Optical polarizer and method for fabricating the same

[0001] This application is related to commonly-assigned applications entitled, “CARBON NANOTUBE FILM STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME”, Ser. No. 12/002,129, filed Dec. 14, 2007, “ANODE OF LITHIUM BATTERY AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME”, Ser. No. 12/002,143, filed Dec. 14, 2007, and “FIELD EMISSION CATHODE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME”, Ser. No. 12/002,144, filed Dec. 14, 2007. Disclosures of the above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to optical components and methods for fabricating the same and, particularly, to an optical polarizer and a method for fabricating the same.

[0004] 2. Discussion of Related Art

[0005] The optical polarizing film is widely used for glare reduction and for increasing optical contrast in such products as sunglasses and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). One of the most common polarizers is a dichroic/dichromatic polarizer. The dichroic polarizer absorbs light beams of one polarization and transmits light beams of the other polarization. One typical type of dichroic polarizers is made by incorporating a dye into a polymer matrix, which is stretched in at least one direction. The diebroic polarizers can also be made by uniaxially stretching a polymer matrix and staining the matrix with a dichroic dye. Alternatively, a polymer matrix can be stained with an oriented dichroic dye. The dichroic dyes generally include anthraquinone and azo dyes, as well as iodine. Many commercial dichroic polarizers use polyvinyl alcohol as the polymer matrix for the dye.

[0006] However, the degree of polarization of an optical polarizing film made of the polymer material decreases when the optical polarizing film works at a temperature of or above about 50° C., or in a relatively moist environment.

[0007] Besides, the conventional optical polarizers can achieve good polarization property in a certain region of wavelength (e.g. microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, etc.), but can't have a uniform polarization property in the entire electromagnetic wavelength region.

[0008] What is needed, therefore, is to provide an optical polarizer and a method for fabricating the same, in which the above problems are eliminated or at least alleviated.

[0009] In one embodiment, an optical polarizer includes a supporting member and a polarizing film supported by the supporting member. The polarizing film includes at least one layer of carbon nanotube film and the carbon nanotubes are aligned along the same direction.

[0010] In another embodiment, a method for fabricating the above-described optical polarizer includes the steps of: (a) providing a supporting member; (b) providing at least one layer of carbon nanotube film, the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film aligned along the same direction; and (c) adhering the carbon nanotube film to the supporting member to thereby form an optical polarizer.

[0011] Other advantages and novel features of the present optical polarizer and the related method for fabricating the same will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate at least one preferred embodiment of the present optical polarizer and the related method for fabricating the same, in at least one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

[0021] Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe, in detail, embodiments of the present optical polarizer and the related method for fabricating the same.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, an optical polarizer 10 in the present embodiment includes a supporting member 12 and a carbon nanotube film 14 supported by the supporting member 12. The supporting member 12 can, beneficially, be a frame or a transparent substrate. A schematic view of the carbon nanotube film 14 located on the transparent substrate can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. The carbon nanotube film 14 can, opportunely, be directly adhered to the frame or a surface of the transparent substrate. The carbon nanotube film 14 includes a plurality of successive aligned carbon nanotube bundles joined end to end. The carbon nanotube film 14 can, optionally, be a single layer film or a multi-layer film. The carbon nanotube bundles in different layers of the carbon nanotube film are aligned in the same direction.

[0023] A width of the carbon nanotube film 14 is in the approximate range from 1 centimeter to 10 centimeters. A thickness of the carbon nanotube film 14 is in the approximate range from 0.01 micron to 100 microns. The polarization property of the optical polarizer 10 relates to the number of layers of the carbon nanotube film 14. The greater the number of layers that are formed in the carbon nanotube film 14, the better the polarization property of the optical polarizer 10 generally will be.

[0024] Because the carbon nanotubes have uniform absorption ability in the entire electromagnetic wavelength region, the optical polarizer 10 has a uniform polarization property in the entire electromagnetic wavelength region. When light beams are transmitted into a front side of the optical polarizer 10, the light beams having a polarization parallel to the carbon nanotubes are absorbed by the carbon nanotubes, and the light beams having a polarization normal to the carbon nanotubes are transmitted through the optical polarizer 10. Accordingly, the polarized light beams are transmitted through the optical polarizer 10.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, a method for fabricating the optical polarizer 10 includes the steps of: (a) providing a supporting member; (b) providing at least one layer of carbon nanotube film, the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube film is aligned in the same direction; and (c) adhering the carbon nanotube film to the supporting member to form the optical polarizer.

[0026] In step (a), the supporting member can, advantageously, be a square metal frame using arbitrary metallic material (most suitably, a chemically and mechanically durable metal/alloy). The excess portion of the film outside the frame can be removed directly. In step (a), the supporting member can, rather appropriately, be a transparent substrate with the carbon nanotube film adhering thereon.

[0027] In step (b), at least one carbon nanotube film can, beneficially, be provided by pulling out from a super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes by the substeps of: (b1) providing an array of carbon nanotubes, quite suitably, providing a super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes; (b2) selecting a plurality of carbon nanotube segments having a predetermined width from the array of carbon nanotubes; (b3) pulling the carbon nanotube segments at an even/uniform speed to form the carbon nanotube film.

