Substrate-level monolithic integration of prescription lens with augmented reality (AR) waveguides and method for forming lenses

Abstract

The embodiments described herein relate to an AR waveguide having an attached prescription lens. In one embodiment, an eyepiece is provided. The eyepiece includes a waveguide, a convex prescription lens, a first gap, a concave prescription lens, and a second gap. The waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The convex prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide on the first surface. The convex prescription lens has a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface. The first gap is defined by the lower surface and a first extension of the convex prescription lens. The concave prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide on the second surface. The concave prescription lens has a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface. The second gap is defined by the upper surface and a second extension of the concave prescription lens.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein are generally related to augmented reality (AR) displays. More specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to AR waveguides with attached prescription lenses. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Virtual reality is generally considered to be a computer-generated simulated environment in which the user has an apparent physical presence. Virtual reality experiences can be generated in 3D and viewed using a head-mounted display (HMD), such as glasses or other wearable display devices, which have near-eye display panels as lenses to display a virtual reality environment that substitutes for the real environment.

[0003] However, augmented reality (AR) enables the following experience: users can still view their surroundings through glasses or other HMD device display lenses, while also viewing images of virtual objects generated to be presented as part of the environment. Augmented reality can include any type of input, such as audio and haptic input, as well as virtual images, graphics, and videos of the environment that enhance or amplify the user experience. Users who require prescription glasses will still need prescription lenses to clearly see their surroundings. Therefore, what is needed in the art is an AR waveguide with attached prescription lenses. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] In one embodiment, an eyepiece is provided. The eyepiece includes a waveguide, a convex prescription lens, a first gap, a concave prescription lens, and a second gap. The waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, and at least one grating is disposed above the first surface or the second surface. The convex prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide. The convex prescription lens has a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface. The first body is surrounded by a first extension disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The first gap is defined by the lower surface and the first extension of the convex prescription lens. The concave prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide. The concave prescription lens has a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface. The second body is surrounded by a second extension disposed on the second surface of the substrate. The second gap is defined by the upper surface and the second extension of the concave prescription lens.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method for forming an eyepiece is provided. The method includes: covering a plurality of wafer protective coatings (WPCs) on a first surface of a plurality of waveguides disposed on a substrate; aligning the substrate in a tool; and depositing and curing lens material on the plurality of WPCs. The lens material forms a plurality of convex prescription lenses on the first surface of the waveguides. The method further includes removing the WPCs between the waveguides forming a first gap and the prescription lenses, and repeating the covering and removal process to form a plurality of concave prescription lenses on a second surface of the waveguides. The convex and concave prescription lenses form a plurality of eyepieces. The second surface is opposite to the first surface. The method further includes cutting the eyepieces from the substrate.

[0006] In another embodiment, a method for forming an eyepiece is provided. The method includes: aligning a substrate in a tool; depositing a first gap-filling material on a first surface of a plurality of waveguides disposed in the substrate; and depositing and curing a lens material on the first gap-filling material. The lens material forms a plurality of convex prescription lenses on the first surface of the waveguides. The method further includes repeatedly covering to form a plurality of concave prescription lenses on a second surface of the waveguides. The convex and concave prescription lenses form a plurality of eyepieces. The second surface is opposite to the first surface. The method further includes cutting the eyepieces from the substrate.

Implementation Method

[0016] This disclosure generally relates to augmented reality (AR) displays. More specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to AR waveguides with attached prescription lenses. An eyepiece for AR includes an AR display using a waveguide. Users who conventionally use prescription lenses to view the display will require prescription lenses in the eyepiece. The described methods reduce the manufacturing process complexity of AR waveguides with attached prescription lenses. These methods also increase throughput, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0017] Current methods involve covering pre-formulated prescription lenses onto the first and second surfaces of a waveguide. Current methods involve complex alignment procedures and adhesive processes. The adhesive process holds the prescription lenses to the waveguide. The adhesive process requires specialized machinery, thus increasing throughput and cost. This disclosure describes a method that allows monolithic integration, wherein a plurality of prescription lenses are covered onto a plurality of waveguides formed from a wafer. Therefore, these methods eliminate the adhesive process and reduce the number of alignment procedures. The benefits of these methods include: eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures for each individual waveguide, protecting the waveguide structure by the prescription lenses during dicing, and customizing the corrected visual prescription for each prescription lens on each waveguide on the wafer.

