JP2007183336A - Diffraction optical element and diffraction optical system having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a diffraction optical element capable of obtaining a diffraction image different at every wavelength with respect to incident light having specified plural wavelengths made incident to a diffraction face. <P>SOLUTION: The diffraction optical element 1 comprises the diffraction face having diffraction grooves 5 such that the diffraction image different at every wavelength is formed with respect to incident light having specified plural wavelengths. The diffraction optical element 1 is composed of a binary optical element of which the incident face has a stepwise cross-section forming steps of a prescribed number and the diffraction image is formed by transmission light or reflection light. By using white color light as incident light, a full color image is formed as the diffraction image and, on the other hand, by using the incident light from an MEMS element 4 which selects light of a desired wavelength in white color light, the diffraction image different at every wavelength is formed. Therein, by designing the shape of the diffraction face by using a computer-generated hologram, the diffraction image different at every wavelength of the incident light can be obtained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a diffractive optical element and a diffractive optical system having the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally known optical elements include lenses and prisms using light reflection and refraction, and a diffractive optical element (DOE) having a light diffractive action on the lens surface.

  A diffractive optical element is an optical element having a slit-like or groove-like grating structure with a few hundreds per minute gap (about 1 mm). A diffraction pattern (diffraction image) is formed by generating a diffracted light beam in a direction determined by the pitch (interval) and the wavelength of light. Such a diffractive optical element is used in various optical systems. For example, in order to reduce chromatic aberration, one that collects diffracted light of a specific order at one point and uses it as a lens is known.

By the way, some diffractive optical elements have a structure in which a lens having a sawtooth cross-section is phase approximated in a staircase shape. Such a diffractive optical element can be manufactured by a method similar to that of an electronic integrated circuit, and etching of a substrate is possible. Alternatively, a process of forming a staircase on the surface of the substrate is repeated N times by sputtering on the substrate, thereby forming a step of 2 N level. For example, by repeating lithography and etching four times, a diffractive optical element having 16 steps can be manufactured. Such a diffractive optical element has a structure in which the number of steps is increased by a factor of 2 by repeating a process such as etching, and therefore is called a binary optical element (BOE) (for example, non-optical element). (See Patent Document 1).
"Introduction to diffractive optical elements" Optonics Corporation 2002

  By the way, the binary optical element as described above has a property that a diffraction pattern is formed by generating a diffracted light beam in a direction determined by the shape of the stepped diffraction surface (phase pattern) and the wavelength of light. Therefore, when light of a certain wavelength is incident, the diffracted light can be condensed in a specific direction to form a diffraction pattern. However, when light of a different wavelength is incident, it must be condensed. The diffraction wavelength cannot be formed and the diffraction pattern cannot be formed (the light collection efficiency is lowered), and the wavelength used as incident light of the diffractive optical element that can be condensed (the light collection efficiency is higher than a predetermined value) is limited. It had been.

  In view of the above problems, in the present invention, a diffractive optical element that forms a different diffraction image for each wavelength with respect to incident light of a plurality of wavelengths incident on the diffraction surface, and a diffractive optical system having the diffractive optical system are provided. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above problems, the diffractive optical element according to the present invention has a diffractive surface configured to form different diffracted images for each wavelength with respect to incident light of a plurality of specific wavelengths incident on the diffractive surface. Yes.

  Further, in the diffractive optical element having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the diffractive surface is formed of a binary optical element having a stepped shape having two or more steps, or a step having four or more steps and having a stepped shape in cross section. .

  Furthermore, in the diffractive optical element having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the height of at least one step is not more than λ when the wavelength of incident light is λ.

  In the diffractive optical element having the above configuration, the depth of the diffraction groove on the diffractive surface is preferably 2 μm or more, or 4 μm or more.

