Waveguide module, display equipment and manufacturing method of waveguide module

Abstract

The invention discloses a waveguide module, display equipment and a manufacturing method of the waveguide module, and belongs to the technical field of display. The waveguide module comprises a waveguide structure; the first cover plate is located on at least one side of the two opposite sides of the waveguide structure; wherein the first cover plate comprises a first protection layer and a second protection layer located between the first protection layer and the waveguide structure; and the rigidity of the second protection layer is greater than that of the first protection layer. The rigidity of the cover plate can be improved, and then the reliability of the waveguide module is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of display technology, and particularly relates to a waveguide module, a display device, and a manufacturing method of the waveguide module. Background Art

[0002] In order to reduce the overall weight and thickness of the waveguide module, the cover plate of the waveguide module is made of a material with a relatively low density (such as resin), and the thickness of the cover plate is set to be relatively thin. However, such a cover plate lacks rigidity, resulting in the waveguide module being prone to deformation when subjected to external forces, and the cover plate being prone to detachment when subjected to high-temperature shocks, leading to poor reliability of the waveguide module. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, this application provides a waveguide module, a display device, and a manufacturing method of the waveguide module, which can improve the rigidity of the cover plate and thus improve the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a waveguide module, including:

[0005] A waveguide structure;

[0006] A first cover plate located on at least one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure;

[0007] Wherein, the first cover plate includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located between the first protective layer and the waveguide structure; the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer.

[0008] According to the waveguide module of this application, by providing a second protective layer on one side of the first protective layer and the rigidity of the second protective layer being greater than that of the first protective layer, the rigidity of the cover plate is improved, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external forces is reduced, and the risk of the cover plate detaching when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature shocks is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0009] According to an embodiment of this application, the density of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer, and the thickness of the second protective layer is less than that of the first protective layer, so as to reduce the weight and thickness of the cover plate, thereby reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the first cover plate further includes an adhesive layer;

[0011] The adhesive layer is located between the first protective layer and the second protective layer.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, the first protective layer includes a resin layer, and the second protective layer includes an ultra-thin glass layer.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the first protective layer is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm, and the thickness of the second protective layer is between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, the waveguide module further includes a gluing structure;

[0015] The gluing structure is located between the waveguide structure and the second protective layer.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first cover plate is located on one side of the waveguide structure, and the waveguide module further includes a second cover plate;

[0017] The second cover plate is located on the side of the waveguide structure away from the first cover plate.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present application, the material of the second cover plate includes at least one of resin, sapphire, and strengthened glass.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present application, the waveguide structure includes at least one waveguide layer and at least one grating layer;

[0020] At least one of the waveguide layers and at least one of the grating layers are alternately stacked; the opposite sides of the waveguide structure are the opposite sides in the stacking direction of the waveguide layer and the grating layer.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present application, the waveguide module further includes an edge-sealing structure;

[0022] The edge-sealing structure is located on the side surfaces of the waveguide structure and the first cover plate.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present application provides a display device, which includes the above-mentioned waveguide module.

[0024] According to the display device of the present application, by providing a second protective layer on one side of the first protective layer, and the rigidity of the first protective layer is greater than that of the second protective layer, the rigidity of the cover plate is improved, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external force is reduced, and the risk of cover plate detachment of the waveguide module when subjected to high-temperature impact is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the waveguide module and further improving the reliability of the display device.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present application provides a manufacturing method of a waveguide module, including:

[0026] Forming a first cover plate; wherein, the first cover plate includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on one side of the first protective layer; the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer;

[0027] Form a waveguide structure;

[0028] Attach the first cover plate to at least one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure, and the second protective layer is located between the first protective layer and the waveguide structure.

[0029] According to the manufacturing method of the waveguide module of the present application, by providing a second protective layer on one side of the first protective layer, and the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer, the rigidity of the cover plate is increased, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external force is reduced, and the risk of the cover plate falling off when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature shock is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0030] One or more of the above technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application have at least one of the following technical effects:

[0031] By providing a second protective layer on one side of the first protective layer, and the rigidity of the first protective layer is greater than that of the second protective layer, the rigidity of the cover plate is increased, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external force is reduced, and the risk of the cover plate falling off when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature shock is reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0032] Furthermore, the density of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer, and the thickness of the second protective layer is less than that of the first protective layer, so as to reduce the weight and thickness of the cover plate, thereby reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module.

