Abstract: An illumination optical system having a light source and a single convex lens with a diffractive structure, wherein the phase function of the diffractive structure is represented by ? ? ( r ) = ? i = 1 N ? ? ? 2 ? i ? r 2 ? i where r represents distance from the central axis of the lens, the relationship |?2|·(0.3R)2<|?4|·(0.3R)4 is satisfied where R represents effective radius of the lens, the second derivative of the phase function has at least one extreme value and at least one point of inflection where r is greater than 30% of R, and the area of a surface of the light source is equal to or greater than 3% of the area of the entrance pupil when the light source side of the lens is defined as the image side.

Abstract: A method for producing a plastic element provided with fine surface roughness is provided. In the method, etching of a surface of the plastic element is performed separately in a first step and in a second step, in the first step, fine roughness having a predetermined average value of pitch in the range from 0.05 to 1 micrometer is generated on the surface through reactive ion etching in an atmosphere of a first gas; and in the second step, an average value of depth of the fine roughness generated in the first step is adjusted to a predetermined value in the range from 0.15 to 1.5 micrometers while the predetermined average value of pitch is substantially maintained through reactive ion etching in an atmosphere of a second gas, reactivity to the plastic element of the second gas being lower than reactivity to the plastic element of the first gas.

Abstract: Provided is a mold manufacturing method that is capable of manufacturing a mold of a complex shape particularly of an optical element with sufficient shape accuracy and within a relatively short time. This mold manufacturing method includes: a step for forming a base made of metal into a first shape through machining; a step for coating the base with a resin layer; a step for forming the resin layer into a second shape; and a step for forming the base into a third shape through dry-etching.

Abstract: An illumination optical system having a light source and a single convex lens with a diffractive structure, wherein the phase function of the diffractive structure is represented by ? ? ( r ) = ? i = 1 N ? ? ? 2 ? i ? r 2 ? i where r represents distance from the central axis of the lens, the relationship |?2|·(0.3R)2<|?4|·(0.3R)4 is satisfied where R represents effective radius of the lens, the second derivative of the phase function has at least one extreme value and at least one point of inflection where r is greater than 30% of R, and the area of a surface of the light source is equal to or greater than 3% of the area of the entrance pupil when the light source side of the lens is defined as the image side.

Abstract: A diffusion element is configured by combining: a structure for diffusion constituted by combining periodic surface structures having multiple periods to achieve a light intensity distribution in which the light intensity is uniform at angles less than or equal to a predetermined diffusion angle ? and the light intensity is as close as possible to zero intensity at angles greater than the diffusion angle ?; and a diffractive structure having a period of 1 or more and 2 or less times of ?max, where ?max is the maximum period of the structure for diffusion.

Abstract: The imaging optical system is provided with a first lens having a negative refractive power, a second lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens having a positive refractive power, disposed from the object side to the image side. With |d| being the distance between the image-side principal point of the first lens and the object-side principal point of the second lens, d=?|d| being the signed distance between the image-side principal point of the first lens and the object-side principal point of the second lens when the image-side principal point of the first lens is further towards the image side than the object-side principal point of the second lens, and f12 being the composite focal length of the first lens and the second lens, the relationships d<0 and 0.005<d/f12<16 are established.

Abstract: The projector-type headlamp comprises a projection lens unit and a light source unit. A diffraction grating designed to eliminate chromatic aberrations is provided on at least part of a lens surface of the lens unit. When an x axis in the horizontal direction and a y axis in the vertical direction are defined on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, R1 is the maximum y coordinate on the lens surface, and 0?A<1, an area of the lens surface in which y<A·R1 comprises a curved surface or a flat surface, at least partially provided with the diffraction grating, and an area of the lens surface in which y?A·R1 comprises a separate curved surface that has a power greater than the power of the curved surface or flat surface, and is not provided with a diffraction grating.

