JP2005233937A - Optical performance evaluation method for rod lens array - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical performance evaluation method for a rod lens array capable of measuring easily and precisely the positional shift amount of the rod lens array. <P>SOLUTION: Inspection light is irradiated on a text chart 2 having a lattice pattern, the luminous energy distribution of a reference lattice pattern image is measured and is Fourier-transformed; a reference waveform component of the period same to that of the lattice pattern is extracted thereby, to find the phase of the reference waveform component; the inspection light is emitted toward the lens face of the rod lens array via the text chart; the luminous energy distribution of a lattice pattern image is measured to be Fourier-transformed; a waveform component of the period same to that of the lattice pattern is extracted thereby, to find the phase of the waveform component; and the positional shift amount of an image focusing position in the rod lens array is found, based on the phase of the reference waveform component and the phase of the waveform component. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array, and more particularly to a method for determining the amount of imaging position deviation of a rod lens array.

  The rod lens array has a structure in which a plurality of gradient index rod lenses are regularly arranged in parallel between two substrates, and functions as a one-to-one imaging optical system. For this reason, rod lens arrays are widely used as optical components for writing devices such as LED printers and optical components for image sensors in copying machines or facsimiles. The optical performance of the rod lens array greatly affects the quality performance of these devices.

  As a method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array, a method of measuring a response function (MTF: Modulation Transfer Function) of a rod lens array is conventionally known. However, even if the MTF is measured, it has not been possible to identify the cause of the poor optical performance. For example, it has not been possible to distinguish whether the deterioration in optical performance is due to variations in the characteristics of individual rod lenses arranged or due to disturbances in the arrangement of rod lenses.

  If the arrangement of the rod lenses is disturbed, the imaging positions of the individual rod lenses are shifted. As a result, distortion and color blurring of the image propagated through the rod lens array occur, or the resolution decreases. For this reason, in particular, in a rod lens array used for a device that requires a high resolution of 600 dpi or more, disturbance of the arrangement of the rod lenses becomes a big problem. In view of this, various methods have been proposed for measuring the amount of imaging position deviation, which is an index of rod lens arrangement accuracy.

  An example of a method for measuring the amount of image position displacement of the rod lens array is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-265210 (Patent Document 1). According to the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rod lens array to be inspected is illuminated with a point light source array, and light propagating through the rod lens array is received while scanning through a slit, and a period of change in received light amount. Measure the amount of misalignment from the disorder of sex.

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the point light source array used as the illumination device is a delicate component, its maintenance work is difficult. In addition, since the accuracy of the arrangement of the individual point light sources in the point light source array affects the measurement result, the measured image position displacement amount may lack accuracy.

  Another example of the method for measuring the amount of image position displacement of the rod lens array is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-264210 (Patent Document 2). According to the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, on both sides of the rod lens to be inspected, the light propagated through the rod lens array is received while scanning through the slits, and the periodicity of the change in the amount of received light is disturbed. The amount of misalignment is measured by comparing changes in the amount of received light on both sides.

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, since it is necessary to measure from both sides of the rod lens array, it is necessary to perform the measurement twice or to prepare two sets of the light receiving device and the illumination device. Becomes complicated.

  Another example of a method for measuring the amount of image position displacement of the rod lens array is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-272302 (Patent Document 3). According to the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, the rod lens array to be inspected is illuminated through the pinhole array, and the light propagated through the rod lens array is received while scanning through the slit. Measure the amount of displacement from periodic disturbances.

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, the amount of received light is limited by the pinhole and the slit. For this reason, since a collimating lens and a condensing lens are used to increase the amount of received light, the apparatus becomes complicated. Furthermore, the device becomes more complicated when a circular pinhole array is used. Further, when a long pinhole array is used, it may be difficult to cope with a change in length of the lens array.

JP 2001-265210 A JP 2001-264210 A JP 2001-272302 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array, which can easily and accurately measure the amount of positional deviation of the rod lens array.