  In the diffractive optical element having the above configuration, when the pitch width of the diffraction grooves on the diffraction surface is 4 μm or less or 2 μm or less, or the wavelength of incident light is λ, the pitch width of the diffraction grooves on the diffraction surface is λ or less or λ It is preferable to use a binary optical element that is × 2/3 or less.

  In the diffractive optical element having the above configuration, it is preferable that a diffracted image is formed by transmitted light transmitted through the diffractive surface or reflected light reflected by the diffractive surface.

  On the other hand, in the diffractive optical element having the above configuration, a diffracted image may be formed by transmitted light transmitted through the diffractive surface and reflected light reflected by the diffractive surface.

  In the diffractive optical element having the above configuration, the shape of the diffractive surface is preferably designed by a computer-generated hologram using a phase recovery method.

  In the diffractive optical element having the above-described configuration, a full color image may be formed as a diffracted image by using white light as incident light.

  Furthermore, the diffractive optical system according to the present invention is a selection unit that selects light of a specific wavelength from white light, and the incident light selected by the selection unit is disposed so as to be incident on the diffraction surface. The diffractive optical element according to any one of 15 is configured to form a diffraction image corresponding to the wavelength of incident light selected by the selection unit.

  According to the diffractive optical element and the diffractive optical system having the diffractive optical element according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain different diffracted images for each wavelength with respect to incident light having a plurality of specific wavelengths incident on the diffractive surface.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a method for designing a phase pattern (diffractive surface shape) representing a phase distribution within one pitch of the diffractive surface of the diffractive optical element according to the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a computer-generated hologram (CGH (Computer Generated Hologram)) based on the phase recovery method is used for calculating the shape of the diffractive surface of the diffractive optical element. You may design using CGH by a method.

  Conventionally, the shape of the diffractive surface of a diffractive optical element for monochromatic light has been designed by a phase recovery method, and the following phase recovery algorithm is used (see FIG. 1A). First, an initial phase pattern (initial diffractive surface shape of the diffractive optical element) is determined (S11), and Fourier transform is performed to obtain a diffraction pattern (pattern projected as a diffraction image) (S13). At this time, a random pattern is preferable as the initial phase pattern. Then, the phase of the obtained diffraction pattern is maintained as it is, and only the intensity is replaced with a desired pattern (S14). The phase pattern (diffractive surface shape) of the diffractive optical element can be obtained by performing inverse Fourier transform on the replaced diffraction pattern (S15), and this is forcibly matched with the discretized phase pattern (S12). This is one loop. Then, by repeating such a loop, that is, by repeating the acquisition of the diffraction pattern by the Fourier transform of the phase pattern and the acquisition of the phase pattern by the inverse Fourier transform of the diffraction pattern, the shape of the diffraction surface of the diffractive optical element Converge to a certain shape.

The above is the phase recovery algorithm for monochromatic light. In this embodiment, this phase recovery algorithm is applied to design a multicolor diffractive optical element whose diffraction pattern changes for each incident wavelength (FIG. 1). (See (b)). In the present embodiment, the initial diffractive surface shape of the diffractive optical element is first given as in the case of the conventional case. Then, for each wavelength (λ _{1 to} λ _N ) of the incident light, the phase recovery algorithm is executed for one loop (S21, S23, S25), and the phase pattern of the diffractive optical element (the shape of the diffractive surface) for each wavelength. ) Is acquired (S22, S24, S26). However, since the phase pattern acquired by the above algorithm is different for each wavelength, in the present embodiment, one optimum phase pattern is obtained in consideration of the difference in the phase pattern depending on the wavelength by the least square method (S27). Then, using the phase pattern based on the least square method as the initial phase pattern of the next loop, after obtaining the phase pattern for each wavelength, an optimum phase pattern is obtained by the least square method. By repeating this, the shape of the diffractive surface of the diffractive optical element converges to a predetermined state. Here, when the predicted light collection efficiency of the diffractive optical element becomes, for example, about 80%, the calculation of the shape of the diffractive surface is stopped, that is, the phase recovery algorithm is stopped, and the phase pattern acquired at that time Is determined as the shape of the diffractive surface of the diffractive optical element in consideration of the difference in wavelength of incident light.