Abstract: A light-receiving optical system includes a rotating mirror configured to rotate around a rotation axis and having a reflection plane arranged at an angle with the rotation axis; an imaging optical system having an optical axis that coincides with the rotation axis; a multifocal Fresnel lens having sections formed concentrically around the optical axis; and light-receiving elements, wherein the imaging optical system is configured such that rays of light that enter the rotating mirror are converged onto one of the sections depending on an angle of the rays with the optical axis, and the multifocal Fresnel lens is configured such that the rays reach one of the light-receiving elements, which corresponds to the one of the sections so that a light-receiving element that the rays reach is determined depending on the angle of the rays with the optical axis independently of a rotational position of the rotating mirror.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus includes a dome rotatable around the central axis; a loop chain surrounding the central axis on the dome; a power transmission shaft transmitting rotational motion of the dome; a first gear section transforming the rotational motion of the dome to rotational motion of the shaft; a second gear section provided with a chain-driving sprocket and configured to transform the rotational motion of the shaft to rotational motion of the sprocket; and a tray holder located beside the loop chain, the tray holder including a first internal power transmission shaft and a rotating portion holding a tray. The sprocket is rotated through the rotation of the dome to drive the loop chain, the first internal power transmission shaft of the tray holder is rotated by motion of the loop chain, and the rotating portion is rotated through rotation of the first internal power transmission shaft.

Abstract: A method for measuring a position of a target surface provided with portions for position determination thereon, wherein a diffuse reflectance of the target surface is 0.1% or less, and a diffuse reflectance of the portions for position determination is 5% or more, and wherein the target surface is configured such that a tangential plane at any point on the target surface where each of the portions for position determination is installed forms an arbitrary angle between 15 degrees and 75 degrees inclusive with a certain direction, the method including the steps of illuminating the target surface with parallel light in the certain direction; determining positions of border lines of the plural portions for position determination from an image of the target surface; and determining the position of the target surface from the positions of the border lines of the plural portions for position determination.

Abstract: A microlens array includes N microlenses arranged in a predetermined direction on an x-y plane. A projection onto the x-y plane of the vertex of each microlens is arranged in the vicinity of a lattice point of a reference lattice on the x-y plane, the lattice spacing of the reference lattice in the predetermined direction being D/M (millimeters) where M is a positive integer. A distance between two sides of a lens facing each other is approximately equal to D, and a distance between the projection onto the x-y plane of the vertex of the lens and the projection onto the x-y plane of a side of the lens is D/2+?i. Letting n represent the refractive index of the material of each microlens and letting f (millimeters) represent the focal length of each microlens, the following relationships are satisfied. 0.0042 D < D 2 ? ? f = D ? ( n - 1 ) 2 ? ? R 0.0048 ? f ? { 1 + ( D / 2 ? ? f ) 2 } < ? < 0.

Abstract: A microlens array, each microlens containing N sides of a convex polygon and N curved surfaces corresponding to the sides, wherein when the line passing through the microlens vertex and perpendicular to the polygon plane is z axis, the line passing through the intersection point (origin) between z axis and the plane and perpendicular to a side is x axis, z coordinate of the curved surface corresponding to the side is z=f(x), a distance from the origin to the side is t, a virtual curved surface in 0?|x|?t is z=F(x), refractive index of the microlens is no, A and C represents constants, and g ? ( x ) = dF ? ( x ) dx = - x ? x ? · Cx 2 + A n 0 ? 1 + ( Cx 2 + A ) 2 - 1 , ? g ? ( x ) - 0.035 ? df ? ( x ) dx ? g ? ( x ) + 0.035 is satisfied and f (x) is determined such that an illuminance distribution in an illuminated area is more uniform than that in the case that the curved surface is shaped in a segment of a circle.

Abstract: A diffuser is provided with a recess-protrusion structure formed on a plane. When a z-axis is defined as a normal to the plane, an x-axis is defined on the plane, the x-axis is divided into plural intervals, Snx represents length of an interval nx, Sx-max and Sx-min represent the maximum and the minimum of Snx, respectively, the relationship 2<Sx-max/Sx-min holds, Snx varies on a random basis between Sx-min and Sx-max, in an xz cross section, a recess portion and a protrusion portion are formed on each of adjacent intervals along the x-axis, respectively, and when dznx represents a difference between the maximum and the minimum of z coordinate of the recess-protrusion structure in the interval nx in the xz cross section, Anx represents a ratio between dznx and Snx, Anx-max and Anx-min represent the maximum and the minimum of Anx, the relationship Ax-max/Ax-min<1.3 holds.