  In order to achieve the above object, an optical performance evaluation method for a rod lens array according to the present invention is an optical performance evaluation method for obtaining an imaging position deviation amount of a rod lens array. A step of irradiating the test chart having the pattern) with the inspection light and generating a reference lattice pattern image by the inspection light transmitted through the test chart; and (b) a light amount of the reference lattice pattern image along the periodic direction of the lattice pattern. A step of measuring the distribution; and (c) Fourier transforming the light amount distribution of the reference grating pattern image, extracting a reference waveform component having the same period as the period of the grating pattern, and obtaining a phase of the reference waveform component; (D) a step of arranging a rod lens array to be inspected with its lens surface facing the test chart; and (e) inspection light through the test chart. Irradiating the lens surface of the rod lens array and generating a lattice pattern image by the inspection light propagated through the rod lens array; (f) measuring the light amount distribution along the periodic direction of the lattice pattern image; (G) Fourier transforming the light quantity distribution of the grating pattern image to extract a waveform component having the same period as the period of the grating pattern and obtaining the phase of the waveform component; and (h) the phase of the reference waveform component and And a step of obtaining an imaging position shift amount of the rod lens array from the phase of the waveform component.

According to such an optical performance evaluation method for a rod lens of the present invention, a waveform component of a specific period is extracted from the light amount distribution of the lattice pattern image by Fourier transform, so that the influence of minute noise is suppressed and highly accurate measurement is performed. It can be performed. In addition, since the phase difference of the waveform component between the case where the rod lens array is not inserted and the case where the rod lens array is inserted is obtained on the optical path, it is possible to easily perform measurement with a simple apparatus configuration without requiring a complicated device. . Therefore, the positional deviation amount of the rod lens array can be easily and accurately measured.
In the present invention, the periodic direction of the lattice pattern means a direction orthogonal to the stripe of the lattice pattern in the test chart plane.

In the present invention, preferably, the steps (e) to (h) are repeated by sequentially shifting the inspection light irradiation portion of the lens surface along the arrangement direction of the rod lenses.
Thus, one test chart can be used for optical performance evaluation of various rod lens arrays having different lengths in the arrangement direction of the rod lenses.
In order to sequentially shift the irradiated portion, the rod lens may be moved relative to the test chart. For example, the rod lens may be moved, or the test chart or the light receiving device may be moved.

  In the present invention, preferably, in step (b), the light quantity distribution of the reference grid pattern image portion within the range narrower than the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses of the rod lens array is measured in the reference grid pattern image. In the step (f), the light amount distribution of the lattice pattern image portion in the lattice pattern image corresponding to the reference lattice pattern image portion and within a range narrower than the arrangement pitch is measured.

Thereby, even when the arrangement of adjacent rod lenses is deviated in the opposite direction, it is possible to avoid an offset of the image forming position deviation amount of each rod lens and perform accurate measurement. .
Note that the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses is substantially equal to the diameter of the rod lenses when the rod lenses are arranged in contact with each other.

In the present invention, preferably, in the step (h), the imaging position deviation amount is obtained as a distance between positions where the reference waveform component and the waveform component indicate the same phase value.
Thereby, the imaging position shift amount can be easily obtained from the phase of the reference waveform component and the phase of the waveform component.

In the present invention, preferably, in step (h), the imaging position deviation amount is obtained as a cumulative total of the imaging position deviation amounts obtained repeatedly by shifting the irradiation position.
Thereby, even when the phase difference exceeds one period of the grating pattern, the amount of positional deviation can be accurately obtained.

In the present invention, preferably, the response function (MTF: Modulation Transfer Function) of the rod lens array is measured using the light amount distribution measured in the step (f).
Thereby, it is possible to measure the positional deviation amount and the MTF at the same time.

In the present invention, preferably, in the step (d), the rod lens array is arranged so that the orientation direction of the lenses of the rod lens array is parallel to the periodic direction of the test pattern.
Thereby, it is possible to easily measure the amount of positional deviation in the main scanning direction parallel to the orientation direction of the lenses of the rod lens array.

