opposite to each other and in which the dimension between the mirrors can be changed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The tunable interference filter described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of optical substrates, each with a reflective layer, held by a holder and connected by a piezoelectric element in the holder. The pair of reflective layers are arranged opposite each other with a gap between them, and the gap dimension between the pair of reflective layers changes when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element. This makes it possible to change the wavelength of light passing through the pair of reflective layers while suppressing deflection of each optical substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-277758 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a configuration such as that described in Patent Document 1, in which a piezoelectric element is disposed between holders and a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to change the gap dimension between the reflective layers, there is a limit to the amount of change in the gap dimension. In order to address this issue, it is conceivable to increase the amount of change in the gap dimension by increasing the thickness of the piezoelectric element. However, it is difficult to form a piezoelectric element with a large thickness with high precision, and using a piezoelectric element with poor dimensional precision can cause distortion or tilting of the substrate. Such distortion or tilting of the substrate can reduce the parallelism of the pair of mirrors, resulting in in-plane variation in the wavelength of light transmitted through the tunable interference filter and the transmission of light other than the target wavelength through the tunable interference filter, making it impossible to accurately transmit light of the target wavelength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] a first reflective film disposed on the first substrate; a second reflective film disposed on the second substrate and facing the first reflective film across a first predetermined distance; a connecting portion disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and having a first opposing surface facing the first substrate and a second opposing surface facing the second substrate; and a driving portion that changes the first distance, wherein a portion of the first opposing surface of the connecting portion is connected to the first substrate, and when viewed in a thickness direction from the first substrate toward the second substrate, a portion of the first opposing surface of the connecting portion that is not connected to the first substrate constitutes a displacement portion that faces the first substrate across a second predetermined distance, and a portion of the second opposing surface of the displacement portion is connected to the second substrate, and the driving portion bends the displacement portion to change the second distance, thereby changing the first distance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a wavelength tunable interference filter according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the tunable interference filter taken along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the wavelength tunable interference filter excluding a second substrate in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a first substrate in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a second substrate in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a connecting portion in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the connecting portion when the connecting portion is deflected by the driving portion. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a tunable interference filter according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating an outline of a first substrate forming step. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an outline of a second substrate forming step. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of a connecting portion forming step. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a bonding step. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the tunable interference filter of FIG. 14 taken along line AA. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a coupling portion of a tunable interference filter according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a coupling portion of a tunable interference filter according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a coupling portion of a tunable interference filter according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 21]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a spectroscopic camera according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a coupling portion of a tunable interference filter according to Modification 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] [First embodiment] The wavelength tunable interference filter of the first embodiment will be described below. [1. Overall structure of the wavelength tunable interference filter] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tunable interference filter 1 taken along line AA. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tunable interference filter 1 is configured to include a first substrate 10, a second substrate 20, a connecting section 30, and a driving section 40. The first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are arranged parallel to each other and facing each other. The connecting portion 30 is arranged between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 and connects the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. The driving portion 40 is provided between the first substrate 10 and the connecting portion 30 and moves the second substrate 20 toward and away from the first substrate 10 by deforming the connecting portion 30. Hereinafter, each component of the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 will be described in detail. In the following description, the direction from the first substrate 10 toward the second substrate 20 is referred to as the Z direction, the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is referred to as the Y direction. The Z direction corresponds to the thickness direction in this disclosure.

[0008] [2. Configuration of the first substrate] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tunable interference filter 1 when the second substrate 20 is removed from Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the first substrate 10 when viewed from the +Z side toward the -Z side. The first substrate 10 can be made of a substrate material that corresponds to the wavelength range of light to be transmitted through the wavelength tunable interference filter. For example, in this embodiment, the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 transmits light of a predetermined wavelength from the near-infrared to infrared range. In this case, the first substrate 10 can be made of a material that can transmit light from the near-infrared to infrared range; for example, in this embodiment, the first substrate 10 is made of a Si substrate. Note that when the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 transmits light in the visible light range, the first substrate 10 may be made of a material such as glass. The outer shape of the first substrate 10 in plan view is not particularly limited, but in the manufacturing process, when the first substrate 10 is cut out into chip units from a raw substrate by laser cutting or the like, it is preferable that it be formed into a rectangular shape. The thickness of the first substrate 10 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the first substrate 10 has a thickness that does not cause bending due to film stress of the first reflective film 51 and the like formed on the first substrate 10. Here, the surface of the first substrate 10 that faces the second substrate is referred to as the first substrate surface 11, and the surface opposite to the first substrate surface 11 is referred to as the first back surface 12. The first substrate surface 11 and the first back surface 12 are parallel, and the distance from the first substrate surface 11 to the first back surface 12 is uniform in the portion of the first substrate 10 where the recessed grooves 13, which will be described later, are not formed. In other words, the first substrate 10 is formed to have a uniform thickness.

[0009] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first substrate 10 has a recessed groove 13 formed on the first substrate surface 11 by, for example, etching. This recessed groove 13 includes a first groove portion 131 provided in the center of the first substrate 10, a second groove portion 132 extending from the first groove portion 131 to the +Y side, a third groove portion 133 arranged on the +X side of the first groove portion 131, and an electrical portion 134.

[0010] The first groove portion 131 is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame that surrounds the center of the first substrate 10. The area surrounded by the first groove portion 131 on the first substrate surface 11 constitutes a first reflective film region 14 in which the first reflective film 51 is provided. That is, the first groove portion 131 includes a -X-side first groove portion 131A that is located on the -X side of the first reflective film region 14 and is elongated in the Y direction, a +X-side first groove portion 131B that is located on the +X side of the first reflective film region 14 and is elongated in the Y direction, a -Y-side first groove portion 131C that is located on the -Y side of the first reflective film region 14 and is elongated in the X direction, and a +Y-side first groove portion 131D that is located on the +Y side of the first reflective film region 14 and is elongated in the X direction.

[0011] Moreover, the first groove portion 131 is configured so that the groove width is uniform. That is, the -X-side first groove portion 131A is provided between the first reflective film region 14 and the first bridge portion 141 provided along the -X-side edge of the first substrate 10. The -X-side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the +X-side edge of the first bridge portion 141 that are aligned with the -X-side first groove portion 131A are straight lines parallel to the Y direction, and the groove width of the -X-side first groove portion 131A is W. The +X-side first groove portion 131B is provided between the first reflective film region 14 and a second cross-linking portion 142, which will be described later. The +X-side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the -X-side edge of the second cross-linking portion 142, which are aligned with the +X-side first groove portion 131B, are straight lines parallel to the Y direction, and the groove width of the +X-side first groove portion 131B is W. The -Y-side first groove portion 131C is provided between the first reflective film region 14 and the third bridge portion 143 provided along the -Y-side edge of the first substrate 10. The -Y-side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the +Y-side edge of the third bridge portion 143 that are along the -Y-side first groove portion 131C are straight lines parallel to the Y direction, and the groove width of the -Y-side first groove portion 131C is W. The +Y-side first groove portion 131D is provided between the first reflective film region 14 and a fourth bridge portion 144 described later. The +Y-side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the -Y-side edge of the fourth bridge portion 144 that are aligned with the +Y-side first groove portion 131D are straight lines parallel to the Y direction, and the groove width of the +Y-side first groove portion 131D is W.

[0012] The bottom surface of first groove portion 131 is parallel to the XY plane, i.e., parallel to first substrate surface 11, and first drive electrode 41 constituting drive portion 40 is provided via insulating layer 19. Details of first drive electrode 41 will be described later.

[0013] The second groove 132 extends from the ±X side ends of the first groove 131 to the +Y side, and is connected to an electrical component section 134 provided along the +Y side edge of the first substrate 10. A first extraction electrode 411 connected to a first drive electrode 41 provided on the groove bottom surface of the first groove 131 is arranged in the second groove 132.

[0014] By providing the second groove 132 and the electrical component 134, a fourth bridge portion 144 is formed on the +Y side of the first reflective film region 14, with the first groove 131 in between. The first substrate surface 11 of the fourth bridge portion 144 is flush with the first substrate surfaces 11 of the first reflective film region 14, the first bridge portion 141, the second bridge portion 142, and the third bridge portion 143. A portion of the fourth bridge portion 144 extends to the +Y side edge of the first substrate 10, and this extension portion 144A is a portion where a second extraction electrode 421 of the conductive connecting portion 30, which will be described later, is provided. 4, the present embodiment illustrates an example in which second groove portions 132 are provided on the ±X sides of the first groove portion 131, and the electrical component portions 134 are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis that passes through the center of the board and is parallel to the Y direction, but is not limited to this. For example, the length of the electrical component portion 134 on the +X side along the X direction may be different from the length of the electrical component portion 134 on the −X side along the X direction. Since the extension portion 144A of the fourth bridging portion 144 is formed between the electrical component portion 134 on the −X side and the electrical component portion 134 on the +X side, if the lengths of the electrical component portions 134 are different as described above, the position of the extension portion 144A also changes accordingly.

