Improved designs for integrated computational elements.

(54) Title: IMPROVED DESIGNS FOR INTEGRATED COMPUTER ELEMENTS.

(54) Title: IMPROVED DESIGNS FOR INTEGRATED COMPUTATIONAL ELEMENTS.

(57) Summary

Best integrated computing elements for use in optical computing devices are described. An integrated computing element includes an optical substrate, a first and second plurality of thin optical film layers alternatively deposited on the optical substrate to form a stack of thin films, where each thin optical film layer of the first plurality has a first refractory index and each layer of thin optical film of the second plurality has a second refractory index different from the first refractory index, and at least one additional thin optical film layer placed in or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the first and second plurality thin optical film layers, wherein at least one optical film layer additional fine presents a third refractory index different from the first and the second refractory index.

(57) Abstract

Disclosed are improved integrated computational elements for use in optical computing devices. One integrated computational element ineludes an optical substrate, first and second pluralities of optical thin film layers alternatingly deposited on the optical substrate to form a thin film stack, where each optical thin film layer of the first plurality exhibits a first refractive Índex and each optical thin film layer of the second plurality exhibits a second refractive index different than the first refractive index, and at least one additional optical thin film layer arranged in or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the optical thin film layers of the first and second pluralities, the at least one additional optical thin film layer exhibiting a third refractive index that is different than the first and second refractive indices.

IMPROVED DESIGNS FOR INTEGRATED COMPUTER ELEMENTS

Field of the Invention

The present description refers to optical computing devices and, more specifically, to better optical processing elements for use in optical computing devices.

Background of the Invention

Optical computing devices, commonly also referred to as "analytical optical devices", can be used to analyze and monitor a sample substance in real time. These optical computing devices typically employ a light source that emits electromagnetic radiation that is reflected from or transmitted through the sample and interacts optically with an optical processing element to determine the quantitative and / or qualitative values ​​of one or more physical or chemical properties of the substance being analyzed. The optical processing element may be, for example, an integrated computing element (ICE). One type of ICE is an optical thin film interference device, also known as a multivariate optical element (MOE). Each ICE can be designed to operate on a continuum of wavelengths in the spectrum

Ref. 266836 electromagnetic from UV intervals to medium infrared (MIR) or any subset of that region. The electromagnetic radiation that interacts optically with the sample substance changes and is processed by the ICE to be measured by the detector. The detector product can be correlated with a physical or chemical property of the substance being analyzed.

A traditional ICE (hereinafter "ICE core") includes a first and second plurality of thin film optical layers consisting of various materials whose refractive indices and size (eg, thickness) vary between each layer. An ICE core design refers to a substrate, an amount and a thickness of the respective layers of the ICE core and the refractory indices of the layers. Layers can be strategically dimensioned and deposited to selectively pass predetermined fractions of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths, configured to substantially mimic a regression vector that corresponds to a particular physical or chemical property of interest of a substance of interest. Therefore, an ICE core design will feature a transmission function that is weighted with respect to wavelength. Consequently, the light output intensity of the ICE core that is transported to the detector may be related to the physical or chemical property of interest to the substance.

Brief Description of the Figures

The figures below are included to illustrate certain aspects of the present description and should not be taken as exclusive modalities. The described matter allows considerable modifications, alterations, combinations and equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope of this description.

Figure 1 illustrates a traditional integrated computing element in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of an integrated computing element according to one or more embodiments of the present description.

Figure 3 illustrates an example of an integrated computing element in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present description.

Figure 4 illustrates an example of an optical computing device for controlling a substance, according to one or more modalities.

Figure 5 illustrates another example of an optical computing device for controlling a substance, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Detailed description of the invention

The present description refers to optical computing devices and, more specifically, to better optical processing elements for use in optical computing devices.

The present description expands the design options for optical processing elements, such as embedded computing elements ("ICE cores"), for use in optical computing devices. While traditional ICE cores are comprised of a first and second alternate plurality of thin optical film layers, the embodiments described herein include ICE designs with one or more additional thin optical film layers in addition to the first and the second alternative plurality. The additional layer (s) may have a different refractory index than the refractory indices presented by the first and second plurality of layers and thus increase the tolerance associated with a single thin optical film layer and also increase the flexibility of a core design. ICE for a specific application. In some embodiments, the additional thin optical film layer may be a terminal layer deposited in the stack of the first and second pluralities of thin optical film layers. In these modalities, the additional or "terminal" layer can provide a protective layer for the ICE core and otherwise can be deposited to correct any defects or errors in the deposition process of the first and second plurality of film layers. fine optics.

The modalities described herein provide optical processing elements (eg, ICE cores) that can be used in the oil and gas industry, such as to monitor and detect oil / gas related substances (eg. , hydrocarbons, drilling fluids, completion fluids, treatment fluids, etc.). However, the person skilled in the art will note that ICE cores can be used equally in other technological fields, including but not limited to the mining industry, the agricultural industry, the medical and pharmaceutical industries, the automotive industry, the cosmetic industry, water treatment facilities and any other field in which you want to control substances in real time.

As used herein, the term "characteristic" or "characteristic of interest" refers to a chemical, mechanical, or physical property of a substance or a sample of the substance. The characteristic of a substance can include a quantitative or qualitative value of one or more constituents or chemical compounds present in it or any physical property associated with it. Chemical constituents and compounds may be referred to herein as "analytes". Illustrative characteristics of a substance that can be analyzed with the aid of the optical processing elements described herein may include, for example, the chemical composition (eg, identity and total concentration or of individual components), the presence of a phase (eg. , gaseous, oily, aqueous, etc.), the content of impurities, pH, alkalinity, viscosity, density, ion resistance, total dissolved solids, salt content (eg, salinity) , porosity, opacity, bacteria content, total hardness, transmittance, state of matter (solid, liquid, gas, emulsion, mixtures of these, etc.) and the like.

As used herein, the term "substance" or variations thereof refers to at least a portion of the subject matter or material of interest that must be otherwise analyzed or evaluated using the described optical processing elements at the moment. The substance can be any fluid that can flow, including particulate solids, liquids, gases (eg. , air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, methane, ethane, butane, and other hydrocarbon gases, hydrogen sulfide, and combinations thereof), suspensions, emulsions, powders, sludge, glass, mixtures, combinations thereof, and may include, but is not limited to, aqueous fluids (eg, water, brines, etc.), non-aqueous fluids (eg. (organic compounds, hydrocarbons, petroleum, a refined component of petroleum, petrochemicals, and the like), acids, surfactants, biocides, bleaches, corrosion inhibitors, foaming and foaming agents, breakdown agents, scrubbers, stabilizers, clarifiers, detergents , treatment fluids, fracturing fluids, formation fluids or any substance, chemical or oilfield fluid commonly found in the oil and gas industry. The substance may also refer to solid materials such as, but not limited to, rock formations, concrete, solid wellbore surfaces, pipes or flow lines, and solid surfaces of any projectile or tool in the wellbore (eg, balls, darts, plugs, etc.).

