Self-Tilted Micromirror Array Lens for Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lenses face challenges in balancing image quality and production cost, with spherical lenses suffering from aberration issues and aspherical lenses being time-consuming and expensive to fabricate, while large Fresnel lenses have poor image quality. Additionally, existing lens fabrication methods are size, surface profile, and material dependent, limiting their versatility and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of a Micromirror Array Lens with self-tilted micromirrors that form a designed optical surface profile using adhesion forces, allowing for flexible and cost-effective fabrication of lenses with variable or fixed focal lengths, independent of size and material properties, and enabling mass production of diverse lens types on a single substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If spherical lenses are used, then production cost is reduced and fabrication is simplified, but image quality deteriorates due to aberration problems
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is segmented into multiple independent micromirrors arranged in an array, where each micromirror can be individually controlled to form different optical surface profiles. This segmentation allows the system to achieve aspherical lens functionality through software control rather than complex physical fabrication, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The micromirrors are designed with dynamic tilt capabilities, allowing each micromirror to adjust its orientation independently. This dynamic adjustment enables the formation of various optical surface profiles (spherical, aspherical, flat, etc.) without requiring different physical lens structures, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving high image quality through adaptive optics.
2Manufacturing precision
If aspherical lenses are used, then image quality is improved by reducing aberration, but production cost increases and fabrication becomes time-consuming and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of physically fabricating complex aspherical lens surfaces, the invention uses an array of micromirrors that can be electronically controlled to copy or reproduce the desired aspherical optical surface profile. This virtual copying approach achieves the optical effects of aspherical lenses without the fabrication complexity, significantly reducing production cost and time while maintaining high image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from physical fabrication dimensions to electronic tilt angles of micromirrors. By adjusting the tilt parameters of individual micromirrors, the system can dynamically create different aspherical surface profiles without requiring complex fabrication processes, thereby achieving high image quality with simplified manufacturing.
3Weight of moving object
If conventional Fresnel lenses are used to make large lenses, then handling of large and heavy materials is avoided, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The large lens is segmented into multiple small micromirrors that can be individually controlled. This segmentation allows the system to achieve large aperture functionality without requiring a single large heavy lens, while the precise electronic control of each micromirror segment maintains high image quality by accurately forming the required optical surface profile.
4Manufacturing precision
If gradient index lenses are used, then aberration is significantly reduced, but fabrication remains expensive and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical fabrication process required for gradient index lenses with an electronic control system that adjusts micromirror tilt angles. This substitution achieves the same aberration reduction effect through software-controlled optical path adjustment rather than physical material gradient fabrication, significantly reducing fabrication difficulty and cost while maintaining high image quality.
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 approach simplifies the lens fabrication process, reduces production costs, and allows for the creation of multiple lens types with improved image quality by forming optical surface profiles post-fabrication, addressing the limitations of conventional lenses in terms of size, surface profile, and material dependency, while correcting aberrations and enabling adaptive optics.
Implementation Method 1
at least one stiction plate configured to be attracted to the substrate by adhesion force
Data Source
AI summary
A Micromirror Array Lens with self-tilted micromirrors comprising a plurality of self-tilted micromirrors and configured to form a designed optical surface profile by self-tilted micromirrors. Each self-tilted micromirror comprises a substrate, at least one stiction plate configured to be attracted to the substrate by adhesion force, a micromirror plate having a reflective surface, coupled to the stiction plate elastically and configured to have a required motion when the stiction plate is attracted to the substrate, and at least one pivot structure disposed between the substrate and the micromirror plate and configured to provide a tilting point or area for the motion of the micromirror plate. The designed optical surface profile determines the required motion of the micromirror plate and a surface profile shape memory is built in the structure of the micro-mechanical elements of the self-tilted micromirrors so that each micromirror plate has the required motion.