[0015] The third groove portion 133 is a groove that extends from the −Y side end of the first groove portion 131 to the +X side, and further extends to the electrical component portion 134 toward the +Y side. Similar to the second groove 132, the third groove 133 is a groove in which a first extracted electrode 411 is disposed. That is, in this embodiment, independent first drive electrodes 41 are disposed on each of the four sides of the rectangular frame-shaped first groove 131. Of these, the first extracted electrodes 411 of the first drive electrodes 41 disposed on the −X side, +X side, and +Y side are extracted along the second groove 132 to the electrical component section 134. The first extracted electrode 411 connected to the first drive electrode 41 disposed on the −Y side is extracted through the third groove 133 to the electrical component section 134. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the second substrate 20 is formed of a Si substrate, similar to the first substrate 10. In this case, there is a risk of electrostatic attraction acting between the second substrate 20 and the first extraction electrode 411 arranged in the third groove portion 133. For this reason, in this embodiment, the third groove portion 133 is formed to have a deeper groove depth than the first groove portion 131 and the second groove portion 132.

[0016] By providing the third groove portion 133, a second bridge portion 142 extending longitudinally along the Y direction is formed between the first groove portion 131 and the third groove portion 133. The first substrate surface 11 of this second bridge portion 142 is flush with the first substrate surface 11 of the first reflective film region 14.

[0017] In the present embodiment, the third groove portion 133 is provided on the +X side of the first groove portion 131, but is not limited to this. For example, the third groove portion 133 may be a groove that extends from the -Y side end of the first groove portion 131 to the -X side and further extends toward the +Y side to the electrical component portion 134, that is, a groove that is disposed on the -X side of the first groove portion 131.

[0018] As described above, the electrical component section 134 is a portion from which the first extraction electrodes 411 connected to the first drive electrodes 41 are extracted. As described above, the +Y side end of the first substrate 10 protrudes further than the +Y side end of the second substrate 20, and the electrical component section 134 is disposed on this protruding portion. Therefore, each of the first extracted electrodes 411 extracted to the electrical component section 134 is exposed on the +Z side, and it becomes possible to connect, for example, a lead wire or an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) to each of the first extracted electrodes 411. Note that, in the present embodiment, a configuration is exemplified in which the first extracted electrode 411 is provided on the surface of the electrical component 134, the second extracted electrode 421 is provided on the extension portion 144A of the fourth bridge portion 144, and lead wires or FPCs are connected to these extracted electrodes 411, 421 from the +Z side, but this is not limiting. For example, a through electrode that penetrates the first substrate 10 may be provided at the position where the first extracted electrode 411 of the electrical component 134 is formed or at the position where the second extracted electrode 421 is formed on the extension portion 144A, and an electrode pad that is conductive to the through electrode may be provided on the first back surface 12 side of the first substrate 10. In this case, a lead wire or an FPC may be connected to the first back surface 12 side of the first substrate 10.

[0019] An insulating layer 19 of uniform thickness is provided on the first substrate surface 11 of the first substrate 10. A first reflective film 51, a first drive electrode 41, and a first extraction electrode 411 are provided on the first substrate surface 11 of the first substrate 10 via the insulating layer 19. Note that in this embodiment, a Si substrate is used as the first substrate 10, and therefore the insulating layer 19 is formed; however, for example, if the first substrate 10 is made of an insulator such as glass, the formation of the insulating layer is not necessary.

[0020] As described above, the first reflective film 51 is disposed in the first reflective film region 14 via the insulating layer 19. The first reflective film 51 may be, for example, a metal film such as Ag, an alloy film such as an Ag alloy, or a dielectric multilayer film in which a high refractive index layer (for example, TiO) and a low refractive index layer (for example, SiO) are stacked. In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the first reflective film 51 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, but the shape of the first reflective film 51 is not particularly limited, and it may be circular, elliptical, or other polygonal shapes.

[0021] The first drive electrode 41 is disposed on the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131 of the recessed groove 13 via the insulating layer 19. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of first drive electrodes 41 are provided to surround the first reflective film 51. Specifically, the plurality of first drive electrodes 41 are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center point of the first reflective film 51. For example, in this embodiment, a first drive electrode 41 is provided on each side of the rectangular frame-shaped first groove portion 131 that surrounds the first reflective film region 14, with the long side extending in the side direction. These first drive electrodes 41 are formed to have the same shape. Each first drive electrode 41 is disposed at the center of the bottom surface of first groove portion 131. For example, -X-side first drive electrode 41A disposed in -X-side first groove portion 131A is formed in a rectangular shape with a length in the Y direction and a width in the X direction of b, and is disposed so that the center of the X-direction width of -X-side first groove portion 131A coincides with the center of the X-direction width of -X-side first drive electrode 41A. Similarly, +X-side first drive electrode 41B installed in +X-side first groove portion 131B is formed in a rectangular shape with a length in the Y direction and a width in the X direction of b, and is installed so that the center of the X-direction width of +X-side first groove portion 131B coincides with the center of the X-direction width of +X-side first drive electrode 41B. The -Y-side first driving electrode 41C installed in the -Y-side first groove portion 131C is formed in a rectangular shape with a length in the X direction and a width in the Y direction of b, and is installed so that the center of the Y direction width of the -Y-side first groove portion 131C coincides with the center of the Y direction width of the -Y-side first driving electrode 41C. +Y-side first driving electrode 41D installed in +Y-side first groove portion 131D is formed in a rectangular shape with a length in the X direction and a width in the Y direction of b, and is installed so that the center of the Y direction width of +Y-side first groove portion 131D coincides with the center of the Y direction width of +Y-side first driving electrode 41D.

[0022] As described above, the first extracted electrodes 411 are connected to the first drive electrodes 41, and are individually extracted to the electrical component section 134. That is, the first extracted electrodes 411 connected to the -X side first groove 131A, the +X side first groove 131B, and the +Y side first groove 131D extend through the second groove 132 to the electrical component section 134. The first extracted electrode 411 connected to the -Y side first groove 131C extends through the third groove 133 to the electrical component section 134. Each of the first extracted electrodes 411 may be formed wide at the tip near the outer periphery of the first substrate 10 to form an electrode pad.

[0023] In this embodiment, a plurality of connecting portions 30 are provided so as to cover a part of the first groove portion 131. That is, the connecting portions 30 are bonded to the first substrate 10 by the first bonding layer 311 at positions sandwiching the first groove portion 131.

[0024] [3. Configuration of the second board] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the second substrate 20 as seen from the -Z side (first substrate 10 side). The second substrate 20 can be made of a substrate material that corresponds to the wavelength range of light that is to be transmitted through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1. For example, in this embodiment, the second substrate 20 may be made of a material that can transmit light in the near-infrared to infrared range. Note that in this embodiment, since the connecting portions 30 are made conductive via the second substrate 20, it is preferable that the second substrate 20 be made of a conductive Si substrate. In this embodiment, a Si substrate is used as the second substrate 20. However, when the second substrate 20 is formed from an insulator such as glass, a conductive transparent film such as ITO can be formed on the surface of the second substrate 20 facing the first substrate 10 to establish electrical continuity with each connecting portion 30.

[0025] The outer shape of the second substrate 20 in a plan view is not particularly limited, but is preferably formed in a rectangular shape, similar to the first substrate 10. The thickness of the second substrate 20 is also not particularly limited, as long as it has a thickness that does not cause bending due to film stress of the second reflective film 52 and the like formed on the second substrate 20. Here, the surface of the second substrate 20 that faces the first substrate 10 is referred to as the second substrate surface 21, and the surface opposite to the second substrate surface 21 is referred to as the second back surface 22. The second substrate surface 21 and the second back surface 22 are parallel surfaces.

[0026] The second substrate surface 21 of the second substrate 20 has a step formed by surface treatment such as etching so that the central portion of the second substrate 20 protrudes toward the first substrate 10. The central portion of the second substrate 20 is a second reflective film region 24 where the second reflective film 52 is provided, and has a flat second substrate surface 21. In the second substrate 20, the area surrounding the second reflective film area 24 is a connecting area 23 to which the connecting portion 30 is connected, and is located at a position farther from the first substrate 10 than the second substrate surface 21 of the second reflective film area 24. In this embodiment, deformation of the connecting portion 30 causes the second substrate 20 to move toward the first substrate 10, thereby changing the size of the gap (first distance G1) between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52. The range of change in this first distance G1 is set appropriately depending on the wavelength range of light transmitted through the tunable interference filter 1, but varies within a range of 1 μm or less. Meanwhile, the connecting region 23 is a portion where the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are joined via the connecting portion 30. Therefore, if the second substrate surface 21 of the second reflective film region 24 and the second substrate surface 21 of the connecting region 23 are flush with each other, the first distance G1 becomes too large, making it difficult to accurately transmit the desired wavelength of light. For this reason, in this embodiment, a step is provided between the connecting region 23 and the second reflective film region 24 by etching or the like, and the second reflective film region 24 is formed so as to protrude toward the first substrate 10.

[0027] The second reflective film 52 provided in the second reflective film region 24 can be a reflective film having the same configuration as the first reflective film 51 described above, and can be, for example, a metal film such as Ag, an alloy film such as an Ag alloy, or a dielectric multilayer film in which a high refractive index layer (e.g., TiO2) and a low refractive index layer (e.g., SiO2) are stacked. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second reflective film 52 is formed to have the same shape as the first reflective film 51 in a plan view, and the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 overlap when viewed along the Z direction. The region where the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 overlap becomes the optical region C, and light that has entered the optical region C is multiple-reflected between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52, and light of a predetermined wavelength corresponding to the dimension of the first interval G1 reinforces each other through interference, and then transmits through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1.

