Pivotable Optical Element Package with Segmented Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical elements and devices are degraded during manufacturing processes due to heat treatment and thermal stress, leading to issues like deformation and poor airtightness.
Innovation Solution
An optical device design featuring a pivotable optical element with a package structure that separates the closing process into two steps: bonding the window and wall using low-melting glass, followed by seam welding the bottom plate, minimizing thermal exposure and stress, and using materials like optical glass and ceramics to reduce expansion differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing methods (low-melting glass or seam welding) are used to house optical elements, then a sealed interior is achieved, but thermal stress and heat treatment during manufacturing cause degradation, deformation, and poor airtightness
Solution Approach 1:
The package structure is segmented into a wall portion and a lid portion that are separable. The optical element is housed in the wall portion first, then the lid portion is attached separately. This segmentation allows the optical element to be positioned before thermal processing, avoiding exposure to high temperatures during sealing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical element is positioned and fixed in the wall portion before the sealing operation. The lid portion is prepared with sealing protrusions in advance, and the sealing is performed after the optical element is already in place, preventing thermal stress from affecting the optical element during the sealing process.
2Strength
If heat treatment is applied during manufacturing to bond components, then joining is achieved, but optical elements suffer from thermal degradation and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding process is segmented into two separate operations: low-temperature bonding of the window to the wall portion, and high-temperature seam welding of the lid portion. This segmentation ensures that the optical element, already positioned in the wall portion, is not exposed to high temperatures during the welding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall portion acts as an intermediary structure that houses the optical element and provides a platform for low-temperature window bonding. This intermediary structure protects the optical element from direct exposure to high-temperature welding operations performed on the lid portion.
3Ease of manufacture
If materials with different thermal expansion coefficients are used for package components, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but thermal stress causes poor airtightness and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The package is segmented into multiple portions (wall, lid, window) that can be made from different materials optimized for their specific functions. The wall portion can use materials with low thermal expansion to protect the optical element, while the lid portion can use materials suitable for high-temperature welding, reducing overall thermal stress.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the package are made from materials with different properties suited to their local requirements. The window is made from optical glass for light transmission, the wall from materials providing thermal stability for the optical element, and the lid from materials suitable for sealing, optimizing both manufacturing and performance.
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
This design reduces degradation of optical elements and devices during manufacturing, enhancing airtightness and preventing deformation, while also downsizing the device and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a window that closes a first opening defined by the wall, and forms an optical path to the optically functional surface, the window being transmissive to light
Implementation Method 2
bonding the window and wall using low-melting glass
Implementation Method 3
bonding the window and wall using low-melting glass
Implementation Method 4
seam welding the bottom plate
Implementation Method 5
seam welding the bottom plate
Implementation Method 6
minimizing thermal exposure and stress
Implementation Method 7
using materials like optical glass and ceramics to reduce expansion differences
Data Source
AI summary
An optical device includes: an optical element having an optically functional surface which is pivotable; a base supporting the optical element; and a package housing the optical element and the base, in which the package includes: a wall that surrounds the optical element and the base; a window that closes a first opening defined by the wall, and forms an optical path to the optically functional surface, the window being transmissive to light; and a bottom plate that closes a second opening defined by the wall.