JPS59182425A - Two-dimensional optical element and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to the structure of a two-dimensional optical element and a simple manufacturing method thereof, and is particularly effective as an all-solid-state two-dimensional optical element.

Conventional Structures and Their Problems Conventionally, two-dimensional optical elements include those using an inorganic material such as a tungsten oxide (WO3) film and those using an organic material as a coloring layer. Conventional tungsten oxide (W
For example, an optical element using an O3) film as a coloring layer has a transparent electrode indium on a substrate 1° as shown in FIG.
tin oxide (ITO) 11,
A tungsten oxide film 12 is then formed thereon. The electrolyte liquid 13 has a certain age as an ionic conductor in the upper layer.
and a transparent substrate 15 with a counter electrode 14 thereon.
is formed, and the electrolyte is sealed with a sealant 16 to form an element. By applying a voltage between the upper and lower electrodes 11 and 14, protons or monovalent metal ions enter the WO3 film, creating an absorber and developing color, and conversely, by applying a voltage, the optical element decolorizes. can. Conventional devices using electrolytes have problems such as corrosion of the WO3 film and problems with electrolyte sealing and leakage, and are not sufficiently durable for practical use. For this reason, when all-solid-state optical elements are being researched, if a WO3 sputtered film is used, when the upper ion-conducting layer is deposited, a large amount of conductive ions in the ion-conducting layer penetrate deeply into the WO3 film, producing color. However, they have the disadvantages of not being bleached by an electric field, slow response speed, and insufficient bleaching resulting in poor contrast.

Therefore, the present inventors discovered that a sputtered film made with a target containing at least tungsten oxide and lithium prevents the intrusion of ions during the deposition of the ion conductor and is effective as a coloring layer of a two-dimensional optical element. and invented a two-dimensional optical element with a new configuration. Furthermore, the sputtered film created with the target containing tungsten oxide and lithium can be made by changing the oxygen partial pressure during deposition.
They discovered that when creating a device, it is possible to obtain two different films: one that develops color in response to an electric field, and one that does not. It was also confirmed that the film that does not develop color yet exhibits sufficient lithium ion conductivity. did. With this discovery,
By using a target containing tungsten oxide and lithium and performing sputter deposition while changing the oxygen partial pressure, we invented a manufacturing method in which a coloring layer and an ion-conducting layer are successively formed using the same target. Invented optical elements.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing which is simpler and which
In particular, the present invention provides a thin and stable two-dimensional optical element that is effective as an all-solid-state type.

Structure of the Invention The two-dimensional optical element of the present invention is characterized by having a coloring layer made of an oxide sputtered film containing at least tungsten and lithium. More preferably, the mixing ratio of tungsten and lithium is 0.5 (L i /
By setting W (4), when a small amount of Li is used, the absorbance during coloring is low and the contrast is poor, and when a large amount of Li is used, the absorbance is prevented from being too high and the deterioration is accelerated, and it has optical memory. 2 that can operate as a display element
This realizes a dimensional optical element. In addition, by sputter-depositing an ionic conductor on the coloring layer, it has a simpler structure compared to optical elements that have a liquid electrolyte, and it also suppresses corrosion of the coloring layer by the electrolyte, making it completely solid. An optical element can be obtained. Furthermore, an optical element in which the ion conductor is a sputtered film containing at least lithium and tungsten is also effective. That is, an oxide containing at least tungsten and lithium is used as a terkerato, and is sputter-deposited in an argon atmosphere.
A coloring layer that exhibits coloration can be created by an electric field, and then oxygen is introduced and sputter-deposited in a mixed atmosphere of argon and oxygen to create a lithium ion conductive layer that does not exhibit coloration by an electric field. By changing the oxygen partial pressure of the sputtering gas using the same target, it is possible to easily create a coloring layer and an ion conductive layer.
This makes it possible to manufacture dimensional optical elements.

Description of Examples Example 1 As shown in FIG. 2, a mixed oxide of lithium and tungsten (Li/W'=4) was applied as a target and LAr was applied to the ITo of the substrate 10 on which the transparent electrode 11 (To) was formed. The coloring layer 21 is formed by sputter deposition using a sputtering gas of 3×1 O −2 Torr.

During sputter deposition, lithium and tungsten interact to form an absorber, resulting in a blue-colored film. Next, a mixed oxide of lithium and tungsten (Li/W-1
) is sputter-deposited using Ar102-1 as a sputtering gas at 3 x 10'-2 Torr to form the ion conductive layer 22. In this case, lithium niobate, lithium titanide, etc. can be used, and the material is not limited to the above-mentioned materials as long as they exhibit lithium ion conduction. Then, on the layer 22, a transparent IT is applied as a counter electrode.
O electrode 14 is formed, and an electric field is applied to the upper and lower electrodes to perform coloring and decoloring. In the element thus formed, a difference of more than one digit in coloring and decoloring is observed in the intensity of the transmitted light of the He-Ne laser.
This is fully possible as an optical element. In this case, it was sufficient that the voltage applied to the electrodes was 5 μm or less.

Furthermore, a memory effect of several months or more was confirmed, and a two-dimensional optical element with a thin, lightweight, and stable structure was realized. An IT○ film 11 is formed. On top of that,
First, a mixed oxide of lithium and tungsten (L i /
'W = 2) as a target, Ar atmosphere 3X1
The coloring layer 31 is formed by vacuum evaporation at 0 Torf. Next, introduce oxygen gas to r102=1 atmosphere 3
The ion conductive layer 32 is sputter deposited using the same target at X10 Torr. A completely solid-state, thin, lightweight, and stabilized two-dimensional optical element can be obtained, and by this manufacturing method, a two-dimensional optical element that has an optical memory and can be used as a display element can be produced by simply sputtering the same target. Realized.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, the present invention has a color forming layer composed of an oxide sputtered film containing lithium and tungsten, which is thin, lightweight, has clear contrast, and is particularly effective as an all-solid-state type. This makes it possible to create a two-dimensional optical element and also realizes an easy manufacturing method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a two-dimensional optical element according to a conventional example, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a two-dimensional optical element according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the optical element. 21... Tungsten and lithium oxide film (
L 1 /W=4 r Ar atmosphere sputtered film top 22
...Tungsten and lithium oxide film (Li
/ Toshi 1. Ar102=1 atmosphere sputtered film 31...Tungsten and lithium oxide film (L i / W=2
．． Ar atmosphere spam film), 32... Tungsten and lithium oxide film (L i /W= 2,
Ar 102-=1 atmosphere sputtered film). Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
figure/,? Figure 2 4 Figure 3/d

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) At least tungsten (W) and lithium (L)
A two-dimensional optical element characterized by having a coloring layer made of an oxide sputtered film containing i). (2) Claim 1, characterized in that it has a coloring layer composed of an oxide sputtered film with a mixing ratio of tungsten (W) and lithium (Li) of 0.5 (Li/W<4). The two-dimensional optical element described in . (3) A two-dimensional optical element according to claim 1, which has a multilayer structure in which a lithium ion conductor layer is sputtered on a coloring layer. (4) A two-dimensional optical element according to claim 3, characterized in that the lithium conductor layer is composed of an oxide sputtered film containing at least tungsten and lithium. (5) By using an oxide containing tungsten and lithium as a target and changing the oxygen partial pressure of the sputtering gas, a coloring layer and an ion conductor layer made of an oxide sputtered film containing tungsten and lithium are successively formed. 1. A method for manufacturing a two-dimensional optical element, comprising: forming a two-dimensional optical element.