[0028] [4. Structure of the connecting part] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the connecting portion 30 in FIG. As described above, the connecting portion 30 is provided to cover the first groove portion 131 of the first substrate 10, and connects the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. Here, the surface of the connecting portion 30 facing the first substrate 10 is referred to as a first opposing surface 31, and the surface of the connecting portion 30 facing the second substrate 20 is referred to as a second opposing surface 32.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the connecting portions 30 are formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and four connecting portions 30 are provided corresponding to the four sides of the first groove portion 131, respectively. That is, there are provided a first connecting portion 30A that bridges the first reflective film region 14 and the first bridging portion 141 and covers the -X side first groove portion 131A, a second connecting portion 30B that bridges the first reflective film region 14 and the second bridging portion 142 and covers the +X side first groove portion 131B, a third connecting portion 30C that bridges the first reflective film region 14 and the third bridging portion 143 and covers the -Y side first groove portion 131C, and a fourth connecting portion 30D that bridges the first reflective film region 14 and the fourth bridging portion 144 and covers the +Y side first groove portion 131D.

[0030] The first connecting portion 30A has a rectangular shape elongated in the Y direction, and the ±X side ends of the first opposing surface 31 are joined to the -X side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the +X side edge of the first bridging portion 141 by a first bonding layer 311 made of an Au film or the like. The portion of the first connecting portion 30A facing the groove bottom surface of the -X side first groove portion 131A constitutes the displacement portion 301 of the first connecting portion 30A. The second connecting portion 30B has a rectangular shape elongated in the Y direction, and the ±X side ends of the first opposing surface 31 are joined to the +X side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the -X side edge of the second bridging portion 142 by a first bonding layer 311. A portion of the second connecting portion 30B facing the groove bottom surface of the +X side first groove portion 131B constitutes a displacement portion 301 of the second connecting portion 30B. The third connecting portion 30C has a rectangular shape elongated in the X direction, and the ±Y side ends of the first opposing surface 31 are joined to the -Y side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the +Y side edge of the third bridging portion 143 by a first bonding layer 311. A portion of the third connecting portion 30C facing the groove bottom surface of the -Y side first groove portion 131C constitutes a displacement portion 301 of the third connecting portion 30C. The fourth connecting portion 30D has a rectangular shape elongated in the X direction, and the ±Y side ends of the first opposing surface 31 are joined to the +Y side edge of the first reflective film region 14 and the −Y side edge of the fourth bridging portion 144 by a first bonding layer 311. A portion of the fourth connecting portion 30D facing the groove bottom surface of the +Y side first groove portion 131D constitutes a displacement portion 301 of the fourth connecting portion 30D.

[0031] As described above, the first bonding layer 311 that bonds the connecting portion 30 and the first substrate 10 is made of conductive material such as Au. The second extracted electrode 421 provided on the extension portion 144A of the fourth bridge portion 144 is connected to the first bonding layer 311 that bonds the fourth connecting portion 30D and the fourth bridge portion 144. When the first bonding layer 311 and the second extracted electrode 421 are formed from the same material, such as an Au film, the first bonding layer 311 and the second extracted electrode 421 may be formed simultaneously.

[0032] 2, each connecting portion 30 includes a thin plate portion 33 that covers the first groove portion 131, and a columnar portion 34 that protrudes from the thin plate portion 33 toward the second substrate 20. In this embodiment, the thin plate portion 33 and the columnar portion 34 are configured as separate bodies as shown in FIG. 6, but they may also be configured as an integrated body. In this embodiment, the thin plate portions 33 and the columnar portions 34 are made of conductive materials, for example, the thin plate portions 33 are made of Si and the columnar portions 34 are made of Au film. Therefore, the connecting portions 30 are electrically connected via the second substrate 20. This allows the four connecting portions 30 to be at the same potential.

[0033] As described above, the thin plate portion 33 is bonded to the first substrate 10 by a first bonding layer 311 made of Au or the like, and the central portion faces the bottom surface of the first groove portion 131 of the first substrate 10 via a second gap G2. In a plan view, the columnar portions 34 are provided at the center in the width direction of the thin plate portion 33. In other words, the columnar portions 34 of the first connecting portion 30A and the second connecting portion 30B are provided at positions that are a predetermined distance inward from the ±X side edges of the thin plate portion 33, and the columnar portions 34 of the third connecting portion 30C and the fourth connecting portion 30D are provided at positions that are a predetermined distance inward from the ±Y side edges of the thin plate portion 33. The second opposing surface 32 (projecting tip surface) of the columnar portion 34 is bonded to the second substrate 20 by a conductive second bonding layer 341 made of, for example, Au. In this embodiment, the columnar portion 34 made of an Au film and the second bonding layer 341 provided on the second substrate 20 are bonded by room-temperature activated bonding.

[0034] In this embodiment, the thin plate portion 33 and the columnar portion 34 of the connecting portion 30 are made of a conductive material, which allows the connecting portion 30 itself to function as an electrode. That is, the connecting portion 30 of this embodiment functions as a second driving electrode that faces the first driving electrode 41 across the second gap G2, and also functions as the driving portion 40. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 30 is made of conductive Si, but it may be made of an insulator. In this case, a second driving electrode facing the first driving electrode 41 may be separately formed on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30. When separately forming the second driving electrode, the second driving electrode in each connecting portion 30 is connected to the second substrate 20 made of Si, and one of the second driving electrodes (for example, the second driving electrode provided in the fourth connecting portion 30D) is connected to the second extraction electrode 421. Alternatively, when the second substrate 20 is made of an insulator, an electrode layer such as ITO may be formed on the surface of the second substrate 20, and the second driving electrodes may be connected to the electrode layer.

[0035] [5. Drive unit configuration] The driving unit 40 is driven by the control circuit 90, and changes the dimension of the second gap G2 by deflecting the connecting portion 30 toward the groove bottom surface side of the first groove portion 131 of the first substrate 10. In this embodiment, the driving unit 40 is an electrostatic actuator, and as described above, is composed of the first driving electrode 41 provided on the first substrate 10 and the connecting portion 30. In this embodiment, each of the conductive connecting portions 30 is bonded to the conductive second substrate 20 by the conductive second bonding layer 341, and therefore these connecting portions 30 are at the same potential. In this embodiment, each of the connecting portions 30 is maintained at a predetermined reference potential via the second extraction electrode 421. Therefore, by controlling the potential of first drive electrode 41, a drive voltage can be applied between first drive electrode 41 and connecting portion 30. As a result, an electrostatic attraction acts between first drive electrode 41 and connecting portion 30, causing displacement portion 301 of connecting portion 30 to bend toward the groove bottom surface of first groove portion 131, and changing second gap G2.

[0036] [6. Driving the wavelength tunable interference filter] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the connecting portion 30 when the connecting portion 30 is bent by the driving portion 40. As shown in FIG. In the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 as described above, the first extracted electrode 411 and the second extracted electrode 421 are connected to a control circuit 90 (driver circuit) that controls the wavelength tunable interference filter 1. The control circuit 90 includes a drive control unit 91 that controls the drive voltage applied between the first drive electrode 41 and the connecting unit 30 that constitute the drive unit 40, which is an electrostatic actuator. For example, in this embodiment, the drive control unit 91 maintains the connecting unit 30 at a predetermined reference potential, and changes the potential of the first drive electrode 41 depending on the wavelength of light that is transmitted through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1. As a result, as described above, the displacement portion 301 of the connecting unit 30 bends toward the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131, and the second gap G2 changes. Furthermore, as the second gap G2 changes, the second substrate 20 joined to the columnar portion 34 of the connecting portion 30 moves toward the first substrate 10. This causes the dimension of the first gap G1 between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 to change.

[0037] Furthermore, the dimension in the Z direction from the second opposing surface 32 of the thin plate portion 33 to the protruding tip (second opposing surface 32) of the columnar portion 34 is formed to be shorter than the initial dimension of the first gap G1 when the second substrate 20 is not moved by the driving unit 40 (initial position). In this case, before the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 collide with each other, the second substrate 20 comes into contact with the second opposing surface 32 of the thin plate portion 33, thereby restricting movement. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration or damage to the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 due to the collision.

[0038] In this embodiment, the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 can transmit light of a desired wavelength with high precision. In other words, in a conventional configuration in which the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are connected by, for example, a piezoelectric element and the first distance G1 is changed by controlling the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element, the thickness of the piezoelectric element must be increased to ensure sufficient variation in the first distance G1. In this case, it is difficult to precisely uniformly adjust the thickness of the piezoelectric element, making it difficult to maintain the parallelism between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20. If the parallelism between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 cannot be maintained, the wavelength of light passing through the optical region C also varies. Furthermore, because the piezoelectric element bonded to the second substrate 20 itself expands and contracts, stress acts on the second substrate 20 in contact with the piezoelectric element, which can cause the second substrate 20 to bend. When this bending of the second substrate 20 occurs, the spacing between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 in the optical region C varies. As described above, in the conventional configuration in which the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are bonded via a piezoelectric body, variations occur in the distance between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 in the optical region C. As a result, light other than that of the desired wavelength also passes through the tunable interference filter, resulting in a wide half-width in the transmittance characteristics of the tunable interference filter.

[0039] In contrast to this, in the present embodiment, by changing the second interval G2, the entire second substrate 20 joined to the connecting portion 30 is pulled toward the first substrate 10, and no bending occurs in the second substrate 20. That is, in the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to change the dimension of the first interval G1 while maintaining the parallelism of the first reflection film 51 and the second reflection film 52. As a result, in the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 of the present embodiment, the half width can be narrowed in the transmittance characteristics, and light of a desired wavelength can be transmitted with high precision. Furthermore, the displacement portion 301 of the connecting portion 30 is deformed by the driving portion 40 configured with an electrostatic actuator, and does not need to be thick enough to ensure the amount of displacement, as is the case with a piezoelectric body. In other words, an increase in the thickness of the tunable interference filter 1 can be suppressed.

