Variable wavelength interference filter, optical module, electronic apparatus, and method of manufacturing variable wavelength interference filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372293-B2
Application number	US-201314013619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2013
Priority date	Aug 30, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A variable wavelength interference filter includes a first substrate having a stationary mirror, a second substrate bonded to the first substrate and provided with a movable section and a movable mirror fixed to the movable section, and a third substrate bonded to the second substrate on an opposite side to the first substrate, and is provided with a first inner space sandwiched by the first substrate and the second substrate, a first gap, through which the first inner space communicates with the outside, a second inner space sandwiched by the second substrate and the third substrate, and a second gap, through which the second inner space communicates with the outside, and the first gap and the second gap are each sealed by a sealing member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable wavelength interference filter comprising:
a first substrate having a first mirror;
a second substrate, which has a movable section provided with a second mirror opposed to the first mirror, and is bonded to the first substrate;
a third substrate, which is opposed to an opposite side of the second substrate to a side provided with the first substrate, and is bonded to the second substrate;
a first inner space disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a second inner space disposed between the second substrate and the third substrate; and
wherein a sealing member adapted to seal the first inner space and the second inner space is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and between the second substrate and the third substrate, the sealing member covering a side surface of the second substrate and a side surface of the third substrate,
a first bonding layer bonds the first substrate and the second substrate,
a second bonding layer bonds the second substrate and the third substrate,
a first portion of the sealing member is disposed outboard from the first bonding layer, and
a second portion of the sealing member is disposed outboard from the second bonding layer.

2. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 , wherein
the first inner space and the second inner space are in a reduced-pressure state with respect to the outside.

3. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 , wherein
the second substrate is provided with a through hole through which the first inner space and the second inner space communicate with each other.

4. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of displacing electrodes opposed to each other provided respectively to the first substrate and the second substrate;
a plurality of extraction electrodes provided respectively to the first substrate and the second substrate, and electrically connected to the displacing electrodes;
a first penetration section formed by removing a part of the second substrate in an area of the second substrate overlapping at least one of the extraction electrodes in a plan view viewed from a thickness direction of the second substrate;
a second penetration section formed by removing a part of the third substrate in an area of the third substrate overlapping at least one of the extraction electrodes in the plan view;
a first sealing groove disposed along an outer circumferential portion of a first gap and communicating with the first penetration section and the second penetration section; and
a second sealing groove disposed along an outer circumferential portion of a second gap and communicating with the first penetration section and the second penetration section,
wherein the first sealing groove is sealed with the sealing member, and the second sealing groove is sealed with the sealing member.

5. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 , wherein
the sealing member is made of synthetic resin.

6. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 5 , wherein
the synthetic resin is a para-xylylene polymer.

7. The variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 , wherein
the sealing member is formed of an inorganic thin film.

8. An optical module comprising:
the variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 1 ; and
a detection section adapted to detect light,
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror constitute an optical interference region, and
the detection section detects the light taken out by the optical interference region.

9. An optical module comprising:
the variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 2 ; and
a detection section adapted to detect light,
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror constitute an optical interference region, and
the detection section detects the light taken out by the optical interference region.

10. An optical module comprising:
the variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 3 ; and
a detection section adapted to detect light,
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror constitute an optical interference region, and
the detection section detects the light taken out by the optical interference region.

11. An optical module comprising:
the variable wavelength interference filter according to claim 4 ; and
a detection section adapted to detect light,
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror constitute an optical interference region, and
the detection section detects the light taken out by the optical interference region.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a control section; and
the optical module according to claim 8 .

13. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a control section; and
the optical module according to claim 9 .

14. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a control section; and
the optical module according to claim 10 .

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a control section: and the optical module according to claim 11 .

16. A variable wavelength interference filter comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate, which is disposed so as to be opposed to the first substrate, and has a movable section and a holding section adapted to hold the movable section so as to be able to be displaced in a thickness direction of the first substrate;
a third substrate disposed on an opposite surface of the second substrate to a surface, on which the first substrate is disposed, so as to be opposed to the second substrate;
a first mirror disposed on a surface of the movable section opposed to the first substrate;
a second mirror provided to the first substrate, and disposed so as to be opposed to the first mirror via a gap; and
an actuator adapted to vary the gap,
wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded to each other with a first bonding layer, and the second substrate and the third substrate are bonded to each other with a second bonding layer,
a first recessed section is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate,
a second recessed section is formed between the second substrate and the third substrate,
a sealing member including a first portion and a second portion is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and between the second substrate and the third substrate, the sealing member covering a side surface of the second substrate and a side surface of the third substrate,
the first portion of the sealing member is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate at a position outboard from the first bonding layer,
the second portion of the sealing member is disposed between the second substrate and the third substrate at a position outboard from the second bonding layer.

17. A method of manufacturing a variable wavelength interference filter comprising:
disposing a second substrate so as to be opposed to a first substrate having a first recessed section to form a first inner space formed of the first recessed section;
disposing a third substrate, which has a second recessed section, on an opposite surface of the second substrate to a surface, on which the first substrate is disposed, so as to be opposed to the second substrate to form a second inner space formed of the second recessed section;
obtaining a bonded body by bonding the first substrate and the second substrate to each other via a first bonding layer and bonding the second substr

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp
• Seiko Espon Corp

Inventors

• Hirokubo Nozomu

Classifications

• Y10T156/1052

  with cutting, punching, tearing or severing · CPC title

• G02B5/28 Primary

  Interference filters · CPC title

• G02B26/001 Primary

  based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity (interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26) · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• G02B5/284

  of etalon type comprising a resonant cavity other than a thin solid film, e.g. gas, air, solid plates (etalons for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29358; etalons for spectral measurement G01J3/26) · CPC title