Porous Ceramic Anti-Reflective Coating for Curved Optical Lenses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional anti-reflective coating techniques struggle to achieve high uniformity on optical lens elements with extreme surface shape changes, particularly in high-end mobile devices with multiple lens elements.
Innovation Solution
An optical lens assembly with at least four optical lens elements, where at least one element features an anti-reflective coating made of plastic with a ceramic outer coating layer, and a meta lens structure. The coating includes a plurality of holes with varying sizes and a specific thickness arrangement to ensure uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional coating techniques (PVD and general CVD) are used, then coating can be manufactured on planar surfaces, but coating uniformity deteriorates on optical lens elements with extreme surface shape changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous coating layer with controlled pore sizes and distributions to achieve anti-reflective functionality. The porous structure allows the coating to conform to extreme surface shape changes while maintaining uniform optical properties, resolving the contradiction between coating uniformity and adaptability to curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures combining multiple layers with different properties (porous layers, ceramic layers, plastic layers) to achieve both coating uniformity on planar surfaces and adaptability to curved surfaces. The composite structure enables the coating to maintain performance across varying surface geometries.
2Reliability
If the number of lens elements is increased to correct aberrations, then optical performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the refractive indices, thicknesses, and curvature radii of lens elements to correct aberrations. By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves high optical performance with a reduced number of lens elements, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anti-reflective coating thickness is increased to reduce reflection, then reflective issues are improved, but coating uniformity across the field of view deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the coating thickness and pore distribution at different locations across the lens surface. The coating is designed with different properties in different regions (central region vs. peripheral region) to achieve both reflection reduction and coating uniformity across the entire field of view.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous coating structure enables reflection reduction through controlled light scattering and absorption in the pores. The pore size, shape, and distribution are optimized to achieve anti-reflective properties while maintaining uniform coating appearance and performance across the field of view, even with varying thickness.
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 reflective issues with strong light at large angles, enhances image quality, and maintains even manufacturing results across the field of view, particularly for curved optical lens elements.
Implementation Method 1
The anti-reflective coating includes a plurality of holes, and sizes of the plurality of holes adjacent to the outer of the anti-reflective coating are larger than sizes of the plurality of holes adjacent to the inner of the anti-reflective coating
Data Source
AI summary
An optical lens assembly includes, from an object side to an image side, at least four optical lens elements. At least one of the at least four optical lens elements includes an anti-reflective coating. The at least one optical lens element including the anti-reflective coating is made of a plastic material. The anti-reflective coating is arranged on an object-side surface or an image-side surface of the at least one optical lens element including the anti-reflective coating. The anti-reflective coating includes at least one coating layer. One of the at least one coating layer at the outer of the anti-reflective coating is made of ceramics. The anti-reflective coating includes a plurality of holes, and sizes of the plurality of holes adjacent to the outer of the anti-reflective coating are larger than sizes of the plurality of holes adjacent to the inner of the anti-reflective coating.