[0033] The additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be partly given in the following description, partly become obvious from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0034] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, where:

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 is one of the schematic structural diagrams in the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 is another schematic structural diagram in the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 is still another schematic structural diagram in the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5It is the fourth structural schematic diagram in the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0040] Figure 6 It is the fifth structural schematic diagram in the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 It is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0042] Figure 8 It is the second structural schematic diagram of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0043] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0044] The waveguide module, display device, and manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Augmented Reality (AR) technology is a technology that combines virtual information with the real world. The optical display technologies mainly include array waveguide solutions, volume holographic solutions, birdbath solutions, and free-form surface solutions, etc. The diffraction waveguide solution based on surface relief has become one of the mainstream optical display solutions due to its advantages such as small size, light weight, high transmittance, and easy to form the shape of the required display device. The waveguide module is a necessary device in the diffraction waveguide solution.

[0046] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0047] As Figure 1 shown, the manufacturing method of the waveguide module provided by the embodiments of the present application includes steps 110 to 130.

[0048] Step 110, form a first cover plate; wherein, the first cover plate includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on one side of the first protective layer; the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer.

[0049] Combined with Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the first protective layer 11 can be a film layer with a relatively low density, that is, the density of the first protective layer 11 is less than the target density. With the same volume, the weight of the first protective layer 11 is lighter, achieving the purpose of reducing the weight of the first cover plate 1. Among them, the first protective layer 11 can include a resin layer and the like. The thickness of the first protective layer 11 can be relatively small, that is, the thickness of the first protective layer 11 is less than the target thickness, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the thickness of the first cover plate 1. Among them, the thickness of the first protective layer 11 can be between 0.3 mm and 1 mm.

[0050] The first protective layer 11 has a relatively light weight and a relatively thin thickness, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the first protective layer 11. If only the first protective layer 11 is provided in the first cover plate 1, the rigidity of the first cover plate 1 is insufficient. In this embodiment, a second protective layer 12 is provided on one side of the first protective layer 11. The second protective layer 12 has a relatively large rigidity, that is, the rigidity of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11, so as to improve the rigidity of the first cover plate 1.

[0051] In some embodiments, the density of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11, and the thickness of the second protective layer 12 is less than that of the first protective layer 11.

[0052] Due to the relatively large rigidity of the second protective layer 12, the density of the second protective layer 12 is relatively large, that is, the density of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11. Due to the relatively large density of the second protective layer 12, with the same volume, the weight of the second protective layer 12 is greater. In order to achieve the purpose of still being able to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1 when the second protective layer 12 is provided, the thickness of the second protective layer 12 can be set to be ultra-thin, that is, the thickness of the second protective layer 12 is less than that of the first protective layer 11. Among them, the second protective layer 12 can include an Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) layer and the like. The thickness of the second protective layer 12 can be between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.

[0053] The first cover plate 1 in this embodiment includes a first protective layer 11 and a second protective layer 12, so as to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1 while improving the rigidity of the first cover plate 1, thereby reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 further includes an adhesive layer 13. The adhesive layer 13 is located between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12. The adhesive layer 13 is used to bond the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 together.

[0055] The material of the bonding layer 13 may include OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive), LOCA (Liquid Optical Clear Adhesive) / OCR (Optical Clear Resin), etc. The thickness of the bonding layer 13 may be between 0.1 micrometers and 0.5 micrometers.

[0056] In some embodiments, forming the first cover plate in step 110 includes:

[0057] Bond the first protective layer and the second protective layer through the bonding layer to obtain the first cover plate.

[0058] First, clean the surfaces of the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12. Then, as Figure 2 shown, bond one side of the first protective layer 11 with one side of the bonding layer 13. As Figure 3 shown, bond one side of the second protective layer 12 with the side of the bonding layer 13 that faces away from the first protective layer 11. It should be noted that one side of the second protective layer 12 can also be bonded with one side of the bonding layer 13 first, and then one side of the first protective layer 11 can be bonded with the side of the bonding layer 13 that faces away from the second protective layer 12. The bonding sequence of the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 with the bonding layer 13 is not specifically limited.

