Wafer-Level Composite Lenses for Compact Camera Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera optics face challenges in reducing size and cost while maintaining image quality, with traditional fabrication methods being limited in production capacity and prone to surface deformation, especially in wafer-level optics where high temperatures are involved.
Innovation Solution
A two-element composite lens architecture is developed for wafer-level cameras, utilizing a wide range of refractive materials and a replication process that includes UV curing, allowing for improved illumination efficiency and simplified manufacturing, enabling the production of compact, high-resolution optical systems with reduced complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional lens assemblies with three or more lens elements are used, then image quality can be maintained, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lens elements into a single integrated lens assembly where the first and second lenses are positioned in close proximity, effectively merging their optical functions into one compact unit. This consolidation reduces the overall number of discrete components while maintaining the optical performance that would traditionally require three or more separate lens elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated lens assembly is designed to perform multiple optical functions simultaneously - correcting aberrations, controlling focal length, and managing illumination - all within a single compact structure. The lens assembly serves as a universal optical solution that replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized lens elements.
2Productivity
If conventional fabrication methods such as injection molding and glass fabrication are used, then manufacturing can be performed, but production capacity is limited and surface deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fabrication methods (injection molding, glass fabrication, polishing) with a replication process that uses photopolymerization. The replication mold is cured using UV light exposure, transforming the manufacturing approach from mechanical shaping to chemical formation. This substitution enables higher production capacity while eliminating surface deformation caused by mechanical processing and high-temperature exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters by using UV curing instead of thermal curing. This parameter change from thermal to photopolymerization-based curing eliminates the high temperature exposure that causes surface deformation in conventional methods. The replication process operates at lower temperatures, improving both manufacturing precision and production capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional heat curing processes are used for wafer level optics, then lens assembly can be formed, but manufacturing difficulties increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes thermal heat curing with UV photopolymerization curing. This replacement eliminates the need for high-temperature processing, significantly reducing manufacturing difficulty. The UV curing process occurs at ambient or low temperatures, avoiding the thermal stress and deformation issues associated with traditional heat curing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the curing parameter from thermal energy (heat) to photonic energy (UV light). This parameter change fundamentally alters the manufacturing process, enabling wafer level optics to be cured at low temperatures without the difficulties associated with traditional heat curing. The replication material can be processed and cured in a straightforward photopolymerization sequence.
4Reliability
If conventional lens assemblies with multiple elements are used, then optical performance can be achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple lens elements into a single integrated assembly, reducing the total number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and aligned. This consolidation maintains optical performance while significantly reducing assembly complexity and manufacturing cost, as fewer discrete parts and fewer alignment operations are required.
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 provides a compact, high-resolution optical system with improved illumination efficiency and reduced manufacturing complexity and cost, achieving comparable performance to conventional lens designs with fewer elements, thus addressing the limitations of traditional optics in size and cost.
Implementation Method 1
The replication material can be cured. In an embodiment, the replication material is cured using ultraviolet (UV) light.
Data Source
AI summary
Providing for a wafer level optical system employing composite lenses is disclosed herein. Conventional focus lens assemblies require three or more lenses. By way of example, two composite lenses can be used to reduce the cost of a wafer-level camera. In some aspects, the composite lenses can be aspheric and can employ a broader variety of wafer materials than earlier designs that only operated in narrow ranges of refractive indices and Abbe numbers.