As used herein, the term "electromagnetic radiation" refers to radio waves, microwave radiation, terahertz, infrared and near-infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-ray radiation, and gamma-ray radiation.

As used herein, the term "optically interacting" or variations thereof refers to the reflection, transmission, scattering, diffraction, or absorption of electromagnetic radiation, whether in, through, or from a processing element ( eg an integrated computing element) or a substance that is analyzed with the aid of the optical processing element. Accordingly, light with optical interaction refers to electromagnetic radiation reflected, transmitted, scattered, diffracted, or absorbed, emitted or re-radiated, for example, through the use of an optical processing element, but can also be applied to optical interaction with A substance.

As used herein, the term optical device that is configured to receive input data on electromagnetic radiation associated with a substance and produce a product of electromagnetic radiation from an optical processing element placed within or associated with the optical computing device of another way. The optical processing element may be, for example, an integrated computing element (ICE). The electromagnetic radiation that interacts optically with the processing element is modified so that it is readable by a detector, so that a product from the detector can be correlated with a particular characteristic of the substance being analyzed. The electromagnetic radiation product of the optical processing element may be reflected, transmitted, and / or scattered electromagnetic radiation. Whether the detector analyzes reflected, transmitted, or scattered electromagnetic radiation may be dictated by the structural parameters of the optical computing device.

as well as other considerations known to those skilled in the art.

Furthermore, the emission and / or dispersion of the fluid, for example, by fluorescence, luminescence, Raman dispersion,

Wed and / or Raleigh, can also be controlled by optical computing devices.

As stated above, The present disclosure provides otherwise described better optical processing elements, such as integrated computing elements (core for use in optical computing devices. During operation.

a core of

ICE can distinguish electromagnetic related to a characteristic of interest of a substance from electromagnetic radiation related to other components of the substance.

Referring to Figure 1, a traditional ICE core 100 is illustrated. As illustrated, the traditional ICE core 100 includes multiple alternate thin film layers shown as layers 102 and 104. The first layers 102 are made of a material having a high refractive index, such as silicon (Si), and the second layers 104 are made of a material having a low refractive index, such as quartz (SIO2). Other examples of materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, niobium and niobium oxide, germanium and germanium oxide, MgF, SiO and other high and low index materials generally known in the art. Still other examples of materials that could be used include new technological polymers that have high or low refractive indexes such as, non-exhaustively, low index fluoropolymers and polymers filled with high index nanoparticles (organic and inorganic matrix materials). It should be noted that, as used herein, the terms "refractory index", "refractory indices" "refractive index" and any variations therefrom refer to the complex refractory index that includes both real and imaginary (absorption) parts of these. Layers 102, 104 are strategically deposited on an optical substrate 106, such as BK7 optical glass. In other embodiments, substrate 106 may be another type of optical substrate, such as other optical glass, silica, sapphire, silicon, germanium, zinc selenide, zinc sulfide, or various plastics such as polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate (ΡΜΜΆ), polyvinylchloride ( PVC), diamond, ceramics, combinations of these and the like.

At the opposite end (eg, opposite substrate 106 in Figure 1), the traditional ICE core 100 may include a layer 108 that is generally exposed to the environment of the device or installation. The number of layers 102, 104 and the thickness of each layer 102, 104 are determined from the spectral attributes obtained from a spectroscopic analysis of a characteristic of the substance that is analyzed by a conventional spectroscopic instrument. The spectrum of interest for a given characteristic usually includes any number of different wavelengths.

It fits the ICE core 100 illustrated in the figure in fact does not represent any particular ICE core configured to detect a specific characteristic of only a given substance, but is provided for illustrative purposes. Accordingly, the number of layers 102, 104 and their relative thicknesses, as shown in Figure 1, do not correlate with any particular substance or characteristic thereof. The layers 102, 104 and their relative thicknesses are also not necessarily drawn to scale and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present description.

In some embodiments, the material in each layer 102, 104 can be adulterated, or two or more materials can be combined to achieve the desired optical characteristic. In addition to solids, the ICE 100 core may also contain liquids and / or gases, optionally combined with solids, to produce a desired optical characteristic.

In at least one embodiment, for example, one of the second layers 104 may be an air gap that acts as a possible low index material. In other embodiments, the liquid may be, for example, a solid-gel. In the case of gases and liquids, the ICE 100 core may contain a corresponding container (not shown), which houses the gases or liquids. Examples of variations of the ICE 100 core may also include holographic optical elements, grids, piezoelectric elements, light tubes, and / or acousto-optical elements, for example, that create absorbing, transmitting, and / or reflecting properties of interest.

The multiple layers

102, 104 can have different refractive indices.

By properly selecting the materials for layers 102,

104 and its relative thickness separation, the core of ICE 100 is configured to selectively transmit or reflect predetermined fractions of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. Each wavelength is assigned a predetermined weight or load factor. The thickness and spacing of layers 102, 104 can be determined using a variety of spectrum approximation methods for the characteristic or analyte of interest. These methods may include the inverse Fourier transform (IFT) of the optical transmission spectrum and the structuring of the core of ICE 100 as a physical representation of the IFT. The approximations convert the IFT into a structure based on known materials with constant refractive indices.

The weights that the layers 102, 104 of the core of

ICE 100 applies the information regression weights, a known spectral mark, to each length. For example, when interacting with a substance, it and specific chemistry about the reflected electromagnetics, substance. Frequently waveforms are set for described with respect to distinctive or an electromagnetic radiation equation encoding physical information substance in the radiation transmitted or radiated from the refers to this information as the spectral "footprint" of the substance. The ICE 100 core is configured to perform the scalar product of the received electromagnetic radiation and the wavelength dependent transmission function of the ICE 100 core. The wavelength dependent transmission function of the ICE 100 core depends on the substrate, the material refractive index of each layer, the number of layers 102, 104, and the thickness of each layer 102, 104. Accordingly, the The light intensity product of the ICE 100 is related to the characteristic or analyte of interest.

By way of further explanation, correct determination of the regression vector of the characteristic of interest in the sample substance provides a means for an optical computing device to determine or otherwise calculate a concentration of the characteristic in the sample substance. The regression vector for each characteristic can be determined using standard procedures that will be known to the person skilled in the art. For example, spectrum analysis of the sample substance may include determining a dot product of the regression vector for each characteristic of the sample substance being analyzed. As one skilled in the art will observe, a scalar product of a vector is a scalar quantity (ie, a real number). While the value of the dot product is believed to have no physical meaning in itself (eg. , can return a positive or negative result of any magnitude), comparison of the scalar product value of a sample substance with the scalar product values ​​obtained for known reference standards and plotted on a calibration curve can allow a correlation of the value of the scalar product of the sample substance with a concentration or a characteristic value and thus allow unknown sample substances to be analyzed correctly.

