Optical Lens with Aluminum-Oxide Bonded Light Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of light emitters and detectors in electronic devices often results in undesirable light pathways that cause false positives or noise due to light leakage, which is exacerbated by the need for compact designs in portable devices, leading to cross-talk and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
An optical lens with transparent and opaque portions bonded via aluminum-oxide bonds, featuring an opaque metal barrier that minimizes light absorption and maximizes reflectance, providing optical isolation and preventing light leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If emitter and detector components are arranged in compact ways to maintain small form factors, then device size is reduced, but light leakage pathways increase causing false positives and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The optical lens is segmented into multiple regions with different optical properties: a first transparent region, a second transparent region, and an opaque region positioned between them. This segmentation creates optical isolation that prevents light leakage from the emitter to the detector while maintaining compact device dimensions, thereby resolving the contradiction between small form factor and detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the optical lens are assigned different local qualities: the first and second regions are transparent to allow light transmission for detection, while the opaque region specifically blocks light pathways. This localized differentiation of optical properties enables compact arrangement of components while preventing false positives through targeted optical isolation.
2Reliability
If opaque barriers are added to prevent light leakage, then detection accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical lens combines multiple functional regions (transparent regions for light transmission and opaque region for isolation) into a single integrated component. This merging approach provides optical isolation to prevent light leakage while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, thus improving detection accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical lens serves multiple functions simultaneously: it allows light transmission through transparent regions for detector operation, provides optical isolation through the opaque region to prevent false positives, and maintains a compact form factor. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby improving detection accuracy without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces cross-talk and false signals while maintaining compact device size by maximizing light transmission and minimizing absorption, enhancing the accuracy and sensitivity of emitter-detector systems.
Implementation Method 1
The opaque metal barrier is bonded directly to the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion via aluminum-oxide bonds
Implementation Method 2
an opaque metal barrier that minimizes light absorption and maximizes reflectance
Data Source
AI summary
An optical lens includes a first transparent portion, a second transparent portion, and an opaque metal barrier separating the first transparent portion from the second transparent portion. The opaque metal barrier is bonded directly to the first transparent portion and the second transparent portion via aluminum-oxide bonds. The optical lens can include a transition zone between the opaque metal barrier and adjacent transparent portions. The transition zone can include the aluminum-oxide bonds and have a thickness.