Adjustable mounting device and device including the thereof

Abstract

An adjustable mounting device and an apparatus including the same are disclosed. The adjustable mounting device includes a tilting stage, a waveguide mounting plate in communication with the tilting stage and configured to receive a waveguide; and a tilting device configured to communicate with a plate having a planar outer surface. The tilting device includes a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage and a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage. The rotation mechanisms cooperate to rotate the tilting stage about at least two vertical axes to position the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the planar outer surface.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application No. 202080074688.1 entitled "Method for Polishing Waveguide Surface", which was filed on November 17, 2020 and entered the Chinese national phase on April 25, 2022. Technical Field

[0002] The subject matter of this disclosure relates to waveguides, and more particularly, to methods for polishing waveguide surfaces. Background Technology

[0003] Some head-mounted displays (HMDs) employ two-dimensional waveguides, which operate by trapping light waves within a substrate via total internal reflection from the waveguide's outer surface. The trapped light waves are coupled out through an array of partially reflective surfaces. Typically, the coupled light waves pass through an additional waveguide before reaching the user's eyes. To maintain the quality of the propagated image, a very high degree of perpendicularity must exist between two or more surfaces of the waveguide. Typically, these waveguides have two pairs of parallel outer surfaces (i.e., top and bottom surfaces, front and rear surfaces) opposite each other, where the two pairs of parallel outer surfaces must be perpendicular to each other. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, an adjustable mounting device is provided, comprising: a tilting stage; a waveguide mounting plate communicating with the tilting stage, the waveguide mounting plate being configured to receive a waveguide; and

[0005] A tilting device configured to communicate with a plate having an outer planar surface, the tilting device comprising: a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage, and a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage, the rotation mechanisms cooperating to rotate the tilting stage about at least two vertical axes to position a waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the outer planar surface.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided comprising: a polishing plate having a flat outer surface defining a first plane parallel to the polishing plane; and at least one adjustable mounting device in communication with the polishing plate, each adjustable mounting device comprising: a tilting stage; a waveguide mounting plate in communication with the tilting stage, the waveguide mounting plate being configured to receive a waveguide; and a tilting device comprising a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage and a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage, the rotation mechanisms cooperating to rotate the tilting stage about at least two vertical axes to position a waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the first plane. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To understand the invention and how to implement it in practice, embodiments will be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 A top view of a waveguide according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 A perspective view of a waveguide according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown;

[0010] Figure 3 A schematic isometric view of a polishing apparatus according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A magnified view of the area. Figure 4 An adjustable mounting device according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 A schematic partial cross-sectional isometric view of a locking mechanism according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the process of aligning a waveguide according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 7 A conceptual schematic diagram of two aligned surfaces is shown according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure;

[0015] Figure 8 Alternative methods for aligning waveguides according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure are shown;

[0016] Figure 9 shows an alternative top view of an aligned waveguide according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 10 A bottom view of a polishing apparatus having an opening for aligning waveguides, according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To provide a thorough understanding of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the subject matter of this disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, processes, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0019] With this in mind, the subject matter of this disclosure is particularly applicable to waveguides such as those disclosed in PCT Publication WO 2018 / 065975A1, which include a plurality of internal partially reflective surfaces parallel to each other but angled relative to the outer side surfaces of the waveguide. However, even in the absence of internal partially reflective surfaces, the invention can be advantageously applied to any situation where optical components must be polished to produce high-quality, mutually perpendicular polished surfaces. Referring now to... Figure 1 , Figure 1 A top view of a waveguide 100 is shown, which has an outer side surface 101, front and rear surfaces 104, and angled inner surfaces 102a to 102x. Figure 2 A perspective view of waveguide 100 is shown, in which side surface 101, top surface 103, and front surface 104 are shown. In waveguides such as those disclosed in the PCT above, there must be a high degree of perpendicularity between the top and bottom surfaces relative to the outer side surfaces, and in some preferred implementations, there is also a very high degree of perpendicularity between the top and bottom surfaces relative to the inner surface.

[0020] Thus, this paper provides a method for polishing the outer surface of a waveguide to achieve precise perpendicularity between the waveguide surface to be polished (“target surface”) and at least one other (typically adjacent) surface (“reference surface”). In some implementations, it may be desirable for the target surface to be polished to be precisely perpendicular to two different non-parallel reference surfaces (e.g., an outer surface and an inner surface) simultaneously.