In the present invention, preferably, in the step (d), the rod lens array is arranged so that the orientation direction of the lenses of the rod lens array is perpendicular to the periodic direction of the test pattern.
Thereby, the amount of positional deviation in the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the lens orientation direction of the rod lens array can be easily measured.

  According to the rod lens optical performance evaluation method of the present invention, the amount of positional deviation of the rod lens array can be easily and accurately measured.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  With reference to FIG. 1, an apparatus configuration for measuring the image forming position shift amount of the rod lens will be described. FIG. 1 is a layout view when no rod lens array is inserted. As shown in FIG. 1, the illuminating device 1, the test chart 2, and the light-receiving device 3 are arrange | positioned on the straight line.

First, the illumination device 1 will be described. The illumination device 1 includes a light source 11 and a diffusion plate 12.
The light source 11 desirably emits light having the same wavelength as that of an LED or the like that actually illuminates a rod lens array incorporated in an actual machine. For this reason, the light source 11 is preferably composed of a white light source 11a and a light filter 11b, for example. In the first embodiment, a halogen lamp is used as the white light source 11a, and an interference filter is used as the light filter 11b. This interference filter has characteristics of a peak transmission wavelength λ ₀ = 739.8 nm, a maximum transmittance T _MAX = 87.5%, and a half-value width of 9.9 nm.
In addition, when using LED of the same wavelength as a real machine as a light source, the light filter 11b is unnecessary.

Further, the diffusion plate 12 is provided to scatter the light emitted from the light source and eliminate the possibility that directivity remains in the inspection light incident on the test chart 2. In the first embodiment, as the diffusion plate 12, a double-sided diffusion plate of a single-sided frost type sand number # 400 is used.
Instead of inserting the diffusing plate 12 into the illuminating device 1, the surface of the test chart 2 on the illuminating device 1 side may be processed to have a diffusing function.

  Next, the test chart 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the test chart 2 has a configuration in which a lattice pattern (stripe pattern) with a constant period, that is, a regular stripe pattern with a constant interval is attached to a glass plate. In Example 1, since the MTF is also measured at the same time, it is desirable that the period of the grating pattern corresponds to the arrangement pitch of the LEDs used in the actual device.

  In Example 1, the test chart was arranged so that the periodic direction of the lattice pattern was parallel to the lens orientation direction of the rod lens array, that is, the longitudinal direction of the rod lens array. As a result, it is possible to measure the displacement of the imaging position in the main scanning and the MTF.

In the first embodiment, the period of the lattice pattern is represented by a spatial frequency. As shown in FIG. 2, the spatial frequency is a combination of a white line (transparent portion) and a black line (light-shielding portion) as one line pair, and how many line pairs are provided within a width of 1 mm. It shows whether there is, and the unit is expressed as “Lp / mm”. For example, the arrangement pitch of 600 dpi actual LEDs corresponds to 12 Lp / mm, and the arrangement pitch of 1200 dpi corresponds to 24 Lp / mm.
Note that the test chart illustrated in FIG. 2 has a lattice pattern of 6 Lp / mm, and the period thereof is 167 μm.

Next, the light receiving device 3 will be described. The light receiving device 3 includes an objective lens 31 and a light receiving element 32.
The objective lens 31 is provided to enlarge the lattice pattern image and increase the resolution of the light receiving device 3. Here, the lattice pattern image is magnified 20 times by the objective lens 31. In the first embodiment, the distance between the objective lens 31 and the test chart 2 is equal to the focal length f of the objective lens 31.

The light receiving element 32 is constituted by a line sensor in which elements are arranged along the periodic direction of the lattice pattern of the test chart 2. In the first embodiment, a CCD line sensor is used as the light receiving element 32. This line sensor has the characteristics that the number of elements is 1024 and the arrangement pitch of the elements is 25 μm.
For example, a CMOS or photodiode line sensor may be used as the light receiving element 32.