Abstract: An optical imaging system according to the present invention includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens with negative refractive power, a second lens that is a meniscus lens having a convex image-side surface, an aperture stop, a third lens with positive refractive power, and a lens group with positive refractive power. When the center thickness of the first lens is represented as t1, the center thickness of the second lens is represented as t2 and the focal length of the whole system is represented as f, t1/f>1.2 and t2/f>1.2 are satisfied.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mold according to the first aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: placing a base material of semiconductor or metal that reacts with sulfur hexafluoride in a reactive ion etching apparatus; supplying a mixed gas of sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen thereto; making the base material undergo a plasma dry-etching process such that oxides are scattered on a surface of the base material, etching advances on the surface of the base material while the oxides function as etching masks, and thereby a fine surface roughness is formed on the surface of the base material; and irradiating the fine surface roughness with an ion beam such that shapes of protrusions of the fine surface roughness can be adjusted.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mold or an optical element provided with a fine surface roughness for anti-reflection or for diffusing, may include placing a substrate or a film made of a semiconductor or a metal into a reacting etching apparatus, introducing a mixed gas of sulfur hexafluoride and oxygen into the etching apparatus with the substrate or the film, tuning the mixed gas into plasma such that oxides are made to be scattered on a surface of the substrate or the film, and etching the surface of the substrate of the film by the sulfur hexafluoride while the oxides function as an etching mask to form the fine surface roughness on the surface of the substrate or the film. Further, etching conditions may be determined such that the pitch of the fine surface roughness is made from 3 to 18 micrometers.

Abstract: The element according to the present invention has a first plane (201) and a second plane (203) forming a prescribed angle with the first plane. The second plane is provided with at least three portions for position determination (101A 101B, 101C, 101D) arranged on the second plane sufficiently spaced apart from each other, allowing the identification of the second plane. Each portion for position determination is formed in a convex shape with respect to the second plane. A tangential plane (TL) to the surface of each portion for position determination at a point on a border line between the second plane and the surface forms a single plane and tangential planes of the portions for position determination are parallel to one another.

Abstract: A position determination method for determining a position of a point on a flat surface by observing the position of the point and a position of a fiducial portion on the flat surface in an image of a measuring system provided with an imaging optical system using coaxial episcopic illumination is provided. The fiducial portion is in the shape of a pillar at least in the basal portion and provided with an inclined surface surrounding the foot of the pillar. The method includes the steps of determining a position of the outer boundary of the foot from the boundary between the inclined surface and the flat surface in the image; determining the position of the fiducial portion from the position of the outer boundary of the foot; and determining the position of the point with respect to the position of the fiducial portion.

Abstract: An optical element includes a light receiving surface 101 covering a light source on a plane and an exit surface 103. When the central axis is AX, the intersection of AX with the plane is P0, and in a cross section containing AX, an angle between a line connecting P0 and P on 101 and AX is ?r, an angle between a normal to 103 at Q and AX is ?, a distance from AX to Q is r, the maximum value of r on 103 is rmax, and ?r and ? are positive when measured clockwise with respect to AX, ? has plural positive local maximum and minimum values as a function of r in 0.5rmax?r, in an area of 103 through which a ray travelling from P0 at a positive angle ?r passes, and the shape of 103 is symmetric with respect to AX.

Abstract: An optical element to be interposed between an optical transmission line and a light-emitting element or a light-receiving element such that an optical path from one side to the other passes through the optical element is provided. At least one surface of the optical element is provided with a first light-collecting area and a second light-collecting area. A surface of the first light-collecting area is configured such that light from the one side is received by the other side. A surface of the second light-collecting area is an annular surface or a part of the annular surface and is configured such that light that has passed through the second light-collecting area forms an image in the shape of a ring or a part of the ring at a position between the optical element and the other side.