[0021] Now refer to Figure 3The method includes providing a polishing apparatus 300 for polishing a target surface of a waveguide. The polishing apparatus 300 includes an annular polishing disk 301 having a flat outer (top) surface 303, as shown. The polishing disk 301 is configured to hold the object to be polished and facilitates slidable contact between the object and a polishing machine (not shown), such that the contact point between the polishing machine and the object defines a polishing plane (which typically moves during polishing as the surface of the object is ground). During polishing, the polishing apparatus 300 contacts the polishing machine such that the flat surface 303 is parallel to the polishing plane. Therefore, it can be said that the flat surface 303 defines a plane that is always parallel to the polishing plane (hereinafter referred to as the "reference plane"). Although Figure 3 A polishing apparatus 300 with the flat surface 303 facing upwards is shown, but this is only for clarity, as in most cases the polishing apparatus 300 is inverted on the polishing machine during polishing.

[0022] The polishing apparatus 300 also includes at least one adjustable mounting device 305 configured to hold the waveguide 100 during polishing of the target surface. The adjustable mounting device 305 is also configured to hold the waveguide at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the flat surface 303 of the polishing apparatus 300. (See reference...) Figure 4 As described in further detail, the adjustable mounting device 305 facilitates the rotation of the waveguide 100 about multiple axes, thereby allowing the user to set the target surface to be polished to the desired plane (i.e., parallel to the desired plane after polishing is complete).

[0023] In some implementations, such as Figure 3 As shown, the polishing apparatus 300 may include a plurality of adjustable mounting devices 305, wherein each mounting device 305 holds a different waveguide 100, and each mounting device 305 is independently adjustable, thereby allowing multiple waveguides 100 to be polished simultaneously. In some embodiments, the polishing apparatus 300 also includes a rotatable base 307, which allows each mounting device to be sequentially aligned with an optical alignment sensor, as will be described in detail below. Free rotation is also permitted during polishing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes mounting a plurality of sacrificial blocks 309 at different points on the flat surface 303 of the polishing disk 301 (e.g., using an adhesive bonding material). In some cases, it may be desirable for the sacrificial blocks 309 to be used for balancing and / or load distribution during polishing. Additionally or alternatively, it may also be desirable for the sacrificial blocks 309 to release some of the pressure applied to the waveguide 100 during polishing. This is particularly valuable when the polishing process initially reaches the corners or edges of the waveguide, which would otherwise result in excessive localized load on the polisher. By using the sacrificial blocks 309, the load of the polishing process is always distributed over a relatively large area, maintaining the parallelism of the polisher to the reference plane and avoiding damage to the corners or edges of the waveguide. In this case, the target surface of the waveguide 100 should be adjacent to, but lower than, the top surface of the sacrificial blocks 309 before polishing. "Adjacent but lower" means that to the naked eye, the two surfaces appear to be on the same plane, but in reality, there is a slight difference in their relative heights, making the target surface slightly lower. Alternatively or additionally, the top surface of the sacrificial block 309 can be used as an alternative reference plane parallel to the polished plane, as will be described in detail below. In some cases, a sufficiently accurate reference surface can be achieved by pre-polishing the sacrificial block to provide two parallel surfaces and a uniform thickness, and by adhering the block to the flat surface 303 with pressure. Alternatively or additionally, multiple sacrificial blocks 309 can be polished simultaneously after installation to ensure that the top surfaces of the multiple sacrificial blocks are located on the same plane, i.e., coplanar, and secondly, that the top surfaces of the sacrificial blocks are precisely parallel to the polished plane. In some embodiments, the sacrificial block 309 can be made of glass, or of the same material as the waveguide 100, or of any other suitable material.