[0028] In step (b1), the super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes can be formed by the substeps of: (b11) providing a substantially flat and smooth substrate; (b12) forming a catalyst layer on the substrate; (b13) annealing the substrate with the catalyst at the approximate range of 700° C. to 900° C. in air for about 30 to 90 minutes; (b14) heating the substrate with the catalyst up to 500° C. to 740° C. in a furnace with a protective gas therein; and (b15) supplying a carbon source gas into the furnace for about 5 to 30 minutes and growing a super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes from the substrate.

[0029] In step (b11), the substrate can, beneficially, be a P-type silicon wafer, an N-type silicon wafer, or a silicon wafer with a film of silicon dioxide thereon. Preferredly, a 4-inch P-type silicon wafer is used as the substrate.

[0030] In step (b12), the catalyst can, advantageously, be made of iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), or any alloy thereof.

[0031] In step (b14), the protective gas can, beneficially, be made up of at least one of nitrogen (N₂), ammonia (NH₃), and a noble gas. In step (b15), the carbon source gas can be a hydrocarbon gas, such as ethylene (C₂H₄), methane (CH₄), acetylene (C₂H₂), ethane (C₂H₆), or any combination thereof.

[0032] The super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes can, opportunely, be in a height of about 200 to 400 microns and includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes paralleled to each other and approximately perpendicular to the substrate. The super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes formed under the above conditions is essentially free of impurities, such as carbonaceous or residual catalyst particles. The carbon nanotubes in the super-aligned array are packed together closely by van der Waals attractive force.

[0033] In step (b2), quite usefully, the carbon nanotube segments having a predetermined width can be selected by using a tool (e.g., adhesive tape or another tool allowing multiple carbon nanotubes to be gripped and pulled simultaneously). In step (b3), the pulling direction is substantially perpendicular to the growing direction of the super-aligned array of carbon nanotubes.

[0034] More specifically, during the pulling step, as the initial carbon nanotube segments are drawn out, other carbon nanotube segments are also drawn out end to end, due to the van der Waals attractive force between ends of the adjacent segments. This process of drawing ensures a successive carbon nanotube film can be formed. The carbon nanotubes of the carbon nanotube film are all substantially parallel to the pulling direction, and the carbon nanotube film produced in such manner is able to formed to have a selectable, predetermined width.

[0035] The width of the carbon nanotube film depends on the size of the carbon nanotube array. The length of the carbon nanotube film is arbitrarily. In one useful embodiment, when the size of the substrate is 4 inches, the width of the carbon nanotube film is in the approximate range of 1 centimeter to 10 centimeters, and the thickness of the carbon nanotube film is in the approximate range of 0.01 to 100 microns.

[0036] It is noted that because the carbon nanotubes in the super-aligned array in step (a) has a high purity and a high specific surface area, the carbon nanotube film is adhesive. As such, in step (c), the first carbon nanotube film can be adhered to the frame directly. The carbon nanotube film is, beneficially, fixed on/to the frame at an edge thereof.

[0037] It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the field of the present invention that the size of the supporting member is depends on the actual needs/use. When the width of the supporting member is larger than that of the carbon nanotube film, a plurality of the carbon nanotube films can be adhered to the supporting member side by side and are parallel to each other.

[0038] It is to be understood that, in step (c), a plurality of carbon nanotube films can be adhered to the supporting member along the same direction and overlapped with each other to form the optical polarizer includes a multi-layer carbon nanotube film. The number of the layers is arbitrarily and depends on the actual needs/use. The layers of carbon nanotube film are combined (i.e., attached to one another) by van de Waals attractive force to form a stable multi-layer film.

[0039] Quite suitably, an additional step (d) of treating the carbon nanotube film in the optical polarizer with an organic solvent can, advantageously, be further provided after step (c).

[0040] In step (d), the carbon nanotube film in the optical polarizer can, beneficially, be treated by either of two methods: dropping an organic solvent from a dropper to soak an entire surface of side carbon nanotube film or immerging the supporting member with the carbon nanotube film thereon into a container having an organic solvent therein. The organic solvent is volatilizable and can be selected from the group consisting of ethanol, methanol, acetone, dichloroethane, chloroform, and combinations thereof. Quite suitably, the organic solvent is ethanol. After being soaked by the organic solvent, the carbon nanotube segments in the carbon nanotube film can at least partially shrink into carbon nanotube bundles due to the surface tension created by the organic solvent. Due to decrease of the specific surface via bundling, the coefficient of friction of the carbon nanotube film is reduced, but the carbon nanotube film maintains high mechanical strength and toughness. As such, the optical polarizer after treating process can be used conveniently.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of the optical polarizer, before and after treating with an organic solvent, are shown. The carbon nanotubes in the optical polarizers are aligned. Adjacent carbon nanotube films are combined by van de Waals attractive force to form a stable multi-layer film.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 5, the polarization degrees in different wavelength regions of the optical polarizers adopting/using, respectively, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 30 layers of carbon nanotube film are shown. The polarization degree increases with the number of the layers of the carbon nanotube film in the optical polarizers. The optical polarizers employing fewer layers of the carbon nanotube film can only achieve good polarization properties in ultraviolet wavelength region. When the number of layers is increased, the optical polarizer can achieve good and uniform polarization properties in the entire wavelength region.

[0043] Finally, it is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit the invention. Variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate the scope of the invention but do not restrict the scope of the invention.