Plasma Cleaning of AR Waveguide Sidewalls and Trenches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical devices, such as augmented reality waveguide combiners and metasurfaces, face challenges in maintaining cleanliness due to contamination materials on their sidewalls and within trenches, which affect light propagation and overall performance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving exposure to a plasma generated from oxygen, chlorine, or Argon gases is used to remove contamination from optical devices, either in a standard process chamber or an angled etch chamber, effectively addressing the contamination on sidewalls and in trenches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If plasma treatment is applied to remove contamination from optical devices, then the purity and optical performance are improved, but the process complexity and equipment requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies plasma treatment by changing the chemical and physical parameters of the cleaning process. Plasma generated from oxygen, chlorine, or argon gases creates a reactive environment that effectively removes contamination materials from sidewalls and trenches without requiring mechanical intervention, thus improving cleaning effectiveness while avoiding mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning methods with plasma-based chemical cleaning. Instead of using physical contact or mechanical scraping to remove contaminants, the invention uses plasma chemistry to volatilize and remove contamination materials, thereby eliminating the need for complex mechanical cleaning systems
2Manufacturing precision
If angled etching is used to remove contamination from sidewalls and trenches, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs angled etching that introduces a directional component to the plasma treatment. By directing plasma at an angle rather than perpendicular to the substrate, the process effectively reaches into sidewalls and trenches that would be inaccessible to normal incidence cleaning, improving cleaning effectiveness in three-dimensional structures
Solution Approach 2:
The angled etching process applies different cleaning conditions to different regions of the optical device. The directional plasma flux provides enhanced cleaning in hard-to-reach areas like sidewalls and trenches, while maintaining appropriate cleaning intensity on planar surfaces, thus optimizing overall cleaning effectiveness
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
This method effectively removes contamination materials, enhancing the optical devices' efficiency by reducing light absorption and improving waveguide performance by eliminating contaminants that cause significant light loss.
Implementation Method 1
exposing the optical device to a plasma generated in the process chamber, the plasma generated from oxygen gas (O2), chlorine gas (Cl2), Argon (Ar), or a combination thereof
Implementation Method 2
the plasma generated from oxygen gas (O2), chlorine gas (Cl2), Argon (Ar), or a combination thereof, the exposing the optical device to the plasma removes the contamination material
Implementation Method 3
removing the contaminated material using angled etching by exposing the substrate to a directional plasma generated from oxygen gas (O2) and Argon (Ar)
Implementation Method 4
removing the contaminated material using angled etching by exposing the substrate to a directional plasma generated from oxygen gas (O2) and Argon (Ar)
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure herein include a method of removing a contamination material from an optical device. The method may include disposing an optical device in a process chamber, the optical device having optical device structures formed in a substrate, the contamination material is disposed at least on sidewalls of the optical device structures and within trenches between the optical device structures, and exposing the optical device to a plasma generated in the process chamber, the plasma generated from oxygen gas (O2), chlorine gas (Cl2), Argon (Ar), or a combination thereof, the exposing the optical device to the plasma removes the contamination material.