To determine the dot product, the regression coefficient of the regression vector at a specific wavelength is multiplied by the spectral intensity at the same wavelength. This process is repeated for all analyzed wavelengths and the products are summed across the entire wavelength spectrum to provide the dot product. Those skilled in the art will recognize that two or more characteristics can be determined from a single spectrum of the sample substance by applying a corresponding regression vector for each characteristic.

In practice, electromagnetic radiation information can be derived by interacting with a sample substance, for example, by separating electromagnetic radiation from various samples into wavelength bands and performing multiple linear regression of the band intensity against a characteristic of interest determined by another measurement technique for each sample substance. The measured characteristic can be expressed and modeled by multiple linear regression techniques that will be known to the person skilled in the art. Specifically, if y is the measured value of the concentration or characteristic, and can be expressed as in Equation 1:

y = ao + aiwi + a2W2 + a3W3 + a $ W4 + .... Equation (1) in which each 'a' is a constant determined by regression analysis and each 'w¹ is the light intensity for each wavelength band. Depending on the circumstances, the estimated calculation obtained in the

Equation (1) may be incorrect, for example, due to the presence of other characteristics in the sample substance that may affect the intensity of the wavelength bands. A more accurate calculation can be obtained by expressing electromagnetic radiation in terms of its main components.

To obtain the principal components, spectroscopic data for several similar sample substances are collected using the same type of electromagnetic radiation. For example, after exposure to each sample substance, electromagnetic radiation can be collected and spectral intensity at each wavelength can be measured for each sample substance. This data can then be grouped and subjected to a linear algebraic process known as singular value decomposition (SVD) to determine the principal components. One skilled in the art will understand the use of SVD in principal component analysis. In summary, however, principal component analysis is a dimension reduction technique that takes the spectra 'm' with the independent variables 'n' and constructs a new set of eigenvectors that are linear combinations of the original variables. The eigenvectors can be considered a new set of axes of the graph. The principal axis, called the first principal component, is the vector that describes most of the variability of the data. Subsequent principal components successively describe less sample variability, until higher-order principal components essentially describe only spectral noise.

In general, the principal components are determined as normalized vectors. Therefore, each component of an electromagnetic radiation sample can be expressed as x_nz_n, where x_n is a scalar multiplier and z_n is the vector of normalized components for the component number. I mean, z_n it is a vector in a multidimensional space in which each wavelength is a dimension. Normalization determines values ​​for a component at each wavelength, so that the component maintains its shape and the length of the vector of the principal component vector is equal to one. Therefore, each standard component vector has a shape and magnitude such that the components can be used as basic building blocks for any of the electromagnetic radiation samples with those major components. Therefore, each electromagnetic radiation sample can be described by a combination of the normalized principal components multiplied by the appropriate scalar multipliers, as indicated in Equation (2):

Χ1Ζ1 + X2Z2 + ... + x_nZn Equation (2)

Scalar multipliers x_n they can be considered as the "magnitudes" of the principal components in a given electromagnetic radiation sample when the principal components are understood to have a standardized magnitude as provided by normalization.

Since the principal components are orthogonal, they can be used in a relatively simple mathematical procedure to decompose a sample of electromagnetic radiation into the magnitudes of components, which can accurately describe the data in the original electromagnetic radiation sample. Since the original electromagnetic radiation sample can also be considered a vector in the multidimensional wavelength space, the dot product of the original signal vector with a principal component vector is the magnitude of the original signal in the direction of the vector of standard components. That is, it is the magnitude of the normalized principal components present in the original signal. This is analogous to the separation of a vector in three-dimensional Cartesian space into its X, Y, and Z components. The dot product of the three-dimensional vector with each axis vector, assuming that each axis vector has a magnitude of 1, provides the magnitude of the three-dimensional vector in each of the three directions. The scalar product of the original signal and some other vector that is not perpendicular to the other three dimensions provides redundant data, since this magnitude is already provided by two or more of the orthogonal axes.

Because the principal components are orthogonal to each other, the dot product of any principal component with any other principal component is zero. Physically, this means that the components do not spectrally interfere with each other. If the data is modified to change the magnitude of one component in the original electromagnetic radiation signal, the other components remain unchanged. In the analogous Cartesian example, the reduction of the X component of the three-dimensional vector does not affect the magnitudes of the Y and Z components.

Principal component analysis provides the minimum orthogonal components that can correctly describe the data carried by the electromagnetic radiation samples. Therefore, in a mathematical sense, the principal components are components of the original electromagnetic radiation that do not interfere with each other and represent the most compact description of the spectral signal. Physically, each major component is an electromagnetic radiation signal that is part of the original electromagnetic radiation signal. Each principal component is shaped in some wavelength spectrum within the original wavelength spectrum. Adding the main components can produce the original signal, as long as each component is of the proper magnitude, positive or negative.

The main components may comprise a compression of the information carried by the total light signal. In a physical sense, the shape and wavelength spectrum of the principal components describe

<td>what information</td><td>lies in the radiation signal</td>

<td>electromagnetic</td><td>total and magnitude of each component</td>

<td>describe how much</td><td>information is present. Yes</td>

<td>various samples</td><td>electromagnetic radiation contain</td>

<td>same types of</td><td>information but in different amounts,</td>

then a single set of principal components can be used to describe (except for noise) each sample of electromagnetic radiation by applying appropriate quantities to the components. The principal components can be used to provide an estimate of the characteristic of the sample substance based on the information carried by the electromagnetic radiation that interacted with that sample substance. The differences observed in the spectra of sample substances with various amounts of an analyte or values ​​of a characteristic can be described as differences in the magnitudes of the main components. Therefore, the concentration of the characteristic can be expressed by the main components according to Equation (3) in the case that four main components are used:

y = ao + aixi + a2X2 + a3X3 + a4X4 Equation (3) in which 'y' is a concentration or a value of a characteristic, each a is a constant determined by regression analysis, and xi, X2, X3 and X4 are the first, second, third, and fourth magnitudes of the principal component, respectively. Equation (3) can be called a regression vector. The regression vector can be used to provide an estimate of the concentration or characteristic value for an unknown sample.

The regression vector calculations can be performed by computer, based on electromagnetic radiation spectrograph measurements according to wavelength. The spectrograph system scatters the electromagnetic radiation in its spectrum and measures the spectral intensity at each wavelength in the wavelength spectrum. Using Equation (3), the computer can read the intensity data and decompose the electromagnetic radiation sample into the principal component magnitudes x_ndetermining the dot product of the total signal with each component. The component magnitudes are then applied to the regression equation to determine a concentration or characteristic value.