[0040] [7. Manufacturing method of wavelength tunable interference filter] Next, a method for manufacturing the above-described wavelength tunable interference filter 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 in this embodiment. 8, the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 is manufactured through a first substrate forming step S1, a second substrate forming step S2, a connecting portion forming step S3, and a bonding step S4. The order of the first substrate forming step S1 and the second substrate forming step S2 may be reversed, or they may be performed simultaneously on different production lines.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an outline of the first substrate forming step S1. In the first substrate formation step S1, a resist is formed on the surface of the first base material that will become the base material of the first substrate 10, except for the positions where the recessed grooves 13 are to be formed, and etching is performed to form the recessed grooves 13. Then, after removing the resist, an insulating layer 19 is formed on the first substrate surface 11 of the first substrate 10, as shown in FIG.

[0042] Next, after removing the resist, a conductive film such as ITO is formed on the first substrate 10. Then, a mask pattern covering the positions where the first drive electrode 41, the first extracted electrode 411, and the second extracted electrode 421 are to be formed is formed on the conductive film, and the conductive film is etched. As a result, as shown in the second part of FIG. 9, the first drive electrode 41, the first extracted electrode 411, and the second extracted electrode 421 are formed on the first substrate 10. Note that FIG. 9 only shows the first drive electrode 41.

[0043] Next, after removing the mask pattern for forming the electrodes, a bonding film made of, for example, Au is formed on the first substrate 10. Then, a mask covering the formation position of the first bonding layer 311 is formed on the bonding film, and the bonding film is patterned by etching or the like to form the substrate-side first bonding layer 311A ​​as shown in the third part of FIG.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of the second substrate forming step S2. In the second substrate formation step S2, a resist is formed on the surface of the second base material that will be the base material of the second substrate 20 at a position where the second reflective film region 24 is to be formed, and etching is then performed. As a result, a step is formed between the second reflective film region 24 and the connecting region 23, as shown in the first row of FIG.

[0045] Next, after removing the resist, a bonding film made of, for example, Au is formed on the second substrate 20. Then, a mask pattern covering the formation position of the second bonding layer 341 is formed on the bonding film, and the bonding film is etched. As a result, the second bonding layer 341 is formed as shown in the second part of FIG.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outline of the connecting portion forming step S3. In the connecting portion forming step S3, a bonding film made of, for example, Au is formed on a base material M1 made of Si and having the same size as the first substrate 10 in a plan view. Then, a mask pattern covering the formation position of the first bonding layer 311 is formed on the bonding film, and the bonding film is etched. As a result, a connecting portion-side first bonding layer 311B is formed, as shown in the first row of FIG.

[0047] Next, the first substrate 10 formed in the first substrate forming step S1 and the base material M1 are overlapped and bonded together. Specifically, the substrate-side first bonding layer 311A ​​and the coupling portion-side first bonding layer 311B are brought into contact with each other and bonded together by room temperature activated bonding, thereby forming the first bonding layer 311 as shown in the second part of FIG.

[0048] Next, the base material M1 is polished to have the same thickness as the thin plate portion 33, as shown in the third part of FIG. Thereafter, a bonding film made of, for example, Au is formed on the surface of the base material M1 opposite to the first substrate 10. Then, a mask pattern covering the formation position of the second bonding layer 341 is formed on the bonding film, and the bonding film is etched. As a result, a columnar portion 34 is formed as shown in the fourth part of FIG.

[0049] Next, a resist pattern is formed on the base material M1 in areas other than the positions where the connecting portions 30 are to be provided, and a thin plate portion 33 as shown in the fifth column of FIG. 11 is formed by etching.

[0050] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an outline of the joining step S4. In the bonding step S4, first, a first reflective film 51 and a second reflective film 52 are formed as shown in the upper left and upper right of Fig. 12. That is, the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 are formed immediately before joining the second substrate 20 to the first substrate 10 in order to prevent deterioration due to other processes. In forming the first reflective film 51, the first substrate 10 to which the connecting portion 30 is bonded is masked except for the position where the first reflective film 51 is to be formed, and the first reflective film 51 is formed by, for example, vapor deposition. Note that the first reflective film 51 may be formed after removing the insulating layer 19 from the region where the first reflective film 51 is to be formed. In addition, when forming the second reflective film 52, the second substrate 20 is masked except for the position where the second reflective film 52 is to be formed, and the second reflective film 52 is formed by, for example, vapor deposition or the like.

[0051] Thereafter, the second substrate 20 is superimposed on the first substrate 10 to which the connecting portion 30 has been bonded, and bonded. Specifically, the columnar portion 34 of the connecting portion 30 and the second bonding layer 341 of the second substrate 20 are brought into contact with each other, and then bonded by room-temperature activated bonding. As a result, the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are bonded via the connecting portion 30, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG.

[0052] [8. Effects of the First Embodiment] The tunable interference filter 1 of this embodiment includes a first substrate 10, a second substrate 20 facing the first substrate 10 across a predetermined gap, a first reflective film 51 provided on the first substrate 10, a second reflective film 52 provided on the second substrate 20 and facing the first reflective film 51 across a predetermined first gap G1, a connecting unit 30 disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 and having a first opposing surface 31 facing the first substrate 10 and a second opposing surface 32 facing the second substrate 20, and a driving unit 40 that changes the first gap G1. A part of the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30 is connected to the first substrate 10, and when viewed from the Z direction in the direction from the first substrate 10 toward the second substrate 20, the part of the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30 that is not connected to the first substrate 10 constitutes a displacement portion 301 that faces the first substrate 10 across a predetermined second distance G2, and a columnar portion 34 provided on the second opposing surface 32 side of the displacement portion 301 is connected to the second substrate 20. Then, the driving unit 40 bends the displacement portion 301 toward the first groove portion 131 to change the second distance G2 and thereby change the first distance G1.

[0053] In this configuration, the second substrate 20 advances and retreats relative to the first substrate 10 in conjunction with the bending of the displacement portion 301 of the connecting portion 30, but the second substrate 20 itself does not bend. Therefore, the first distance G1 can be changed while maintaining the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 parallel to each other. Therefore, there is no variation in the first distance G1 in the optical region C, and light of the desired target wavelength can be emitted with high precision from the tunable interference filter 1. In other words, the inconvenience of the transmission wavelength varying depending on the location in the optical region C can be suppressed, and light of the target wavelength can be transmitted uniformly within the plane of the optical region C.

[0054] In the tunable interference filter 1 of this embodiment, the drive unit 40 is an electrostatic actuator configured with a first drive electrode 41 provided on the first substrate 10 and a connecting unit 30. With such an electrostatic actuator, by maintaining the connecting unit 30 at a reference potential and controlling the potential of the first drive electrode 41, it is possible to control with high precision the drive voltage applied between the first drive electrode 41 and the connecting unit 30, and to set the second gap G2 to a desired dimension with high precision. As a result, the first gap G1 can also be set with high precision to a dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength.

[0055] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 30 is made of silicon (Si), and functions as a second driving electrode that forms a pair with the first driving electrode 41 in the electrostatic actuator. As a result, in this embodiment, there is no need to separately form the second drive electrodes, and the wiring configuration associated with this can be simplified. Furthermore, the displacement portion 301 of the connecting portion 30 is a portion that bends due to electrostatic attraction, and if a second drive electrode or its extraction electrode is formed in the displacement portion 301, there is a risk that the electrodes may be damaged or broken due to stress generated when the displacement portion 301 is deformed. In contrast, in the configuration in which the connection portion 30 functions as the second drive electrode, as in the present embodiment, the electrodes are not damaged or broken as described above, and the reliability of the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 can be improved.

[0056] In the wavelength-tunable interference filter 1 of this embodiment, the connecting portion 30 includes a thin plate portion 33 having a first opposing surface 31 and a second opposing surface 32, and a columnar portion 34 that protrudes from the second opposing surface 32 of the thin plate portion 33 toward the second substrate 20, and whose protruding tip is connected to the second substrate 20. As a result, the thin plate portion 33 is joined to the first substrate 10, and the columnar portion 34 is joined to the second substrate 20, and the portion of the thin plate portion 33 that is not joined to the first substrate 10 functions as a displacement portion 301. In this configuration, the columnar portion 34 is connected to the second substrate 20, so that stress caused by deformation of the thin plate portion 33 is less likely to propagate to the second substrate 20, and deflection of the second substrate 20 can be suppressed.

[0057] In the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 of the present embodiment, the dimension of the columnar portion in the Z direction is smaller than the initial dimension of the first gap G1 in a state in which the displacement portion 301 is not deformed by the driving portion . As a result, when the displacement portion 301 is significantly bent, the second substrate 20 can come into contact with the thin plate portion 33 and restrict the movement of the second substrate 20 before the second reflective film 52 collides with the first reflective film 51. This makes it possible to prevent the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 from being damaged or deteriorated due to the collision.

[0058] In the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of connecting portions 30 are provided at positions that are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the optical region C, and a plurality of driving portions 40 are provided corresponding to the plurality of connecting portions 30, respectively. This allows the amount of deflection of the displacement portion 301 in each connecting portion 30 to be controlled by the driving portion 40 provided corresponding to each connecting portion 30. Therefore, the tilt of the second substrate 20 can be suppressed with higher precision, and light with a desired target wavelength can be emitted from the wavelength tunable interference filter 1 with high precision.

