IRREGULAR STRUCTURE, IRREGULAR STRUCTURE MANUFACTURING METHOD, OPTICAL COMPONENT, AND OPTICAL DEVICE

• Main Authors: FUJITA KAZUYOSHI, MORIYA KIMIO, TAKAYAMA SHOTARO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 30.07.2015
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; METALLURGY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PHYSICS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WORKING-UP

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an irregular structure exhibiting high optical performance, an irregular structure manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing the irregular structure, and an optical component and an optical device each including the irregular structure and high in reliability.SOLUTION: A microlens array (irregular structure) 1, which is a quadrangular plate-like member in a plan view, comprises: a flat portion 11 that has a relatively small surface height; and a plurality of convex portions 12 that protrudes from this flat portion 11 and that has a relatively large surface height. The flat portion 11 can be, therefore, regarded as a concave portion smaller in surface height than the convex portions 12 with reference to the convex portions 12. Each convex portion 12 is a region formed by partially irradiating a layer 3 containing polymers 21 and monomers 22 higher in index of refraction than the polymers 21 with active radiations R, thereby reducing a volume of the polymers 21, and thereby relatively protruding a non-irradiated area 32. A refraction index distribution N of each convex portion 12 includes a distribution in which the index of refraction gradually increases from an outer edge of the convex portion 12 toward a center. 【課題】光学性能の高い凹凸構造体、かかる凹凸構造体を効率よく製造する凹凸構造体の製造方法、前記凹凸構造体を備える信頼性の高い光学部品および光学装置を提供すること。【解決手段】マイクロレンズアレイ（凹凸構造体）１は、平面視で四角形をなす板状体であり、相対的に表面高さが低い平坦部１１と、この平坦部１１から突出し、相対的に表面高さが高い複数の凸部１２と、を備えている。したがって、平坦部１１は、凸部１２を基準にした場合、凸部１２に比べて表面高さが低い凹部であるとみなすこともできる。凸部１２は、ポリマー２１とそれより屈折率が低いモノマー２２とを含む層３に対して部分的に活性放射線Ｒを照射することにより、ポリマー２１が占める体積が減少し、これにより非照射領域３２が相対的に突出してなる部位であり、凸部１２の屈折率分布Ｎは、凸部１２の外縁側から中心側に向かって屈折率が徐々に高くなっている分布を含む。【選択図】図３