Next, a method for measuring the amount of image position displacement of the rod lens array will be described.
(A) First, in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 without inserting the rod lens array, the test chart 2 is irradiated with the inspection light from the illumination device 1, and a reference lattice pattern image by the inspection light transmitted through the test chart 2 is formed. Generate.
Here, FIG. 3A shows the correspondence between the lattice pattern of the test chart 2 and the light amount distribution of the reference lattice pattern image. As indicated by a polygonal line I in FIG. 3A, the light quantity distribution of the reference grid pattern image is a rectangular wave that reproduces the grid pattern of the test chart 2.

(B) Next, the light quantity distribution of the reference grating pattern image along the periodic direction of the grating pattern is measured by the line sensor 32 of the light receiving device 3.
In the first embodiment, the light quantity distribution of the reference grating pattern portion is measured within a range narrower than the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses of the rod lens array to be inspected in the reference grating pattern image. This is in order to prevent an accurate measurement from being obstructed when there is a disorder in the arrangement of the different directions between the adjacent rod lenses.

  In that case, it is preferable that the number of grating pattern periods (number of line pairs) within one pitch width of the rod lens array is larger in order to increase the measurement accuracy, while it is smaller in order to increase the measurement speed. Is preferred. Therefore, it is preferable that the number of periods is experimentally obtained as a value that can achieve both measurement accuracy and speed. For example, when the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses is 0.6 mm, when the spatial frequency of the lattice pattern is 12 LP / mm (one period length 83 μm), for example, three periods are preferable.

  In the first embodiment, light amount data is sampled by the elements near the center among all the elements of the line sensor 32 in order to measure the light amount distribution of the reference grating pattern portion within a range narrower than the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses. The reason for sampling in the vicinity of the center of the line sensor 32 is to use the light beam at the center of the light source as uniform as possible so that an error does not occur in the result of Fourier transform due to non-uniform distribution of the emitted light amount of the light source.

Since the total number of elements of the line sensor 32 used in the first embodiment is 1024, the vicinity of the 512th element, which is about a half from the end of the line sensor, is the center. Therefore, the light amount data is sampled by 128 of the 200 elements from the 450th to the 649th counted from the end of the line sensor 32.
Hereinafter, for convenience, the position of the lattice pattern image is represented by the element number counted from the end of the line sensor. For example, the position of the 450th element from the end is expressed as “coordinate 450”. Then, the position N ₀ of the coordinates 450 that is the starting point for sampling the light amount data is set as a “temporary grid reference position” N ₀ . In FIG. 3A, the position of the coordinate 450 on the line sensor 32 schematically shown in FIG. 3 is denoted by N ₀ , and the position of the coordinate 649 is denoted by E ₀ .

The lattice pattern image is magnified about 20 times at the position of the line sensor 32 by the objective lens 31. Therefore, the width of 200 elements arranged at a pitch of 25 μm on the line sensor corresponds to 250 μm of the lattice pattern of the test chart 2. Since one cycle length of the lattice pattern of the test chart 2 is 83 μm, the light amount data of the lattice pattern image for about three cycles is sampled here. The resolution determined by the arrangement pitch of the elements on the line sensor is 1.25 μm because the magnification of the objective lens is 20 times the pitch of 25 μm.
In the first embodiment, since the Fourier transform process is performed by the computer, the light intensity value that is a power of 2 is sampled as the light amount data.

(C) Next, the sampling data of the light quantity distribution of the reference grating pattern image is Fourier transformed to extract a reference waveform component having the same period as the period of the grating pattern, and the phase of the reference waveform component is obtained.
In the first embodiment, the sampled light amount data x is subjected to Fourier transform by the following equation (1) and subjected to frequency decomposition, and only the frequency k ₀ component corresponding to the spatial frequency 12 Lp / mm of the lattice pattern is extracted.

Subsequently, the phase of the waveform component of the aerial image is obtained by the following equation (2) from the amplitude ratio a _n / b _n of the extracted waveform sine wave and cosine wave at the temporary lattice reference position N ₀ .
θd = tan ⁻¹ (a _n / b _n ) (2)

FIG. 4 shows an example of the reference waveform component, the sine wave component and the cosine wave component of the reference waveform component, as curves I _image , I _sin , and I _cos , respectively.