[0018] Figure 1A is a perspective front view of waveguide 101. It should be understood that the waveguide 101 described herein is an exemplary waveguide, and other waveguides or modifications thereof may be used to achieve the appearance of this disclosure. Waveguide 101 includes a plurality of structures 152. Structures 152 may be disposed above, below, or on a first surface 103 of substrate 150, or disposed within substrate 150. Structures 152 are nanostructures and have submicron critical dimensions, for example, a width less than 1 micrometer. Regions of structure 152 correspond to one or more gratings 154. In one embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, waveguide 101 includes at least a first grating 154a corresponding to an input coupling grating and a third grating 154c corresponding to an output coupling grating. In another embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments described herein, waveguide 101 further includes a second grating 154b. The second grating 154b corresponds to a pupil-expanding grating or a folded grating.

[0019] Figure 1B is a cross-sectional view of eyepiece 100A. Eyepiece 100A includes waveguide 101, first gap 107A, convex prescription lens 105, second gap 107B, and concave prescription lens 109. It should be understood that waveguide 101 described herein is an exemplary waveguide, and other waveguides or modifications thereof may be used to achieve the features of this disclosure. Waveguide 101 is formed from the substrate described in Figures 1A, 2, and 5. Waveguide 101 may include plastic materials, metal oxide materials, silicon carbide (SiC), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), or combinations thereof. Metal oxide materials include, but are not limited to, lanthanum oxide (LaxOy), titanium oxide (TiOx), niobium oxide (NbOx), zirconium oxide (ZrOx), or combinations thereof. Plastic materials include polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high index resins (greater than 2.0), or combinations thereof. Waveguide 101 has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 2.6.

[0020] The convex prescription lens 105 and the concave prescription lens 109 comprise at least one of UV-curable acrylate, UV-curable epoxy resin, UV-curable oxetane, UV-curable silicone, and UV-curable thioolefin, or a combination thereof. A binary curing system can be used. The convex prescription lens 105 is disposed above the first surface 103 of the waveguide 101. The convex prescription lens 105 has a first body 111. The first body 111 includes a convex surface 113 and a lower surface 115. The first body 111 is surrounded by a first extension 117. The first extension 117 is disposed on the first surface 103 of the substrate 150. A first gap 107A is defined by the lower surface 115, the first surface 103 of the waveguide 101, and the first extension 117 of the convex prescription lens 105. A second surface 119 of the substrate 150 is disposed above the concave prescription lens 109. The second surface 119 is opposite to the first surface 103. The concave prescription lens 109 has a second body 121. The second body 121 includes a concave surface 123 and an upper surface 125. A second extension 127 surrounds the second body 121. A second surface 119 of the substrate 150 is disposed on the second extension 127. The second gap 107B is defined by the upper surface 125, the second surface 119 of the waveguide 101, and the second extension 127 of the concave prescription lens 109.

[0021] The convex prescription lens 105 faces the world side of the generated AR display, i.e., the side away from the user. The concave prescription lens 109 faces the eye side of the generated AR display, i.e., the side facing the user's eyes. The concave prescription lens 109 provides optical correction for the user, thus serving as a conventional corrective prescription lens. However, the concave prescription lens 109 has a higher optical power than the prescription typically requested by the user. The higher optical power of the waveguide 101 ensures the correct display of the virtual image. The concave prescription lens 109 allows the virtual image to appear at an appropriate distance from the user. Without the concave prescription lens 109, the virtual image would be projected at infinity. The convex prescription lens 105 corrects the prescription of the concave prescription lens 109 so as to match the prescription typically needed by the user by canceling out a portion of the optical power provided by the concave prescription lens 109. In some embodiments, by canceling out all the optical power of the concave prescription lens 109 with the convex prescription lens 105, the user can use the eyepiece 100A without a prescription lens. The convex prescription lens 105 allows the world image to be corrected as in a conventional corrective prescription lens. For example, for users who do not require prescription lenses, the concave prescription lens 109 will have a prescription of -2 diopters, while the convex prescription lens 105 will have a prescription of +2 diopters. This combination of lenses is used as an eyepiece that does not correct the user's vision. For nearsighted users, the concave prescription lens 109 will have a prescription of -2 diopters, and the convex prescription lens 105 will have a prescription of +1 diopters. This combination of lenses provides -1 diopters of optical power for visual correction. The corrective effect of the convex prescription lens 105 and the concave prescription lens 109 is determined by their shapes. The convex prescription lens 105 and the concave prescription lens 109 protect the nanostructure of the waveguide 101 from contamination.