However, to simplify the above procedure, the regression vector can be converted into a form that is a function of the wavelength to determine only one dot product. Each vector of the normalized principal component z_n it has a value with respect to all or part of the total wavelength spectrum. If each wavelength value of each component vector is multiplied by the regression constant y corresponding to the component vector and if the components

<td>main</td><td colspan="2">weighted</td><td colspan="2">resulting it</td><td>add by</td><td>the</td>

<td>Lenght of</td><td>wave,</td><td colspan="2">the vector of</td><td>regression</td><td>it takes the form</td><td>of</td>

<td>The equation</td><td> (4) :</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td>

<td>y = a₀</td><td>+ blUl</td><td>+ Ó2U2</td><td> + . . .</td><td>+ b_nA</td><td>Equation (4)</td><td></td>

<td>in the</td><td>what a year</td><td>is the</td><td>first</td><td>constant</td><td>regression</td><td>the</td>

of

Equation (3), b_n is the sum of the multiple of each constant regression to_n of Equation (3) and the value of its respective normalized regression vector at wavelength 'n' u_n is the intensity of electromagnetic radiation at length

Therefore, the new constants define a vector in a wavelength space that directly describes a concentration or characteristic of a sample substance.

The regression vector in the form of Equation (4) represents the dot product of an electromagnetic radiation sample with this vector.

Principal component normalization provides components with an arbitrary value for use during regression analysis. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the value of the scalar product produced by the regression vector is equal to the actual concentration or characteristic value of a sample substance being analyzed. However, the result of the scalar product is related (p. eg, proportional or with a logarithmic or exponential relationship) with the characteristic or concentration value. As indicated above, the relationship can be determined by measuring one or more known calibration samples with conventional means and comparing the result with the scalar value of the regression vector. Then, the result of the dot product can be compared with the value obtained from the calibrations to determine the standard concentration of or characteristic of an unknown sample that is analyzed.

Even with reference to Figure 1, the traditional ICE core 100 has historically been comprised of only two pluralities of alternate thin optical film layers

102, 104 made of different materials, one material having a high refractive index (eg, silicon), a second material having a low refractive index (eg, silicon dioxide). However, in accordance with the present description, improvements in traditional ICE cores can be obtained by introducing into the layer stack 102, 104 at least one thin optical film layer having a refractory index different from the refractory indices presented by the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104. As those skilled in the art will observe, the addition of one or more layers may prove to be advantageous in increasing the tolerance associated with a single specific layer and thus also increasing the flexibility of ICE core design for a specific application. Consequently, the manufacturing process to achieve a viable ICE core or a more correct ICE core may be easier.

Referring next to FIG. 2, still referring to FIG. 1, an example of integrated computing element 200 is illustrated, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to the traditional ICE core 100 of Figure 1, the integrated computing element 200 (hereinafter "ICE core 200") may include the first and second plurality of alternate thin optical film layers 102 and 104 deposited in an optical substrate 106. Also, the first layers 102 can be made of a material that has a high refractive index and the second layers 104 can be made of a material that has a low refractive index. For example, layers 102 can be Si and have a nominal refractory index of 3.6, while layers 104 can be S1O2 and have a nominal 1.5. Suitable refractory index materials for the first and second plurality of layers 102,

104 and substrate 106 were mentioned above and are therefore not included again.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the fact that a material has an index of is relative to materials that have a "low" index of refraction. Otherwise, it may be less important how high or low the refractive index is for a particular material, but rather the difference between the refractory indices of nearby layers made of different materials. By way of example and without limiting the present description, a mismatch in the refractory index of .2 between a "high" substance (p.

presents a refractory index of 1.5, and ex. , glass), than a low substance of 1.3, may be more useful or adequate than a difference of

0.1 between germanium (i.e. refractory index 4.0) and coated germanium (i.e. refractory index 3.9) even if the last refractory indices are greater than the first.

Unlike the traditional ICE core 100 of FIG. 1, however, the ICE core 200 can also include at least a third type or an additional type of thin optical film layer 202 (shown as the additional layers 202a and 202b) deposited on substrate 106 and otherwise interposing with adjacent layers 102, 104 at one or more locations in the stack. In the illustrated embodiment, the ICE core 200 includes two additional layers 202a and 202b deposited at specific locations in the layer stack 102, 104 that extend from the substrate 106. However, it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the ICE 200 core may include more or less than two additional layers 202a, b (including a single additional layer 202) and additional layers 202a, b may be deposited or otherwise placed in any another location in the layer stack 102, 104, without departing from the scope of the description.

The additional layer (s) 202a, b may be made of a material having a refractory index different from the respective refractory indices of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104. More particularly, one or more of the additional layers 202a, b can be made with a material such as, without limitation, silicon (Si), quartz (S1O2), SiO_x, niobium and niobium oxide, germanium and germanium oxide, MgF, zinc oxide, T1O2, AI2O3, tantalum and tantalum oxide, low-index fluoropolymers, polymers filled with high-index nanoparticles (organic or inorganic matrix materials) and any other material generally known in the art to display a refractory index.

In some embodiments, the material of the additional layer (s) 202a, b can be modified or two or more materials can be combined to achieve a desired refractory index for the additional layer (s) 202a, b. In other embodiments, one or more of the additional layers 202a, b may be made of a liquid and / or a gas included in the corresponding inclusion vessels (not shown) configured to accommodate the gas and / or liquid between adjacent layers 102, 104. In still other embodiments, one or more of the additional layers 202a, b may be made of a gas or liquid in combination with one or more of the aforementioned solids.

It should be noted that the ICE 200 core illustrated in Figure 2 does not in fact represent any particular ICE core for detecting a specific characteristic of a given substance, but is provided for illustrative purposes only. Consequently, the number of layers 102, 104, 202a, b and their relative thicknesses, as shown in Figure 2, do not correlate with any particular substance or characteristic thereof. Layers 102, 104, 202a, b and their relative thicknesses are not necessarily drawn to scale either, and should therefore not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 202 may be greater than the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102. In other embodiments, the refractory index of the layer (s) 202 may approach but with some mismatch with respect to the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102, i.e. a refractory index value slightly higher or lower than the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102. In still other embodiments, the value of the refractory index of the layer (s) 202 can generally be found between the corresponding refractory indices of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104, p. eg a "medium" refractory index, eg 2.6. In other embodiments, the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 202 may approach but with some mismatch with respect to the refractory index of the second plurality of layers 104, i.e., a refractory index value slightly higher or lower than the refractory index of the second plurality of layers 104. In still other embodiments, the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 202 may be less than the index of the second plurality of layers 104.

In one example, the additional layer 202 may be generally made of the same material as an adjacent one of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104. However, in the embodiments, the additional layer 202 may also have a different refractory index than adjacent layers 102, 104. This may be the case where the material of the adjacent layers (ie, an additional layer 202 and any one of layers 102, 104) is SiOx. In these cases, the addition of oxygen during the deposition process of the additional layer (s) 202 adjusts or modifies the resulting refractory index and thus allows the user to better adjust the core of the ICE 200 to achieve desired accuracies. It was found that the addition of oxygen atoms in relationships between SiOi and S1O2, for example, can alter the refractory index of the material. This may also be the case for all families of oxides where oxygen stoichiometry changes the complex index of refraction and oxygen content can be controlled during the deposition process by adding known amounts to the vacuum during deposition.