  Next, an actual manufacturing method of the multi-stage diffractive optical element in which the shape of the diffractive surface is obtained as described above will be described with reference to FIG. A multi-stage diffractive optical element is manufactured by repeating the processes of photolithography and etching as follows. First, a resist film 3 is applied on a silicon substrate 2 (which is not limited to silicon but may be a substrate made of a semiconductor material such as GaAs) and exposed through a reticle mask corresponding to the shape of the diffraction surface determined by the above calculation. (See FIG. 2A). The light beam used for the exposure may be g-ray (436 nm), i-ray (365 nm), electron beam, or X-ray radiation. Moreover, the exposure method by direct drawing using a laser beam may be used. Further, the exposure may be performed with two light beam interference. Development is performed following the exposure, and a subsequent etching process is performed.

  Etching is performed by dry etching using an etching apparatus. At this time, the etching gas is arbitrarily selected according to the type of the substrate (silicon, GaAs, etc.) 2. As an example, a carbon tetrafluoride gas is used. In this way, when one photolithography and etching process is completed, as shown in FIG. 2B, a two-stage lens (2BOE element) having a diffraction groove of a desired depth and corresponding to a desired pattern is obtained. ) Is produced.

  Further, a photolithography and etching process is repeated on the two-stage lens to produce a four-stage lens (see FIGS. 2C and 2D). The photolithography and etching process is further performed on the four-stage lens. Is repeated to produce an eight-stage lens (see FIGS. 2E and 2F). From this 8-stage lens, a diffractive optical element having a multi-stage binary shape can be obtained by repeating a plurality of photolithography and etching processes such as a 16-stage lens, a 32-stage lens, and so on. is there.

  It is also possible to transfer the shape of the diffractive surface of the multi-stage diffractive optical element manufactured as described above to a mold by electrodeposition by electroforming. Then, an ultraviolet curable resin that is sufficiently heated and has plasticity is dropped onto the substrate glass. Thereafter, the above-mentioned mold in which a desired surface reversal shape is formed is pressed against the dropped ultraviolet curable resin. Further, the ultraviolet curable resin is cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays from the substrate glass side, and the cured ultraviolet curable resin is removed from the mold and the substrate glass. Thereby, the shape of the surface formed in the mold is transferred to the ultraviolet curable resin, and this ultraviolet curable resin can be used as a replica of the diffractive optical element.

  Next, an example of the shape of the diffractive surface of the diffractive optical element designed by the above phase recovery method is shown. The diffractive optical element 1 shown as an example in FIG. 3 is a so-called binary optical element in which a plurality of diffraction grooves 5 having a predetermined depth are formed at a predetermined pitch, and its incident surface has a predetermined number of steps and is stepped. (So-called binary shape). As shown in FIG. 3, the diffractive optical element 1 is composed of an eight-stage lens having eight steps. However, the diffractive optical element 1 is not necessarily an eight-stage lens, and may be a four-stage lens or a two-stage lens. Alternatively, a 16-stage lens, a 32-stage lens, or the like having more stages than 8 stages may be used. The height H of one step of the diffractive optical element 1 is designed to be equal to or less than the wavelength λ nm of incident light, for example. The depth D of the diffraction groove 5 of the diffractive optical element 1 is preferably 2 μm or more or 4 μm or more. Further, the pitch width P of the diffraction grooves 5 is preferably 4 μm or less, but may be 2 μm or less. Further, the pitch width P may be equal to or less than the wavelength λ nm of the incident light, or may be equal to or less than 2/3 of the wavelength λ nm of the incident light.

