JP4913857B2 - Optical displacement measuring device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical displacement measuring device.

  Conventionally, an xy scale for optically detecting a biaxial displacement of the x-axis and the y-axis is known. Two light receiving devices that output displacement signals in the x-axis and y-axis directions are mounted on the sensor head with respect to the xy scale.

  However, when two light receiving devices are mounted on a substrate, it is difficult to obtain a highly accurate xy squareness because the xy squareness depends on the mounting accuracy. Further, since the two light receiving devices are mounted in different regions of the substrate, the sensor head cannot be reduced in size. Usually, a rigid flat substrate such as a glass substrate is used as the substrate on which the light receiving device is mounted. However, the scale surface of the xy scale is not limited to a flat surface, and may be a spherical surface or a cylindrical surface. For this reason, the structure in which the light receiving device is mounted on a rigid substrate cannot flexibly cope with an xy scale having various scale surfaces.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an optical displacement measuring device in which a light receiving element array for detecting biaxial displacement is integrated with an excellent squareness. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical displacement measuring device having a sensor head in which a light receiving element array for detecting biaxial displacement is integrated in a small size. Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical displacement measuring device having a sensor head that can flexibly handle various scale surfaces.

  An optical displacement measuring apparatus according to the present invention is arranged so that a scale having an optical grating formed in a biaxial direction and a relative movement in a biaxial direction facing the scale and optically detecting the relative movement. A sensor head having a light receiving element array for outputting a displacement signal, and the light receiving element array of the sensor head is formed of a substrate and a semiconductor film deposited on the substrate, and is in a first axial direction of the optical grating. A first light receiving element group that outputs a displacement signal corresponding to the displacement in the first axial direction, and an insulating layer formed to cover the first light receiving element group, and on the insulating layer And a second light receiving element group arranged at a predetermined pitch in the second axis direction of the optical grating and outputting a displacement signal corresponding to the displacement in the second axis direction. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, the light receiving element array for measuring the displacement in the biaxial direction is configured as a stacked structure of light receiving element groups formed by film deposition of a semiconductor film and lithography. Accordingly, the perpendicularity of the biaxial light receiving element group becomes excellent, and a small and high performance optical displacement measuring device can be obtained.

  In the present invention, the substrate of the light receiving element array is, for example, a transparent substrate having a light incident surface on a surface opposite to the surface on which the first and second light receiving element groups are stacked. A flexible resin substrate can be used as this substrate. Thereby, even when the scale surface having a two-dimensional optical grating is a curved surface, it can be flexibly opposed.

  The optical displacement measuring apparatus according to the present invention also includes a scale on which an optical grating is formed, and a light receiving element that is disposed so as to be relatively movable so as to face the scale and optically detects the relative movement and outputs a displacement signal. A sensor head having an array, the light receiving element array having a light receiving element group obtained by patterning a semiconductor film deposited on the substrate, and at least one of the scale and the light receiving element array being a flexible resin substrate It is characterized by being formed.

  According to the present invention, by forming at least one of the scale and the light receiving element array on the flexible resin substrate, the scale surface shape can be a cylindrical surface, a spherical surface, a free surface, regardless of whether the optical grating of the scale is one-dimensional or two-dimensional. It is possible to flexibly cope with a curved surface or the like. Specifically, in the present invention, preferably, the light receiving element array includes a flexible resin substrate and a plurality of light receiving elements that are formed of a semiconductor film deposited on the flexible resin substrate and output displacement signals having different phases. Configured. When the scale has a two-dimensional optical grating, the light-receiving element array is configured to have first and second light-receiving element groups formed at different positions on the substrate corresponding to the two-dimensional optical grating. Alternatively, it may be configured to have a first and a second light receiving element group formed in a laminated manner via an insulating layer at the same position of the substrate corresponding to a two-dimensional optical grating.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a small optical displacement measuring device in which a light receiving element array for detecting biaxial displacement is integrated with an excellent squareness. According to the present invention, an optical displacement measuring device having a sensor head that can flexibly handle various scale surfaces can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of an optical displacement measuring device according to the present invention. It is a top view which shows the structural example of a sensor head. It is A-A 'sectional drawing of FIG. It is a top view which shows the other structural example of a sensor head. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a B-B ′ cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the displacement measuring apparatus applied to the cylindrical scale. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the other displacement measuring apparatus applied to the cylindrical scale. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the displacement measuring device applied to the free-form surface scale. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the displacement measuring device applied to the spherical scale. It is a figure which shows the specific structural example of a sensor head. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of a sensor head. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of a sensor head. The structural example which deform | transformed the structure of FIG. 11 is shown. The structural example which deform | transformed the structure of FIG. 12 is shown. It is a figure which shows the other layout example of a light receiving element array.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the basic configuration of the optical encoder of the present invention. The scale 1 is an xy scale in which a two-dimensional optical grating 11 in the biaxial direction perpendicular to the x axis and the y axis is formed. The sensor head 2 is disposed so as to face the scale 1 and be relatively movable in the biaxial direction. The sensor head 2 includes a light receiving element array 3 that optically detects a relative movement in two axes and outputs a displacement signal of each axis, and a light source 4 such as an LED that irradiates the scale 1.