[0059] Among them, the bonding process can be an OCA bonding process, a LOCA bonding process, or other bonding processes, which are not specifically limited here.

[0060] Bond the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 through the bonding layer 13 to obtain the first cover plate 1. Among them, the bonding layer 13 can bond the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 in a full-surface manner, that is, the bonding layer 13 can completely cover the surface of the first protective layer 11 close to the second protective layer 12 and completely cover the surface of the second protective layer 12 close to the first protective layer 11.

[0061] Bonding the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 in a full-surface manner through the bonding layer 13 can improve the bonding strength between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 and reduce the risk of peeling between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature impact.

[0062] Step 120: Form a waveguide structure.

[0063] As Figure 4As shown, the waveguide structure 2 may include at least one waveguide layer 21 and at least one grating layer 22, and the at least one waveguide layer 21 and the at least one grating layer 22 are alternately stacked. When the waveguide structure 2 includes one waveguide layer 21 and one grating layer 22, the grating layer 22 is located on one side of the waveguide layer 21; when the waveguide structure 2 includes multiple waveguide layers 21 and multiple grating layers 22, the number of waveguide layers 21 is the same as the number of grating layers 22, and the multiple waveguide layers 21 and the multiple grating layers 22 are alternately stacked, that is, there is one grating layer 22 between any two adjacent waveguide layers 21, and there is one waveguide layer 21 between any two adjacent grating layers 22.

[0064] Taking the example that the waveguide structure 2 includes one waveguide layer 21 and one grating layer 22, during the formation of the waveguide structure 2, an initial grating layer is first formed on one side of the waveguide layer 21, and the initial grating layer may cover the surface on one side of the waveguide layer 21. Then, the initial grating layer is processed to form the grating layer 22 on one side of the waveguide layer 21, as Figure 4 shown, the waveguide layer 21 and the grating layer 22 constitute the waveguide structure 2. Among them, the process of processing the initial grating layer may be a nanoimprint process, an etching process, or other processes, which are not specifically limited here.

[0065] Among them, the material of the waveguide layer 21 is a high refractive index material, such as high refractive index glass or resin, etc. The refractive index of the waveguide layer 21 may be between 1.5 and 2.1. The material of the grating layer 22 may include titanium oxide, silicon nitride, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, etc.

[0066] For the waveguide structure of a one-dimensional architecture, as Figure 4 shown, the grating layer 22 may include an input grating 221 and a turning and output grating 222. For the waveguide structure of a two-dimensional architecture, the grating layer includes an input grating and an output grating.

[0067] The basic principle of the waveguide structure 2 is that the input grating 221 couples the light of the external optical machine into the waveguide layer 21, and the light propagates forward by total internal reflection inside the waveguide layer 21, and is coupled out after pupil expansion through the turning and output grating 222 (or the output grating), so as to fuse the external ambient light with the virtual information and reach the human eye to play the role of enhanced display.

[0068] Step 130: Attach the first cover plate to at least one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure, and the second protective layer is located between the first protective layer and the waveguide structure.

[0069] The first cover plate 1 may be attached to the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, or may be attached to one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2. Among them, the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2 refer to the opposite sides in the stacking direction of the waveguide layer 21 and the grating layer 22 in the waveguide structure 2. The first cover plate 1 is used to protect the waveguide structure 2.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5 FIG. 1, the first cover plate 1 is attached to the waveguide structure 2 through a gluing structure 3. The second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1 is located between the first protective layer 11 and the waveguide structure 2, that is, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1 is attached to the waveguide structure 2 through the gluing structure 3. It should be noted that the gluing structure 3 is located at the edge of the waveguide structure 2, that is, the gluing structure 3 is located on one side of the coupling grating 221 in the grating layer 22 away from the turning and output coupling grating 222 (or output coupling grating) and on one side of the turning and output coupling grating 222 (or output coupling grating) away from the coupling grating 221, so as to avoid the gluing structure 3 affecting the light transmission in the waveguide structure 2.

