Rectangular Cavity Optical Beam Shaper for Uniform Intensity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical beam shapers are bulky, costly, and cumbersome to align, making them unsuitable for compact and low-cost applications that require uniform light distribution, particularly in imaging and printing.
Innovation Solution
The development of micro-fabricated light beam shapers using planar microfabrication techniques such as photolithography, chemical etching, and wafer bonding to create rectangular cavities with reflective coatings, which transform non-uniform light beams into rectangular profiles with uniform spatial intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional optical beam shapers are used, then beam shaping function is achieved, but device size is bulky and alignment is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional bulk optical elements to planar microfabricated structures etched into semiconductor wafers. The beam shaping function is achieved through two-dimensional cavity geometries etched into the wafer plane, with light propagating through these planar structures rather than through bulky three-dimensional optical elements. This dimensional reduction enables compact integration while maintaining beam shaping functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single monolithic semiconductor wafer structure. The cavity geometry, reflective coatings, and beam shaping elements are all combined within one fabricated device, eliminating the need for separate alignment of multiple optical components. The wafer-level integration merges what would traditionally be separate optical elements into a unified structure that requires minimal alignment.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional optical beam shapers are used, then beam shaping function is achieved, but manufacturing cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/optical fabrication methods with semiconductor manufacturing processes. Standard semiconductor techniques including photolithography, plasma etching, and sputtering are used to create the beam shaping structures, replacing conventional precision machining and optical coating methods. This substitution leverages the maturity and cost-effectiveness of semiconductor manufacturing to produce beam shapers at lower cost while maintaining precise geometric control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional optical materials (glass, plastics) to semiconductor materials (silicon, silicon nitride). This material parameter change enables the use of established semiconductor fabrication processes that offer precise control over geometric parameters such as cavity depth, width, and reflector angles. The resulting structures achieve reliable beam shaping performance through precisely controlled geometric parameters rather than relying on material properties alone.
3Volume of moving object
If compact beam shapers are created, then device size is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement and adjustment methods with semiconductor fabrication process control. Photolithography provides precise pattern definition, plasma etching offers controlled anisotropic removal with sub-micron precision, and sputtering delivers uniform thin film deposition. These process-controlled precision methods replace mechanical measurement and hand-adjustment techniques, achieving the required cavity geometry precision through process parameters rather than mechanical tolerances.
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
The solution provides compact, low-cost, and easily integratable optical beam shapers with minimal optical insertion loss, achieving uniform light distribution suitable for various applications like imaging and printing.
Implementation Method 1
A reflective coating covers inner surfaces of the cavity
Implementation Method 2
The top and bottom caps are wafer-bonded onto opposing surfaces of the wafer
Data Source
AI summary
A light beam shaper has a rectangular cavity bounded by wafer sidewalls and top and bottom caps. The top and bottom caps are wafer-bonded onto opposing surfaces of the wafer. A reflective coating covers inner surfaces of the cavity. A geometry of the cavity changes a light beam entering the cavity into a rectangular beam profile with uniform spatial intensity at the output.