Lumicera
Encyclopedia
Lumicera is a transparent
ceramic
developed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
On February, 2001 Murata Manufacturing
first developed transparent polycrystalline ceramics successfully in February 2001. This polycrystalline
ceramic is a type of dielectric resonator
material commonly used in microwave
s and millimeter waves. While offering superior electrical properties, high levels of transmissivity
, and refractive index
, it also has good optical characteristics without birefringence
.
Normally, ceramics are opaque because pores are formed at triple points where grains intersect, causing scattering of incident light. Murata
has optimized the entire development process of making dense and homogenous ceramics to improve their performance.
Under recommendations from Casio
, the material itself has been refined for use in digital camera optical lenses by endowing it with improved transmission of short wavelength light and by reducing pores inside ceramics that reduce transparency.
Lumicera has the same light transmitting qualities as optical glass commonly used in today's conventional camera lenses, however it has refractive index (nd = 2.08 at 587 nmhttp://www.lvpcug.org/newsletters/down_the_road/2005/March_05.html) much greater than that of optical glass (nd = 1.5 – 1.85 http://www.opticiansfriend.com/lenses.html) and offers superior strength. The Lumicera Z variant is described as barium oxide
based material,http://www.performance-materials.net/secure/assets/i20060205.651776_43e59e702e6a.pdf not containing any environmentally hazardous materials (e.g. lead
).
Lumicera is transparent up to 10 micrometers, making it useful for instruments operating in mid-infrared
spectrum.http://www.ile.osaka-u.ac.jp/zone1/public/publication/apr/2006/pdf/6/6.22.pdf
Lumicera is a trademark of Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Lumicera is used in some Casio Exilim
cameras, where it allowed 20% reduction of the lens profile.http://www.dpreview.com/news/0408/04080401casioceramiclens.asp
Transparency and translucency
In the field of optics, transparency is the physical property of allowing light to pass through a material; translucency only allows light to pass through diffusely. The opposite property is opacity...
ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
developed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Murata Manufacturing
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic components, based in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto.Honorary Chairman Akira Murata started Murata Manufacturing as a personal venture in October, 1944. On December, 1950 reorganized the company into Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd...
On February, 2001 Murata Manufacturing
Murata Manufacturing
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic components, based in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto.Honorary Chairman Akira Murata started Murata Manufacturing as a personal venture in October, 1944. On December, 1950 reorganized the company into Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd...
first developed transparent polycrystalline ceramics successfully in February 2001. This polycrystalline
Polycrystalline
Polycrystalline materials are solids that are composed of many crystallites of varying size and orientation. The variation in direction can be random or directed, possibly due to growth and processing conditions. Fiber texture is an example of the latter.Almost all common metals, and many ceramics...
ceramic is a type of dielectric resonator
Dielectric resonator
A dielectric resonator is an electronic component that exhibits resonance for a narrow range of frequencies, generally in the microwave band. The resonance is similar to that of a circular hollow metallic waveguide, except that the boundary is defined by large change in permittivity rather than by...
material commonly used in microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
s and millimeter waves. While offering superior electrical properties, high levels of transmissivity
Transmittance
In optics and spectroscopy, transmittance is the fraction of incident light at a specified wavelength that passes through a sample. A related term is absorptance, or absorption factor, which is the fraction of radiation absorbed by a sample at a specified wavelength...
, and refractive index
Refractive index
In optics the refractive index or index of refraction of a substance or medium is a measure of the speed of light in that medium. It is expressed as a ratio of the speed of light in vacuum relative to that in the considered medium....
, it also has good optical characteristics without birefringence
Birefringence
Birefringence, or double refraction, is the decomposition of a ray of light into two rays when it passes through certain anisotropic materials, such as crystals of calcite or boron nitride. The effect was first described by the Danish scientist Rasmus Bartholin in 1669, who saw it in calcite...
.
Normally, ceramics are opaque because pores are formed at triple points where grains intersect, causing scattering of incident light. Murata
Murata Manufacturing
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic components, based in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto.Honorary Chairman Akira Murata started Murata Manufacturing as a personal venture in October, 1944. On December, 1950 reorganized the company into Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd...
has optimized the entire development process of making dense and homogenous ceramics to improve their performance.
Under recommendations from Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
, the material itself has been refined for use in digital camera optical lenses by endowing it with improved transmission of short wavelength light and by reducing pores inside ceramics that reduce transparency.
Lumicera has the same light transmitting qualities as optical glass commonly used in today's conventional camera lenses, however it has refractive index (nd = 2.08 at 587 nmhttp://www.lvpcug.org/newsletters/down_the_road/2005/March_05.html) much greater than that of optical glass (nd = 1.5 – 1.85 http://www.opticiansfriend.com/lenses.html) and offers superior strength. The Lumicera Z variant is described as barium oxide
Barium oxide
Barium oxide, BaO, is a white hygroscopic compound formed by the burning of barium in oxygen, although it is often formed through the decomposition of other barium salts.It reacts with water to form barium hydroxide.-Uses:...
based material,http://www.performance-materials.net/secure/assets/i20060205.651776_43e59e702e6a.pdf not containing any environmentally hazardous materials (e.g. lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
).
Lumicera is transparent up to 10 micrometers, making it useful for instruments operating in mid-infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
spectrum.http://www.ile.osaka-u.ac.jp/zone1/public/publication/apr/2006/pdf/6/6.22.pdf
Lumicera is a trademark of Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Lumicera is used in some Casio Exilim
Casio Exilim
Exilim is a brand of digital cameras introduced in 2002 by Casio.The Exilim Card series was notably thinner than other small digital cameras at the time of its introduction, typically 10–15 millimetres thick compared to other manufacturers' comparable models that were 25–35 millimeters thick...
cameras, where it allowed 20% reduction of the lens profile.http://www.dpreview.com/news/0408/04080401casioceramiclens.asp