  Next, a simulation result by CGH of a diffraction pattern projected when light having a predetermined wavelength is irradiated on the diffractive optical element designed as described above will be shown. FIG. 4A shows the shape of the diffractive surface of a diffractive optical element composed of a 16-step lens, and the 16 steps are displayed in gray scale. FIGS. 4B and 4C are projection views of the diffraction pattern when such a diffractive optical element having a diffractive surface shape is irradiated with light in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. Here, FIG. 4B is a projection view of the diffraction pattern when the diffractive optical element is irradiated with red light (633 nm), and the condensing efficiency in this case is collected in the rectangular area A1 of the total diffracted light. If the ratio of the diffracted light to be emitted is taken, the light collection efficiency is 82%. On the other hand, FIG. 4C is a projection view in the case where the diffractive optical element is irradiated with green light (532 nm). In this case, the light collection efficiency is diffracted light focused on the circular area A2 of the total diffracted light. In this case, the light collection efficiency is 78%. As described above, the diffractive optical element according to the present invention can project a diffraction pattern for each wavelength of incident light by increasing the light collection efficiency regardless of the wavelength of the irradiated light.

  Moreover, it is also possible to use white light as a light source of incident light to the diffractive optical element 1, and for example, arbitrary diffraction is performed as follows using the diffractive optical system 6 having the diffractive optical element 1 according to the present invention. It is possible to project a pattern. As shown in FIG. 5, the diffractive optical system 6 includes a diffractive optical element 1 and a MEMS (Micro-electro-mechanical System) filter element 4 (hereinafter referred to as “MEMS element 4”). .

  The MEMS element 4 is, for example, a piezoelectric drive type, and controls the magnitude of a voltage to be applied, so that the incident light is incident in a substantially normal direction of the diffractive optical element 1 so that the diffractive optical element 1 is substantially omitted. It can be swung so that incident light enters from an angle inclined with respect to the normal direction. By installing such a MEMS element 4 between a light source (not shown) and the diffractive optical element 1, white light emitted from the light source is incident on the MEMS element 4 oscillated at a predetermined angle, and MEMS is used. By selectively transmitting one of red light, green light, and blue light by a color filter that is provided in the element 4 and transmits only light of a predetermined wavelength, and makes these incident on the diffractive optical element 1, the wavelength of the incident light It is possible to project a different diffraction pattern for each.

  The selective transmission by the MEMS element 4 is performed by inclining the MEMS element 4 with respect to the incident direction of white light. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when red light is transmitted, the MEMS element 4 is arranged so that white light is incident on the MEMS element 4 in a substantially normal direction and green light is transmitted. , The MEMS element 4 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the case where red light is transmitted, and when the blue light is transmitted, the MEMS element 4 is inclined more largely than the case where green light is transmitted.

  In this way, the red diffracted light transmitted through the diffractive optical element 1 is projected as a diffraction pattern PAT1 (schematically shown in a rectangular shape) on a predetermined projection surface. Further, the diffracted light of green light transmitted through the diffractive optical element 1 is projected as a diffraction pattern PAT2 (schematically shown in a circular shape) on the projection surface, and the diffracted light of blue light transmitted through the diffractive optical element 1 is It is projected on the projection surface as a diffraction pattern PAT3 (schematically shown by a triangle). Thus, by combining the MEMS element capable of selectively transmitting light of a predetermined wavelength and the diffractive optical element 1 according to the present invention, a different diffraction pattern can be projected on a predetermined projection surface for each wavelength of incident light. Is possible.

  When white light is directly incident on the diffractive optical element 1 instead of selecting a specific wavelength as incident light as described above, the incident light of each wavelength is determined by the diffractive optical element 1 depending on the wavelength. A diffraction pattern of white light, which is collected in a different direction and overlaid with diffraction patterns of respective wavelengths, is projected as a full-color image.

  In the above description based on FIG. 5, the diffraction patterns PAT <b> 1 to PAT <b> 3 are projected by the transmitted light transmitted through the diffractive optical element 1. However, the projected diffraction pattern is not limited to the transmitted light. The diffraction light reflected by the diffractive optical element 1 may be configured to project a different diffraction pattern for each wavelength of incident light. Alternatively, the projection of the diffraction pattern by the transmitted light transmitted through a part of the diffractive optical element 1 and the projection of the diffraction pattern by the reflected light reflected by the remaining part of the diffractive optical element 1 may be combined.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the diffraction pattern is projected with the diffractive surface designed as described above as the incident light incident surface, but the diffractive surface on which the binary shape is formed is used as the incident light exit surface. A diffraction pattern may be projected.

1 is a block diagram showing an algorithm for acquiring a diffraction pattern of a diffractive optical element according to the present invention by a computer-generated hologram, where (a) is a conventionally used phase recovery algorithm for monochromatic light, and (b) is monochromatic. This is an algorithm for acquiring a diffraction pattern when white light is used as incident light by applying a phase recovery algorithm for light. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the diffractive optical element which concerns on this invention in order of (a) to (f). It is a schematic cross section which shows the shape of the diffraction surface of the diffractive optical element which concerns on this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the simulation result by the said computer-generated hologram which shows the shape of the diffraction surface of the diffractive optical element (16 steps) which concerns on this invention, (b) is the red which permeate | transmitted the diffractive surface to the said diffractive optical element. It is a figure which shows the simulation result which shows the diffraction pattern by light, (C) is a figure which shows the simulation result which shows the diffraction pattern by the green light which permeate | transmitted the diffraction surface of the said diffractive optical element. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing selective transmission of red light, green light, and blue light by the diffractive optical system according to the present invention, and the state of a diffraction pattern projected by each transmitted light.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Diffraction optical element 2 Substrate 3 Resist film 4 MEMS element (selection means) 5 Diffraction groove 6 Diffraction optical system

Claims (17)

  A diffractive optical element, wherein the diffractive surface is configured to form different diffraction images for each wavelength with respect to incident light having a plurality of specific wavelengths incident on the diffractive surface.   2. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the diffractive surface includes a binary optical element having a staircase having two or more steps and having a stepped cross section.   2. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the diffractive surface includes a binary optical element having a staircase having four or more steps and having a stepped cross section.   4. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein the height of at least one of the steps is λ or less when the wavelength of incident light is λ. 5.   The diffractive optical element according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a depth of a diffraction groove on the diffractive surface is 2 µm or more.   5. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein the depth of the diffraction groove of the diffractive surface is 4 μm or more.   The diffractive optical element according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the diffractive optical element is composed of the binary optical element having a pitch width of 4 µm or less on the diffractive surface.   7. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein the diffractive optical element is formed of the binary optical element having a diffraction groove pitch width of 2 μm or less.   7. The diffractive optical element according to claim 2, wherein the binary optical element has a pitch width of diffractive grooves on the diffractive surface of λ or less, where λ is the wavelength of incident light.   It consists of the said binary optical element whose pitch width of the diffraction groove of the said diffraction surface is (lambda) x2 / 3 or less when the wavelength of incident light is set to (lambda). Diffractive optical element.   The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction image is formed by transmitted light transmitted through the diffractive surface.   The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the diffracted image is formed by reflected light reflected by the diffractive surface.   The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the diffracted image is formed by transmitted light transmitted through the diffractive surface and reflected light reflected by the diffractive surface.   The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the diffractive surface is designed by a computer-generated hologram.   The diffractive optical element according to claim 14, wherein the computer-generated hologram uses a phase recovery method.   16. The diffractive optical element according to claim 1, wherein a full-color image is formed as the diffraction image by using white light as incident light.   16. The diffraction according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the diffraction unit is arranged so that light having a specific wavelength among white light is selected, and incident light selected by the selection unit is incident on the diffraction surface. And a diffractive optical system configured to form a diffracted image corresponding to the wavelength of incident light selected by the selecting means.

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