IP Library Granted Patent US 9,720,143
Granted Patent B2
US 9,720,143 · App. 14/617,257 · Granted Aug 1, 2017

Optical lens with scratch-resistant anti-reflective layer

Inventor: Andreas Neuffer (Asperg, DE)
Assignee: CARL ZEISS VISION INTERNATIONAL GMBH
G02B1/14G02B1/041G02B1/115G02B1/18G02B27/0006G02C7/02G02C2202/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,720,143
App. No.
14/617,257
Granted
Aug 1, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic, more particularly of plastic which is transparent in a visible spectral range, and having a coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising at least one high-refractive-index layer. Furthermore, a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, and a superhydrophobic layer concludes the coating in opposition to the lens element. The at least one high-refractive-index layer has a thickness of less than 40 nm, and the coating overall has a thickness of more than about 380 nm.

Claims (18)

1. An optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic and a scratch resistant anti-reflective coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising precisely two high-refractive-index layers, wherein a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, wherein a superhydrophobic layer concludes the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, wherein the two high-refractive-index layers have an overall thickness of less than 40 nm, and wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating excluding the hardcoat layer has an overall thickness of more than about 380 nm, wherein the optical lens has a Bayer value of greater than 17.

2. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the superhydrophobic layer is formed of a material on which water adopts a contact angle of more than 90°.

3. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two high-refractive-index layers has a thickness of less than 15 nm.

4. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein one of the two high-refractive-index layers has a thickness of less than or equal to about 10 nm.

5. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the two high-refractive-index layers are formed of ZrO 2 , TiO 2 or Ta 2 O 5 .

6. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating has at least one low-refractive-index layer and/or at least one medium-refractive-index layer.

7. The optical lens according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one low-refractive-index layer is formed of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 or MgF 2 .

8. The optical lens according to claim 6 , wherein each of the two high-refractive-index layers is embedded between two low-refractive-index layers or two medium-refractive-index-layers or one low-refractive-index layer and one medium-refractive-index-layer.

9. The optical lens according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one medium-refractive-index layer has a refractive index of 1.5<n<=1.65 and that the at least one low-refractive-index layer has a refractive index of n<=1.5.

10. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein a hardness of the plurality of layers increases from the hardcoat layer in the direction of the superhydrophobic layer.

11. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least two low-refractive-index-layers and at least two medium-refractive-index layers are positioned in an alternating arrangement between the lowermost high-refractive-index layer and the hardcoat layer.

12. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the two high-refractive-index layers have a refractive index of n>1.65.

13. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the optical lens has a reflectance of less than about 2.5% for visible light having a wavelength ranging from 450 nm to 650 nm.

14. The optical lens according to claim 1 , wherein the optical lens has a Bayer value of greater than 20.

15. An optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic and a scratch resistant anti-reflective coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising at least two high-refractive-index layers, wherein a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, wherein a superhydrophobic layer concludes the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, wherein the at least two high-refractive-index layers have an overall thickness of less than 40 nm, and wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating excluding the hardcoat layer has an overall thickness of more than about 380 nm, wherein the optical lens has a Bayer value of greater than 17, wherein the at least two high-refractive index layers are formed of ZrO 2 or TiO 2 , and wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating has at least one low-refractive-index layer, wherein the at least one low-refractive-index layer comprises one or more materials selected from YbF 3 , YF 3 , a mixture of YbF 3 —CaF 2 , or a mixture YF 3 —BaF 2 .

16. An optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic and a scratch resistant anti-reflective coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising at least two high-refractive-index layers, at least one medium-refractive index layer, and at least one low-refractive-index layer, wherein a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, wherein a superhydrophobic layer concludes the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, wherein the at least two high-refractive-index layers have an overall thickness of less than 40 nm, the at least two high-refractive index layers are formed of ZrO 2 or TiO 2 and the at least one low-refractive-index layer comprises one or more materials selected from YbF 3 , YF 3 , a mixture of YbF 3 —CaF 2 , or a mixture YF 3 —BaF 2 wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating excluding the hardcoat layer has an overall thickness of more than about 380 nm, and wherein the optical lens has a Bayer value of greater than 17.

17. An optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic and a scratch resistant anti-reflective coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising at least two high-refractive-index layers, wherein a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, wherein a superhydrophobic layer concludes the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating, wherein the at least two high-refractive-index layers have an overall thickness of less than 40 nm, and wherein the scratch resistant anti-reflective coating excluding the hardcoat layer has an overall thickness of more than about 380 nm, wherein the optical lens has a Bayer value of greater than 17, wherein at least two low-refractive-index-layers and at least two medium-refractive-index layers are positioned in an alternating arrangement between the lowermost high-refractive-index layer and the hardcoat layer.

18. The optical lens according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one medium-refractive-index layer has a refractive index of 1.5<n<=1.65 and that the at least one low-refractive-index layer has a refractive index of n<=1.5.

Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2010 048 088 · Oct 1, 2010 · national
Continuity (3)
Division 13249455 · Sep 30, 2011
Provisional Application 61389019 · Oct 1, 2010
Related Publication 20150153484A1 · Jun 4, 2015