OPTICAL ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical element in which the quantity of light to be emitted in a desirable direction is increased with respect to the quantity of incident light. SOLUTION: The optical element includes at least one intermediate layer (2) positioned between a support (1) and an optical conversion layer (3) and/or has a scattering center (4) present in the optical conversion layer (3) and/or the intermediate layer (2), and includes a transparent support (1) and at least one transparent optical conversion layer (3) including a material which absorbs the light of one wavelength and radiates the light of another wavelength. Preferably, the intermediate layer (2) is microporous or mesoporous, the support (1), the intermediate layer (2) and the optical conversion layer (3) are flexible, the optical element is in the form of flexible foil, and the scattering center is PbS, TiO2, SiO2, Al2O3, AlOOH, ZrO2, ZnO, SnO2, the mixed oxide of indium tin oxide, a hollow microsphere or an aerosol particle having a specified average particle size. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT