Waveguide manufacturing methods

A method of manufacture of a waveguide having a plurality of metallised wells having surfaces with metal deposited thereon, the method comprising:

• providing:
• a continuous layer with metal deposited on a plurality of regions of a surface;
• a well layer having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough, the plurality of apertures of the well layer and the plurality of regions of the surface of the continuous layer being arranged in the same pattern;
• attaching the well layer to the surface of the continuous layer with the plurality of apertures of the well layer in alignment with the plurality of regions of the surface of the continuous layer having metal deposited thereon, to form the waveguide in which the apertures of the well layer form the wells;
• wherein the plurality of metallised wells comprise:
• an array of light input wells;
• and
• an array of light-deflecting wells, wherein
• each light input well comprises a light input surface extending into the waveguide that is arranged to input light from a respective light-emitting element into the waveguide, and
• each light-deflecting well comprises a light-deflecting surface extending into the waveguide so that some guided light is incident thereon and some guided light passes over the light-deflecting surface, the light-deflecting surface being arranged to reflect at least some of the guided light that is incident thereon, and the light-deflecting wells having an arrangement around each light input well that causes guided light that has been input through the light input surface of the light input well to be distributed around the light input well.