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US4640585A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor thin film lens

Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1984-04-25
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Granted: 1987-02-03
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Expires: 2004-04-25
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Abstract

Abstract A semiconductor thin film lens comprises a laminated member comprising a semiconductor A and a semiconductor B alternately layered, the semiconductors A and B satisfying the following conditions: n.sub.A >n.sub.B, E.sub.gA <E.sub.gB, where E gA is the forbidden bandwidth of the semiconductor A, n A is the refractive index of the semiconductor A, E gB is the forbidden bandwidth of the semiconductor B, and n B is the refractive index of the semiconductor B. The thicknesses of the layers of the semiconductor A and the semiconductor B, respectively, are sufficiently smaller than the wavelength corresponding to the forbidden band width of the semiconductor A. The laminated member as a whole has a refractive index gradient which creates a lens action.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hidetoshi Nojiri

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 19:39
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/262; G02B3/00; G02B3/0087; H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/005; H01S5/02; H01S5/022; H01S5/023; H01S5/02325; H01S5/026; H01S5/0267

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 149 words
A semiconductor thin film lens comprising a laminated member comprising a semiconductor A and a semiconductor B alternately layered, said semiconductors A and B satisfying the following conditions: n.sub.A >n.sub.B, E.sub.gA <E.sub.gB, where E gA is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor A, n A is the refractive index of said semiconductor A, E gB is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor B, and n B is the refractive index of said semiconductor B, the thicknesses of the layers of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, respectively, having values of several tenths to several one hundredths of wavelengths corresponding to the forbidden bandwidths of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, different amounts of impurity being doped into the respective layers, whereby said laminated member as a whole has refractive index gradient which creates a lens action on a light beam entering the lens from the exterior thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 149 words
A semiconductor thin film lens comprising a laminated member comprising a semiconductor A and a semiconductor B alternately layered, said semiconductors A and B satisfying the following conditions: n.sub.A >n.sub.B, E.sub.gA <E.sub.gB, where E gA is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor A, n A is the refractive index of said semiconductor A, E gB is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor B, and n B is the refractive index of said semiconductor B, the thicknesses of the layers of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, respectively, having values of several tenths to several one hundredths of wavelengths corresponding to the forbidden bandwidths of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, different amounts of impurity being doped into the respective layers, whereby said laminated member as a whole has refractive index gradient which creates a lens action on a light beam entering the lens from the exterior thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B are GaAs and Ga 0 .7 Al 0 .3 As, respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 1, wherein said impurity is Si.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 47 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor thin film lens is formed on the same substrate as a semiconductor laser monolithically therewith, and is adapted to allow a laser light emitted from said semiconductor laser to enter said semiconductor thin film lens.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 154 words
A semiconductor thin film lens comprising a laminated member comprising a semiconductor A and a semiconductor B alternately layered, said semiconductor A and B satisfying the following conditions: n.sub.A >n.sub.B, E.sub.gA <E.sub.gB, where E gA is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor A, n A is the refractive index of said semiconductor A, E gB is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor B, and n B is the refractive index of said semiconductor B, the thicknesses of the layers of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, respectively, having values of several tenths to several one-hundredths of wavelengths corresponding to the forbidden bandwidths of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, said layers of said semiconductor A and said layers of said semiconductor B being formed to different thicknesses, whereby said laminated member has a refractive index gradient which creates a lens actions on a light beam entering the lens from the exterior thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 154 words
A semiconductor thin film lens comprising a laminated member comprising a semiconductor A and a semiconductor B alternately layered, said semiconductor A and B satisfying the following conditions: n.sub.A >n.sub.B, E.sub.gA <E.sub.gB, where E gA is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor A, n A is the refractive index of said semiconductor A, E gB is the forbidden bandwidth of said semiconductor B, and n B is the refractive index of said semiconductor B, the thicknesses of the layers of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, respectively, having values of several tenths to several one-hundredths of wavelengths corresponding to the forbidden bandwidths of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B, said layers of said semiconductor A and said layers of said semiconductor B being formed to different thicknesses, whereby said laminated member has a refractive index gradient which creates a lens actions on a light beam entering the lens from the exterior thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 44 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of each layer of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B is greater in the central portion of the laminated member and gradually smaller toward the marginal portion of the laminated member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 63 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 6, wherein an impurity is doped into the layers of said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B and the doping quantity thereof is greater in the central portion of the semiconductor thin film lens with respect to a direction of the lamination and gradually decreases toward the marginal portion of the semiconductor thin film lens.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 5, wherein said semiconductor A and said semiconductor B are GaAs and Ga 0 .7 Al 0 .3 As, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 47 words
A semiconductor thin film lens according to claim 5, wherein said semiconductor thin film lens is formed on the same substrate as a semiconductor laser monolithically therewith, and is adapted to allow a laser light emitted from said semiconductor laser to enter said semiconductor thin film lens.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2596251A Cited
US3427627A Cited
US3894789A Cited
US4025157A Cited
JPS5269643A Cited
US4152044A Cited

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