As will be seen, other materials can be added in the same way during the deposition process to alter the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 202. For example, metal ions, such as tin or indium, can be added to the layer (s). 202 during the deposition process to modify or otherwise adjust the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 202 without departing from the scope of the description.

Since the multiple layers 102, 104, 202a, b have different refractory indices, it may be possible to strategically select the materials of the layers 102, 104, 202a, b (and their relative thickness and spacing), so that the core ICE 200 is configured to selectively transmit or reflect predetermined fractions of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths. As a consequence, the ICE 200 core may have a better ability to correctly determine the characteristic or analyte of interest being measured in a sample substance.

Also, while the ICE 200 core is shown to be inclusive of one or more additional layers 202a, b, modalities including one or more additional extra layers (not shown) in addition to layers 102, 104, 202a are contemplated herein. , b. In these embodiments, the additional extra layer or layers may have a refractory index different from the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104 and / or different from the additional layer or layers 202a, b, without departing from the scope of the description.

Referring now to Figure 3 and continuing reference to Figures 1 and 2, another example of integrated computing element 300 is illustrated, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Similar to the traditional ICE core 100 of Figure 1, the integrated computing element 300 (hereinafter "ICE 300") may include the first and second plurality of alternate thin optical film layers 102 and 104 deposited on a substrate Optical 106. Also, the first layers 102 may be made of a material having a high refractive index and the second layers 104 may be made of a material having a low refractive index. For example, as noted above, layers 102 can be Si and have a nominal refractory index of 3.6, while layers 104 can be SiO₂ and have a nominal refractory index of 1.5. Other materials suitable for the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104 and substrate 106 were mentioned above and are therefore not included again.

Unlike the traditional ICE core 100 of FIG. 1, however, the ICE core 3 00 may also include at least one or more additional thin optical film layers or terminals 302 deposited at the end of layer stack 102, 104 extending from substrate 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the ICE core 300 includes a single terminal thin optical film layer 302 but, in other embodiments, may include more than two terminal layers 302, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, the end layer 302 is illustrated in Figure 3 as deposited in one of the second plurality of layers 104, but can also be deposited in one of the first plurality of layers 102, without departing from the scope of the description and depending on the particular design from ICE.

The additional layer 302 can be made with a material such as, without limitation, silicon (Si), quartz (S1O2), SiOx, niobium and niobium oxide, germanium and germanium oxide, MgF, zinc oxide, T1O2, AI2O3 , tantalum and tantalum oxide, low index fluoropolymers, polymers filled with high index nanoparticles (organic or inorganic matrix materials) and other materials generally known in the art to exhibit refractory indices. In general, most of the oxides and refractory oxides would be suitable materials for the additional layer 302. Also, the material of the additional layer 302 can be covered or two or more of the above materials can be combined to achieve a refractory index. desired for additional layer 302. In other embodiments, the end layer 302 may be made of a liquid and / or a gas included in a corresponding inclusion container (not shown) configured to accommodate the gas and / or liquid. In still other embodiments, the end layer 302 may be made of a gas or liquid in combination with one or more of the aforementioned solids.

Similar to the layer or layers 202a, b of FIG. 2, the additional or terminal layer 302 can be made with a material that has a refractory index different from that of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104. In some For example, the materials of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104 and end layer 302 may be different. However, in other embodiments, the additional layer 302 can generally be made of the same material as an adjacent one of the first and second plurality of layers 102, 104, but also have a different refractory index than the first and second adjacent plurality of layers 102 , 104. As stated above, this can be accomplished by adding additional oxygen atoms or metal ions to layer 302 during the deposition process to modify the refractory index of terminal layer 302.

In some embodiments, the refractory index of the additional or terminal layer 302 may be greater than the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102. In other embodiments, the refractory index of the layer (s) 302 may approach but with some mismatch with respect to the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102, i.e. a refractory index value slightly higher or lower than the refractory index of the first plurality of layers 102. In still other embodiments, the value of the refractory index of the layer (s) 302 may be between the refractory indices of the first and second pluralities of layers 102, 104, p. ex. , a "medium" refractory index, for example 2.6. In other embodiments, the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 302 may be approached but somewhat misaligned with respect to the refractory index of the second plurality of layers 104, i.e., a refractory index value slightly higher or lower than the refractory index of the second plurality of layers 104. In still other embodiments, the refractory index of the additional layer (s) 302 may be less than the index of the second plurality of layers 104.

The additional or terminal layer (s) 302 may be added to the layer stack 102, 104 during a stage or deposition process configured to optically correct or modify the final optical transmission function of the ICE 300 core design. These modalities, after manufacturing the ICE 300 core, can be analyzed to determine if it works correctly. There may be bugs in the deposit process causing the ICE 300 kernel to not work as well as it should by design. In these embodiments, one or more end layers 302 can be added to the stack of layers 102, 104 to improve the performance of the ICE 300 core. In accordance with the present description, the end layer (s) 302 can have a refractory index and a default thickness configured to increase the sensitivity of the ICE 300 core.

In some embodiments, the additional or terminal layer (s) 302 may be used as a protective layer for the layer stack 102, 104. In the embodiments, the terminal layer (s) 302 may be made of a harder material, such as an oxide (eg, titanium oxide), a refractory oxide, a nitride (eg, boron nitride), a refractory nitride, a carbide (eg, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, silicon, etc.). ). A refractory carbide and any combination of these. The stiffer material may prove to be advantageous in protecting the ICE 300 core from damage during activities, such as scratches, or otherwise preventing the ICE 300 core from inadvertently detaching from layers 102, 104. The material Harder can also be advantageous in making the ICE 300 core more environmentally stable or otherwise inert to environmental conditions, such as extreme chemical and / or thermal environments. In some embodiments, the material of the end layer 302 may be non-conductive. These properties may prove to be advantageous in applications where the ICE 3 00 core is in contact with the sample substance being measured. Accordingly, the end layer 302 can be configured to make the ICE core 3 00 stronger for long-term operation.

In at least one embodiment, the end layer 3 02 may be made of a material having a refractive index substantially similar to its adjacent or anterior layer 102, 104. In these embodiments, the previously described refractory index mismatch can be observed between the environment (i.e. air) next to the end layer 302 and the combined end layer 302 and the adjacent layer 102, 104. As a result of this, the surrounding air can technically serve as the final core layer of ICE 3 00. Accordingly, it may be advantageous to cover layer stack 102, 104 with a rigid or more environmentally stable compound, even if this layer Terminal 302 can have a refractive index equal to or substantially similar to the previous layer 102, 104.

