Optical component array having adjustable curvature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9442285-B2
Application number	US-201213349336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2012
Priority date	Jan 14, 2011
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Provided are devices, and related methods, for controlling curvature of an array of optical components on, embedded, or partially embedded in, a deformable substrate. The array of optical components, in an aspect, comprises a deformable substrate having a contact surface and an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by the contact surface. An actuator is operably connected to the contact surface, wherein the actuator variably controls a curvature of said contact surface. The contact surface may have a curvature that spans concave to convex, which is tunable. In an aspect, the array of optical components is part of an optical device, such as a camera with a continuously adjustable zoom whose focus is maintained by adjusting a photodetector array curvature. In an aspect, the method is adjusting the curvature of a substrate that supports the array of optical components by applying a force to the substrate.

First claim

I claim:

1. An imaging system comprising:
a deformable substrate having a contact surface, wherein said deformable substrate is an elastomeric membrane;
an array of mechanically interconnected optical components supported by said contact surface, wherein said optical components comprise photodiodes that form a photodetector array;
an encapsulating layer supported by said deformable substrate, wherein the encapsulating layer at least partially encapsulates said array of mechanically interconnected optical components;
an actuator operably connected to said contact surface, wherein said actuator is configured to continuously adjust a curvature of said contact surface, wherein change of curvature by the actuator is reversible;
a dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens in optical communication with said photodetector array; and
a processor for calculating a Petzval surface of an object imaged by said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens, wherein said actuator is configured to generate curvature of said photodetector that substantially matches the calculated Petzval surface,
thereby providing a dynamically tunable imaging system having a continuously adjustable zoom and correspondingly continuously adjustable photodetector array surface curvature configured to match the Petzval surface formed by a change in curvature of said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens.

2. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said deformable substrate has a thickness that is less than 1 mm.

3. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said optical component is selected from the group consisting of:
optical detectors;
optical emitters;
optical reflectors;
photovoltaics;
lenses;
filters; and
polarizers.

4. The array of optical components of claim 3 , wherein said array of mechanically interconnected optical components comprise photodiodes.

5. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said actuator selected from the group consisting of:
a piezoelectric actuator;
an electrostatic actuator; and
a magnetic actuator.

6. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said actuator is selected from the group consisting of:
a hydraulic system;
a pneumatic system;
a mechanical actuator; and
a force generator that is integrated with said deformable substrate.

7. The array of optical components of claim 6 , wherein said integrated force generator is a shape memory polymer or metal.

8. The array of optical components of claim 6 , wherein said mechanical actuator comprises an array of mechanical actuators positioned on a back surface that is opposed to said contact surface.

9. The array of optical components of claim 6 , wherein said hydraulic or pneumatic system comprises:
an optical component fluid chamber, wherein said deformable substrate forms a surface of said optical component fluid chamber; and
a pressure controller for controlling a pressure of said optical component fluid chamber.

10. The array of optical components of claim 9 , wherein said fluid chamber pressure is controlled by introducing or removing a fluid to said fluid chamber by said actuator.

11. The array of optical components of claim 9 , wherein said fluid chamber is positioned adjacent to a back surface of said deformable substrate, wherein said back surface is opposed and separated from said contact surface by said deformable membrane.

12. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said array of optical components comprises a plurality of islands, wherein each island is mechanically or electrically connected to an adjacent island by an interconnect, wherein said interconnect is in a buckled or a serpentine configuration.

13. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said curvature can range from a concave to a convex configuration, wherein said array of optical components remain functional over the concave to convex configuration.

14. The array of optical components of claim 13 , wherein curvature is defined by a radius of curvature, and said radius of curvature can vary from 0.1 mm to flat in the concave or the convex configuration.

15. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein said actuator provides a curvature that is within 5% of a desired curvature.

16. The array of optical components of claim 1 , said deformable substrate having a spatially-varying material property that influences the curvature of the contact surface.

17. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens comprises an elastomeric lens membrane.

18. The imaging system of claim 17 , wherein said dynamically tunable and adjustable curvature lens is a tunable fluidic lens further comprising:
a lens fluid chamber having one surface formed by said elastomeric lens membrane; and
an optical component fluid chamber having one surface formed by said deformable substrate;

wherein the actuator controls:
a pressure in said lens fluid chamber to tune said elastomeric lens membrane; and
a pressure in said optical component fluid chamber to tune said photodetector array.

19. The imaging system of claim 18 , wherein said actuator comprises:
a lens fluid chamber actuator for controlling said pressure in said lens fluid chamber; and
an optical component fluid chamber actuator for controlling said pressure in said optical component fluid chamber.

20. The imaging system of claim 18 , wherein said actuator comprises one or more actuators to independently vary a radius of curvature of said elastomeric lens membrane and said deformable substrate.

21. The imaging system of claim 20 , wherein said actuator is a single actuator that adjusts curvature of both said elastomeric lens and said photodetector array.

22. The imaging system of claim 1 having a continuously adjustable zoom, wherein said zoom is greater than or equal to a factor of 1 and less than or equal to a factor of 50.

23. The array of optical components of claim 1 , wherein adjacent mechanically interconnected optical components are interconnected by a serpentine or buckled interconnect.

24. The array of optical components of claim 23 , wherein the encapsulating layer comprises a top and bottom film of polyimide and the interconnects are metal lines encapsulated with the top and bottom film of polyimide, wherein the top film, bottom film, or both films of polyimide have a thickness less than or equal to 1 μm.

25. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating layer provides a neutral mechanical plane to isolate a rigid material of the array from bending-induced strain.

26. The imaging system of claim 25 , wherein the rigid material of the array is a metal or semiconductor element.

27. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein each photodetector of the photodetector array has an area that is less than 0.25 mm 2 .

28. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the photodetector array surface curvature is within 5% of the Petzval surface averaged over the entire photodetector array surface.

29. A method of controlling curvature of an array of optical components comprising:
providing an array of mechanically interconnected optical components on a contact surface of a deformable substrate, wherein said deformable substrate is an elastomeric membrane and said optical components comprise photod

Assignees

• Rogers John A
• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Rogers John A

Classifications

• G02B26/0825 Primary

  the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus (flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24) · CPC title

• G02B27/28

  for polarising (used in stereoscopes G02B30/25) · CPC title

• G02B3/14

  of variable focal length · CPC title

• G02B26/0875

  by means of one or more refracting elements · CPC title