[0071] Among them, the gluing structure 3 can be a frame adhesive, and the material of the gluing structure 3 can include OCA or OCR, etc. The thickness of the gluing structure 3 can be between 30 microns and 100 microns.

[0072] Since the second protective layer 12 has a high density and high rigidity, the bonding strength between the second protective layer 12 and the gluing structure 3 is greater than the bonding strength between the first protective layer 11 and the gluing structure 3, thereby reducing the risk of the first cover plate 1 falling off when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature impact.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 is attached to opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, that is, two first cover plates (i.e., the first cover plate 1a and the second cover plate 1b) can be formed in step 110. As shown in Figure 6 FIG. 2, first, through the gluing structure 3a, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1a is attached to one side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the grating layer 22 away from the waveguide layer 21). Then, through the gluing structure 3b, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1b is attached to the other side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the waveguide layer 21 away from the grating layer 22).

[0074] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8 FIG. 3, the manufacturing method of the waveguide module further includes: forming a sealing edge structure 5 on the side surfaces of the waveguide structure 2 and the first cover plate 1. The sealing edge structure 5 is used for light absorption. Among them, the material of the sealing edge structure 5 can include ink or uv resin, etc. The thickness of the sealing edge structure 5 can be between 0.3 mm and 2 mm.

[0075] As shown in Figure 7 FIG. 4, after the first cover plate 1a and the first cover plate 1b are respectively attached to opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, a sealing edge process is adopted to form a sealing edge structure 5 on the side surfaces of the first cover plate 1a, the waveguide structure 2, and the first cover plate 1b.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 is attached to one side of the waveguide structure 2. The manufacturing method of the waveguide module further includes: attaching the second cover plate 4 to the side of the waveguide structure 2 facing away from the first cover plate 1. The second cover plate 4 is used to protect the waveguide structure 2. The material of the second cover plate 4 may include at least one of resin, sapphire, and strengthened glass. The thickness of the second cover plate 4 may be between 1 millimeter and 2 millimeters.

[0077] As Figure 8 shown, through the gluing structure 3a, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1 is attached to one side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the grating layer 22 facing away from the waveguide layer 21). Through the gluing structure 3b, the second cover plate 4 is attached to the other side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the waveguide layer 21 facing away from the grating layer 22).

[0078] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method of the waveguide module further includes: forming a sealing edge structure 5 on the sides of the waveguide structure 2, the first cover plate 1, and the second cover plate 4.

[0079] As Figure 8 shown, after attaching the first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 4 to the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2 respectively, a sealing edge process is used to form a sealing edge structure 5 on the sides of the first cover plate 1, the waveguide structure 2, and the second cover plate 4.

[0080] In the related art, the cover plate in the waveguide module is made of glass material, which has a relatively large rigidity. However, the glass material has a relatively large density, resulting in a relatively large weight of the waveguide module. In order to reduce the weight of the waveguide module, the related art replaces the cover plate of the waveguide module with a material having a relatively small density, such as the material of the first protective layer 11, and reduces the thickness of the cover plate, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the cover plate. When the waveguide module is subjected to an external force, the cover plate is prone to deformation, and further the grating is deformed. In addition, when the waveguide module is subjected to a high-temperature impact, the cover plate is prone to detachment, resulting in poor reliability of the waveguide module.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, the first cover plate 1 includes a first protective layer 11 and a second protective layer 12. The first protective layer 11 has a relatively small density and a relatively thin thickness to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1. The second protective layer 12 has a relatively large rigidity to improve the rigidity of the first cover plate 1, and the ultra-thin setting of the second protective layer 12 will not have too much impact on the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1. Thus, while reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module, the rigidity of the first cover plate 1 is improved, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to an external force is reduced, and the risk of detachment of the cover plate when the waveguide module is subjected to a high-temperature impact is reduced, improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0082] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application further provides a waveguide module.

[0083] As Figure 7 andFigure 8 As shown in the figure, the waveguide module provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a first cover plate 1 and a waveguide structure 2. The first cover plate 1 is located on at least one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2. The opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2 refer to the light incident side / light output side of the waveguide structure 2 (the light incident side and the light output side of the waveguide structure 2 are on the same side) and the backlight side. That is to say, the first cover plate 1 can be located on the light incident side / light output side of the waveguide structure 2, can also be located on the backlight side of the waveguide structure 2, or can be located on the light incident side / light output side and the backlight side of the waveguide structure 2 at the same time. The first cover plate 1 is used to protect the waveguide structure 2.