Referring now to Figure 4, an example of an optical computing device 400 for controlling a substance 402 is illustrated, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, substance 402 can be a fluid included or otherwise flowing within an example of flow conduit 404. Flow conduit 404 may be a flow line, pipeline, well, defined annular space within a well, or any flow line or pipeline extending to / from a well. Substance 402 present within flow conduit 404 can flow in the general direction indicated by arrows A (ie, from the top to the bottom). However, it will be appreciated that flow circuit 404 may be any other type of flow circuit, such as a mud pit (i.e., used for drilling fluids and the like) or any other containment or storage container, and substance 402 does not necessarily flow in direction A while substance 402 is controlled.

Optical computing device 400 can be configured to determine a characteristic of interest in substance 402 or a component present in substance 402. In some embodiments, device 400 may include an electromagnetic radiation source 406 configured to emit or otherwise generate electromagnetic radiation 408. The electromagnetic radiation source 406 can be any device capable of emitting or generating electromagnetic radiation, as defined herein. For example, the electromagnetic radiation source 406 may be a light bulb, a light emitting diode (LED), a laser, a black body, a photonic crystal, an X-ray source, combinations of these or similar. In some embodiments, a lens 410 may be configured to collect or otherwise receive electromagnetic radiation 408 and direct a beam 214 of electromagnetic radiation 408 toward substance 402. Lens 410 may be any type of optical device configured to transmit or otherwise mode to transport electromagnetic radiation 408 as desired, such as a normal lens, a Fresnel lens, a diffraction optical element, a holographic graphic element, a mirror (eg. eg, a focus mirror) or a type of collimator. In other embodiments, lenses 410 may be omitted from device 400 and electromagnetic radiation 408 may instead be directed at substance 402 directly from electromagnetic radiation source 406.

In one or more embodiments, device 400 may also also include a sampling window 412 positioned adjacent to or otherwise in contact with substance 402 for detection purposes. Sampling window 412 may be comprised of a variety of transparent, rigid, or semi-rigid materials that are configured to allow transmission of electromagnetic radiation 408 therethrough. For example, the sampling window 412 may be composed, non-exhaustively, of glasses, plastics, semiconductors, crystalline materials, polycrystalline materials, hot or cold pressed powders, combinations of these or the like. After going through the sampling window

412, electromagnetic radiation

408 Optically affects and interacts with Substance 402, including any component present in Substance 402.

Consequently, radiation with optical interaction 414 is generated by and reflected from substance 402. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that alternative variations of device 400 may allow radiation with optical interaction 414 to be generated by transmission, scattering, diffraction, absorption, emission, or re-irradiation by and / or from substance 402, without move away from the scope of the description.

Optical interaction radiation 414 generated by interaction with substance 402 can be directed toward or otherwise received in an ICE 416 core placed within device 400. ICE 416 core may be similar to one of ICE 200 cores and 300 described herein above. Accordingly, the core of ICE 416 may include a first and a second plurality of thin optical film layers exhibiting high and low refractory indices, respectively, and one or more additional thin optical film layers exhibiting a refractory index different from that of the first and second plurality of thin optical film layers. In operation, the ICE core 416 can be configured to receive radiation with optical interaction 414 and produce modified electromagnetic radiation 418 that corresponds to a particular characteristic of substance 402. In particular, the modified electromagnetic radiation 418 is electromagnetic radiation that optically interacted with the ICE core 416, thereby obtaining a rough emulation of the regression vector corresponding to the characteristic of substance 402.

While Figure 4 depicts the core of ICE 416 receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation from substance 402, the core of ICE 416 can be positioned anywhere along the optical train of device 400, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, in one or more modalities, the ICE core 416 can be placed (as illustrated in broken lines) in the optical train before the sampling window 412 and still obtain substantially the same results. In other embodiments, the ICE core 416 can generate the modified electromagnetic radiation 418 by reflection, rather than transmission through it.

Furthermore, while only one ICE 416 core is shown in device 400, modalities are contemplated herein which include the use of at least two ICE cores in device 400 configured to cooperatively determine the feature of interest in the substance 402. For example, two or more ICEs can be placed in series or parallel within device 400 and are configured to receive optically interacted radiation 414, thereby increasing the sensitivities and detector limits of device 400. In other embodiments, two or more ICE cores can be placed in a mobile assembly, such as a spinning disk or oscillating linear array, which is moved so that the individual ICE cores can be exposed or otherwise interact optically with electromagnetic radiation for a specific short period of time.

In some embodiments, it may be desirable to control more than one feature of interest at a time with device 400. In such embodiments, various configurations for multiple ICE cores can be used, in which each ICE core is configured to detect a feature. of particular and / or specific interest. In some embodiments, the feature can be analyzed in sequence using multiple ICE cores that receive a single beam of electromagnetic radiation reflected or transmitted through substance 402. In some embodiments, multiple ICE cores can be placed on one disk Rotary in which the individual ICE nuclei are only exposed to the electromagnetic radiation beam for a short time. The advantages of this approach may include the ability to analyze multiple characteristics of substance 402 using a single optical computing device 400 and the opportunity to test additional characteristics simply by adding additional ICE cores to the spinning disk.

In other embodiments, multiple optical computing devices can be placed at a single location along flow circuit 404, where each optical computing device contains a single ICE core that is configured to detect a particular characteristic of interest in substance 402. In such embodiments, a beam splitter can deflect a portion of the electromagnetic radiation that is reflected, emitted, or transmitted through substance 402 and into each optical computing device. Each optical computing device, in turn, can be coupled to a detector or corresponding detection array configured to detect and analyze an electromagnetic radiation product from the respective optical computing device. Parallel configurations of optical computing devices can be particularly beneficial for applications that require little power and / or no moving parts.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the above configurations can be further used in combination with a serial configuration of any of the embodiments herein. For example, two optical computing devices with a rotating disk with multiple ICE cores attached to it can be placed in series to perform a single location analysis across the entire length of flow duct 404. Also, multiple detection stations, each with parallel optical computing devices, can be placed in series for similar analysis.

The modified electromagnetic radiation 418 generated by the core of ICE 416 can then be transferred to a detector 420 to quantify the signal. Detector 420 can be any device that can detect electromagnetic radiation and, in general, can be characterized as an optical transducer. In some embodiments, detector 420 may be, but is not limited to, a thermal detector, such as a photoacoustic or thermopile detector, a semiconductor detector, a piezoelectric detector, a charge coupled device (CCD), a video or matrix detector, a separation detector, a

<td>photons</td><td>(such</td><td colspan="2">like a tube</td><td>photomultiplier),</td><td>photodiodes,</td>

<td colspan="2">combinations</td><td>of</td><td>these or</td><td>similar, or others</td><td>detectors</td>

<td>known</td><td>by</td><td>the</td><td>experts in</td><td>The technique.</td><td></td>

<td>In</td><td colspan="2">some</td><td>modality</td><td>s, the 420 detector</td><td>It can</td>

configure to produce an output signal 422 in real time or near real time in the form of a voltage (or current) that corresponds to the particular characteristic of interest in substance 402. The voltage returned by detector 420 is essentially the product scalar of the optical interaction of radiation with optical interaction 414 with the respective ICE nucleus 416 as a function of the concentration of the characteristic of interest of substance 402. In this way, the output signal 422 produced by the detector 420 and the characteristic concentration may be related, for example, to be directly proportional. In other embodiments, however, the relationship may correspond to a polynomial function, an exponential function, a logarithmic function, and / or a combination of these.

