Light guide including optical scattering elements and a method of manufacture

• US 20080100900A1
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/247
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects

Abstract

A method and system for fabricating a light guide is disclosed. The method and system comprise providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein and adjusting at least a portion of the scattering elements to maintain their optical scattering character. The present invention provides a system and method for fabricating a front light technology that is inexpensive and can compete on a cost basis with LCD backlight technologies while maintaining reasonable performance.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a light guide comprising:

providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein; and

adjusting at least a portion of the scattering elements to maintain their optical scattering character.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements include a coating and the coating is activated to maintain their optical scattering characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the light guide element is provided utilizing any of injection molding, compression molding, spincasting, extrusion molding and blow molding.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a top portion of each of the at least one portion of the scattering elements are masked.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the coating comprises a material that is sensitive to ultra-violet (UV) exposure.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein adjusting comprises:

activating the coating on the one side by providing an ultra-violet (UV) light to the one side at a first wavelength; and

deactivating the coating on a side opposite the one side to maintain the optical scattering character of the scattering elements at a second wavelength.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the light guide element.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion with a portion of the scattering elements protruding from the top portion of the light element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.

10. A method for fabrication on interferometric modulator system comprising:

providing an interferometric modulator;

providing an adhesive layer on the interferometric modulator; and

providing a light guide element on the adhesive layer, the light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements in which at least a portion of scattering elements are masked.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the light guide element providing step comprises:

providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein; and

adjusting at least a portion of the scattering elements to maintain their optical scattering character.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements include a coating and the coating is activated to maintain their optical scattering characteristics.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the light guide element is provided utilizing any of injection molding, compression molding, spincasting, extrusion molding and blow molding.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the adjusting step comprises:

activating the coating on the one side by providing an ultra-violet (UV) light to the one side at a first wavelength; and

deactivating the coating on a side opposite the one side to maintain the optical scattering character of the scattering elements.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the coating comprises a material that is sensitive to ultra-violet (UV) exposure.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the light guide element.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion with a portion of the scattering elements protruding from the top portion of the light element.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein all of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.

19. An interferometric modulator system comprising:

an interferometric modulator;

an adhesive layer on the interferometric modulator; and

a light guide element on the adhesive layer, the light guide element including a plurality of masked scattering elements therewithin.

20. The interferometric modulator system of claim 19 wherein a top portion of each of the at least one portion of the plurality scattering elements are masked.

21. The interferometric modulator system of claim 19 wherein the at least a portion of the masked scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the light guide element.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion with a portion of the scattering elements protruding from the top portion of the light element.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.

24. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a display;

a processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

27. The system as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

29. The system as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

30. A system for fabricating a light guide comprising:

means for providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein; and

means for adjusting at least a portion of the scattering elements to maintain their optical scattering character.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements include a coating and the coating is activated to maintain their optical scattering characteristics.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the light guide element is provided utilizing any of injection molding, compression molding, spincasting, extrusion molding and blow molding.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein a top portion of each of the at least one portion of the scattering elements are masked.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the coating comprises a material that is sensitive to ultra-violet (UV) exposure.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the adjusting means comprises:

means for activating the coating on the one side by providing an ultra-violet (UV) light to the one side at a first wavelength; and

means for deactivating the coating on a side opposite the one side to maintain the optical scattering character of the scattering elements at a second wavelength.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the light guide element.

37. The system of claim 30 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion with a portion of the scattering elements protruding from the top portion of the light element.

38. The system of claim 30 wherein all of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.