[0022] The first gap 107A includes air. The convex prescription lens 105 has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 1.8. The first gap 107A has the refractive index of air. Air has a refractive index of about 1.0. The first gap 107A optically isolates the waveguide 101 from the convex prescription lens 105. The optical isolation between the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105 is caused by the first gap 107A having a lower refractive index compared to the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105. The waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105 are optically isolated so that the waveguide 101 can function properly. The second gap 107B includes air. The concave prescription lens 109 has a refractive index of 1.5 to 1.8. The second gap 107B has the refractive index of air. The second gap 107B optically isolates the waveguide 101 from the concave prescription lens 109. The optical isolation between waveguide 101 and concave prescription lens 109 is caused by a second gap 107B, which has a lower refractive index than waveguide 101 and concave prescription lens 109. The waveguide 101 and concave prescription lens 109 are optically isolated so that waveguide 101 can function properly.

[0023] Figure 1C is a cross-sectional view of the gap-filling material eyepiece 100B. The gap-filling material eyepiece 100B includes a waveguide 101, a first gap-filling material 102, a convex prescription lens 105, a second gap-filling material 106, and a concave prescription lens 109. The first gap 107A is filled with the first gap-filling material 102. The first gap-filling material 102 is disposed between the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105. The second gap 107B is filled with the second gap-filling material 106. The second gap-filling material 106 is disposed between the waveguide 101 and the concave prescription lens 109. The first gap-filling material 102 and the second gap-filling material 106 include low-refractive-index materials, such as porous inorganic or porous organic materials.

[0024] The first gap-filling material 102 has a refractive index of 1.03 to 1.4. The refractive index of the first gap-filling material 102 is less than the refractive index of the materials of the convex prescription lens 105 and the concave prescription lens 109. The first gap-filling material 102 optically isolates the waveguide 101 from the convex prescription lens 105. The optical isolation between the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105 is caused by the first gap-filling material 102 having a lower refractive index compared to the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105. The waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105 are optically isolated so that the waveguide 101 can function properly. The second gap-filling material 106 has a refractive index of 1.03 to 1.4. The refractive index of the second gap-filling material 106 is less than the refractive index of the materials of the convex prescription lens 105 and the concave prescription lens 109. The second gap-filling material 106 optically isolates the waveguide 101 from the concave prescription lens 109. The optical isolation of waveguide 101 and concave prescription lens 109 is caused by a second gap-filling material 106 having a lower refractive index compared to waveguide 101 and concave prescription lens 109. The gap-filling material eyepiece 100B functions in the same manner as eyepiece 100A described in Figure 1B above.

[0025] Figure 2 is a flowchart describing a method 200 for forming eyepiece 100A. Figures 3A to 3Q are views of substrate 300 during the method for forming eyepiece 100A. Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at the start of method 200. Waveguide 101 includes a plurality of structures 152. Structure 152 is a nanostructure and has a submicron critical dimension, for example, a width of less than 1 micrometer. Regions of structure 152 correspond to one or more gratings. Figure 3B is a top view of substrate 300 at the start of method 200. A plurality of waveguides 101 are formed on, above, or in the middle of substrate 300. Substrate 300 has a first surface 302. Substrate 300 may include 20 to 30 waveguides, such as 24 waveguides. In other embodiments, a different number of waveguides 101 are formed from substrate 300. Rectangular cut marks 304 indicate the regions in which waveguides 101 are formed in substrate 300. At the end of the process, waveguide 101 will be cut off from substrate 300. Substrate 300 has two alignment points 301 on its first surface 302 for alignment of substrate 300 in the processing chamber and tooling.

