Illumination Apparatus Using Selective Passive Nanostructure Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing passive optical structures that effectively work with micro-LEDs is challenging due to size compatibility issues, leading to low yield and high costs in conventional methods.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of non-monolithic arrays of passive optical nanostructures, where selective removal and alignment with micro-LEDs preserve spatial position, allowing for efficient stacking and alignment in a few steps, reducing costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to manufacture passive optical structures for micro-LEDs, then manufacturing process is simpler, but manufacturing precision and alignment quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into distinct stages: forming a monolithic array of passive optical nanostructures on a separate substrate, selectively removing desired nanostructures, transferring them to the micro-LED array substrate, and aligning them. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, achieving high alignment precision without overwhelming process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive optical nanostructures are prepared in advance on a monolithic array substrate with precise spatial positioning before the micro-LEDs are fully assembled. This preliminary action enables pre-characterization and selection of optimal nanostructures, ensuring high alignment quality when transferred to the final device.
2Manufacturing precision
If selective removal of passive optical nanostructures is performed, then alignment precision with micro-LEDs improves, but manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple operations are merged into single steps: the selective removal of nanostructures is combined with their transfer to the micro-LED substrate in one integrated process. This merging reduces the number of separate manufacturing steps while maintaining the high alignment precision achieved through selective removal.
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer substrate serves as an intermediary between the monolithic array of passive optical nanostructures and the micro-LED array. This intermediary enables efficient transfer of selected nanostructures to their final positions, improving productivity by reducing the number of direct manipulation steps required.
3Ease of manufacture
If monolithic arrays of passive optical nanostructures are used, then manufacturing cost decreases, but adaptability to micro-LED sizes improves when non-monolithic arrays are formed
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic array of passive optical nanostructures is segmented into individual selectable elements, allowing only those with appropriate sizes and optical properties for micro-LEDs to be transferred. This segmentation maintains the cost advantages of monolithic manufacturing while achieving the adaptability needed for micro-LED size compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the monolithic array can contain nanostructures with different properties (sizes, shapes, optical characteristics). By selectively removing and transferring only those with appropriate local qualities matching micro-LED dimensions, the system achieves both cost efficiency from monolithic production and adaptability to specific size requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination apparatus is manufactured by selectively removing passive optical nanostructures from a monolithic array of light-emitting elements while preserving their relative spatial position. The nanostructures are selected such that, in at least one direction, for at least one pair of the selectively removed passive optical nanostructures, for each respective pair there is at least one nanostructure that is not selected that was positioned in the monolithic array between the pair of selectively removed passive optical nanostructures in the at least one direction, forming a non-monolithic array of passive optical nanostructures with the selectively removed passive optical nanostructures while preserving their relative spatial position, and aligning each of the passive optical nanostructures of the non-monolithic array with a respective light-emitting element of the non-monolithic array of light-emitting elements.