Curable Resin Composition for Diffractive Optical Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing curable resin compositions used for producing diffractive optical elements often result in bubbles and poor surface quality due to high viscosity, which hinders the formation of lattice-shaped products with diffraction grating shapes.
Innovation Solution
A curable resin composition comprising a bifunctional or more (meth)acrylate compound, indium tin oxide particles, and an acidic polymer with a carboxyl group, where the acidic polymer has a specific molecular structure and acid value, is used to control viscosity and improve dispersibility, preventing bubble formation and ensuring a smooth peel from the mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional curable resin compositions are used to produce diffractive optical elements, then the material can be cured to form a solid structure, but bubbles are mixed in and surface quality deteriorates due to high viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the curable resin system by introducing a multi-component formulation including photopolymerizable monomers, oligomers, and specific additives. This parameter change reduces the viscosity of the curable resin composition, enabling it to be properly filled into mold cavities without trapping bubbles, while still maintaining the ability to cure and form structurally sound diffractive optical elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite curable resin composition by combining multiple materials: photopolymerizable monomers, oligomers, ITO particles, and other additives. This composite formulation achieves a balance between viscosity reduction and curing performance, allowing the material to flow easily into complex lattice structures while maintaining optical properties and structural integrity after curing
2Stability of the object's composition
If the curable resin composition has high viscosity, then the material structure remains stable, but it is difficult to apply to the mold and form lattice-shaped products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the rheological parameters of the curable resin composition by selecting specific monomers and oligomers with appropriate molecular weights and functional groups. These parameter changes reduce viscosity to improve mold filling capability while the photopolymerization mechanism ensures that once filled, the material maintains structural stability during and after curing
3Reliability
If ITO particles are added to reduce Abbe number and improve chromatic aberration correction, then optical performance is enhanced, but viscosity increases and bubble formation is promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the particle size parameters of ITO particles and controls their concentration within specific ranges. Additionally, the patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the resin matrix to ensure compatibility with ITO particles. These parameter changes allow sufficient ITO particle content for optical performance while maintaining low enough viscosity to prevent bubble formation during molding
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 composition provides a transparent, bubble-free cured product with a good surface shape, suitable for forming diffractive optical elements with improved optical characteristics, such as refractive index and Abbe number, enhancing the production of diffractive optical elements.
Implementation Method 1
an acidic polymer with a carboxyl group, where the acidic polymer has a specific molecular structure and acid value, is used to control viscosity and improve dispersibility
Implementation Method 2
a curable resin composition comprising a bifunctional or more (meth)acrylate compound, indium tin oxide particles, and an acidic polymer
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a curable resin composition including a bifunctional or more (meth)acrylate compound, indium tin oxide particles, and an acidic polymer, in which the acidic polymer has a moiety including a carboxyl group at a polymer skeleton of a (meth)acrylate compound and at any one of terminals of the polymer skeleton of a (meth)acrylate compound, and an acid value of the acidic polymer is 2.0 mgKOH/g or more and less than 100 mgKOH/g. The curable resin composition of the present invention provides a transparent cured product, hardly causes bubbles to be mixed in a case of applying the curable resin composition to a mold so as to form a lattice-shaped cured product, and also has a good peeled surface shape from the mold after curing. The present invention also provides a diffractive optical element including a surface having a diffraction grating shape and formed of the cured product of the curable resin composition.