[0026] At operation 201, as shown in Figures 3C and 3D, a plurality of first wafer protective coatings (WPCs) 303 are applied to a plurality of waveguides 101 on a first surface 302 of substrate 300. Figure 3C is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 201. Figure 3D is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 201. The WPCs are disposed on the first surface 302 of substrate 300. In some embodiments, the first WPCs 303 are printed on each waveguide 101. In other embodiments, the first WPCs 303 are prefabricated and placed on top of each waveguide 101. The first WPCs 303 comprise a water-soluble material, a water-soluble polymer, a thermally degradable material, a UV-degradable material, a solvent-removable material, or a sacrificial layer.

[0027] At operation 202, substrate 300 is aligned in a tool. Alignment point 301 is used to verify the correct position of substrate 300 in the tool. This tool will be used to form a prescription lens. The tool can be any suitable tool, such as a three-dimensional printing tool. In some embodiments, multiple tools are used during method 200. In other embodiments, substrate 300 is aligned in each tool before performing the operation. In some embodiments, substrate 300 is aligned before the first WPC 303 covers the plurality of waveguides 101.

[0028] At operation 203, as shown in Figures 3E and 3F, lens material 305 is deposited and cured on a first WPC 303 to form a convex prescription lens 105. Figure 3E is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 203. Figure 3F is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 203. Lens material 305 is deposited layer by layer on each first WPC 303 above each waveguide 101. Lens material 305 is deposited by inkjet printing. After each layer is deposited, lens material 305 is cured. Lens material 305 may be UV-curable or visible-light curable. In some embodiments, the curing process includes a post-UV thermal annealing process. Lens material 305 is convex. After the last layer of lens material 305 is cured, lens material 305 forms a convex prescription lens 105.

[0029] At operation 204, as shown in Figures 3G and 3H, the first WPC 303 is removed. Figure 3G is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 204. Figure 3H is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 204. In some embodiments, the first WPC 303 is removed by immersion in water. The first WPC 303 is water-soluble. The convex prescription lens 105 includes a first extension 117. A small groove exists in the first extension 117 of the convex prescription lens 105, thereby allowing water to enter the first WPC 303. The water dissolves the first WPC 303, thereby allowing material to be removed from between the convex prescription lens 105 and the waveguide 101 through the small groove. In other embodiments, the first WPC 303 is removed by a different process. When the first WPC 303 is removed, a first gap 107A is formed between the waveguide 101 and the convex prescription lens 105. In some embodiments, after the first WPC 303 is removed, the small trench is filled with lens material 305 and cured. In some embodiments, after the convex prescription lens 105 is formed, method 200 may proceed to operation 210 (i.e., no concave prescription lens 109 is formed on waveguide 101). In other embodiments, method 200 may begin at operation 205 (i.e., no convex prescription lens 105 is formed on waveguide 101).

[0030] At operation 205, as shown in Figures 3I and 3J, the substrate 300 is flipped to process the second surface 307 of the substrate 300. The second surface 307 is opposite to the first surface 302 of the substrate 300. Figure 3I is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at operation 205. Figure 3J is a top view of the waveguide 101 at operation 205. The waveguide 101 formed in the substrate 300 is separated by rectangular cutting marks 304. A second alignment point 309 is disposed on the second surface 307 of the substrate 300 to align the substrate 300 in the processing chamber and tooling.

[0031] At operation 206, as shown in Figures 3K and 3L, a plurality of second wafer protective coatings (WPCs) 313 are applied to a plurality of waveguides 101 on the second surface 307 of the substrate 300. Figure 3K is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at operation 206. Figure 3L is a top view of the waveguide 101 at operation 206. The second WPCs 313 are disposed on the second surface 307 of the substrate 300. In some embodiments, the second WPCs 313 are printed on each waveguide 101. In other embodiments, the second WPCs 313 are prefabricated and placed on top of each waveguide 101. The second WPCs 313 comprise a water-soluble material, a water-soluble polymer, a thermally degradable material, an ultraviolet-degradable material, a solvent-exfoliable material, or a sacrificial layer.

[0032] At operation 207, the substrate 300 is aligned in the tool. Alignment point 309 is used to verify the correct position of the substrate 300 in the tool. In some embodiments, the substrate 300 is aligned before the second WPC 313 covers the plurality of waveguides 101.

