Meta Optical Element Correcting Spherical Aberrations in Mobile Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile phone camera lens systems with polymeric refractive lenses face issues with thermal distortions and complex manufacturing due to their shape, leading to performance degradation and high costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a meta optical element, such as a metalens with a metasurface, that has both diverging and converging optical characteristics, which is less susceptible to thermal distortions and has simpler manufacturing tolerances, replacing traditional S-shaped refractive lenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If S-shaped polymeric refractive lenses are used to achieve both diverging and converging optical characteristics, then the optical performance is improved, but thermal distortion susceptibility increases due to high coefficients of thermal expansion in polymeric materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from polymeric to inorganic material, which has lower coefficients of thermal expansion. This parameter change resolves the thermal distortion issue while maintaining the S-shaped optical surface for aberration correction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures, specifically inorganic materials or silicon on glass substrates, combining materials with complementary properties to achieve both the required optical characteristics and thermal stability
2Reliability
If S-shaped refractive lenses with high curvature are used to correct field-angle dependence, then the optical performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase due to complex shaping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical lens shaping processes with deposition and etching processes for forming the S-shaped surface. This substitution simplifies manufacturing by using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques instead of complex optical molding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from mechanical shaping to deposition/etching processes, altering the production method parameter to reduce complexity and tooling costs while maintaining the required S-shaped surface geometry
3Volume of moving object
If S-shaped polymeric lenses are used to provide both diverging and converging portions, then the device compactness is improved, but thermal distortion susceptibility increases due to proximity to electronic circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameter from polymeric to inorganic material, which fundamentally alters the thermal expansion characteristics. This enables compact device design without the thermal distortion problems of polymeric materials near heat-generating electronics
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 meta optical element provides improved optical performance by correcting spherical aberrations, reducing bulkiness, and lowering manufacturing costs while minimizing thermal distortions and curvature-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
light waves passing through the concave portion diverge, or are scattered away from, a focal point or centerline. This divergence occurs because the lens is thinner in the center and thicker toward the periphery, causing light entering the lens to be refracted away from its center
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and imaging system are disclosed and include a meta optical element having a phase function having both diverging and converging optical characteristics. In some instances, the apparatus or imaging system includes a lens system including at least one lens, wherein the meta optical element is optically aligned with the at least one lens.