  The light receiving element array 3 includes photodiode arrays PDA1 and PDA2 for detecting displacement in the x-axis direction, and photodiode arrays PDA3 and PDA4 for detecting displacement in the y-axis direction. Specifically, for example, the photodiode array PDA1 includes a group of photodiodes (PD) for A-phase output and B-phase outputs that are 90 ° out of phase with each other, and the photodiode array PDA2 includes A group of photodiodes (PD) for AB phase and BB phase output that are opposite in phase to the A and B phase outputs are arranged at a predetermined pitch. Similarly, a photodiode (PD) group for A phase and B phase output is arranged in the photodiode array PDA3, and a photodiode (PD) group for AB phase and BB phase output is arranged in the photodiode array PDA4. Arranged.

  In the present invention, the light receiving element array 3 including these biaxial photodiode arrays PDA 1 to PDA 4 is integrally formed by patterning an amorphous semiconductor film deposited on a predetermined array substrate 30. FIG. 2 shows the layout of the light receiving element array 3, and FIG. 3 shows the A-A 'cross-sectional structure of FIG. The substrate 30 is a transparent substrate. In this example, the back surface of the substrate 30 is a light incident surface on which reflected light from the scale enters.

  A transparent electrode 31 is formed on the substrate 30 to be a common electrode for each photodiode PD. By patterning the amorphous semiconductor film 32 deposited on the transparent electrode 31, the arrays PDA3 and PDA4 composed of striped photodiodes PD elongated in the x-axis direction and the striped photodiode PD elongated in the y-axis direction. Arrays PDA1 and PDA2 are simultaneously formed.

  Specifically, the semiconductor film 32 has a pin layer structure or a pn layer structure. A terminal electrode 33 is formed on the upper surface of each photodiode PD. The terminal electrode 33 is continuously deposited with the semiconductor film 32 and is patterned simultaneously with the semiconductor film 32. Each photodiode PD is covered with an insulating layer 34 such as a silicon oxide film.

  In this manner, the photodiode arrays PDA1, PDA2 and PDA3, PDA4 for detecting displacement in the biaxial direction of the xy scale 1 are integrally formed by patterning the common amorphous semiconductor film 32, and these are individually formed to form a substrate. Compared with the case of attaching to, the perpendicularity of the xy two axes is excellent, and the light receiving element array 3 becomes small as a whole.

  The sensor head 2 having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is not limited to the linear displacement measurement in the x-axis and y-axis directions, and the sensor head 2 in the xy plane is processed by processing the displacement signals of the four photodiode arrays PDA1 to PDA4. Measurement of the relative rotational angular displacement θ between the scales 1 is also possible.

  1 to 3, silicon is typically used as the amorphous semiconductor film 32, but other materials such as ZnSe and CdSe are used. The same applies to the following examples.

  Next, an example in which the biaxial photodiode array has a laminated structure based on the configuration of FIGS. FIG. 4 is a layout of such a light receiving element array 3, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A 'and B-B' of FIG. 3, respectively. The displacement detection photodiode array PDAy in the y-axis direction and the displacement detection photodiode array PDAx in the x-axis direction are formed using different amorphous semiconductor films 32 and 36. A first layer amorphous semiconductor film 32 is deposited on the transparent substrate 30 via a transparent electrode 31 which is a common electrode of the photodiode array PDAy, and is patterned to form a photodiode array PDAy.

  Each terminal electrode 33 of the photodiode array PDAy is a transparent electrode. The photodiode array PDAy is covered with an interlayer insulating film 34 such as a silicon oxide film. On the interlayer insulating film 34, a second layer amorphous semiconductor film 36 is deposited via a transparent electrode 35 serving as a common electrode of the photodiode array PDAx, and is patterned to form a photodiode array PDAx. Each terminal electrode 37 of the photodiode array PDAx can be a metal electrode. The photodiode array PDAx is further covered with an insulating layer 37.

  Note that the terminal electrode 33 of the photodiode array PDAy may be a metal electrode. In this case, the terminal electrode 33 blocks light from the back surface of the substrate to the photodiode array PDAx. This is achieved by adjusting the area ratio of the photodiode arrays PDAx and PDAy so that approximately the same amount of light enters both. If so, there is no problem. Further, this can be dealt with by adjusting the output gain of the photodiode arrays PDAx and PDAy separately from the area ratio or together with the area ratio.