[0033] At operation 208, as shown in Figures 3M and 3N, a second lens material 315 is deposited and cured on a second WPC 313 on a second surface 307 of substrate 300. Figure 3M is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 208. Figure 3N is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 208. The second lens material 315 is deposited layer by layer on each second WPC 313 above each waveguide 101. The second lens material 315 is deposited by inkjet printing. The second lens material 315 is cured after each layer is deposited. The second lens material 315 may be UV-curable or visible-light curable. In some embodiments, the curing process includes a post-UV thermal annealing process. The second lens material 315 is concave. After the last layer of second lens material 315 is cured, the second lens material 315 forms a concave prescription lens 109.

[0034] At operation 209, as shown in Figures 30 and 3P, the second WPC 313 is removed. Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 209. Figure 3P is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 209. In some embodiments, the second WPC 313 is removed by immersion in water. The second WPC 313 is water-soluble. The concave prescription lens 109 includes a second extension 127. A small groove exists in the second extension 127 of the concave prescription lens 109, thereby allowing water to enter the second WPC 313. The water dissolves the second WPC 313, thereby allowing material to be removed from between the concave prescription lens 109 and the waveguide 101 through the small groove. In other embodiments, the second WPC 313 is removed by a different process. When the second WPC 313 is removed, a second gap 107B is formed between the waveguide 101 and the concave prescription lens 109. In some embodiments, after the second WPC 313 is removed, the groove is filled with lens material 315 and cured.

[0035] At operation 210, as shown in Figure 3Q, a separate eyepiece 100A is cut from the substrate 300. The eyepiece 100A is cut by a separate tool using a laser. In some embodiments, the laser is a laser used for cutting glass.

[0036] In some embodiments, the substrate 300 is aligned once or twice, and up to four times, on the first surface 302 and the second surface 307. If 24 eyepieces are manufactured, the conventional process requires at least 48 alignments, once for each side of each eyepiece. Method 200 reduces the number of alignments from 48 to 4.

[0037] Figure 4 is a flowchart describing a method 400 for forming a gap-filling material eyepiece 100B. Figures 5A to 5N are views of the substrate 500 during the method 400 for forming the gap-filling material eyepiece 100B. Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at the start of method 400. The waveguide 101 includes a plurality of structures 152. The structures 152 are nanostructures and have submicron critical dimensions, such as a width of less than 1 micrometer. Regions of the structures 152 correspond to one or more gratings. Figure 5B is a top view of the substrate 500 at the start of method 400. A plurality of waveguides 101 are formed on, above, or in the middle of the substrate 500. The substrate 500 has a first surface 302. The substrate 500 may include 20 to 30 waveguides, such as 24 waveguides. In other embodiments, different numbers of waveguides 101 are formed from the substrate 500. A rectangular cutting mark 504 indicates the area where the waveguide 101 is formed in the substrate 500. At the end of the process, the waveguide 101 will be cut off from the substrate 500. The substrate 500 has two alignment points 501 on its first surface 502 for alignment of the substrate 500 in the processing chamber and tooling.

[0038] At operation 501, substrate 500 is aligned in a tool. Alignment point 501 is used to verify the correct position of substrate 500 in the tool. This tool will be used to form the prescription lens and cut the gap-filling material eyepiece 100B from substrate 500. The tool can be any suitable tool, such as a 3D printing tool. In some embodiments, separate tools are used to form the prescription lens and cut the gap-filling material eyepiece 100B. In those embodiments, substrate 500 is aligned in each tool prior to the process.

[0039] At operation 402, as shown in Figures 5C and 5D, a first gap filler material 102 is deposited on a plurality of waveguides 101. The first gap filler material 102 is disposed on a first surface 502 of a substrate 500. The first gap filler material 102 is deposited on each waveguide 101 by inkjet printing. The first gap filler material 102 is cured after each layer is deposited. The first gap filler material 102 is cured at a temperature of about 50°C to about 300°C.

[0040] At operation 403, as shown in Figures 5E and 5F, a first lens material 505 is deposited and cured on the first gap filler material 102 to form a convex prescription lens 105. Figure 5E is a cross-sectional view of waveguide 101 at operation 403. Figure 5F is a top view of waveguide 101 at operation 403. The first lens material 505 is deposited layer by layer on each of the first gap filler materials 102 above each waveguide 101. The first lens material 505 is deposited by inkjet printing. The first lens material 505 is cured after each layer is deposited. The first lens material 505 may be UV-curable or visible-light curable. In some embodiments, the curing process includes a post-UV thermal annealing process. The first lens material 505 is convex. After the last layer of first lens material 505 is cured, the first lens material 505 forms the convex prescription lens 105. In some embodiments, after the convex prescription lens 105 is formed, method 400 may proceed to operation 408 (i.e., no concave prescription lens 109 is formed on waveguide 101). In other embodiments, method 400 may begin at operation 404 (i.e., no convex prescription lens 105 is formed on waveguide 101).

