US 12,710,579 B2Granted

Inkjet gradient index material to modulate grating diffraction efficiency

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsYingdong Luo, Jinxin Fu, Zhengping Yao, Daihua Zhang, Ludovic Godet

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Abstract

An apparatus for waveguides and a method of fabricating a waveguide combiner having at least one grating with trenches gap-filled with variable refractive index materials. At least two trenches of at least one grating includes a first gap-fill material having a first volume and a first refractive index, and a second gap-fill material having a second volume and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index. Control of the deposition of first volume and the deposition of second volume in an inkjet deposition process provide for the formation of the grating with two trenches that have different refractive indices and different gap-fill depths. The first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material merge to form the gap-filler. Therefore, by controlling the varied refractive indices and different gap-fill depths the waveguide combiner is optimized by efficiency or a color uniformity.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A waveguide combiner, comprising:

a grating disposed on a substrate, the grating having a plurality of optical device structures defining a plurality of trenches, each trench is defined by adjacent optical device structures;
a first gap-fill material having a first refractive index;
and
a second gap-fill material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, wherein:
a first trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein;
and
a second trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein, wherein:
a volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
a total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
and
a first top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is on a different plane from a second top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench.

8 more elements

A waveguide combiner comprising:

a first grating disposed on a first surface of a substrate, the first grating having a plurality of optical device structures defining a plurality of trenches, each trench is defined by adjacent optical device structures wherein a height of the optical device structures varies along with a depth of the plurality of trenches;
a first gap-fill material having a first refractive index;
and
a second gap-fill material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, wherein:
a first trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein;
and
a second trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein, wherein:
a volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
a total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
and
a first top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is on a different plane from a second top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench.

8 more elements

A method of forming a waveguide combiner comprising:

forming a grating on a substrate having a plurality of optical device structures defining a plurality of trenches, each trench is defined by adjacent optical device structures;
inkjeting a first gap-fill material having a first refractive index and a second gap-fill material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index over the grating in the trenches, wherein:
a first trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein;
and
a second trench with the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material disposed therein, wherein;
a volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the volume of at least one of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
a total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is different from the total volume of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
and
a first top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the first trench is on a different plane from a second top surface of the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material in the second trench;
and
curing the first gap-fill material and the second gap-fill material during a curing process.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/473,079Filed 22 Sep 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Oct 2022
Published: US 2024/0142690 A12 May 2024
Granted: 18 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G02B 6/0016
Provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it: grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
G02B 27/0172
Head mounted: characterised by optical features
G02B 5/1847
Diffraction gratings: manufacturing methods
G02B 5/1857
Manufacturing methods: using exposure or etching means, e.g. holography, photolithography, exposure to electron or ion beams