[0084] Among them, the first cover plate 1 includes a first protective layer 11 and a second protective layer 12. The second protective layer 12 is located between the first protective layer 11 and the waveguide structure 2. The rigidity of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11.

[0085] The first protective layer 11 in this embodiment can be a film layer with a smaller density, that is, the density of the first protective layer 11 is less than the target density. Under the same volume, the weight of the first protective layer 11 is lighter, achieving the purpose of reducing the weight of the first cover plate 1. Among them, the first protective layer 11 can include a resin layer, etc. The thickness of the first protective layer 11 can be thinner, that is, the thickness of the first protective layer 11 is less than the target thickness, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the thickness of the first cover plate 1. Among them, the thickness of the first protective layer 11 can be between 0.3 mm and 1 mm.

[0086] The first protective layer 11 is light in weight and thin in thickness, resulting in insufficient rigidity of the first protective layer 11. If only the first protective layer 11 is provided in the first cover plate 1, the rigidity of the first cover plate 1 is insufficient. In this embodiment, a second protective layer 12 is provided on one side of the first protective layer 11. The rigidity of the second protective layer 12 is greater, that is, the rigidity of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11, so as to improve the rigidity of the first cover plate 1, reduce the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external forces, and reduce the risk of cover plate detachment of the waveguide module when subjected to high-temperature impact, improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0087] In some embodiments, the density of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11, and the thickness of the second protective layer 12 is less than that of the first protective layer 11.

[0088] Due to the relatively high rigidity of the second protective layer 12, the density of the second protective layer 12 is relatively high, that is, the density of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11. Due to the relatively high density of the second protective layer 12, the weight of the second protective layer 12 is greater under the same volume. In order to still be able to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1 when the second protective layer 12 is provided, the thickness of the second protective layer 12 is set to be ultra-thin, that is, the thickness of the second protective layer 12 is less than that of the first protective layer 11, so as to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1 while improving the rigidity of the first cover plate 1. Among them, the second protective layer 12 may include an ultra-thin glass layer, etc. The thickness of the second protective layer 12 may be between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, by providing a thinner first protective layer on one side of the second protective layer with a smaller density, the weight and thickness of the cover plate are reduced, thereby reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module, and the rigidity of the first protective layer is greater than that of the second protective layer, improving the rigidity of the cover plate, reducing the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external forces, and reducing the risk of the cover plate falling off when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature impact, improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 further includes an adhesive layer 13. The adhesive layer 13 is located between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12. The adhesive layer 13 is used to bond the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 together.

[0091] It should be noted that the adhesive layer 13 can make the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 be bonded in a whole-surface manner, that is, the adhesive layer 13 can completely cover the surface of the first protective layer 11 close to the second protective layer 12, and completely cover the surface of the second protective layer 12 close to the first protective layer 11.

[0092] By bonding the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 in a whole-surface manner through the adhesive layer 13, the bonding strength between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 can be improved, and the risk of peeling between the first protective layer 11 and the second protective layer 12 when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature impact can be reduced.

[0093] Among them, the material of the adhesive layer 13 may include OCA or LOCA / OCR, etc. The thickness of the adhesive layer 13 may be between 0.1 μm and 0.5 μm.

[0094] In some embodiments, the waveguide structure 2 includes at least one waveguide layer 21 and at least one grating layer 22. The at least one waveguide layer 21 and the at least one grating layer 22 are alternately stacked. When the waveguide structure 2 includes one waveguide layer 21 and one grating layer 22, the grating layer 22 is located on one side of the waveguide layer 21; when the waveguide structure 2 includes multiple waveguide layers 21 and multiple grating layers 22, the number of waveguide layers 21 is the same as the number of grating layers 22, and the multiple waveguide layers 21 and the multiple grating layers 22 are alternately stacked, that is, there is one grating layer 22 between any two adjacent waveguide layers 21, and there is one waveguide layer 21 between any two adjacent grating layers 22.

