Spectrometer, analysis equipment, and wavelength-variable light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060909-B2
Application number	US-201716470476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Jan 20, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

(Object) To enable to provide a small-scale and low-cost spectrometer (Means of Achieving the Object) A spectrometer includes: a light incidence unit configured to allow incidence of light from outside; a diffraction grating configured to disperse, according to wavelength, the light that is incident through the light incidence unit; and a reflection unit including a reflection surface for reflecting the light that has been dispersed according to wavelength by the diffraction grating. Tilt of the reflection surface is changeable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spectrometer, comprising:
a light incidence member including an input passage configured to allow incidence of light from outside;
a concave diffraction grating configured to disperse, according to wavelength, the light that is incident through the input passage; and
a reflector including a reflection surface to reflect the dispersed light that has been dispersed according to wavelength by the diffraction grating toward an output passage,
wherein tilt of the reflection surface is changeable and the light incident through the input passage is reflected only twice before passing through the output passage.

2. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving circuit configured to drive the reflector to control tilt of the reflection surface.

3. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein a light output member, which includes the output passage, and the diffraction grating are formed on a single substrate.

4. The spectrometer according to claim 3 , wherein the diffraction grating is formed such that a normal line with respect to a center of the diffraction grating is not at a right angle to a substrate surface on which the diffraction grating is formed.

5. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein the light incidence member and the reflector are formed on a single substrate.

6. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , wherein a light output member, which includes the output passage, and the light incidence member are formed on a single substrate.

7. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate; and
an intervening member arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate,
wherein the light incidence member and the reflector are formed on the first substrate,
wherein a light output member, which includes the output passage, and the diffraction grating are formed on the second substrate, and
wherein each of the first substrate and the second substrate is joined to the intervening member.

8. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate; and
a third substrate arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate being not parallel to the first substrate and the second substrate,
wherein the reflector is formed on the first substrate,
wherein the diffraction grating is formed on the second substrate,
wherein the light incidence member and a light output member, which includes the output passage, are formed on the third substrate, and
wherein each of the first substrate and the second substrate is joined to the third substrate.

9. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising a light detector configured to detect the light after being output through the output passage.

10. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising a light detector configured to detect the light after being reflected by the reflector.

11. The spectrometer according to claim 1 , further comprising a specific wavelength detector configured to detect light with a specific wavelength out of the light reflected by the reflector.

12. The spectrometer according to claim 11 , wherein the specific wavelength detector and the diffraction grating are formed on a single substrate.

13. The spectrometer according to claim 11 ,
wherein the specific wavelength detector includes a light detector and a band-pass filter, and
wherein the light detector and the band-pass filter are monolithically formed on a same substrate.

14. The spectrometer according to claim 11 , further comprising another output passage to output the light reflected by the reflector towards the specific wavelength detector, the specific wavelength detector being externally provided.

15. The spectrometer according to claim 14 , wherein another light output member, which includes the another output passage, and the diffraction grating are formed on a same substrate.

16. The spectrometer according to claim 11 , wherein the driving circuit is further configured to control a time interval of a detection signal indicative of the light with the specific wavelength that is detected by the specific wavelength detector to be constant, such that the tilt of the reflector is controlled to be in a constant range.

17. The spectrometer according to claim 11 , wherein an order of diffraction of the light detected by a light detector is different from an order of diffraction of the light with the specific wavelength that is detected by the specific wavelength detector.

18. An analysis equipment, comprising:
a light source; and
the spectrometer according to claim 1 .

19. A wavelength-tunable light source, comprising:
a light source; and
the spectrometer according to claim 1 .

20. The spectrometer of claim 1 , further comprising a single light sensor configured to receive the light passing through the output passage.

21. A spectrometer, comprising:
a light incidence member including an input passage configured to allow incidence of light from outside;
a concave diffraction grating configured to disperse, according to wavelength, the light that is incident through the input passage; and
a reflector including a reflection surface to reflect the dispersed light that has been dispersed according to wavelength by the diffraction grating toward an output passage,
wherein tilt of the reflection surface is changeable, and
wherein the spectrometer further comprises a specific wavelength detector configured to detect light with a specific wavelength, and another output passage to output the light reflected by the reflector towards the specific wavelength detector.

22. The spectrometer of claim 21 , wherein the specific wavelength detector is externally provided and is configured to detect the light with the specific wavelength out of the light reflected by the reflector.

Assignees

• Noguchi Hidetaka
• Azumi Junichi
• Kato Hidenori
• Suematsu Masashi
• Fujishima Masayuki
• Suzuki Shuichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Noguchi Hidetaka
• Azumi Junichi
• Kato Hidenori
• Suematsu Masashi
• Fujishima Masayuki
• Suzuki Shuichi

Classifications

• G01J2003/064

  Use of other elements for scan, e.g. mirror, fixed grating · CPC title

• G01J3/0289

  Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a spectrometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of measurement area; Position tracking · CPC title

• G01J3/021 Primary

  using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors · CPC title

• G01J3/18

  using diffraction elements, e.g. grating (gratings per se G02B) · CPC title

• G01J3/0259

  Monolithic · CPC title