In the first embodiment, since some noise may be included in the reference lattice pattern image, data sampling, Fourier transform, and the like are repeated 100 times, and the average value is obtained as the phase θd at the temporary lattice reference position N ₀ of the aerial image waveform. _Calculate as ₀ .

Then, the coordinate position N ₁ on the line sensor where the phase θd = 0 is obtained from the phase θd _{0 at} the temporary grating reference position N ₀ . Hereinafter, the coordinate position N ₁ is referred to as “lattice reference position” N ₁ instead of the provisional lattice reference position N ₀ described above.
Here, the average value of the phase θd _{0 at} the temporary grating reference position N ₀ was −86.42 °. When this phase θd ₀ is converted into a distance, a length of 83 μm for one period of the grating pattern corresponds to a phase of 360 °, and is −20.01 μm. Further, when this distance is converted into the number of elements on the line sensor 32, the resolution is enlarged by 20 times to 1.25 μm, so that −16 elements are obtained. Accordingly, the coordinates of the grid reference position N ₁ are coordinates 466 obtained by adding 16 to the coordinates 450 of the temporary grid reference position. In FIG. 3A, the position of the coordinate 466 is indicated by N ₁ .

(D) Next, the rod lens array 4 to be inspected is arranged with its lens surface 43 facing the test chart 2.
FIG. 5 is a layout diagram when a rod lens array is inserted. As shown in FIG. 5, the illuminating device 1, the test chart 2, the rod lens array 4, and the light receiving device 3 are arranged on a straight line. Then, the test chart 2 and the objective lens 31 are further separated by a distance Tc equal to the conjugate length Tc of the lot lens array 4 relative to the step (a). That is, the distance from the test chart 2 to the objective lens 31 is the sum of the focal length f of the objective lens 31 and the conjugate length Tc of the rod lens array 4. Then, the distance from the rod lens array 4 to the test chart 2 and L _1, the distance L ₁ and the objective lens of the distance L ₂ from the rod lens array 4 and the objective lens 31 from the rod lens array 4 to the test chart 2 It is set equal to the sum of the focal length f.

  Here, FIG. 6 schematically shows the rod lens array 4 to be inspected. This rod lens array 4 has a rod lens diameter R = 0.59 mm, a rod lens length D (= 4.2 mm, a conjugate length Tc = 9.1 mm of the rod lens, and a length W = 338 mm of the rod lens array. Has a shape.

(E) Next, the inspection light is irradiated onto the lens surface of the rod lens array via the test chart, and a lattice pattern image is generated by the inspection light propagated through the rod lens array.
Here, FIG. 3B shows the correspondence between the lattice pattern of the test chart 2 and the light quantity distribution of the lattice pattern image. As shown by a curve II in FIG. 3B, the light quantity distribution of the reference grid pattern image has a waveform corresponding to the grid pattern of the test chart 2.

(F) Next, the light quantity distribution along the periodic direction of the lattice pattern image at a position away from the test chart 2 by the conjugate length of the rod lens array 4 is measured by the light receiving device 3.
In the first embodiment, the light amount distribution of a lattice pattern portion of the lattice pattern image corresponding to the reference lattice pattern portion and having a width narrower than the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses is measured.
Therefore, 128 data are sampled from the data of 200 elements up to the position of the coordinate 665 using the grid reference position N ₁ of the coordinate 466 as the data sampling start point. In (B) of FIG. 3, showing the position of coordinates 665 on the line sensor 32 shown schematically in E _1.

(G) Next, the light quantity distribution of the lattice pattern image is Fourier-transformed to extract a waveform component having the same period as the period of the lattice pattern, and the phase of this waveform component is obtained.
The phase θd ₂ at the lattice reference position N ₁ of the coordinates 466 of the waveform component obtained in the same manner as in step (c) was 10.80 °.

(H) Next, the imaging position shift amount of the rod lens array is obtained from the phase of the reference waveform component and the phase of the waveform component. In the first embodiment, the imaging position deviation amount is obtained as a distance between positions where the reference waveform component and the waveform component indicate the same phase value.
Specifically, the coordinate position of the grid reference position N ₁ on the line sensor and the coordinate position of the new grid reference position N ₂ on the line sensor, where the reference waveform component and the phase of the waveform component are each 0, are as follows. The imaging position shift amount is obtained as the difference.