In some embodiments, device 400 may include a second detector 424, which may be similar to first detector 420 in that any device capable of detecting radiation may be detector 424 radiation emanating from electromagnetic 406 may be used. Unwanted radiation may electromagnetic. The second to detect deviations from the radiation source will cause deviations in intensity of electromagnetic radiation 408 due to a wide variety of reasons and possibly cause various negative effects on device 400. These negative effects can be particularly detrimental to measurements taken during a time frame. In some embodiments, radiation deviations can occur as a result of film or material build-up in the sampling window 412 which has the effect of reducing the amount and quality of light that the first detector 420 eventually reaches. Without proper compensation, such Radiation deviations could produce incorrect readings, and output signal 422 would no longer be primarily or accurately related to the characteristic of interest.

To compensate for these types of unwanted effects, the second detector 424 can be configured to generate a compensation signal 426 that generally indicates the radiation deviations from the electromagnetic radiation source 406 and thus normalize the output signal 422 generated by the first detector 420. As illustrated, the second detector 424 can be configured to receive a portion of the optically interacting radiation 414 by beam splitter 428 to detect radiation deviations. However, in other embodiments, the second detector 424 may be positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from any part of the optical train in device 400 to detect radiation deviations, without departing from the scope of the description.

In some applications, the output signal 422 and offset signal 426 can be transported or otherwise received by a signal processor 430, communicatively coupled to both detectors 420, 424. The signal processor 43 0 may be a computer with a processor and a machine-readable storage medium with instructions stored therein which, when executed in the processor 430, cause the optical computing device 400 to perform various activities, such as determining a Characteristic of interest of substance 402. For example, the concentration of each characteristic detected with the optical computing device 400 can be entered into an algorithm powered by the signal processor 430. The algorithm may be part of an artificial neural network configured to use the concentration of each detected characteristic to evaluate the general characteristics or quality of the substance 402.

The signal processor 430 can also be configured to computationally combine the compensation signal 426 with the output signal 422 to normalize the output signal 422 according to any radiation deviation detected by the second detector 424. The computer combination of the signals output and offset 422, 426 may involve calculating a ratio of the two signals 422, 426. For example, the concentration or magnitude of each characteristic determined using optical computing device 400 can be entered into an algorithm powered by signal processor 430. The algorithm can be configured to make predictions about the change in characteristics of substance 402 if the concentrations of one or more components or additives change among themselves.

Signal processor 430 can be configured in real time or near real time to provide a resulting output signal 432 corresponding to a concentration of the characteristic of interest in substance 402. The resulting output signal 432 may be readable by an operator who can consider the results and make the appropriate adjustments or take the correct action, if necessary, depending on the measured concentrations of the components or

<td>additives</td><td>in</td><td>substance 402. In</td><td>some</td><td>modalities,</td><td>the</td>

<td>product</td><td>of</td><td>resulting signal 328</td><td>It can</td><td>to transmit</td><td>by</td>

<td>cable or</td><td>of</td><td>wirelessly to</td><td colspan="2">an operator to</td><td>its</td>

consideration. In other embodiments, the resulting output signal 432 can be recognized by signal processor 430 as being within or outside of a predetermined or pre-programmed interval of proper operation and can alert the operator to an out-of-range reading for corrective action. appropriate or otherwise autonomously take appropriate corrective action so that the resulting output signal 432 returns to a value within the pre-programmed or predetermined range of proper operation.

Referring now to FIG. 5, another example of optical computing device 500 for controlling substance 402 is illustrated, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The optical computing device 500 may be similar in some respects to the optical computing device 400 of FIG. 4, and therefore can be better understood with reference to this, in which the same numerals indicate similar elements that will not be described again. Again, the optical computing device 500 can be configured to determine the concentration of a characteristic of interest in the substance as 402 included in the flow conduit 404. Unlike device 400 of FIG. 4, however, optical computing device 500 in FIG. 5 can be configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation 408 through substance 402 through a first sampling window 502a and a second sampling window. 502b positioned radially opposite the first sampling window 502a in flow circuit 404. The first and second sampling windows 502a, b may be similar to the sampling windows 412 described above in FIG. 4 and therefore will not be described again.

As electromagnetic radiation 408 passes through substance 402 through the first and second sampling windows 502a, b, it interacts optically with substance 402, and radiation with optical interaction 414 is subsequently directed into the ICE core 416 or otherwise received therein, depending on the arrangement within device 500. It is mentioned again that, although Figure 5 represents the ICE core 416 receiving the radiation with optical interaction 414 as transmitted through the sampling windows 502a, b, the ICE core

416 it can also be placed anywhere along the optical train of device 500, without departing from the scope of the description. For example, in one or more modalities, the ICE core 416 can be placed within the optical train before the first sampling window 502a and still substantially the same results. In still other embodiments, the ICE core 416 can generate the modified electromagnetic radiation 418 by reflection, rather than transmission through it. In addition, as with device 400 of FIG. 4, embodiments are contemplated herein which include the use of at least two ICE cores in device 500 configured to cooperatively determine the characteristic of interest in substance 402.

Modified electromagnetic radiation 418 generated by ICE core 416 is subsequently transported to detector 420 to quantize the signal and generate output signal 422 that corresponds to the particular characteristic of interest in substance 402. Device 500 may also include the second detector

424 for detecting radiation deviations emanating from the electromagnetic radiation source 406.

As illustrated, the second detector 424 can be configured to receive a portion of the optically interacting radiation 414 via beam splitter 428 to detect radiation deviations. Output signal 422 and offset signal 426 can then be transported to or received in a different way from signal processor 430, which can computationally combine the two signals 230, 226 and provide real-time or near-time actual the resulting output signal432 corresponding to the concentration of the characteristic of interest in fluid 402.

It should also be noted that the various figures provided herein are not necessarily illustrated to scale nor are they strictly represented as optically correct as understood by those in the optical industry. Rather, the figures are merely illustrative in nature and are generally used herein to complement the understanding of the systems and methods provided herein. Indeed, although the figures may not be optically accurate, the conceptual interpretations represented in them correctly reflect the example of nature of the various modalities described.