[0025] Figure 4An enlarged view of an adjustable mounting device 305 according to some embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown. The mounting device 305 includes a tilting stage 400 on which a mounting plate 402 is fixed, the mounting plate 402 being configured to receive and hold a waveguide during polishing, for example, by temporary bonding or alternatively by clamping. The mounting plate 402 is secured to the tilting stage 400 by clamps fastened by fasteners 404 (e.g., screws). The mounting device 305 also includes rotating screws 406a to 406b configured to facilitate rotation (tilting) of the tilting stage 400 about at least two vertical axes (e.g., tilt and roll axes). In some embodiments, the mounting device may include a third “elevation” screw 406c to facilitate adjustment of the height (i.e., elevation) of the tilting stage 400 relative to the polishing disk 301. In the preferred but non-limiting implementation shown herein, all three adjusting screws 406a to 406c are substantially similar, each adjusting screw raising or lowering one area of ​​the three-point support structure. However, the presence of three adjustment points allows the tilt stage 400 to be raised or lowered as a whole. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to set the height of the waveguide such that at least a portion of the target surface is below, but adjacent to, the initial polishing plane (e.g., the top surface of the sacrificial block 309). In some embodiments, the height of the waveguide can be adjusted relative to the initial polishing plane by operation of screws 406a to 406c, such that the sacrificial block 309 bears all or most of the load during the initial stage of polishing.

[0026] During polishing, significant stress can be applied to the tilt stage 400, which may cause undesirable slippage of the adjusting screws 406a to 406c, and thus undesirable deviation of the orientation of the tilt stage 400. To prevent such deviation, in some embodiments, the mounting device 305 may also include a locking mechanism configured to lock the orientation of the tilt stage 400 at a given angular orientation (and height). In this case, the method preferably further includes locking the angular orientation and / or height of the tilt stage using the locking mechanism prior to polishing.

[0027] Figure 5A schematic, non-limiting example of a locking mechanism according to certain embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure is shown, which also serves as a more detailed exemplary structure for each of the aforementioned adjusting screws 406a to 406c. Adjustment of the height of the area of ​​the tilt table 400 supported by each adjusting screw is achieved by rotating a wheel 700, which causes the hollow bolt 701 to rotate, thereby raising or lowering the armrest 703 engaged with the area of ​​the tilt table 400. When the adjusting screw is properly adjusted, the wheel 700 is secured by tightening screw 705 (this locking wheel 700) to prevent further rotation of the wheel 700. An additional clamping screw 707 is connected via cable 709 to a cable end 711 located on the opposite side of the support of the polishing disc 301. Once all adjustments for orientation are complete, screw 707 is rotated to tighten cable 709, thereby securing the tilt table 400 to the polishing disc 301 in a given orientation. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism may further include a metal end 713 to prevent the tilt table 400 from sinking relative to the polishing disc 301 during cable tensioning 709. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism may further include a spring 715 located between the cable end 711 and the polishing disc 301 to maintain residual tension on the cable 709 when the screw 707 is loosened, for example, to adjust the orientation of the tilt table 400.

[0028] Now refer to Figure 6 In some preferred embodiments, the method further includes positioning a height sensing device 600 configured to detect the height difference between the target surface of the waveguide 100 and the top surface 609 of the sacrificial block 309, and setting a desired height difference prior to polishing. In some embodiments, the height sensing device 600 may also be used to adjust the heights of second and subsequent waveguides in the polishing apparatus 100 to the same height as the first waveguide after the first waveguide has been adjusted to the desired height.

[0029] In some implementations, such as Figure 6As shown, the method further includes: positioning one or more optical alignment sensors 601 (e.g., autocollimators, etc.), each alignment sensor configured to emit one or more collimated beams and configured to receive reflections of the one or more collimated beams; and positioning one or more light reflecting devices 603 (e.g., mirrors, pentaprisms, etc.), the light reflecting devices configured to precisely reflect the collimated beams by 90 degrees. For each reference surface 607, a corresponding optical alignment sensor 601 and a corresponding light reflecting device 603 are positioned such that a first collimated beam is reflected from a surface 609 parallel to the reference plane, and a second collimated beam 605 perpendicular to the first collimated beam at the reflection point is reflected from a given reference surface 607. Suitable optical alignment sensors include Nikon autocollimators 6B-LED / 6D-LED manufactured by Nikon Corporation. It should be understood that a single wide collimated beam can also be used, in which case references to the first and second collimated beams should be understood as referring to two distinct portions of a single collimated beam.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further includes aligning the waveguide 100 within the polishing apparatus 300 using an adjustable mounting device 305 such that the polishing plane is perpendicular to each reference surface. This is achieved by adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that, for each given reference surface, the reflection received by the corresponding optical alignment sensor 601 is aligned therein, thereby indicating the perpendicularity between the reference plane (and by extending the polishing plane) and the given reference surface, as will be referred to below. Figure 7 Further detailed description.