  In this manner, the light receiving element array 3 is further reduced in size by stacking the photodiode arrays for detecting the displacement in the biaxial direction. In addition, since the photodiode arrays are stacked by lithography, the xy biaxial perpendicularity is also excellent. In the lower photodiode array PDAy, the upper and lower electrodes are both transparent electrodes. Accordingly, light incident from the back surface of the substrate 30 is partially photoelectrically converted by the photodiode array PDAy and also transmitted to the upper photodiode array PDAx. As a result, a sufficient S / N displacement signal can be obtained for both the photodiode arrays PDAy and PDAx.

  In the above configuration example, a hard substrate such as a glass substrate can be used as the transparent substrate 30, but a flexible resin substrate is preferably used. For example, a polyimide resin is used as the flexible resin substrate. Thereby, the application range of the optical encoder becomes wide. Such an application example will be described below.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the scale 1 is a cylindrical scale. The cylindrical scale 1 is formed with a biaxial optical grating in the cylindrical axis direction (x axis) and the circumferential direction (θ) on the outer peripheral surface thereof. In contrast, a flexible resin substrate is used as the substrate 30 of the light receiving element array 3 on which the photodiode arrays PDA and PDA for detecting displacement in the x-axis and θ directions are formed.

  The light receiving element array 3 is assumed to have a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 (or a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 4 to 6) except for the substrate material. The manufacturing process is performed using film formation and lithography technology with the substrate 30 in a flat state. If the substrate 30 is a flexible resin substrate, the obtained light receiving element array 3 is curved according to the diameter of the cylindrical scale 1 as shown in FIG. Can do.

  Note that the pitch in the θ direction of the light receiving element array 3 is slightly deviated from the pitch of the photodiode arrays PDA and PDA in a pattern-formed state on a plane by being curved. However, this pitch deviation can be ignored if the diameter of the cylindrical scale 1 is more than a certain level. Therefore, by using the flexible resin substrate, the range in which the light receiving element array can be actually applied is wide. Since the above-described pitch deviation can be predicted corresponding to the diameter of the curve, the pattern pitch on the plane can be determined in consideration of the curve.

  FIG. 8 shows an example in which the scale 1 is a cylindrical scale, but only one axis in the circumferential direction (θ) direction is measured. That is, the optical grating 11 of the scale 1 is formed on the outer peripheral surface at a predetermined pitch only in the θ direction. In this case, the light receiving element array 3 is also configured by a photodiode array PDA only in the θ direction. Also in this case, by using a flexible resin substrate as the substrate 30, flexible application is possible as in the case of FIG.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the scale 1 is a free-form surface scale. The free-form surface scale 1 is formed with a biaxial optical grating in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction on the free-form surface. In contrast, a flexible resin substrate is used as the substrate 30 of the light receiving element array 3 on which the photodiode arrays PDA and PDA for detecting displacement in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction are formed. The light receiving element array 3 is assumed to have a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 (or a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 4 to 6) except for the substrate material. Thus, the linear displacement and the rotational displacement θ in the xy axis direction can be measured by making the light receiving element array 3 face the outer peripheral surface of the scale 1 with a predetermined gap while deforming the light receiving element array 3 following the free-form surface scale 1.

  In the configuration of FIG. 9, the scale 1 can be formed on a flexible substrate, and the array substrate 30 of the light receiving element array 3 can be made rigid. In this case, the scale 1 is bonded to an object having a free curved surface to become the free curved surface scale 1. On the other hand, the sensor head 2 is opposed to each other with a predetermined gap to be relatively movable. Also in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8, the optical grating 11 of the scale 1 can be formed using a flexible resin substrate and can be attached to a cylindrical surface. Furthermore, both the scale 1 and the array substrate 30 of the light receiving element array 3 can be flexible substrates. When a flexible substrate is used for the light receiving element array 3, a surface light emitting element such as an organic EL element that can be flexibly deformed can be used as a light source.

  FIG. 10 shows an example in which the scale 1 is a spherical scale. The scale 1 is formed with two optical gratings 11 in the circumferential directions θ and φ perpendicular to the spherical surface. A sensor head 2 is attached so that the scale 1 is covered with a cap. The substrate 30 of the light receiving element array 3 on which the photodiode arrays PDA and PDA for detecting the displacement in the θ direction and the φ direction are formed is arranged so as to face the spherical surface of the scale 1 using a flexible resin substrate. Yes. The light receiving element array 3 is assumed to have a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 (or a photodiode array configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 4 to 6) except for the substrate material. Thus, by using a flexible resin substrate as the substrate of the light receiving element array 3, it is possible to cope with a spherical scale.