When the phase θd ₂ = 10.80 ° at the grating reference position N ₁ is converted into a length, it becomes 2.50 μm. When this is further converted into the number of elements of the line sensor, it becomes two elements. This value 2 is referred to as a “phase correction value”.

Then, the position of the “new grating reference position” N ₂ where the phase θd = 0 ° on the line sensor 32 is obtained by subtracting the phase correction value 2 from the coordinates 466 of the grating reference position N ₁ and becomes the coordinates 464. . Further, the phase at the new grating reference position N ₂ obtained by performing data sampling again with the new grating reference position N ₂ as the sampling start point is 0 °.
The difference between the coordinate position 464 of the new grid reference position N ₂ , which is the sampling start point, and the coordinate 466 of the grid reference position N ₁ is the shift amount of the imaging position. Therefore, the deviation amount of the imaging position is a distance corresponding to −2 (= 464−466) elements, that is, −2.5 μm.

Further, the steps (e) to (h) are repeated by sequentially shifting the inspection light irradiation portion of the lens surface along the arrangement direction of the rod lenses. That is, the measurement is repeated while moving the rod lens array 4 relative to the illumination device 1, the test chart 2 and the light receiving device 3 along the arrangement direction of the rod lenses.
In FIG. 5, a mechanism for moving the rod lens array relatively is not shown, but any suitable mechanism can be used.

Also, in step (h), the imaging position deviation amount is obtained as the total of the imaging position deviation amounts obtained repeatedly by shifting the irradiation position.
Specifically, the immediately preceding imaging position deviation amount is used as a phase correction value, the grating reference position is updated to be a sampling start point, light amount distribution data of the grating pattern image is sampled, and the imaging position deviation amount is obtained. Since the phase obtained by Fourier transform is up to one period of the grating, by setting the phase correction value, accurate measurement is possible even when the imaging position deviation becomes more than one period of the grating as the measurement progresses. It becomes.
FIG. 7 shows the measurement result of the imaging position deviation amount in the main scanning direction obtained in this way. As shown in the graph of FIG. 7, the maximum value of the image formation position shift was 79.8 μm, and the minimum value was −4.6 μm.

Further, the response function (MTF) of the rod lens array 4 is measured using the light amount distribution measured in the step (f).
The MTF is obtained from the maximum value (imax) and the minimum value (imin) of the light quantity distribution data of the aerial image at each measurement point by the following equation (3).
MTF (%) = [(imax−imin) / (imax + imin)] * 100 (3)
In Example 1, MTF = 72.5%.

As shown in FIG. 8, in Example 2, the test chart 2 and the line sensor 32 are rotated by 90 °, respectively, and the periodic direction of the lattice pattern is perpendicular to the lens orientation direction of the rod lens array (the thickness of the rod lens array). In the same manner as in Example 1 described above, except that it is arranged in a direction (that is, parallel to the sub-scanning direction). Then, the shift amount of the image forming position in the sub-scanning direction and the MTF were measured.
FIG. 9 shows the measurement result of the displacement amount of the imaging position in the sub-scanning direction thus obtained. As shown in the graph of FIG. 9, the maximum value of the shift amount of the imaging position was −2.3 μm, and the minimum value was −36.0 μm.
Further, the MTF of the sub-scan obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 was 73.5%.

  In this way, only the component corresponding to the spatial frequency of the lattice pattern is extracted from the detected light amount waveform of the light amount distribution of the lattice pattern image by Fourier transform processing, so that fine noise is eliminated and the image is formed with high accuracy. The amount of displacement can be obtained. In addition, this makes it possible to distinguish between variations in lens element characteristics and deviations in imaging positions, which cannot be distinguished only by optical performance evaluation using MTF.