[0041] At operation 404, as shown in Figures 5G and 5H, the substrate 500 is flipped to process the second surface 507 of the substrate 500. The second surface 507 is opposite to the first surface 502 of the substrate 500. Figure 5G is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at operation 404. Figure 5H is a top view of the waveguide 101 at operation 404. The waveguide 101 formed in the substrate 500 is separated by rectangular cutting marks 504. A second alignment point 509 is disposed on the second surface 507 of the substrate 500 to align the substrate 500 in the processing chamber and tooling.

[0042] At operation 405, the substrate 500 is aligned in the tool. Alignment point 509 is used to verify the correct position of the substrate 500 in the tool. In some embodiments, the substrate 500 is aligned before the second filler material 106 is applied to the plurality of waveguides 101.

[0043] At operation 406, as shown in Figures 5I and 5J, a second filler material 106 covers a plurality of waveguides 101 on the second surface 507 of the substrate 500. Figure 5I is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at operation 406. Figure 5J is a top view of the waveguide 101 at operation 406. The second filler material 106 is disposed on the second surface 507 of the substrate 500. In some embodiments, the second filler material 106 is inkjet-printed onto each waveguide 101. The second gap filler material 106 is cured after each layer is deposited. The second gap filler material 106 is cured at a temperature of about 50°C to about 300°C.

[0044] At operation 407, as shown in Figures 5K and 5L, a second lens material 515 is deposited and cured on a second filler material 106 on a second surface 507 of the substrate 500. Figure 5K is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide 101 at operation 407. Figure 5L is a top view of the waveguide 101 at operation 407. The second lens material 515 is deposited layer by layer on the second filler material 106 above each waveguide 101. The second lens material 515 is deposited by inkjet printing. The second lens material 515 is cured after each layer is deposited. The second lens material 515 may be UV-curable or visible-light curable. In some embodiments, the curing process includes a post-UV thermal annealing process. The second lens material 515 is concave. After the last layer of the second lens material 515 is cured, the second lens material 515 forms a concave prescription lens 109.

[0045] At operation 408, as shown in Figures 5M and 5N, a separate eyepiece 100A is cut from the substrate 500. The eyepiece 100A is cut by a separate tool using a laser. In some embodiments, the laser is a laser used for cutting glass.

[0046] In some embodiments, the substrate 500 is aligned once or twice, and up to four times, on the first surface 502 and the second surface 507. If 24 eyepieces are manufactured, the conventional process requires at least 48 alignments, once for each side of each eyepiece. Method 400 reduces the number of alignments from 48 to 4.

[0047] In summary, this disclosure is generally related to augmented reality (AR) displays. More specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to AR waveguides with attached prescription lenses. These embodiments include methods that allow monolithic integration, wherein a plurality of prescription lenses are overlaid onto a plurality of waveguides formed from a wafer. Therefore, these methods eliminate adhesive bonding processes and reduce the amount of alignment procedures. Other benefits include: since the eyepieces are mass-produced on the substrate, there are no complex alignment procedures for each individual waveguide. Due to the processes used to form the prescription lenses, the correction prescription for each prescription lens on each waveguide can be customized on the substrate.

[0048] Although the foregoing content pertains to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the present disclosure may be designed without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0007] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, reference can be made to embodiments for a more specific description of the disclosure, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not intended to limit its scope; other equivalent embodiments are permissible.

[0008] Figure 1A is a perspective front view of the waveguide according to an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 1B is a cross-sectional view of the eyepiece according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 1C is a cross-sectional view of the gap-filling material eyepiece according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 is a flowchart describing a method for forming an eyepiece according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figures 3A to 3Q are views of the substrate during the method of forming the eyepiece according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 is a flowchart describing a method for forming a gap-filling material eyepiece according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figures 5A to 5N are views of the substrate during the method of forming a gap-filling material eyepiece according to an embodiment.

