Transparent Base Plate Optical System Wafer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing miniaturized optical systems in electronic devices face challenges in achieving precise alignment and stable mass production, particularly in achieving tight alignment tolerances and efficient manufacturability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a base plate with a light guide element and a lens element, where the base plate is at least partially transparent and includes mechanical guiding elements for precise alignment and fixation, allowing for efficient wafer-scale manufacturing and integration of active optical components like LEDs or photodiodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to manufacture miniaturized optical systems, then production can be achieved, but alignment precision and manufacturing stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate and light guide element are integrally formed as a single component, eliminating alignment errors between separate parts. The mechanical guiding elements are integrated into the base plate structure, ensuring consistent positional relationships that enable both high alignment precision and stable mass production
Solution Approach 2:
Mechanical guiding elements are pre-formed in the base plate during the integral forming process, establishing precise alignment references before optical components are assembled. This preliminary structuring ensures that subsequent assembly operations achieve tight alignment tolerances consistently across mass production
2Volume of moving object
If miniaturized optical systems are designed for small form factor devices, then device size is reduced, but alignment tolerance requirements become tighter and more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the base plate and light guide element into a single integrally formed component, the invention eliminates cumulative alignment errors that would otherwise occur when assembling multiple miniaturized parts. This integration is critical for maintaining alignment precision in compact optical systems where tolerances are inherently tighter
Solution Approach 2:
Mechanical guiding elements serve as intermediary structures that provide physical reference features for aligning optical components. These guiding elements, formed directly in the base plate, act as mediators that transfer precise positional relationships from the manufacturing process to the final assembled optical system, enabling tight alignment tolerances in miniaturized designs
3Manufacturing precision
If integral forming of base plate and light guide element is implemented, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate and light guide element are combined into a single integrally formed component, which simplifies the overall manufacturing process by eliminating separate production and assembly steps for these two elements. Although the integral forming process itself requires specialized tooling, it reduces total process complexity by removing alignment and assembly operations
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 approach enables high-precision alignment and fixation of optical systems within electronic devices, facilitating stable and reproducible mass production of miniaturized optical systems with improved manufacturability and alignment tolerances, suitable for small form factor devices like smartphones.
Implementation Method 1
the base plate is at least partially transparent and the optical system forms a light path for light passing through said lens element, across said base plate and through said light guide element
Data Source
AI summary
The optical system comprises a base plate having a first plate side and a second plate side, a light guide element located substantially on said first plate side and a lens element located on said second plate side. The base plate and the light guide element are integrally formed or are distinct parts, and the base plate is at least partially transparent The optical system forms a light path for light passing through said lens element, across said base plate and through said light guide element, and wherein said base plate comprises at least one mechanical guiding element. The method for manufacturing such an optical system comprises providing a wafer comprising a multitude of said base plates.