[0059] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, a configuration in which first driving electrode 41 is provided on the bottom surface of first groove portion 131 has been exemplified, but other electrodes may also be arranged. In the second embodiment, an example in which an electrode other than first driving electrode 41 is further provided in first groove portion 131 will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components that have already been described, and their description will be omitted or simplified.

[0060] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter 1A of the second embodiment. 13 , in addition to the first driving electrode 41, a first capacitance detection electrode 61 is provided in the first groove portion 131. This first capacitance detection electrode 61 is an independent electrode that is not electrically connected to the first driving electrode 41, and faces the connecting portion 30 that is maintained at a reference potential. A capacitance extraction electrode (not shown) is connected to the first capacitance detection electrode 61, and this capacitance extraction electrode extends to the electrical component portion 134. This capacitance extraction electrode is connected to a capacitance detection unit 92 provided in the control circuit 90. This capacitance detection unit 92 measures the dimension of the second gap G2 by detecting the electrostatic capacitance between the first capacitance detection electrode 61 and the connecting portion 30. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a configuration in which the connecting portion 30 is made of a conductive substrate (for example, a Si substrate) is exemplified, but the connecting portion 30 may be made of an insulator. In this case, a second capacitance detection electrode may be separately formed on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30 at a position facing the first capacitance detection electrode 61, and the second capacitance detection electrode may be connected to the capacitance detection portion 92.

[0061] In this embodiment, independent first capacitance detection electrodes 61 are provided facing the four connecting portions 30 (the first connecting portion 30A, the second connecting portion 30B, the third connecting portion 30C, and the fourth connecting portion 30D). As a result, in the wavelength tunable interference filter 1A of this embodiment, the capacitance detection unit 92 can individually detect the dimension of the second gap G2 in each connecting portion 30. That is, in this embodiment, by measuring the second gap G2 in each connecting portion 30, it is possible to detect the inclination of the second substrate 20 with respect to the first substrate 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, an independent first drive electrode 41 is provided for each connecting portion 30. Therefore, when the tilt of the second substrate 20 with respect to the first substrate 10 is measured, it is possible to control the voltage applied to each first drive electrode 41 so that the second substrate 20 becomes parallel to the first substrate 10. In other words, the control circuit 90 can perform feedback control so that the dimension of the second interval G2 between the four connecting portions 30 detected by the capacitance detection unit 92 becomes a target dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength to be transmitted through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1A.

[0062] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a configuration in which a single first drive electrode 41 is provided as the drive unit 40 has been exemplified, but a plurality of first drive electrodes 41 constituting the drive unit 40 may be provided. For example, in the second embodiment, inner first drive electrode 41E and outer first drive electrode 41F are provided as first drive electrodes 41 constituting drive unit 40. A pair of inner first drive electrodes 41E are provided, and are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the center of first groove 131 in the width direction. For example, first connecting portion 30A and second connecting portion 30B are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a center line that passes through the center of first groove 131 in the X direction and is parallel to the Y direction. Furthermore, third connecting portion 30C and fourth connecting portion 30D are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to a center line that passes through the center of first groove 131 in the Y direction and is parallel to the X direction. The same is true for outer first drive electrodes 41F, and a pair of outer first drive electrodes 41F are provided at positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to the center of first groove portion 131 in the width direction.

[0063] In this configuration, drive control unit 91 applies a bias voltage to either inner first drive electrode 41E or outer first drive electrode 41F, for example, to displace connecting portion 30 so that second gap G2 approaches the target dimension. Meanwhile, drive control unit 91 applies a feedback voltage based on the capacitance detected by capacitance detection unit 92 to the other of inner first drive electrode 41E or outer first drive electrode 41F, to finely adjust the displacement of connecting portion 30. This allows the second interval G2 between the connecting portions 30 to be adjusted to a desired target dimension with high precision.

[0064] [Effects of this embodiment] The wavelength-tunable interference filter 1A of this embodiment is provided with a first capacitance detection electrode 61 installed in the first groove portion 131 of the first substrate 10, and the connecting portion 30 also functions as a second capacitance detection electrode facing the first capacitance detection electrode 61. For this reason, in this embodiment, the dimension of the second gap G2 can be measured individually at the position of each connecting portion 30. This makes it possible to detect the inclination of the second substrate 20 relative to the first substrate 10.

[0065] Furthermore, a first drive electrode 41 constituting the drive unit 40 is provided for each connecting unit 30. This allows the voltage applied to each first drive electrode 41 to be individually feedback-controlled based on the dimension of the second gap G2 measured by the capacitance detection unit 92, as described above, and makes it possible to control the second substrate 20 to change relative to the first substrate 10.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, first drive electrode 41 includes inner first drive electrode 41E and outer first drive electrode 41F, and inner first drive electrode 41E and outer first drive electrode 41F can be driven independently. In this case, a bias voltage can be applied to one of inner first drive electrode 41E and outer first drive electrode 41F, and a feedback voltage can be applied to the other, allowing for more precise dimensional control of second gap G2. Therefore, second gap G2 at the position of each connecting portion 30 can be finely adjusted to a desired dimension.

[0067] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, an example was shown in which the first capacitance detection electrode 61 for measuring the dimension of the second gap G2 is provided on the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131. In contrast to this, in the third embodiment, a capacitance detection electrode for measuring the dimension of the first gap G1 is provided.

[0068] Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter 1B of the third embodiment, and Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the tunable interference filter 1B of Fig. 14 taken along line AA. Note that, in consideration of ease of viewing the drawings, the second substrate 20 and the connecting portion 30 are omitted from Fig. 14. In this embodiment, a rectangular frame-shaped third capacitance detection electrode 63 is provided along the outer periphery of the first reflection film 51 in the first reflection film region 14 of the first substrate 10. A capacitance extraction electrode 631 extending from the second groove portion 132 to the electrical component section 134 is connected to the third capacitance detection electrode 63, and is connected to the control circuit 90 in the electrical component section 134 via a lead wire or an FPC.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, the third capacitance detection electrode 63 is formed to the same thickness as the first reflection film 51, and a fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 formed to the same thickness as the second reflection film 52 is provided on the second substrate 20 opposite the third capacitance detection electrode 63. That is, since the second substrate 20 is made of conductive Si, the second substrate 20 can also function as the fourth capacitance detection electrode of the present disclosure, as in the second embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the dimension of the first gap G1 between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 is measured by the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64. In this case, in order to accurately measure the dimension of the first gap G1, it is preferable to provide the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 with thicknesses equivalent to the thicknesses of the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52. This makes it possible to accurately measure the dimension of the first gap G1 from the surface of the first reflective film 51 to the surface of the second reflective film 52 with high precision. Furthermore, since the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 are not provided in the area overlapping with the optical area C, the inconvenience of the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 obstructing light passing through the optical area can be suppressed.

[0070] The control circuit 90 is provided with a second capacitance detection unit 93, which detects the electrostatic capacitance between the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64, thereby measuring the dimension of the first gap G1. In this embodiment, the accurate dimension of first interval G1 can be detected by second capacitance detection unit 93. Therefore, it becomes possible to feedback-control the drive voltage applied to each first drive electrode 41 so that the dimension of first interval G1 becomes the desired target dimension. 14 and 15 illustrate a configuration in which driving unit 40 includes a single first driving electrode 41, but as described in the second embodiment, it may also be configured to include an inner first driving electrode 41E and an outer first driving electrode 41F.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, an example configuration is shown in which the dimension of the first gap G1 is measured using the third capacitance detection electrode 63 and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64, but a configuration in which a first capacitance detection electrode 61 is further provided so that the second gap G2 can be measured may also be used.

[0072] [Effects of this embodiment] The tunable interference filter 1B of this embodiment further includes a third capacitance detection electrode 63 provided on the first substrate 10, and a fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 provided on the second substrate 20 and facing the third capacitance detection electrode 63. The third capacitance detection electrode 63 is disposed at a position surrounding the first reflection film 51 when viewed from the Z direction, and the fourth capacitance detection electrode 64 is disposed at a position surrounding the second reflection film 52 when viewed from the Z direction. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the dimension of the first interval G1 can be measured with high accuracy. That is, in the second embodiment, the dimension of the first interval G1 between the first reflective film 51 and the second reflective film 52 cannot be measured directly because the second interval G2 in each connecting portion 30 is measured. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the dimension of the first interval G1 can be measured, and therefore the wavelength of light transmitted through the tunable interference filter 1B can be adjusted based on the measured dimension of the first interval G1.

[0073] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the first to third embodiments, the driving unit 40 is an electrostatic actuator, and the electrostatic attraction is used to deflect the connecting portion 30 toward the bottom surface of the first groove portion 131. In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, the driving method of the driving unit 40 differs from that of the above embodiments.

[0074] FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a connecting portion 30 of a wavelength tunable interference filter 1C according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the driving unit 40A is composed of a coil 43 provided on the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131 and a permanent magnet 44 provided on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30. Note that Figure 16 illustrates a configuration in which a coil 43 is provided in the first groove portion 131 and a permanent magnet 44 is provided in the connecting portion 30, but a configuration in which a permanent magnet 44 is provided in the first groove portion 131 and a coil 43 is provided in the connecting portion 30 may also be used. In the first embodiment described above, first drive electrode 41 is formed longitudinally along the side direction of first groove 131. However, in the present embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple coils 43 are provided along the side direction of first groove 131. In this case, the same number of coils 43 are arranged on each side of first groove 131. For example, if n coils 43 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the Y direction in −X side first groove 131A, n coils 43 are also arranged at the same interval along the Y direction in +X side first groove 131B, n coils 43 are also arranged at the same interval along the −Y side first groove 131C, and n coils 43 are also arranged at the same interval along the X direction in +Y side first groove 131D.

