Optical Filter With Plasmonic TCF For Thinner Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional narrow band pass filters require a thicker filtering stack to effectively suppress longer wavelengths, leading to increased manufacturing costs, structural defects, and challenges in device scaling due to high stress and thickness.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a plasmonic transparent conducting film made of non-stoichiometric compounds into the filtering stack, which absorbs unwanted wavelengths, allowing for a thinner design that maintains effective suppression of longer wavelengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the multi-film stack uses a higher quantity of alternating layers to suppress longer wavelengths, then the wavelength suppression effectiveness is improved, but the thickness increases leading to higher manufacturing costs and structural defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the filtering stack by introducing layers with negative refractive indices. This fundamental parameter change allows the stack to achieve the same wavelength suppression effectiveness with fewer layers, thereby reducing thickness while maintaining reliability. The negative refractive index materials enable new optical interference patterns that are more efficient at blocking long wavelengths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining materials with positive and negative refractive indices in an alternating multi-film stack. This composite approach leverages the complementary optical properties of both material types to achieve superior wavelength suppression with reduced thickness compared to conventional all-positive-index stacks.
2Reliability
If the multi-film stack uses a higher quantity of alternating layers to suppress longer wavelengths, then the wavelength suppression effectiveness is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the refractive index parameter to include negative values, the patent reduces the number of layers required in the filtering stack. This directly decreases manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the necessary wavelength suppression performance, eliminating the need to manufacture excessively thick multi-film structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implies that using negative refractive index materials enables a more economical filtering stack design. The reduced layer count and thickness translate to lower material costs, fewer deposition steps, and reduced manufacturing time, making the overall structure more cost-effective despite the specialized materials used.
3Reliability
If the multi-film stack uses a higher quantity of alternating layers to suppress longer wavelengths, then the wavelength suppression effectiveness is improved, but the structural defects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental optical parameter (refractive index) to negative values, which alters the interference conditions in the multi-film stack. This enables achieving the desired wavelength suppression with fewer layers, thereby reducing the cumulative manufacturing errors and structural defects that would otherwise accumulate across many alternating layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts or removes the excess layers from the conventional multi-film stack that are unnecessary when negative refractive index materials are used. By taking out these redundant layers, the patent simultaneously reduces structural defects and simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining wavelength suppression effectiveness.
4Reliability
If the multi-film stack uses a higher quantity of alternating layers to suppress longer wavelengths, then the wavelength suppression effectiveness is improved, but the device scaling becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the refractive index parameter to enable more compact filtering stack designs. This parameter change allows for reduced thickness and simplified layer structures, making the devices easier to scale down for miniaturization applications while maintaining the necessary optical performance for wavelength suppression.
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 absorption type narrow band pass filter with a plasmonic transparent conducting film reduces manufacturing costs, decreases structural defects, and improves device scaling by maintaining effective wavelength suppression with a lower thickness.
Implementation Method 1
The second layers include a plasmonic transparent conducting film (TCF), wherein the plasmonic transparent conducting film is made of non-stoichiometric compounds
Data Source
AI summary
An optical filter includes a substrate and a filtering stack disposed on the substrate. The filtering stack includes first layers and second layers, wherein the first layers and the second layers are alternately arranged. The second layers include a plasmonic transparent conducting film (TCF), wherein the plasmonic transparent conducting film is made of non-stoichiometric compounds.