High reliability varifocal electrostatic lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867973-B2
Application number	US-202017014336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A varifocal lens includes a substrate having an inclined region, a primary electrode disposed over the inclined region of the substrate, a dielectric layer disposed over the primary electrode, a deformable membrane disposed over and at least partially spaced away from the dielectric layer, a secondary electrode disposed over a surface of the deformable membrane facing toward or away from the dielectric layer and overlying at least a portion of the primary electrode, and a fluid between the membrane and the substrate, wherein a surface of the dielectric layer facing the secondary electrode comprises a textured surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A varifocal lens comprising:
a substrate having an inclined region;
a primary electrode disposed over the inclined region of the substrate;
a dielectric layer disposed over the primary electrode;
a deformable membrane disposed over and at least partially spaced away from the dielectric layer;
a secondary electrode disposed over a surface of the deformable membrane facing toward or away from the dielectric layer and overlying at least a portion of the primary electrode;
a hydrophilic layer disposed over the secondary electrode, the hydrophilic layer facing the dielectric layer; and
a primary fluid between the deformable membrane and the substrate, wherein:
the primary electrode and the secondary electrode have variable geometries that enable the primary electrode and secondary electrode to control, in response to an applied voltage, a shape of the deformable membrane.

2. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein the inclined region is located peripheral to an optically active area of the lens.

3. The varifocal lens of claim 2 , further comprising a secondary fluid located outside of the optically active area.

4. The varifocal lens of claim 3 , wherein the secondary fluid is in fluid communication with the primary fluid.

5. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein a slope of the inclined region varies as a function of position.

6. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein the primary electrode is bonded to the inclined region of the substrate.

7. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein the deformable membrane is bonded to the substrate.

8. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein the secondary electrode is bonded to at least one portion of at least one surface of the deformable membrane.

9. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the dielectric layer facing the secondary electrode comprises one or more fluid channels.

10. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the deformable membrane varies with position.

11. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic spacer located between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode.

12. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , further comprising a barrier coating disposed over at least one surface of the deformable membrane.

13. The varifocal lens of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrophobic layer disposed over the dielectric layer facing the secondary electrode.

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Landig Renate Eva Klementine
• Stipe Christopher
• Diest Kenneth
• Ouderkirk Andrew John
• Scheller Maik Andre
• Ye Sheng
• Cooke John
• Menguc Yigit
• Elabbasi Nagi
• Ransley James

Classifications

• G02B7/10 Primary

  by relative axial movement of several lenses, e.g. of varifocal objective lens · CPC title

• G03B13/36 Primary

  Autofocus systems · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G02B3/14

  of variable focal length · CPC title

• G02B26/004

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title