  Further, since the lighting device has a simple structure including a light source and a diffusion plate, management and handling can be facilitated. Also, by preparing a few grating plates corresponding to the spatial frequency to be measured with a structure in which only the lens array to be inspected is moved relative to the grating, illumination device, and light receiving device in the lens element arrangement direction. It is possible to easily cope with changes in measurement conditions.

It is a schematic diagram which shows arrangement | positioning of Example 1 when not inserting a rod lens array. It is a figure which shows an example of a test chart. (A) is a figure which shows the response | compatibility with the lattice pattern of a test chart, the light quantity distribution of a reference | standard lattice pattern image, and the element of a line sensor, (B) is a figure of the lattice pattern of a test chart, and a lattice pattern image. It is a figure which shows the correspondence of light quantity distribution and the element of a line sensor. It is explanatory drawing of the phase of a waveform component. It is a schematic diagram which shows arrangement | positioning of Example 1 at the time of inserting a rod lens array. It is a perspective view of a rod lens array to be inspected. 6 is a graph showing a measurement result of an imaging position deviation amount in Example 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows arrangement | positioning of Example 2 at the time of inserting a rod lens array. 6 is a graph showing a measurement result of an imaging position deviation amount in Example 2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Illuminating device 2 Test chart 3 Light receiving device 4 Rod lens array 11 Light source 11a White light source 11b Light filter 12 Diffuser 31 Objective lens 32 Light receiving element, line sensor 41 Substrate 42 Rod lens 43 Lens surface

Claims (8)

An optical performance evaluation method for obtaining an image formation position shift amount of a rod lens array,
(A) irradiating a test chart having a lattice pattern with a fixed period with inspection light, and generating a reference lattice pattern image with the inspection light transmitted through the test chart;
(B) measuring a light amount distribution along a periodic direction of the lattice pattern of the reference lattice pattern image;
(C) Fourier transforming the light quantity distribution of the reference grating pattern image, extracting a reference waveform component having the same period as the period of the grating pattern, and obtaining a phase of the reference waveform component;
(D) a step of arranging a rod lens array to be inspected with its lens surface facing the test chart;
(E) irradiating the inspection light with a lens surface of the rod lens array via the test chart, and generating a lattice pattern image by the inspection light propagated through the rod lens array;
(F) measuring a light quantity distribution along the periodic direction of the lattice pattern image;
(G) Fourier transforming the light amount distribution of the lattice pattern image, extracting a waveform component having the same period as the period of the lattice pattern, and obtaining a phase of the waveform component;
(H) obtaining an imaging position shift amount of the rod lens array from the phase of the reference waveform component and the phase of the waveform component;
A method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array, comprising:   2. The rod lens according to claim 1, wherein the steps (e) to (h) are repeated by sequentially shifting the portion of the lens surface irradiated with the inspection light along the arrangement direction of the rod lenses. Array optical performance evaluation method. In the step (b), the light quantity distribution of the reference grating pattern image portion within a range narrower than the arrangement pitch of the rod lenses of the rod lens array in the reference grating pattern image is measured,
In the step (f), measuring a light amount distribution of a portion of the lattice pattern image corresponding to the reference lattice pattern image portion and within a range narrower than the arrangement pitch. The method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (h), the imaging position deviation amount is obtained as a distance between positions at which the reference waveform component and the waveform component indicate the same phase value. The optical performance evaluation method of the rod lens array as described in any one of the above.   5. The image forming position shift amount is obtained as a total of image forming position shift amounts obtained repeatedly by shifting the irradiation position in the step (h). 6. Of evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array.   5. The response function (MTF: Modulation Transfer Function) of the rod lens array is measured using the light amount distribution measured in the step (f). 6. A method for evaluating the optical performance of a rod lens array.   7. The step (d), wherein the rod lens array is arranged so that an orientation direction of lenses of the rod lens array is parallel to a periodic direction of the test pattern. The optical performance evaluation method of the rod lens array as described in any one of Claims.   7. The step (d), wherein the rod lens array is arranged so that an orientation direction of a lens of the rod lens array is perpendicular to a periodic direction of the test pattern. The optical performance evaluation method of the rod lens array as described in any one of Claims.

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