[0095] Among them, the material of the waveguide layer 21 is a high refractive index material, such as high refractive index glass or resin, etc. The refractive index of the waveguide layer 21 can be between 1.5 and 2.1. The material of the grating layer 22 can include titanium oxide, silicon nitride, zirconium oxide or hafnium oxide, etc.

[0096] For a one-dimensional architecture waveguide structure, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 as shown, the grating layer 22 includes an input grating 221 and a turning and output grating 222. For a two-dimensional architecture waveguide structure, the grating layer includes an input grating and an output grating. The basic principle of the waveguide structure 2 is that the input grating 221 couples the light of the external optical machine into the waveguide layer 21, and undergoes total internal reflection and propagates forward inside the waveguide layer 21, and is coupled out after pupil expansion through the turning and output grating 222 (or the output grating), so as to fuse the external ambient light with the virtual information and reach the human eye to play a role in enhancing the display.

[0097] The first cover plate 1 is located on at least one of the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2. Among them, the opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2 are the opposite sides in the stacking direction of the waveguide layer 21 and the grating layer 22, that is, the side of the grating layer 22 facing away from the waveguide layer 21 (the backlight side of the waveguide structure 2) and the side of the waveguide layer 21 facing away from the grating layer 22 (the light input side / output light side of the waveguide structure 2). That is to say, the first cover plate 1 can be located on the side of the grating layer 22 facing away from the waveguide layer 21, can also be located on the side of the waveguide layer 21 facing away from the grating layer 22, or can be located on the side of the grating layer 22 facing away from the waveguide layer 21 and the side of the waveguide layer 21 facing away from the grating layer 22 at the same time.

[0098] In some embodiments, the waveguide module further includes a gluing structure 3, and the gluing structure 3 is located between the waveguide structure 2 and the second protective layer 12, that is, the second protective layer 12 is attached to the waveguide structure 2 through the gluing structure 3, so that the first cover plate 1 is attached to the waveguide structure 2 through the gluing structure 3.

[0099] It should be noted that the bonding structure 3 is located at the edge of the waveguide structure 2, that is, the bonding structure 3 is located on the side of the coupling grating 211 in the grating layer 33 away from the turning and output grating 222 (or output grating) and on the side of the turning and output grating 222 (or output grating) away from the coupling grating 221, so as to avoid the bonding structure 3 affecting the light transmission in the waveguide structure 2.

[0100] Among them, the bonding structure 3 can be a frame adhesive, and the material of the bonding structure 3 can include OCA or OCR, etc. The thickness of the bonding structure 3 can be between 30 microns and 100 microns.

[0101] Due to the high density and high rigidity of the second protective layer 12, the bonding strength between the second protective layer 12 and the bonding structure 3 is greater than the bonding strength between the first protective layer 11 and the bonding structure 3, thereby reducing the risk of the first cover plate 1 falling off when the waveguide module is subjected to high-temperature impact.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 is located on opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, that is, the waveguide module includes two first cover plates, namely the first cover plate 1a and the first cover plate 1b. As Figure 7 shown, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1a is attached to one side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the grating layer 22 away from the waveguide layer 21) through the bonding structure 3a. The second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1b is attached to the other side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the waveguide layer 21 away from the grating layer 22) through the bonding structure 3b.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first cover plate 1 is located on one side of the waveguide structure 2, and the waveguide module further includes a second cover plate 4, and the second cover plate 4 is located on the side of the waveguide structure 2 away from the first cover plate 1. As Figure 8 shown, the second protective layer 12 in the first cover plate 1 is attached to one side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the grating layer 22 away from the waveguide layer 21) through the bonding structure 3a. The second cover plate 4 is attached to the other side of the waveguide structure 2 (such as the side of the waveguide layer 21 away from the grating layer 22) through the frame adhesive 3b.

[0104] Among them, the material of the second cover plate 4 can include at least one of resin, sapphire, and strengthened glass. The thickness of the second cover plate 4 can be between 1 mm and 2 mm.