[0075] The coil 43 is formed with its central axis aligned along the Z direction. One end of the coil 43 is connected to a first coil electrode 431 provided on the bottom surface of the first groove 131, for example. The other end of the coil 43 is connected to a second coil electrode 432 formed from the side wall of the first groove 131 to the bottom surface of the groove. The first coil electrode 431 and the second coil electrode 432 are each individually extended to the electrical component section 134 and connected from the electrical component section 134 to a current control section 94 of the control circuit 90. Note that a through hole penetrating the first substrate 10 in the Z direction may be provided on the bottom surface of the first groove 131, and an electrode wire connected to the coil may be inserted through the through hole. The permanent magnet 44 is arranged, for example, so that the -Z side facing the first substrate 10 is the north pole and the +Z side is the south pole.

[0076] The current control unit 94 controls the current flowing through the coil 43. This generates a magnetic flux passing through the central axis of the coil 43, and a magnetic pole corresponding to the direction of the current flow is generated on one end side (+Z side) of the coil 43 facing the permanent magnet 44. For example, by flowing a current so that the +Z side of the coil 43 becomes an S pole, the connecting portion 30 provided with the permanent magnet 44 bends toward the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131, thereby changing the second distance G2. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, etc., changing the second distance G2 causes the second substrate 20 to move toward the first substrate 10, and the first distance G1 also changes. In this embodiment, a current can also be passed through the coil 43 so that the +Z side becomes the N pole, in which case the connecting portion 30 bends toward the second substrate 20 due to a repulsive force. Therefore, the first gap G1 can also be widened, and light to be transmitted through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1C can be selected from a wider wavelength range.

[0077] [Effects of this embodiment] In the wavelength-tunable interference filter 1C of this embodiment, the driving section 40A is composed of a coil 43 provided in the first groove section 131 and a permanent magnet 44 (magnetic body) provided on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting section 30. In this configuration, a magnetic field can be generated by passing a current through the coil 43, and this magnetic field can displace the displacement portion 301, on which the permanent magnet 44 is provided. At this time, the strength of the magnetic field can be controlled by the current passing through the coil 43, and similarly to the first embodiment, the dimension of the second interval G2 can be controlled with high precision. Therefore, the first interval G1 can also be controlled with high precision to a dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength, and light of the target wavelength can be transmitted from the wavelength tunable interference filter 1C with high precision. In addition, in this embodiment, by reversing the direction of the current flowing through the coil 43, the displacement portion 301 can be deflected toward the second substrate 20 by a repulsive force. That is, in this embodiment, the first gap G1 can be changed in a direction narrowing or widening the initial dimension. This allows light of a desired target wavelength to be transmitted from a wide wavelength range.

[0078] [Fifth embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the driving unit 40A includes the coil 43 and the permanent magnet 44, and the coil 43 and the permanent magnet 44 are disposed opposite to each other. However, a solenoid may be used as a configuration for deforming the connecting unit 30 using magnetic force. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the connecting portion 30 of a tunable interference filter 1D according to the fifth embodiment. In the driving section 40B of this embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the coil 43 is provided in the first groove portion 131, and the fixed magnetic body 433 is arranged on the −Z side of the coil 43. Furthermore, the connecting portion 30 is provided with a shaft member 44A made of a magnetic material through which the center of the coil 43 is inserted.

[0079] In this configuration, when a current is passed through the coil 43, the shaft member 44A moves toward the fixed magnetic body 433. As a result, the connecting portion 30 connected to the shaft member 44A bends toward the bottom surface of the first groove portion 131, changing the second gap G2. Furthermore, when the shaft member 44A abuts against the fixed magnetic body 433, the movement of the connecting portion 30 is restricted, and collision between the first reflection film 51 and the second reflection film 52 can be suppressed.

[0080] [Effects of this embodiment] The tunable interference filter 1D of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the fourth embodiment. That is, the drive unit 40B includes a coil 43 provided in the first groove portion 131, and a shaft member 44A provided on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30 and inserted through the coil 43. In this configuration, the shaft member 44A can be moved in the Z direction by passing a current through the coil 43 to generate a magnetic field. Even in this case, the strength of the magnetic field can be controlled by the current passed through the coil 43, so the dimension of the second interval G2 can be controlled with high precision.

[0081] [Sixth embodiment] Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. In the first to third embodiments, the driving unit 40 is configured by an electrostatic actuator, and in the fourth and fifth embodiments, the driving units 40A and 40B are configured to generate a magnetic field to deform the connecting unit 30. In the sixth embodiment, a configuration in which the connecting unit 30 is deflected using a piezoelectric element will be described. Fig. 18 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter 1E according to the sixth embodiment, and Fig. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tunable interference filter 1E taken along line AA in Fig. 18. Note that in Fig. 18, the second substrate 20 and the connecting portion 30 are omitted from illustration in consideration of ease of viewing the drawing.

[0082] 19 , an insulating layer 45 is formed on the first opposing surface 31 of the connecting portion 30, and a first electrode 461, a piezoelectric film 462, and a second electrode 463 are laminated along the Z direction on the insulating layer 45. In the present embodiment, the first electrode 461, the piezoelectric film 462, and the second electrode 463 configure the driving portion 40C. Here, as shown in FIG. 18, each of the first electrodes 461 of the four connecting portions 30 is connected to a first extraction electrode 461A provided, for example, in the first reflective film region 14, and the first extraction electrode 461A is extended, for example, to the +Y side end of the first substrate 10. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18, each second electrode 463 is connected to an independent second extraction electrode 463A, and extends to, for example, the +Y side end of the first substrate 10. As shown in FIG. 19, the first extracted electrode 461A and the second extracted electrode 463A may each function as a first bonding layer that connects the first substrate 10 and the coupling portion 30.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first electrodes 461 connected to each other are used as a common electrode, and a predetermined reference potential is applied to them, and a drive signal according to the dimension of the first gap G1 is applied to the second electrode 463. As a result, a drive voltage is applied between the first electrode 461 and the second electrode 463, which causes the piezoelectric film 462 to deform, the connecting portion 30 to bend toward the groove bottom surface of the first groove portion 131, and the second gap G2 to change.

[0084] [Effects of this embodiment] In this embodiment, the driving unit 40C comprises a first electrode 461 placed on the first opposing surface 31, a piezoelectric film 462 placed on the first electrode 461, and a second electrode 463 placed on the piezoelectric film 462, and is configured by stacking the first electrode 461, the piezoelectric film 462, and the second electrode 463 along the Z direction. In the driving unit 40C, when a driving voltage is applied between the first electrode 461 and the second electrode 463, the piezoelectric film 462 expands and contracts. For example, when a driving voltage is applied so that the potential of the first electrode 461 is greater than the potential of the second electrode 463, the piezoelectric film 462 expands. However, since the surface of the piezoelectric film 462 facing the connecting portion 30 is joined to the connecting portion 30 via the first electrode 461, the amount of expansion is smaller than that of the surface of the piezoelectric film 462 facing the first substrate 10. Therefore, the piezoelectric film 462 bends toward the bottom surface of the first groove portion 131, which causes the displacement portion 301 of the connecting portion 30 to also bend toward the bottom surface of the first groove portion 131. Furthermore, the amount of bending can be easily controlled by the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric film 462. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the dimension of the second interval G2 can be controlled with high precision, and therefore the first interval G1 can also be controlled with high precision to a dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deflection direction of the piezoelectric film 462 can be reversed by reversing the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric film 462. For example, if the piezoelectric film 462 expands when a drive voltage is applied so that the potential of the first electrode 461 is greater than the potential of the second electrode 463, the piezoelectric film 462 contracts when a drive voltage is applied so that the potential of the first electrode 461 is smaller than the potential of the second electrode 463. In this case, the surface of the piezoelectric film 462 facing the connecting portion 30 is joined to the connecting portion 30 via the first electrode 461, and therefore the amount of contraction is smaller than that of the surface of the piezoelectric film 462 facing the first substrate 10. Therefore, the piezoelectric film 462 bends toward the second substrate 20, which causes the displacement portion 301 of the connecting portion 30 to also bend toward the second substrate 20. Therefore, similar to the fourth and fifth embodiments, the tunable interference filter 1E of this embodiment can transmit light of a desired target wavelength from a wide wavelength range.

[0086] [Seventh embodiment] Next, a seventh embodiment will be described. In the above first to sixth embodiments, a configuration example was shown in which a connecting portion 30 is provided on each of the four sides of the rectangular frame-shaped first groove portion 131, that is, a configuration example in which multiple connecting portions 30 are provided rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center of the optical region C. Alternatively, the first groove portion 131 may be formed in an annular shape, and a connecting portion that covers the first groove portion 131 may be provided.

[0087] Fig. 20 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a tunable interference filter 1F of the seventh embodiment, in which the second substrate 20 is omitted. In this embodiment, the first groove portion 135 has an annular shape centered on the center point of the first reflective film 51 (the center point of the optical region C). In addition, in a plan view, the connecting portion 30E is formed in a circular ring shape that covers the first groove portion 135. That is, the connecting portion 30E is provided so as to bridge the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the first groove portion 135, as shown in FIG.