[0031] The method also includes polishing the target surface of the waveguide by making it slide into contact with a polishing machine, thereby achieving precise perpendicular polishing of the target surface relative to each reference surface. In some embodiments, precise perpendicularity includes perpendicularity within 1 arcminute. In some embodiments, precise perpendicularity includes perpendicularity within 10 arcseconds.

[0032] In some implementations, as detailed above, the method may include locking the orientation of the waveguide via a locking mechanism of the mounting device prior to polishing.

[0033] For clarity, refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7A conceptual diagram of the alignment method described in detail above is shown. Cube 507 has two adjacent, non-parallel surfaces 505 and 503. Surface 505 is desired to be polished precisely perpendicular to surface 503. Surface 501 is known beforehand to be parallel to the polishing plane; therefore, the desired result is to orient cube 507 on the polishing apparatus such that surface 503 is precisely perpendicular to surface 501. Autocollimator 509 and a 45-degree tilt mirror 511 are positioned such that autocollimator 509 emits a first collimated beam 513 onto surface 501 and a second collimated beam 515 (which may be a different region of a single wide collimated beam) onto surface 503, and receives reflections from surfaces 501 and 503. If the reflections from the two collimated beams are precisely parallel, such that their images appear aligned within the autocollimator, then surface 503 is perpendicular to the polishing plane; otherwise, surface 503 is not perpendicular to the polishing plane. In this case, cube 507 should be rotated left or right until the collimated beams are aligned.

[0034] like Figure 7 As shown, when the alignment symbols of the received reflections 513 and 515 observed in the viewfinder 517 of the autocollimator are consistent, the reflections of the two collimated beams received within the autocollimator can be considered aligned. Imperfectly overlapping reflections are considered misaligned and indicate non-perpendicularity between the surfaces from which the collimated beams are reflected.

[0035] Figure 8 An alternative method for aligning the waveguide is illustrated. In this method, the waveguide is bonded to a large, preferably glass, block 56 with a precisely perpendicular surface, the target surface of the waveguide facing the polishing machine. The surface of the block 56 to which the waveguide is bonded is perpendicular to the polishing plane, and thus the target surface will be perpendicular to the polishing plane after polishing. If the target surface is simultaneously perpendicular to the inner surface of the waveguide, a first collimated beam can be reflected from the inner surface of the waveguide and a second collimated beam can be reflected from the top surface of the block 56 using an optical alignment sensor and a light reflection device. The orientation of the waveguide relative to the block 56 is then adjusted until the reflected beams overlap.

[0036] Figure 9A An alternative or additional alignment method is shown, in which light ray 901 is reflected from the internal facet 102. Due to the refraction of component 100, light ray 901 (preferably originating from and reflected onto the autocollimator) has different angles from outside the component within the waveguide 100. However, as mentioned above, the alignment process is still effective.

[0037] In some cases, the light from the autocollimator is not monochromatic. Therefore, the reflected light will be dispersed by the aforementioned refraction, thus reducing alignment accuracy. According to the invention, this limitation can be eliminated by using an appropriate orientation of the projected image from the autocollimator. Figure 9B shows a typical image projected by the autocollimator. As shown in Figure 9C, if the dispersion orientation of light ray 901 on the image plane is expected to be in the orientation indicated by arrow 905, the orientation of the collimator projected image should be adjusted (rotated) until it is parallel and perpendicular to the dispersion orientation. Reflected image ( Figure 9D The resulting dispersion of vertical line 907 is shown, making it invisible in most cases. Lines aligned along the dispersion direction remain sharp. As previously mentioned, the shift of this line in the vertical direction 909 relative to the reflected image projected from surface 609 indicates non-perpendicularity.

[0038] Now refer to Figure 10 In some embodiments, it may be desirable to recheck the perpendicularity between the polished plane and the reference surface at different times throughout the polishing process. To facilitate this check without separating the polishing apparatus from the polishing machine, in some embodiments one or more openings 1000 may be formed (e.g., drilled) through the polishing disc, each opening allowing a collimated beam to reach its intended surface. Furthermore, since the sacrificial block is in contact with the polishing machine and cannot be approached by the optical alignment sensor, an alternative surface parallel to the polished plane can be used. In this case, one or more blocks 1001 (each with a flat surface parallel to the polished plane) can be attached to the polishing disc and used as the reference plane instead of the sacrificial block.

