Controlling grating outcoupling strength for AR waveguide combiners

• US 10,564,332 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Meyer Timmerman Thijssen, Rutger, McMillan, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong, Henry A
• Application Number:
  US15/880,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20190235142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 359569
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00769 Producing diffraction gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2207/109 Sols, gels, sol-gel materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1819 Plural gratings positioned on the same surface, e.g. array of gratings plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path G02B27/4272
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1847 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1852 using mechanical means, e.g. ruling with diamond tool, moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to augmented waveguide regions. The augmented waveguide regions generally include pluralities of gratings having duty cycles and refractive indices. In certain embodiments, the duty cycles are different, the refractive indices are different, or both the duty cycles and the refractive indices are different. Also described herein are methods for forming the augmented waveguide regions.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more regions, each of the regions having one or more gratings formed on a substrate, the gratings of at least one region of the one or more regions comprising;

at least one first grating formed on the substrate having a first duty cycle;

at least one second grating formed on the substrate adjacent to the at least one first grating having a second duty cycle different than the first duty cycle; and

at least one third grating formed on the substrate adjacent to the at least one second grating having a third duty cycle different than the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third duty cycle are between about 0.1 and about 0.5.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein,

the second duty cycle is greater than the first duty cycle;

and

the third duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each grating of the at least one first, second, and third grating has a same height.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each grating of the at least one first, second, and third grating comprises sidewall surfaces slanted by an amount relative to the substrate.

6. A device comprising:

one or more regions, each of the regions having one or more gratings formed on a substrate, the gratings of at least one region of the one or more regions comprising;

at least one first grating formed on the substrate having a first refractive index;

at least one second grating formed on the substrate adjacent to the at least one first grating having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index; and

at least one third of grating formed on the substrate adjacent to the at least one second grating having a third refractive index greater than the second refractive index.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first refractive index and second refractive index are between about 1.2 and about 1.7.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the third refractive index is between about 1.5 and about 2.5.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein,

the at least one first grating comprises a first ratio of a first material to a second material;

the at least one second grating comprises a second ratio of the first material to the second material different than the first ratio; and

the at least one third grating comprises a third ratio of the first material to the second material different than the first ratio and second ratio.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first material comprises titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the second material comprises at least one of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), and zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂).

12. A method comprising:

depositing a first plurality of droplets onto a substrate, each droplet of the first plurality of droplets spaced from each other on the substrate and including one or more first materials;

depositing a second plurality of droplets onto the substrate, each droplet of the second plurality of droplets spaced from each other on the substrate and including one or more second materials;

imprinting a stamp into the first plurality of droplets and the second plurality of droplets;

curing the one or more first materials and the one or more second materials; and

releasing the stamp to form a first grating of the one or more first materials and a second grating of the one or more second materials, the first grating has a first refractive index and a first duty cycle, the second grating has a second refractive index and a second duty cycle, and either;

the first duty cycle is different from the second duty cycle;

or

the first refractive index is different from the second refractive index;

or

both the first refractive index and the first duty cycle are different from the second refractive index and the second duty cycle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first grating and second grating have substantially equal heights.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first grating and second grating comprise sidewall surfaces slanted relative to the substrate.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second duty cycle is greater than the first duty cycle.

16. The method of claim 12, where the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more first materials comprises a sol-gel or nanoparticle solution comprising at least one of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), and zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sol-gel or nanoparticle solution further comprises titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more second materials comprises the sol-gel or the nanoparticle solution with a greater proportion of TiO₂ than SiO₂, SiOC, and ZrO.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first refractive index and second refractive index are between about 1 and about 2.5.