[0088] As in the first embodiment, the driving unit 40D bends the connecting portion 30E by electrostatic attraction, but in this embodiment, the first driving electrode 41G that constitutes the driving unit 40D is formed in a circular ring shape that surrounds the optical region C.

[0089] [Effects of this embodiment] In the wavelength-tunable interference filter 1F of this embodiment, the connecting portion 30E is formed in a circular ring shape surrounding the optical region C, and the driving portion 40D is formed in a circular ring shape around the optical region C at a position overlapping with the connecting portion 30E. Because the first groove portion 131 in the first embodiment described above has a rectangular frame shape, providing connecting portions 30 at the corners will result in differences in the amount of deflection. For this reason, it is necessary to provide independent connecting portions 30 corresponding to each side of the first groove portion 131. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the first groove portion 135 is annular and covered with annular connecting portion 30E, it is possible to deflect connecting portion 30E uniformly in the circumferential direction of the annulus. Therefore, by making the first driving electrode 41G constituting the driving section 40D circular, a uniform electrostatic attraction force can be exerted around the circumferential direction of the connecting section 30E, and the dimension of the second gap G2 can be changed while suppressing tilting of the second substrate 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of first extraction electrodes 411, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0090] [Eighth embodiment] Next, as an eighth embodiment, an electronic device including the wavelength tunable interference filters 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E as described in the first to sixth embodiments will be described.

[0091] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a spectroscopic camera 700 according to the eighth embodiment. As shown in Figure 21, the spectroscopic camera 700 comprises a camera body 701 and a lens barrel 702, and the camera body 701 houses a wavelength-tunable interference filter 1, a light receiving unit 703, a control circuit 90, a control unit 704, etc. 21, the tunable interference filter 1 is used, but any of the tunable interference filters 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F described in the second to sixth embodiments may also be used. The tunable interference filter 1 may be incorporated into the camera body 701 in a state where it is stored in a separate package housing or the like. In this spectroscopic camera 700 , an incident optical system made up of a plurality of lenses is housed in a lens barrel 702 , and light at a predetermined angle of view is guided to a light receiving section 703 via a wavelength tunable interference filter 1 .

[0092] The light receiving unit 703 is an image sensor that receives light that has passed through the wavelength tunable interference filter 1, and receives light that has passed through the optical region C of the wavelength tunable interference filter 1.

[0093] The control circuit 90 is a circuit for driving the tunable interference filter 1, and includes the drive control unit 91 and the like as described above. When the tunable interference filter 1A is used, the control circuit 90 is further provided with a capacitance detection unit 92, and when the tunable interference filter 1B is used, a second capacitance detection unit 93 is provided. When the tunable interference filters 1C and 1D are used, a current control unit 94 may be provided instead of the drive control unit 91.

[0094] The control unit 704 controls the operation of the spectroscopic camera 700, and when an operation signal to acquire a spectroscopic image of a predetermined target wavelength is input based on, for example, a user's operation, the control unit 704 outputs a command signal corresponding to the target wavelength to the control circuit 90. As a result, the control circuit 90 applies a drive voltage corresponding to the target wavelength to the drive unit 40 of the tunable interference filter 1. Furthermore, the control unit 704 controls the light receiving unit 703 to perform light receiving processing, and generates image data (spectral image) based on the output signal for each pixel output from the light receiving unit 703.

[0095] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications and improvements within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0096] [Variation 1] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the coupling portion 30 of the wavelength tunable interference filter 1G according to the first modification. In the first embodiment described above, a configuration has been exemplified in which the first groove portion 131 is provided in the first substrate 10, and the connecting portion 30 is arranged so as to cover the first groove portion 131. In contrast to this, the first substrate 10 may be a plate member having a uniform thickness, and a pair of holders 80 that hold the connecting portion 30 may be provided on the first substrate surface 11, as shown in Fig. 22 , for example.

[0097] [Variation 2] In the first embodiment, the second substrate 20 is exemplified as including the second reflective film region 24 and the connecting region 23 that surrounds the second reflective film region 24 and is thinner than the second reflective film region 24. However, the connecting region 23 and the second reflective film region 24 may be formed to have the same thickness. In other words, the second substrate surface 21 of the connecting region 23 and the second substrate surface 21 of the second reflective film region 24 may be flush with each other. Furthermore, the first reflective film region 14 of the first substrate 10 may be formed so as to protrude toward the second substrate 20, or the first reflective film region 14 may be formed in a recessed shape by etching or the like. In other words, the position of the first reflective film region 14 on the first substrate 10 and the position of the second reflective film region 24 on the second substrate 20 in the Z direction may be changed as appropriate depending on the wavelength range of light to be transmitted through the tunable interference filter 1.

[0098] [Variation 3] In each of the above embodiments, an example is shown in which the connecting portion 30 is configured as a separate body from the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, but part or all of the connecting portion 30 may be configured integrally with the first substrate 10 or the second substrate 20. For example, the columnar portion 34 of the connecting portion 30 may be configured integrally with the second substrate 20. Alternatively, the thin plate portion 33 and the columnar portion 34 of the connecting portion 30 may be configured integrally with the second substrate 20.

[0099] [Variation 4] In the seventh embodiment, a configuration in which the connecting portion 30E and the driving portion 40D are formed in a circular ring shape is exemplified, but as in the first embodiment, etc., a configuration in which multiple connecting portions and driving portions are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center point of the optical region C may also be used. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of arc-shaped connecting portions are provided rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center point of the optical region C. In this case, a driving portion may be provided for each of the arc-shaped connecting portions. For example, arc-shaped first driving electrodes 41 may be provided in the first groove portion 135 rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center point of the optical region C.

[0100] Furthermore, in the first to sixth embodiments, examples have been shown in which a connecting portion 30 is provided on each side of the rectangular frame-shaped first groove portion 131, and drive units 40, 40A, and 40B are provided corresponding to each connecting portion 30, but the shape of the first groove portion 131 is not limited to a rectangular shape and may be, for example, a triangular frame shape, or may be formed into a polygonal frame shape with five or more sides. Furthermore, it does not have to be formed in a frame shape, and a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of grooves are provided rotationally symmetrically with respect to the center of the optical region C in a plan view, and a connecting portion is provided for each groove.

[0101] [Variation 5] In the eighth embodiment, the spectroscopic camera 700 is illustrated as an example of an electronic device equipped with a wavelength-tunable interference filter, but the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of electronic devices equipped with the wavelength-tunable interference filter 1 include a light source device (e.g., a laser light source device) that outputs light of a desired wavelength, a spectroscopic analysis device that analyzes components contained in a measured object, and a color measurement device that is mounted on a printer or the like and measures the color of an object, and these light source devices and analysis devices may be mounted on a wearable device or the like.

[0102] In addition, the specific structure when implementing the present invention can be appropriately changed to other structures etc. within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention.

[0103] Summary of this disclosure a drive unit that changes the first distance; a first reflecting film disposed on the first substrate; a second reflecting film disposed on the first substrate and facing the first reflecting film at a predetermined distance; a connecting unit that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and has a first opposing surface facing the first substrate and a second opposing surface facing the second substrate; and a drive unit that changes the first distance;

[0104] As a result, the second substrate moves forward and backward relative to the first substrate in conjunction with the deflection of the displacement portion of the connecting portion, and the second substrate itself does not deflect. Therefore, the first distance can be changed while maintaining the first reflective film and the second reflective film parallel to each other, so that the first distance does not vary and light of the desired target wavelength can be emitted from the wavelength tunable interference filter with high precision.

[0105] In the wavelength tunable interference filter of this aspect, the drive section includes a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the displacement section and facing the first drive electrode across the second gap.

[0106] In this embodiment, applying a voltage between the first drive electrode and the second drive electrode deforms the displacement portion by electrostatic attraction, thereby changing the second gap. In this case, if the second drive electrode is set to a predetermined reference potential, controlling the potential of the first drive electrode allows for easy and highly accurate control of the drive voltage applied between the electrodes, thereby enabling precise control of the second gap. This allows the first gap to be appropriately set to a size corresponding to the desired target wavelength.

[0107] In the wavelength tunable interference filter of this aspect, the connecting portion is made of silicon, and the connecting portion functions as the second driving electrode. In this configuration, there is no need to form a separate second drive electrode in the displacement section, and the associated wiring configuration is also unnecessary, simplifying the configuration. Furthermore, when an electrode is formed in a portion that deforms due to a drive force, such as the displacement section, there is a risk that the electrode may be damaged or broken due to stress when the displacement section deforms. In contrast, in this embodiment, the connecting section itself functions as the second drive electrode, so there is no damage or breakage of the electrode, and the reliability of the wavelength tunable interference filter can be improved.

[0108] In the tunable interference filter of this aspect, the drive unit may include a coil provided on one of the surface of the first substrate facing the displacement unit and the first opposing surface, and a magnetic body provided on the other of the surface of the first substrate facing the displacement unit and the first opposing surface.

[0109] In this embodiment, a magnetic field can be generated by passing a current through the coil, and the magnetic field can displace the displacement portion provided with the magnetic body. At this time, the strength of the magnetic field can be controlled by the current passed through the coil, and the dimension of the second gap can be controlled with high precision. Therefore, the first gap can also be controlled with high precision to a dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength, and light of the target wavelength can be transmitted from the wavelength tunable interference filter with high precision. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by reversing the direction of the current flowing through the coil, the displacement portion can be deflected toward the second substrate by repulsive force, and the tunable interference filter can transmit light of the desired target wavelength from a wider wavelength range.

