Polarization device, method of manufacturing the same, liquid crystal device, and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE45993-E
Application number	US-201314075561-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Jun 16, 2010
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The wire grid type polarization device includes a substrate, and a metal layer formed on one face of the substrate in a substantially stripe shape in a plan view, a first dielectric layer provided on two side faces opposite to each other among a plurality of side faces of the metal layer and in a top part of the metal layer, and a second dielectric layer provided on the first dielectric layer. A substrate side end portion of the second dielectric layer is located between the one surface of the substrate and the top part of the first metal layer and a plurality of metal layers that includes a first metal layer having a first side face, a second side face opposed to the first side face, and a top part. First and second dielectric layers are provided in the first side face, the second side face, and the top part of the first metal layer. The first dielectric layer is provided between the first metal layer and the second dielectric layer. The optical absorption rate of the first dielectric layer is less than that of the second dielectric layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polarization device comprising:
a substrate; and
a plurality of metal layers that is provided on one face of the substrate in a stripe shape and includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer,
wherein an optical absorption rate of the second dielectric layer is higher than that of the first dielectric layer,
in two side faces opposite to each other of a plurality of side faces of a first metal layer and in a top part of the first metal layer among the plurality of metal layers, the first dielectric layer included in the first metal layer is provided between the second dielectric layer included in the first metal layer and the first metal layer, and
a substrate side end portion of the second dielectric layer included in the first metal layer is located between the one face of the substrate and the top part of the first metal layer.

2. The polarization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second dielectric layer includes a first member and a second member, and
the first and second members provided to the first metal layer overlap each other over the top part of the first metal layer.

3. The polarization device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first metal layer is provided at one end side of the substrate,
a second metal layer among the plurality of metal layers is provided at the other end side of the substrate,
a volume per unit length of the first member provided to the first metal layer is larger than a volume per unit length of the first member provided to the second metal layer, and
a volume per unit length of the second member provided to the first metal layer is smaller than a volume per unit length of the second member provided to the second metal layer.

4. The polarization device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of metal layers is formed of a material selected from aluminum, silver, copper, chrome, titanium, nickel, tungsten, and iron,
the first dielectric layer is formed of an oxide of the plurality of metal layers, and
the second dielectric layer is formed of a material selected from silicon, germanium, molybdenum, and tellurium.

5. The polarization device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first and second members are formed of the same material to each other.

6. The polarization device according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a region between the plurality of metal layers, a groove is formed in the substrate.

7. A method of manufacturing a polarization device including a substrate, a plurality of metal layers provided on one face of the substrate in a stripe shape, a first dielectric layer provided on a surface of one metal layer among the plurality of metal layers, and a second dielectric layer that is provided on the first dielectric layer and includes a first member and a second member, the method comprising:
forming the first dielectric layer by oxidizing a surface of the plurality of metal layers provided on one surface of the substrate in an oxide gas atmosphere;
forming the first member by depositing a material of the first member on the first dielectric layer from a first direction opposite to one side face among a plurality of side faces of the one metal layer; and
forming the second member by depositing a material of the second member as an upper layer of the first dielectric layer from a second direction opposite to the other side face opposite to the one side face among the plurality of side faces of the one metal layer.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the forming of the first member, the material of the first member is deposited on the first dielectric layer so that a substrate side end portion of the first member is located between the one face of the substrate and the top part of the one metal layer, and
in the forming of the second member, the material of the second member is deposited as the upper layer of the first dielectric layer so that a substrate side end portion of the second member is located between the one face of the substrate and the top part of the one metal layer.

9. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the forming of the second member, the second member is formed so that the second member overlaps the first member over the top part of the one metal layer.

10. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein a first metal layer among the plurality of metal layers is provided at one end side of the substrate,
a second metal layer among the plurality of metal layers is provided at the other end side of the substrate,
a volume per unit length of the first member provided to the first metal layer is larger than a volume per unit length of the first member provided to the second metal layer, and
a volume per unit length of the second member provided to the first metal layer is smaller than a volume per unit length of the second member provided to the second metal layer.

11. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the plurality of metal layers is formed of a material selected from aluminum, silver, copper, chrome, titanium, nickel, tungsten, and iron,
the first dielectric layer is formed of an oxide of the plurality of metal layers, and
the second dielectric layer is formed of a material selected from silicon, germanium, molybdenum, and tellurium.

12. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first and second members are formed of the same material to each other.

13. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the oxide gas is an ozone gas.

14. The method according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the forming of the dielectric layer, ultraviolet light is emitted.

15. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
forming a groove in the substrate, in a region between the plurality of metal layers.

16. A projection type display apparatus, comprising:
a light source;
a liquid crystal electro-optical device to which light emitted from the light source is incident;
a projective optical system that allows light passed through the liquid crystal electro-optical device to be incident to a surface to be projected; and
the polarization device according to claim 1 provided at least one of between the light source and the liquid crystal electro-optical device on an optical path of the light emitted from the light source and between the liquid crystal electro-optical device and the projective optical system on an optical path of the light passed through the liquid crystal electro-optical device.

17. A projection type display apparatus, comprising:
a light source;
a liquid crystal electro-optical device to which light emitted from the light source is incident;
a projective optical system that allows light passed through the liquid crystal electro-optical device to be incident to a surface to be projected; and
the polarization device according to claim 2 provided at least one of between the light source and the liquid crystal electro-optical device on an optical path of the light emitted from the light source and between the liquid crystal electro-optical device and the projective optical system on an optical path of the light passed through the liquid crystal electro-optical device.

18. A liquid crystal device, comprising:
a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates; and
the polarization device according to claim 1 , which is interposed between at least one substrate among the pair of substrates and the liquid crystal layer.

19. A liquid crystal device, comprising:
a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates; and
the polarizati

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kumai Yoshitomo

Classifications

• G02F1/292

  by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical switching G02F1/31) · CPC title

• G02F1/133528 Primary

  Polarisers · CPC title

• G02B5/3058

  comprising electrically conductive elements, e.g. wire grids, conductive particles · CPC title

• G02B5/30 Primary

  Polarising elements (light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00) · CPC title

• G02F1/1335

  Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors · CPC title