[0105] In some embodiments, the waveguide module further includes an edge-sealing structure 5, and the edge-sealing structure 5 is located on the side surfaces of the waveguide structure 2 and the first cover plate 1. When the first cover plate 1 is located on opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, as Figure 7 shown, the edge-sealing structure 5 is located on the side surfaces of the first cover plate 1a, the waveguide structure 2, and the first cover plate 1b.

[0106] When the first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 4 are located on opposite sides of the waveguide structure 2, the edge sealing structure 5 is also located on the side surface of the second cover plate 4. As Figure 8 shown, the edge sealing structure 5 is located on the side surfaces of the first cover plate 1, the waveguide structure 2, and the second cover plate 4.

[0107] Among them, the edge sealing structure 5 is used for light absorption. The material of the edge sealing structure 5 may include ink or uv resin, etc. The thickness of the edge sealing structure 5 may be between 0.3 mm and 2 mm.

[0108] The first cover plate 1 in the embodiment of the present application includes a first protective layer 11 and a second protective layer 12. The first protective layer 11 has a smaller density and a thinner thickness to reduce the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1. The second protective layer 12 has a greater rigidity to improve the rigidity of the first cover plate 1, and the ultra-thin setting of the second protective layer 12 will not have too much impact on the weight and thickness of the first cover plate 1. Thus, while reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module, the rigidity of the first cover plate 1 is improved, the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external forces is reduced, and the risk of cover plate detachment of the waveguide module when subjected to high-temperature impact is reduced, improving the reliability of the waveguide module.

[0109] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, including the waveguide module in the above embodiment, which will not be elaborated here in detail.

[0110] According to the display device provided by the embodiment of the present application, by arranging the thinner second protective layer 12 on one side of the first protective layer 11 with a smaller density, the weight and thickness of the cover plate are reduced, thereby reducing the weight and thickness of the waveguide module. Moreover, the rigidity of the second protective layer 12 is greater than that of the first protective layer 11, improving the rigidity of the cover plate, reducing the risk of deformation of the waveguide module when subjected to external forces, and reducing the risk of cover plate detachment of the waveguide module when subjected to high-temperature impact, improving the reliability of the waveguide module, and further improving the reliability of the display device.

[0111] The display device provided by the embodiment of the present application may be an AR display device, such as an AR glasses or an AR helmet, etc., products or components with AR display functions.

[0112] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are usually of the same type, and do not limit the number of objects. For example, the first object may be one or multiple.

[0113] In the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0114] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0115] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A waveguide module, characterized in that: include: Waveguide structure; A first cover plate, located on at least one of two opposite sides of the waveguide structure; The first cover plate includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located between the first protective layer and the waveguide structure; the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer.

2. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The density of the second protective layer is greater than that of the first protective layer, and the thickness of the second protective layer is less than that of the first protective layer.

3. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cover plate further comprises a bonding layer; The adhesive layer is located between the first protective layer and the second protective layer.

4. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first protective layer includes a resin layer, and the second protective layer includes an ultra-thin glass layer.

5. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the first protective layer is between 0.3 mm and 1 mm, and the thickness of the second protective layer is between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm.

6. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waveguide module also includes a glued structure; The bonding structure is located between the waveguide structure and the second protective layer.

7. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cover plate is located at one side of the waveguide structure, and the waveguide module further includes a second cover plate; The second cover plate is located on a side of the waveguide structure facing away from the first cover plate.

8. The waveguide module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The material of the second cover plate includes at least one of resin, sapphire and strengthened glass.

9. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waveguide structure comprises at least one waveguide layer and at least one grating layer; At least one of the waveguide layers and at least one of the grating layers are alternately stacked; the opposite sides of the waveguide structure are the opposite sides in the stacking direction of the waveguide layer and the grating layer.

10. The waveguide module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waveguide module also includes an edge sealing structure; The edge sealing structure is located on the sides of the waveguide structure and the first cover plate.

11. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the waveguide module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A method for manufacturing a waveguide module, characterized in that: include: Forming a first cover plate; wherein the first cover plate includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on one side of the first protective layer; the rigidity of the second protective layer is greater than the rigidity of the first protective layer; forming a waveguide structure; The first cover plate is attached to at least one of the two opposite sides of the waveguide structure, and the second protective layer is located between the first protective layer and the waveguide structure.

Images