Optical Component Adhesion-Reducing Surface Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical components in optoelectronic devices with sticky surfaces suffer from contamination due to particle adhesion, leading to quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A chemically modified surface layer on resin molding materials, such as silicone resin, is created using a plasma treatment with fluorine-containing compounds like CF4, C2F6, or SF6 to reduce adhesion, forming a thin Teflon-like layer less than 50 nm thick, which prevents dust and other contaminants from adhering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the surface of optical components is left untreated, then the component maintains its original material properties and simplicity, but the surface becomes sticky and attracts particles such as dust, leading to contamination and quality problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies plasma treatment to chemically modify the surface of the resin molding material, changing its physical and chemical parameters. The plasma treatment introduces fluorinated compounds that create a low-adhesion surface layer, fundamentally altering the surface energy and chemical composition without changing the bulk material properties. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the sticky surface into a non-sticky surface through parameter modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite surface structure where fluorinated compounds are integrated into the resin molding material surface through plasma treatment. This forms a composite material system with the fluorinated surface layer providing anti-adhesion properties while the underlying resin maintains its optical and mechanical functions. The composite structure enables both contamination resistance and material simplicity.
2Reliability
If a surface treatment is applied to reduce adhesion, then particle adhesion is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and requires additional treatment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma treatment with fluorinated compounds is applied as a preliminary surface modification step during the manufacturing process. By performing the adhesion-reducing treatment early in the production sequence, the component leaves the factory with built-in contamination resistance, eliminating the need for separate post-manufacturing treatment steps and simplifying the overall manufacturing workflow.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the resin molding material is fluorinated to create a Teflon-like surface layer, then adhesion of contaminants is significantly reduced, but the manufacturing process requires plasma treatment with fluorine-containing compounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical or chemical coating methods with plasma treatment. Instead of applying separate coating layers or using chemical baths, the plasma process directly modifies the surface chemistry of the resin molding material in situ. This substitution simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating the need for separate coating applications and curing steps.
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 contamination by creating a low-adhesion surface on optical components, making them more resistant to dust and other particles, while maintaining temperature and radiation stability, and is suitable for use in optoelectronic components as lenses or potting materials.
Implementation Method 1
the molded resin material is exposed to a plasma. The plasma contains fluorine-containing compounds
Implementation Method 2
These compounds contain fluorine which serves to fluorine the silicone resin or epoxy resin. In this way, the carbon atoms contained in the resin molding material can be fluorinated.
Implementation Method 3
These compounds contain fluorine which serves to fluorine the silicone resin or epoxy resin. In this way, the carbon atoms contained in the resin molding material can be fluorinated. This creates Teflon-like compounds that form a thin layer with a thickness of less than 50 nm on the surface of the resin molding material.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an optical component having a defined form, said component comprising a cured resin provided with an adhesion-reducing, chemically modified surface layer.