US 12,000,033 B2
Method of fabricating anisotropic optical interference filter
Robert Sprague, Acton, MA (US)
Assigned to MATERION CORPORATION, Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed by MATERION CORPORATION, Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed on May 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/745,395.
Application 17/745,395 is a continuation of application No. 16/709,426, filed on Dec. 10, 2019, granted, now 11,365,471.
Application 16/709,426 is a continuation of application No. 15/797,894, filed on Oct. 30, 2017, granted, now 10,502,880, issued on Dec. 10, 2019.
Application 15/797,894 is a continuation of application No. 15/046,167, filed on Feb. 17, 2016, granted, now 9,804,310, issued on Oct. 31, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/117,122, filed on Feb. 17, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0275497 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. C23C 14/04 (2006.01); G02B 5/28 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/044 (2013.01) [G02B 5/285 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shadow mask comprising:
an elongated body extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the longitudinal direction is mutually parallel with a direction of reciprocation of the shadow mask during use in a variable filter deposition system; and
a plurality of openings disposed in the elongated body along the direction of reciprocation, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is a rectangular opening having a width oriented in the direction of reciprocation and a length oriented in a direction transverse to the direction of reciprocation with the length oriented at an angle of 90° relative to the direction of reciprocation, wherein each rectangular opening has a first end and a second end that together define the length, and wherein each rectangular opening extends lengthwise in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocation;
wherein the plurality of openings are positioned in the elongated body such that the shadow mask is periodic with mask periods defined along the direction of reciprocation, wherein each mask period of the mask periods consists of a pattern of at least three rectangular openings of successively longer length, wherein the at least three rectangular openings of successively longer length are positioned in the elongated body such that:
each first end of the at least three rectangular openings in each mask period of the mask periods is arranged in one common plane that extends parallel with the direction of reciprocation, and each second end of the at least three rectangular openings is disposed in a different plane from other second ends in the same mask period, wherein each different plane extends parallel to the direction of reciprocation, and
wherein the shadow mask is configured to form a one-dimensionally varying optical filter.