Integrated Computational Element Design for High NA Optical Systems

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the design parameters of multilayer optical thin films from normal incidence optimization to oblique incidence optimization. Specifically, the thin film structures are redesigned with adjusted layer thicknesses and materials to compensate for spectral shifts caused by high angle of incidence light rays in high NA optical beams, thereby maintaining spectral accuracy across varying incidence angles

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-compensating for spectral shifts in the thin film design phase. The optical thin films are designed with predetermined compensation for oblique incidence effects, so that when high NA optical beams pass through them, the spectral properties remain accurate without requiring additional real-time adjustment mechanisms

The patent extracts the spectral filtering function from the spatial filtering approach. Instead of using spatial filters to select parallel rays, the patent uses multilayer optical thin films to perform spectral filtering directly, allowing all light rays in the high NA beam to pass through while maintaining spectral accuracy through the thin film's wavelength-selective properties

The patent replaces the mechanical spatial filtering system with an optical thin film system. The multilayer thin films use optical interference effects to achieve spectral selection without the need for physical spatial filters that would block portions of the beam, thereby maintaining signal-to-noise ratio while achieving spectral accuracy