Optical filter device, optical module, and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534954-B2
Application number	US-201213627556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An optical filter device includes a variable wavelength interference filter having a stationary substrate, a movable substrate, a stationary reflecting film, and a movable reflecting film, and a housing adapted to house the variable wavelength interference filter therein. The housing has a base substrate, a lid bonded to the base substrate, and forming an internal space between the base substrate and the lid, and a lid-side glass substrate adapted to block a light passage hole provided to the lid. Further, the lid-side glass substrate has a substrate edge located outside the outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole, and is bonded to the lid in an area extending from the outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole to the substrate edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical filter device comprising:
an interference filter having:
a first substrate,
a second substrate opposed to the first substrate,
a first reflecting film disposed on the first substrate and adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the first reflecting film, and
a second reflecting film disposed on the second substrate, the second reflecting film being opposed to the first reflecting film across a gap, and being adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the second reflecting film; and

a housing holding the interference filter,
wherein the housing has a base substrate and a lid bonded to the base substrate,
at least one of the base substrate and the lid is provided with a light passage hole in an area opposed to the first reflecting film and the second reflecting film,
the housing has a light transmissive substrate covering the light passage hole,
an edge of the light transmissive substrate is located outside an edge of the light passage hole in a plan view of the light transmissive substrate,
the light transmissive substrate is bonded to the at least one of the base substrate and the lid provided with the light passage hole in an area between the edge of the light passage hole to the edge of the light transmissive substrate in the plan view, and
in the plan view of the light transmissive substrate, denoting two intersections between a straight line connecting two points on an outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole and a substrate edge of the light transmissive substrate by substrate end points, a distance between the two points on the outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole by “d,” and a distance between the substrate end points by “a,” a relationship of a/d≧1.6 is fulfilled.

2. The optical filter device according to claim 1 , wherein the lid includes:
a lid bonding section bonded to the base substrate,
a sidewall section continuous to the lid bonding section, and rising in a direction intersecting with the base substrate, and
a top surface section opposed to the base substrate and continuous to the sidewall section.

3. The optical filter device according to claim 1 , wherein
the light transmissive substrate is bonded to an exterior surface of the one of the base substrate and the lid provided with the light passage hole, the exterior surface being opposite to the surface facing to the interference filter.

4. The optical filter device according to claim 3 , wherein
the light passage hole is provided to each of the base substrate and the lid, and
the light transmissive substrate is provided to each of the two light passage holes.

5. The optical filter device according to claim 4 , wherein
a pressure inside the housing is lower than atmospheric pressure.

6. The optical filter device according to claim 5 , wherein
at least one hole penetrating through at least one of the base substrate and the lid and a seal member sealing the hole are provided to at least one of the base substrate and the lid.

7. The optical filter device according to claim 1 , wherein
the interference filter has an electrode section, and
the base substrate has:
an interior surface terminal section disposed on a lid-opposed surface opposed to the lid, and electrically connected to the electrode section, and
an exterior surface terminal section disposed on a base exterior surface opposite to the lid-opposed surface, and electrically connected to the interior surface terminal section.

8. The optical filter device according to claim 7 , wherein
the base substrate has a through hole disposed from the lid-opposed surface to the base exterior surface, and a conductive member with which the through hole is filled, and
the interior surface terminal section and the exterior surface terminal section are electrically connected via the conductive member.

9. The optical filter device according to claim 1 , wherein
the interference filter has a non-light transmissive member having a ring shape disposed on a light entrance surface which the light having passed through the light passage hole enters.

10. An optical module comprising:
the optical filter device according to claim 1 ; and
a detection section adapted to detect the light emitted by the interference filter.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising:
the optical filter device according to claim 1 .

12. An optical filter device comprising:
an interference filter having:
a first reflecting film adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the first reflecting film, and
a second reflecting film opposed to the first reflecting film across a gap, the second reflecting film being adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the second reflecting film; and

a housing holding the interference filter,
wherein a light passage hole is provided in a part of the housing opposed to the first reflecting film and the second reflecting film,
the housing has a light transmissive substrate covering the light passage hole,
an edge of the light transmissive substrate overlaps a portion of the housing in a plan view of the light transmissive substrate, and the light transmissive substrate is bonded to the housing in a continuous area between an edge of the light passage hole and the edge of the light transmissive substrate, the continuous area surrounding the light passage hole, and
in the plan view of the light transmissive substrate, denoting two intersections between a straight line connecting two points on an outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole and a substrate edge of the light transmissive substrate by substrate end points, a distance between the two points on the outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole by “d,” and a distance between the substrate end points by “a,” a relationship of a/d≧1.6 is fulfilled.

13. An optical filter device comprising:
an interference filter having:
a first substrate,
a second substrate opposed to the first substrate,
a first reflecting film disposed on the first substrate and adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the first reflecting film, and
a second reflecting film disposed on the second substrate, the second reflecting film being opposed to the first reflecting film across a gap and being adapted to partially reflect and partially transmit light impinging on the second reflecting film; and

a housing holding the interference filter,
wherein the housing has a base member having a light passage hole in an area opposed to the first reflecting film, and a lid bonded to the base member,
the base member has a light transmissive substrate covering the light passage hole,
an edge of the light transmissive substrate partially overlaps the base member in a plan view of the light transmissive substrate, the light transmissive substrate is bonded to the base member in a continuous area between an edge of the light passage hole and the edge of the light transmissive substrate, the continuous area surrounding the light passage hole, and
in the plan view of the light transmissive substrate, denoting two intersections between a straight line connecting two points on an outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole and a substrate edge of the light transmissive substrate by substrate end points, a distance between the two points on the outer peripheral edge of the light passage hole by “d,” and a distance between the substrate end points by “a,” a relationship of a/d≧1.6 is fulfilled.

14. An optical filter device comprising:
an interference filter

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Matsuno Yasushi
• Tanaka Shuichi
• Sano Akira

Classifications

• G02B26/001

  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

• G01N21/31

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01J3/51

  using colour filters · CPC title

• G01J3/26 Primary

  using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters · CPC title