[0110] In the tunable interference filter of this aspect, the driving unit may include a first electrode placed on the first opposing surface, a piezoelectric film placed on the first electrode, and a second electrode placed on the piezoelectric film, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric film, and the second electrode may be stacked along the thickness direction.

[0111] In this embodiment, when a driving voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, the piezoelectric film expands and contracts, thereby deflecting the displacement portion of the connecting portion. The amount of deflection can be easily controlled by the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric film, and similarly to the above embodiment, the dimension of the second gap G2 can be controlled with high precision. This allows the first gap G1 to be controlled with high precision to a dimension corresponding to the desired target wavelength.

[0112] In the wavelength-tunable interference filter of this aspect, the connecting portion includes a thin plate portion having the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface, and a columnar portion that is provided to protrude from the second opposing surface of the thin plate portion toward the second substrate, and has a protruding tip portion connected to the second substrate.

[0113] In this aspect, the thin plate portion is bonded to the first substrate, the columnar portion is bonded to the second substrate, and the portion of the thin plate portion that is not bonded to the first substrate functions as a displacement portion. In this configuration, the columnar portion formed on the thin plate portion is connected to the second substrate, so that stress caused by deformation of the thin plate portion is less likely to propagate to the second substrate, and deflection of the second substrate can be suppressed.

[0114] In the wavelength tunable interference filter of this aspect, the dimension of the columnar portion in the thickness direction is smaller than the initial dimension of the first gap in a state in which the displacement portion is not deformed by the drive portion. In this aspect, when the displacement portion is significantly deflected, the second substrate can contact the thin plate portion to restrict the movement of the second substrate before the second reflective film collides with the first reflective film, thereby suppressing damage or deterioration of the first reflective film or the second reflective film due to the collision.

[0115] The tunable interference filter of this aspect may further include a first capacitance detection electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second capacitance detection electrode provided on the first opposing surface and facing the first capacitance detection electrode.

[0116] In this aspect, the dimension of the second gap can be measured by detecting the capacitance between the first capacitance detection electrode and the second capacitance detection electrode. Furthermore, when a plurality of connecting portions are provided so as to surround the first reflective film of the first substrate, the dimension of the second gap at the position of each connecting portion can be measured individually, thereby detecting the tilt of the second substrate with respect to the first substrate.

[0117] The wavelength tunable interference filter of this aspect may further include a third capacitance detection electrode provided on the first substrate and a fourth capacitance detection electrode provided on the second substrate and facing the third capacitance detection electrode, wherein the third capacitance detection electrode is disposed at a position surrounding the first reflective film when viewed from the thickness direction, and the fourth capacitance detection electrode is disposed at a position surrounding the second reflective film when viewed from the thickness direction.

[0118] In this aspect, the second distance can be measured by detecting the capacitance between the third capacitance detection electrode and the fourth capacitance detection electrode. Furthermore, as described above, in this aspect, the second substrate can be moved forward and backward relative to the first substrate while maintaining the second substrate parallel to the first substrate. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the third capacitance detection electrode on the first reflective film and the fourth capacitance detection electrode on the reflective film. In other words, even if the third capacitance detection electrode is provided around the first electrode and the fourth capacitance detection electrode is provided around the second reflective film, the first distance can be measured accurately. Furthermore, because the third capacitance detection electrode and the fourth capacitance detection electrode are not provided in the optical region where the first reflective film and the second reflective film overlap in the thickness direction, the problem of the third capacitance detection electrode and the fourth capacitance detection electrode blocking light passing through the optical region can be avoided.

[0119] In the wavelength-tunable interference filter of this aspect, an area where the first reflective film and the second reflective film overlap when viewed from the thickness direction may be defined as an optical area, the connecting portion may be formed in a circular ring shape surrounding the periphery of the optical area, and the driving portion may be formed in a circular ring shape around the periphery of the optical area at a position where it overlaps with the connecting portion. In this configuration, the drive unit applies a uniform stress along the circumferential direction to the annular connecting portion surrounding the optical region, thereby deflecting the displacement portion of the connecting portion, thereby enabling the first gap to be changed with high precision while maintaining the parallelism between the first and second reflective films.

[0120] In the tunable interference filter of this aspect, a region where the first reflective film and the second reflective film overlap as viewed from the thickness direction may be defined as an optical region, and a plurality of the connecting parts may be provided at positions that are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the optical region, and a plurality of the driving parts may be provided corresponding to each of the plurality of connecting parts.

[0121] In this embodiment, connecting portions are provided at positions that are rotationally symmetrical about the center of the optical region, and a driving portion is provided corresponding to each connecting portion. In this configuration, the amount of deflection of the displacement portion in each connecting portion can be controlled by the driving portion provided corresponding to the respective connecting portion. This makes it possible to suppress tilt of the second substrate, and to emit light of a desired target wavelength from the wavelength tunable interference filter with high precision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G... wavelength tunable interference filter, 10... first substrate, 11... first substrate surface, 12... first back surface, 13... groove, 14... first reflective film region, 19... insulating layer, 20... second substrate, 21... second substrate surface, 22... second back surface, 23... connection region, 24... second reflective film region, 30, 30E... connection portion, 31... first opposing surface, 32... second opposing surface, 33... thin plate portion, 34... columnar portion, 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D... drive portion, 41, 41G... first drive electrode, 43... coil, 44... permanent magnet (magnetic material), 44A... shaft member (magnetic material), 45... insulating layer, 51... first reflective film, 52... second reflective film, 61... first capacitance detection electrode, 63... third capacitance detection electrode, 64...fourth capacitance detection electrode, 90...control circuit, 91...drive control unit, 92...capacitance detection unit, 93...second capacitance detection unit, 94...current control unit, 131...first groove portion, 132...second groove portion, 133...third groove portion, 134...electrical component portion, 135...first groove portion, 141...first bridging portion, 142...second bridging portion, 143...third bridging portion, 144...fourth bridging portion, 301...displacement portion, 311...first bonding layer, 341...second bonding layer, 411...first extraction electrode, 421...second extraction electrode, 431...first coil electrode, 432...second coil electrode, 433...fixed magnetic body, 461...first electrode, 462...piezoelectric film, 463...second electrode, 700...spectroscopic camera (electronic device), C...optical region, G1...first interval, G2...second interval.

Claims

1. a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween; a first reflective film disposed on the first substrate; a second reflective film disposed on the second substrate and facing the first reflective film with a predetermined first gap therebetween; a connecting portion disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the connecting portion having a first opposing surface facing the first substrate and a second opposing surface facing the second substrate; a drive unit that changes the first interval, a part of the first opposing surface of the connecting portion is connected to the first substrate; When viewed in a thickness direction from the first substrate toward the second substrate, a portion of the first opposing surface of the connecting portion that is not connected to the first substrate constitutes a displacement portion that faces the first substrate via a predetermined second gap, a portion of the second opposing surface of the displacement portion is connected to the second substrate; The drive section changes the second distance by bending the displacement section, thereby changing the first distance.

2. the drive section includes a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second drive electrode provided on the displacement section and facing the first drive electrode across the second gap. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

3. the connecting portion is formed of silicon, and the connecting portion functions as the second driving electrode. The tunable interference filter according to claim 2 .

4. the drive unit includes a coil provided on one of the surface of the first substrate facing the displacement unit and the first opposing surface, and a magnetic body provided on the other of the surface of the first substrate facing the displacement unit and the first opposing surface. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

5. the driving unit includes a first electrode disposed on the first opposing surface, a piezoelectric film disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric film, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric film, and the second electrode are stacked along the thickness direction. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

6. the connecting portion includes a thin plate portion having the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface, and a columnar portion provided to protrude from the second opposing surface of the thin plate portion toward the second substrate, the columnar portion having a protruding tip portion connected to the second substrate, The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

7. a dimension of the columnar portion in the thickness direction is smaller than an initial dimension of the first gap in a state in which the displacement portion is not deformed by the driving portion; The tunable interference filter according to claim 6 .

8. The display device further includes a first capacitance detection electrode disposed on the first substrate, and a second capacitance detection electrode disposed on the first opposing surface and facing the first capacitance detection electrode. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

9. a third capacitance detection electrode provided on the first substrate; and a fourth capacitance detection electrode provided on the second substrate and facing the third capacitance detection electrode, the third capacitance detection electrode is disposed at a position surrounding the first reflective film when viewed from the thickness direction, the fourth capacitance detection electrode is disposed at a position surrounding the second reflective film when viewed from the thickness direction. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

10. an area where the first reflective film and the second reflective film overlap each other as viewed from the thickness direction is defined as an optical area, and the connecting portion is formed in an annular shape surrounding the periphery of the optical area, The drive unit is formed in a circular ring shape around the optical region at a position overlapping with the connecting unit. The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

11. an area where the first reflective film and the second reflective film overlap as viewed from the thickness direction is defined as an optical area, and the plurality of connecting portions are provided at positions that are rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the optical area, and a plurality of the driving portions are provided corresponding to the plurality of connecting portions, respectively; The tunable interference filter according to claim 1 .

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Variable wavelength filter controller and variable wavelength filter

    JP2002277758A

  • Wavelength variable interference filter, optical module, and optical analysis device

    JP2012173324A

  • MEMS drive unit, electronic apparatus and MEMS drive method

    JP2015225153A

  • Double hidden flexure microactuator for phase mirror array

    US20050111119A1

  • Tunable Light Filter

    US20080239494A1