The modalities described herein include:

<td>TO.</td><td colspan="2">An element</td><td>computer</td><td>integrated including</td><td>a</td>

<td>substratum</td><td>optical,</td><td colspan="3">a first and second plurality of layers</td><td>of</td>

<td>movie</td><td>optics</td><td>fine</td><td>deposited</td><td>alternatively in</td><td>the</td>

<td>substratum</td><td>optical</td><td>for</td><td>form a</td><td colspan="2">stack of thin films,</td>

where each thin optical film layer of the first plurality has a first refractory index and each thin optical film layer of the second plurality has a second refractory index different from the first refractory index, and at least one additional thin optical film layer placed on or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the first and second plurality thin optical film layers, where at least one additional thin film layer has a third refractory index different from the first and the second refractory index.

B. An optical computing device that includes a light source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation that optically interacts with a substance and an Integrated Computer Element (ICE) core and thus generate light with optical interaction, where the ICE core comprises an optical substrate, a first and second plurality of thin optical film layers alternatively deposited on the optical substrate to form a stack of thin films, where each thin optical film layer of the first plurality has a first refractory index and each thin optical film layer of the second plurality has a second refractory index different from the first refractory index, and at least one additional thin optical film layer placed on or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the first and second plurality thin optical film layers, wherein at least one additional thin film layer has a third refractory index different from the first and second refractory index, and at least one detector positioned to receive the light with optical interaction and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the substance .

C. A method of manufacturing an integrated computing element that alternately deposits a first and second plurality of thin optical film layers on an optical substrate and thus forms a stack of thin films, where each thin optical film layer of the first plurality exhibits a first refractory index and each layer of thin optical film of the second plurality has a second refractory index different from the first refractory index, and depositing at least one additional thin optical film layer in or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the first and second plurality thin optical film layers, where the optical film layer or layers additional fine have a third refractory index different from the first and the second refractory index.

Each of Modes A, B, and C may have one or more of the following additional elements in any combination: Element 1: wherein the additional thin film layer (s) are placed in the thin film stack between a first thin optical film layer and a second thin optical film layer. Element 2: wherein the additional thin optical film layer (s) are placed in the film stack as an end layer deposited opposite the substrate. Element 3: in which at least one additional thin optical film layer is made from a material selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), quartz (S1O2), SiOx, niobium and niobium oxide, germanium and germanium oxide, MgF, Zinc Oxide, Aluminum Oxide, Titanium Oxide, Tantalum, Tantalum Oxide, Low Index Fluoropolymers, and High Index Nanoparticle Filled Polymers. Element 4: in which the additional thin optical film layer (s) is made from a material selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, a carbide and any combination of these. Element 5: In which the additional layer (s) of thin optical film is coated to achieve the third refractory index. Element 6: in which two or more materials combine to achieve the third refractory index. Element 7: wherein the additional thin film layer (s) is made with a liquid or a gas. Element 8: where the first refractory index is greater than the second refractory index and the third refractory index is greater than the first refractory index. Element 9: in which the first refractory index is greater than the second refractory index and the third refractory index is less than the second refractory index. Element 10: where the first refractory index is greater than the second refractory index and the third refractory index is a value between the first and second refractory index.

Element 11: wherein at least one additional thin optical film layer is interposed with the corresponding first and second plurality thin optical film layers. Element 12: wherein the additional thin optical film layer (s) is a terminal layer deposited at one end of the thin film stack opposite the substrate. Element 13: In which the additional layer (s) of thin optical film is coated to achieve the third refractory index. Element in which two or more materials are combined to achieve the third refractory index.

Element 15: in which the deposit of additional thin optical film in thin films comprises depositing a thin optical film between corresponding layers of the first and the

Element 16: wherein the additional thin optical film deposit in

<td colspan="2">? of at least</td><td colspan="2">A layer</td>

<td>or about</td><td>the</td><td>battery</td><td>of</td>

<td>1 less</td><td>a</td><td>cap</td><td>of</td>

<td>movie</td><td colspan="3">fine optics</td>

<td>second</td><td colspan="3">plurality.</td>

<td>at least</td><td>a</td><td>cap</td><td>of</td>

<td>2 envelope</td><td>the</td><td>battery</td><td>of</td>

Thin films comprises depositing at least one layer of thin optical film on one end of the stack of thin films opposite the substrate. Element 17: where the first refractory index is greater than the second refractory index and the third refractory index is greater than the first refractory index or less than the second refractory index.

Element 18: Where the first refractory index is greater than the second refractory index and the third refractory index is a value between the first and second refractory index.

Therefore, the systems and methods described are well adapted to achieve the purposes and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent in these. The particular embodiments previously described are merely illustrative, since the information in the present disclosure can be modified and practiced in various, albeit equivalent, ways that will be apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the information herein. Likewise, it is not intended to limit the construction or design details shown herein, except as described in the claims below.

Therefore it is evident that the particular illustrative embodiments described above can be altered, combined or modified and that all these variations are considered within the scope of the present description.

The systems and methods described illustratively herein can be properly implemented without any of the elements not specifically described herein and / or any optional elements described herein.

While compositions and methods are described in terms such as "comprising", "including" various components or steps, compositions and methods may also "consist essentially of" or "consist of" the various components and steps. All of the numbers and ranges described above may vary somewhat. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is described, any number and any range within the range is specifically described. In particular, it should be understood that any range of values ​​(of the type "from about a to about b" or, equivalently, "from about a to b" or, equivalently, "from about ab") described herein indicates any number and range within the broader range of values. Likewise, the terms in the claims have their simple and common meaning, unless the patent owner expressly and clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the indefinite articles "a" or "one / a", as used in the claims, are defined herein to indicate one or more than one of the elements they introduce. In the event of any conflict in the uses of a word or a term in the present description and in one or more patents or other documents that are incorporated herein by reference, the definitions that are consistent with the present description should be adopted.

As used herein, the expression "at least one of" before a series of articles, with the terms "and" or "or" to separate any of the articles, modifies the list in its entirety, rather than modify each member of the list (that is, each article). The phrase "at least one of" does not require the selection of at least one element, but the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least any one of the objects and / or at least one of any combination of the objects and / or the minus one of each of

<td>the objects</td><td colspan="2">. By way</td><td>illustrative</td><td>, every</td><td colspan="2">one of the</td><td>phrases «to</td>

<td colspan="2">minus one from A,</td><td>B</td><td>and C »or« al</td><td>less</td><td>one of</td><td>A, B</td><td>or C »does</td>

<td>reference</td><td>alone</td><td>to</td><td>A, just a</td><td>B o</td><td>alone</td><td>a C;</td><td>any</td>

<td>combination</td><td>from A,</td><td>B</td><td>and C; and / or at</td><td>less</td><td>one of</td><td>each i</td><td>anus of A, B</td>

and c.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to put the aforementioned invention into practice is the one that is clear from the present description of the invention.