Lens array substrate, electro-optical device, electronic apparatus, micro-lens substrate manufacturing method, and electro-optical device manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10241239-B2
Application number	US-201715409623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

An element substrate is formed as a lens array substrate on which a plurality of lenses are formed. In a method of manufacturing the lens array substrate, first recess sections are formed on one surface of the substrate, and then a plurality of lens surfaces, which include concave surfaces, are formed at the bottoms of the first recess sections 195 . Subsequently, after a light-transmitting lens layer is formed to fill the inside of the first recess sections, flattening is performed while the lens layer is removed. Here, the surface of the lens layer on a side opposite to the substrate is a planar surface which is contiguous to an outside area that is positioned on the outer side of the first recess sections on the one surface of the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lens array substrate comprising:
a light-transmitting substrate on one surface of which a plurality of lens surfaces, which include concave surfaces, are formed; and
a light-transmitting lens layer that covers the plurality of lens surfaces,
wherein
first recess sections are provided on the one surface of the substrate,
the lens surfaces are provided to be recessed from bottoms of the first recess sections toward another side surface of the substrate,
a surface of the lens layer on a side opposite to the substrate is contiguous with a portion of the one surface of the substrate that is positioned in an outside area that is outside of the first recess sections on the one surface of the substrate such that the surface of the lens layer and the portion of the one surface of the substrate form a planar surface, and
a second recess section, which includes a mark at a bottom, is provided on the one surface of the substrate.

2. The lens array substrate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first recess sections are provided in respective areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed.

3. The lens array substrate according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first recess sections are provided throughout all the areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed and areas corresponding to spaces between the areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed.

4. An electro-optical device, which includes the lens array substrate according to claim 1 , comprising:
pixel electrodes that overlap the lens surfaces in a plan view viewed from a direction which is perpendicular to the substrate.

5. An electro-optical device, which includes the lens array substrate according to claim 1 , comprising:
pixel electrodes that overlap the lens surfaces in a plan view viewed from a direction which is perpendicular to the substrate.

6. An electro-optical device, which includes the lens array substrate according to claim 2 , comprising:
pixel electrodes that overlap the lens surfaces in a plan view viewed from a direction which is perpendicular to the substrate.

7. An electro-optical device, which includes the lens array substrate according to claim 3 , comprising:
pixel electrodes that overlap the lens surfaces in a plan view viewed from a direction which is perpendicular to the substrate.

8. An electro-optical device, which includes the lens array substrate according to claim 4 , comprising:
an element substrate that is provided with the pixel electrodes and pixel transistors which are electrically connected to the pixel electrodes;
a counter substrate that is provided with common electrodes which face the pixel electrodes; and
an electro-optical layer that is provided between the element substrate and the counter substrate,
wherein the lens array substrate is used for at least one of the element substrate and the counter substrate.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 4 .

10. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 5 .

11. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 6 .

12. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 7 .

13. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 8 .

14. A lens array substrate manufacturing method comprising:
forming first recess sections on one surface of a light-transmitting substrate;
forming a second recess section on the one surface of the light-transmitting substrate;
forming a mark at a bottom of the second recess section;
forming a plurality of lens surfaces, which includes concave surfaces, at bottoms of the first recess section;
forming a light-transmitting lens layer on the one surface of the substrate to fill insides of the first recess sections; and
flattening the lens layer by removing the lens layer up to the first recess sections in a depth direction from a side opposite to the substrate, while monitoring a thickness of the lens layer to be removed using the mark as an index, and causing a surface of the lens layer on a side opposite to the substrate to be contiguous with a portion of the one surface of the substrate that is positioned in an outside area that is outside of the first recess sections on the one surface of the substrate such that the surface of the lens layer and the portion of the one surface of the substrate form a planar surface.

15. The lens array substrate manufacturing method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the forming of the first recess sections includes forming the first recess sections in respective areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed.

16. The lens array substrate manufacturing method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the forming of the first recess sections includes forming the first recess sections throughout all areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed and areas corresponding to spaces between the areas in which the plurality of lens surfaces are formed.

17. An electro-optical device manufacturing method using the lens array substrate manufacturing method according to claim 14 , comprising:
forming, after the lens layer is formed, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the lens layer on a side opposite to the substrate, the plurality of pixel electrodes overlapping the plurality of respective lens surfaces in a plan view viewed from a direction which is perpendicular to the substrate, and a plurality of pixel switching elements that are electrically connected to the plurality of respective pixel electrodes.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nimura Toru

Classifications

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G03B21/006

  using LCD's · CPC title

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• G02B3/0068

  arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements (G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B3/0056

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title