Injection-Molded Polycarbonate Push-Pull Lens for Waveguide Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing augmented reality optical devices face challenges in integrating a waveguide with a thermoplastic lens due to alignment issues and potential damage during fabrication, leading to increased contamination and production costs.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a chamber with tapered supports to surround a waveguide, using a thermoplastic lens formed by milling a block around the waveguide, ensuring precise alignment and protection during the fabrication process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional methods are used to integrate waveguide with thermoplastic lens, then alignment issues and potential damage occur during fabrication, but integration complexity and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidfabrication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fabrication process is segmented into distinct stages: forming the thermoplastic block around the waveguide, milling the lens surfaces, and final assembly. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, improving alignment precision while managing fabrication complexity through systematic process breakdown

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The waveguide is positioned and secured within the thermoplastic block before the lens surfaces are milled. This preliminary positioning action ensures precise alignment is established early in the fabrication process, and subsequent milling operations can proceed without risking misalignment or damage to the waveguide

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If waveguide is exposed during lens formation, then alignment can be adjusted, but contamination risk and damage potential increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaveguide protectionVSAvoidfabrication ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The waveguide is embedded within the thermoplastic block before lens formation, providing physical protection and cushioning against contamination and damage during the milling process. The thermoplastic material acts as a protective matrix that shields the waveguide while allowing precise lens surfaces to be formed around it

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The waveguide is nested within the thermoplastic block, with the lens surfaces subsequently formed around it. This nested configuration protects the delicate waveguide structure during fabrication while maintaining the ability to form precise optical surfaces, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the manufacturing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Device complexity

If multiple separate components are used, then alignment flexibility is maintained, but part count and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepart countVSAvoidalignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The waveguide and lens are merged into a single integrated structure by embedding the waveguide within the thermoplastic block and forming the lens surfaces around it. This merging reduces the part count to one unified component while achieving precise alignment through the embedding process, thereby reducing production costs without sacrificing manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Improves alignment and reduces contamination risk, decreases production costs, and enhances device performance by minimizing damage to the waveguide while increasing efficiency and reducing part count.

Implementation Method 1

A thermoplastic lens is formed by injecting thermoplastic material into a mold chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

The thermoplastic material is injected into a mold chamber around a waveguide

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Data Source

PatentUS20250291187A1Injection-molded augumented reality push-pull lens and method of detecting the position of the waveguide inside a polycarbonate substrate

Publication Date: 2025.09.18 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an injection-molded push pull lens, and related components and methods for manufacturing. In one or more embodiments, an optical device includes a waveguide. The waveguide includes a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The first surface and the second surface are connected by an edge. One or more gratings are disposed over the first surface or the second surface. The optical device further includes a thermoplastic lens surrounding the first surface, second surface, and the edge. The thermoplastic lens comprises a first lens surface disposed over the first surface and a second lens surface disposed over the second surface.