  Some specific examples of the configuration of the sensor head 2 of the optical displacement measuring device according to the present invention will be given below. The sensor head 2 in FIG. 11 uses a transparent substrate 5 on which a light receiving element array 3 is mounted. Then, an LED chip as the light source 4 is mounted on the light receiving element array 3 with its upper surface as a light emitting surface, and this LED mounting portion is molded with a transparent resin 6 having a convex surface. A reflective film 7 is formed on the convex surface of the transparent resin 6. As a result, the light from the LED is reflected by the convex surface to become substantially parallel light, and is irradiated onto the scale 1 through the transparent substrate 5. In this case, the light source light is irradiated to the scale through a region where the light receiving elements of the light receiving element array 3 are not formed. If the first optical grating is formed in this region, a three-grating system can be configured. Further, a three-grating system can be configured by providing a first optical grating under the light-receiving element array 3 so that the light source light is irradiated to the scale through the light-receiving element array 3 and the first optical grating. In FIG. 11, a signal processing circuit 8 for processing the output signal of the light receiving element array 3 is also mounted on the transparent substrate 5.

  FIG. 12 shows an example in which a three-grid system is configured. In this case, the sensor head 2 has a light source side index grating 10 formed on an index substrate 9 made of a transparent substrate, and the light from the light source 4 is irradiated to the scale 1 through the index grating 10. Yes. The light receiving element array 3 is mounted on the index substrate 9 apart from the index grating 10.

  The sensor head 2 of FIG. 13 is an example in which a surface emitting LED is used as the light source 4. A surface emitting LED is arranged with its light emitting surface facing the scale 1, and the light receiving element array 3 is mounted on the light emitting surface. Light from the LED is irradiated to the scale 1 almost vertically through the light receiving element array 3, and light reflected from the scale 1 almost vertically is detected by the light receiving element array 3. As the surface light emitting element, for example, an organic EL element can be used in addition to the LED.

  FIG. 14 is a modification of FIG. The light source is simply configured by arranging the LEDs 4. The light from the LED 4 is incident on the light receiving element array 3 serving both as the first grating and the third grating substantially vertically, and is transmitted through the light receiving element array 3 to be applied to the scale 1. FIG. 15 is a modification of FIG. A concave mirror is constituted by the transparent resin body 6b having a shape obtained by dividing the sphere into approximately 1/4 and the reflective film 7, and the LED 4 is attached to the side surface of the transparent resin body 6b with the light emitting surface vertical. The light reflected by the reflective film 7 is incident obliquely on the index grating 10 and irradiates the scale 1. Note that a three-grating system using an index grating (or pinhole array) with the same pitch as the scale grating on the light source side is optically divided into two (that is, the output signal pitch is ½ that of the two-grating system). However, the light source side index grating (or pin pole array) is not always necessary. For example, the light source side index grating 10 can be omitted in the configurations of FIGS.

  In the examples so far, each photodiode PD of the light receiving element array 3 has a long and narrow rectangular pattern. However, as for the pattern of this photodiode PD, a plurality of in-phase ones are bundled, as shown in FIGS. The pattern shown in FIG. In FIG. 16A, a connecting portion 141 serving as a contact portion of the terminal wiring is provided in the central portion of the plurality of photodiodes PD. In FIG. 16B, a connecting portion 142 is provided at the end of the plurality of photodiodes. Moreover, in FIG.16 (c), the some connection part 143 is provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Scale, 11 ... Optical grating, 2 ... Sensor head, 3 ... Light receiving element array, 4 ... Light source, PDA ... Photodiode array, 30 ... Array substrate, 31, 35 ... Transparent electrode, 32 ... Semiconductor film, 33, 37 ... terminal electrodes, 34, 38 ... insulating layers.

Claims (7)

A scale on which an optical grating is formed; and a sensor head having a light receiving element array that is disposed so as to be relatively movable facing the scale and optically detects the relative movement and outputs a displacement signal. arrays, optical, characterized in Rukoto that Yusuke and the flexible resin substrate, and a plurality of light receiving elements for outputting a displacement signal of the different phases are formed by patterning a semiconductor film deposited on the flexible resin substrate Displacement measuring device.   2. The optical displacement measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scale is a planar scale on which a one-dimensional or two-dimensional optical grating is formed.   2. The optical displacement measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scale is a cylindrical scale on which a one-dimensional or two-dimensional optical grating is formed.   2. The optical displacement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the scale is a spherical scale on which a two-dimensional optical grating is formed.   2. The optical displacement measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the scale is a free-form surface scale on which a two-dimensional optical grating is formed.   The scale has a two-dimensional optical grating, and the light-receiving element array has first and second light-receiving element groups formed at different positions on the substrate corresponding to the two-dimensional optical grating. The optical displacement measuring device according to claim 1.   The scale has a two-dimensional optical grating, and the light-receiving element array is formed by stacking first and second light-receiving element groups corresponding to the two-dimensional optical grating through an insulating layer at the same position on the substrate. The optical displacement measuring device according to claim 1, comprising:

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