[0015] For ease of understanding, the same element symbols are used as much as possible to identify common elements in the drawings. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further description. [Biomaterial Storage]

[0050] Domestic Storage Information (Please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) None

[0051] Overseas Deposit Information (Please note in the order of deposit country, institution, date, and number) None

Claims

1. A lens, comprising: A waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; A convex prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide, the convex prescription lens having a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface; a first gap defined by the lower surface and the first surface of the waveguide; a concave prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide and opposite to the convex prescription lens, the concave prescription lens having a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface, wherein the convex prescription lens and the concave prescription lens have a refractive index of 1.5 to 1.8; and a second gap defined by the upper surface and the second surface of the waveguide.

2. A lens, comprising: A waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; A convex prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide, the convex prescription lens having a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface; a first gap defined by the lower surface and the first surface of the waveguide; a first gap filler material disposed in the first gap; a concave prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide and opposite to the convex prescription lens, the concave prescription lens having a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface; a second gap defined by the upper surface and the second surface of the waveguide; and a second gap filler material disposed in the second gap, wherein the first gap filler material and the second gap filler material have a refractive index of 1.03 to 1.

4.

3. The lens as claimed in claim 2, wherein the waveguide comprises silicon carbide, lithium niobate, lanthanum oxide, titanium oxide, niobium oxide, zirconium oxide, polycarbonate, or polyethylene terephthalate.

4. A lens, comprising: A waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the waveguide has a refractive index of 1.5 to 2.6, and includes gratings corresponding to an input coupling grating, a pupil grating, and an output coupling grating; a convex prescription lens disposed above the waveguide, the convex prescription lens having a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface; a first gap defined by the lower surface and the first surface of the waveguide; a concave prescription lens disposed above the waveguide and opposite the convex prescription lens, the concave prescription lens having a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface; and a second gap defined by the upper surface and the second surface of the waveguide.

5. A lens, comprising: A waveguide includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface; A convex prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide, the convex prescription lens having a first body having a convex surface and a lower surface; a first gap defined by the lower surface and the first surface of the waveguide; a concave prescription lens is disposed above the waveguide and opposite to the convex prescription lens, the concave prescription lens having a second body having a concave surface and an upper surface, wherein the convex prescription lens and the concave prescription lens comprise an ultraviolet-curable acrylate, an ultraviolet-curable epoxy resin, an ultraviolet-curable oxetane, an ultraviolet-curable silicone, or an ultraviolet-curable thiolene; and a second gap defined by the upper surface and the second surface of the waveguide.

6. The lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first gap and the second gap comprise air.

7. A method for forming a lens, comprising the steps of: covering a plurality of wafer protective coatings (WPCs) on a first surface of a plurality of waveguides disposed on a substrate; aligning the substrate in a tool; depositing and curing a lens material on the plurality of wafer protective coatings to form a plurality of convex prescription lenses on the first surface of the waveguides; and cutting the lenses from the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 further includes the step of: removing the WPCs from between the waveguides and the prescription lens to form a first gap.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of: repeatedly covering to cut to form a plurality of concave prescription lenses on a second surface of the plurality of waveguides forming the plurality of lenses, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the lens material comprises a UV-curable acrylate, a UV-curable epoxy resin, a UV-curable oxetane, a UV-curable silicone, or a UV-curable thiol olefin.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the WPCs may be printed on or attached to the waveguides.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the WPCs are removed by immersion in water.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the lenses are cut using a laser cutting tool.

14. A method for forming a lens, comprising the steps of: aligning a substrate in a tool; depositing a first gap-filling material on a first surface of a plurality of waveguides disposed in the substrate; depositing and curing a lens material on the first gap-filling material to form a plurality of convex prescription lenses on the first surface of the waveguides; and cutting the lenses from the substrate.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of: repeatedly covering to removing to form a plurality of concave prescription lenses on a second surface of the waveguides forming the plurality of lenses, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the lens material comprises a UV-curable acrylate, a UV-curable epoxy resin, a UV-curable oxetane, a UV-curable silicone, or a UV-curable thiol olefin.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the lens material is deposited via inkjet printing.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the lenses are cut using a laser cutting tool.

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