[0039] In certain particularly preferred embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention, alignment of polished planes perpendicular to the waveguide surface is performed simultaneously on both the outer surface and the internal partial reflective surface of the waveguide. Two autocollimators can be used simultaneously to perform the adjustment, and the adjustment of each autocollimator can be performed alternately and repeatedly. In some cases, the adjustment process can be automatic.

[0040] To clarify further, in waveguide applications requiring the top and / or bottom surfaces to be precisely perpendicular to the outer side surface and the angled inner surface, two optical alignment sensors and two optical reflectors can be used to achieve precise perpendicularity between the target surface and two non-parallel reference surfaces (i.e., the outer side surface and the inner surface). A first optical alignment sensor and optical reflector emit and receive reflections from a surface parallel to the polished plane and a first reference surface, respectively. A second optical alignment sensor and optical reflector emit and receive reflections from a surface parallel to the polished plane and a second reference surface, respectively. The waveguide's angular orientation is then adjusted using an adjustable mounting device until the reflections received by the first optical alignment sensor are aligned therein and the reflections received by the second optical alignment sensor are also aligned therein, thus simultaneously indicating perpendicularity between the polished plane, the first reference surface, and the second reference surface.

[0041] It should be understood that the application of this invention is not limited to the details set forth in the specification included herein or shown in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and can be implemented and performed in various ways. Therefore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive. Similarly, those skilled in the art will understand that the concepts upon which this disclosure is based can be readily used as the basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for achieving several of the objectives of this disclosure.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the embodiments of the invention as described above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0043] In addition, this technology can also be configured as follows.

[0044] (1) A method for polishing a target surface of a waveguide to achieve precise perpendicularity of the target surface with respect to at least one reference surface of the waveguide, the method comprising:

[0045] A polishing apparatus is provided, the polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing disk having a flat surface parallel to a polishing plane and defining a reference plane; and an adjustable mounting device configured to hold a waveguide in any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the reference plane during polishing.

[0046] For each given reference surface, a corresponding optical collimating sensor and a corresponding light reflecting device are positioned such that a first collimated beam is reflected from a surface parallel to the reference plane, and a second collimated beam perpendicular to the first collimated beam is reflected from the given reference surface. The optical collimating sensor is configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive the reflections of the one or more collimated beams, and the light reflecting device is configured to accurately reflect the collimated beams by 90 degrees.

[0047] By using the mounting device, the waveguide is aligned within the polishing apparatus by: adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that, for each given reference surface, the reflection received by an optical alignment sensor corresponding to the given reference plane is aligned within the optical alignment sensor, thereby indicating the perpendicularity between the reference plane and the given reference surface; and

[0048] The target surface of the aligned waveguide is polished using the polishing device.

[0049] (2) According to the method of (1), wherein the at least one reference surface is the outer surface of the waveguide.

[0050] (3) The method according to (1), wherein the at least one reference surface is the inner surface of the waveguide.

[0051] (4) According to the method of (1), wherein the at least one reference surface comprises an outer surface of the waveguide and an inner surface of the waveguide.

[0052] (5) The method according to (1), wherein each optical alignment sensor includes a corresponding autocollimator, and each light reflector is selected from the group consisting of: angled mirrors; pentaprisms.

[0053] (6) The method according to (5), wherein the adjustable mounting device helps to adjust the height of the waveguide relative to the polishing disk.

[0054] (7) The method according to (1) further includes mounting a plurality of sacrificial blocks on a flat surface of the polishing disc prior to polishing.

[0055] (8) The method according to (7), wherein the surface parallel to the reference plane is selected from the group consisting of: the flat surface of the polishing disk; the top surface of the sacrificial block.

[0056] (9) The method according to (8), wherein the method further comprises: adjusting the height of the waveguide by using the adjustable mounting device such that at least a portion of the target surface is located below the initial polishing plane, but adjacent to the initial polishing plane.

[0057] (10) The method according to (9), wherein the height of the waveguide is adjusted to a predetermined difference relative to the initial polishing plane, such that the sacrificial block bears most of the load during the initial polishing phase.

[0058] (11) The method according to (1), wherein the mounting device includes a tilting platform and a plurality of screws, each screw being configured to rotate the tilting platform.

[0059] (12) The method according to (1), wherein the mounting device further includes a locking mechanism configured to lock the orientation of the tilting stage at a given angular orientation, and wherein the method further includes locking the angular orientation of the tilting stage by using the locking mechanism prior to polishing.

[0060] (13) The method according to (1), wherein the mounting device further includes a mounting plate fixed to the tilting stage and configured to receive the waveguide and hold the waveguide in the polishing device during polishing.

[0061] (14) According to the method of (1), wherein the adjustable mounting device facilitates the adjustment of the waveguide rotation about at least two vertical axes.

[0062] (15) The method according to (1), wherein, after polishing, the target surface is precisely perpendicular to each reference surface within 1 arc minute.

[0063] (16) The method according to (1), wherein the polishing apparatus includes a plurality of adjustable mounting devices, each adjustable mounting device being independently adjustable, and each adjustable mounting device being configured to independently hold the corresponding waveguide in a corresponding angular orientation during polishing of all waveguides.

[0064] (17) A method for polishing a target surface of a waveguide to achieve precise perpendicularity of the target surface with respect to two non-parallel surfaces of the waveguide, the method comprising:

[0065] A polishing apparatus is provided, the polishing apparatus comprising: a polishing disk having a flat surface parallel to a polishing plane and defining a reference plane; and an adjustable mounting device configured to hold a waveguide in any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the reference plane during polishing.

[0066] The first optical alignment sensor and the first light reflection device are positioned such that a first collimated beam from the first optical alignment sensor is reflected from a surface parallel to the reference plane, and a second collimated beam from the first optical alignment sensor, perpendicular to the first collimated beam, is reflected from a first non-parallel surface. The first optical alignment sensor is configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive the reflections of the one or more collimated beams. The first light reflection device is configured to accurately reflect the collimated beams by 90 degrees.

[0067] The second optical alignment sensor and the second light reflection device are positioned such that a first collimated beam of the second optical alignment sensor is reflected from a surface parallel to the reference plane, and a second collimated beam of the second optical alignment sensor, which is perpendicular to the first collimated beam of the second optical alignment sensor, is reflected from a second non-parallel surface. The second optical alignment sensor is configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive the reflections of the one or more collimated beams. The second light reflection device is configured to accurately reflect the collimated beams by 90 degrees.

[0068] By using the mounting device, the waveguide is aligned within the polishing apparatus by: adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that reflections received by the first optical alignment sensor are aligned within the first optical alignment sensor and reflections received by the second optical alignment sensor are aligned within the second optical alignment sensor, thereby indicating the perpendicularity of the reference plane to each of the first and second non-parallel surfaces; and

[0069] The target surface of the aligned waveguide is polished using the polishing device.

Claims

1. An adjustable mounting device, comprising: Inclined stage; A waveguide mounting plate connected to the tilting stage, the waveguide mounting plate being configured as a receiving waveguide; A tilting device, configured to communicate with a plate having a planar outer surface, the tilting device comprising: The first rotating mechanism associated with the first region of the tilting stage, and The second rotating mechanism associated with the second region of the tilting stage The first and second rotating mechanisms cooperate to rotate the tilting stage about at least two vertical axes to position the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the outer surface of the plane; and A locking device configured to lock the orientation of the tilting stage at a given angular orientation. The locking device includes a locking mechanism associated with a corresponding rotating mechanism of the first and second rotating mechanisms. The locking mechanism includes a tightening screw configured to engage with a rotating wheel of the associated rotating mechanism, wherein rotation of the rotating wheel causes a rise or fall of a corresponding area of ​​the tilting platform. The locking mechanism further includes a clamping screw connected to a cable via a cable end located on the opposite side of a support member of the plate. Tightening the clamping screw tensions the cable to secure the tilting platform to the plate.

2. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, The tilting device also includes a third rotating mechanism associated with a third region of the tilting stage, and Each of the first, second, and third rotating mechanisms is configured to raise or lower a corresponding region of the tilting stage to achieve rotation of the tilting stage about the at least two vertical axes.

3. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism includes a rotating screw.

4. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism includes: a rotating wheel, a hollow bolt mechanically coupled to the rotating wheel, and a handrail mechanically coupled to the rotating wheel and engaging with a corresponding area of ​​the tilting platform, wherein rotation of the rotating wheel causes rotation of the hollow bolt, and rotation of the hollow bolt causes the handrail to rise or fall.

5. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, The locking mechanism also includes a spring located between the cable end and the plate to maintain residual tension between the cable end and the plate when the clamping screw is released.

6. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, The locking mechanism also includes two or more metal ends associated with the cable to prevent the tilting platform from sinking relative to the plate during cable tensioning.

7. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 1, wherein, The adjustable mounting device is deployed relative to the one or more optical alignment sensors and light reflection devices, the optical alignment sensors being configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive reflections of the one or more collimated beams, the light reflection devices being configured to precisely reflect the collimated beams by 90 degrees, the adjustable mounting device being deployed relative to the one or more optical alignment sensors and the light reflection devices such that a first collimated beam is reflected from a surface parallel to the out-of-plane surface, and a second collimated beam perpendicular to the first collimated beam is reflected from a reference surface of the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate.

8. The adjustable mounting device according to claim 7, wherein, The tilting device is configured to align the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate within a polished plate having the outer plane surface by adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that reflections received by one or more optical alignment sensors corresponding to the reference surface of the waveguide are aligned within the optical alignment sensors, thereby providing an indication of the perpendicularity between the reference surface and the outer plane surface.

9. An apparatus comprising: A polishing plate having a flat outer surface defining a first plane parallel to the polishing plane; At least one adjustable mounting device communicates with the polishing plate, each adjustable mounting device comprising: Inclined platform A waveguide mounting plate connected to the tilting stage, the waveguide mounting plate being configured as a receiving waveguide, A tilting device comprising a first rotation mechanism associated with a first region of the tilting stage and a second rotation mechanism associated with a second region of the tilting stage, the first and second rotation mechanisms cooperating to rotate the tilting stage about at least two vertical axes to position a waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate at any of a plurality of angular orientations relative to the first plane; and A locking device configured to lock the orientation of the tilting stage at a given angular orientation. The locking device includes a locking mechanism associated with a corresponding rotating mechanism of the first and second rotating mechanisms. The locking mechanism includes a tightening screw configured to engage with a rotating wheel of the corresponding rotating mechanism, wherein rotation of the rotating wheel causes a corresponding area of ​​the tilting platform to rise or fall. The locking mechanism further includes a clamping screw connected to a cable via a cable end located on the opposite side of a support member of the polishing plate. Tightening the clamping screw tensions the cable to secure the tilting stage to the polishing plate.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, Each of the first and second rotating mechanisms includes a rotating screw configured to raise or lower a corresponding region of the tilting stage to achieve rotation of the tilting stage about the at least two vertical axes.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, Each of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism includes: a rotating wheel, a hollow bolt mechanically coupled to the rotating wheel, and a handrail mechanically coupled to the rotating wheel and engaging with a corresponding area of ​​the tilting platform, wherein rotation of the rotating wheel causes rotation of the hollow bolt, and rotation of the hollow bolt causes the handrail to rise or fall.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The locking mechanism also includes a spring located between the cable end and the polishing plate to maintain residual tension between the cable end and the polishing plate when the clamping screw is released.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The locking mechanism also includes two or more metal ends associated with the cable to prevent the tilting table from sinking relative to the polishing plate during cable tensioning.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The one or more optical alignment sensors are configured to emit one or more collimated beams and receive reflections of the one or more collimated beams; and The device also includes a light reflecting device configured to precisely reflect the collimated beam by 90 degrees. The one or more optical alignment sensors and the light reflection device are deployed relative to the polishing plate such that a first collimated beam is reflected from a surface parallel to a first plane, and a second collimated beam perpendicular to the first collimated beam is reflected from a reference surface of the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The at least one adjustable mounting device is configured to align the waveguide received by the waveguide mounting plate within the polished plate by adjusting the angular orientation of the waveguide such that reflections received by the one or more optical alignment sensors corresponding to the reference surface of the waveguide are aligned within the one or more optical alignment sensors, thereby providing an indication of the perpendicularity between the reference surface and the first plane.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a rotatable base in communication with the polishing plate, the rotatable base being used to sequentially align each adjustable mounting device with the one or more optical alignment sensors.

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