Image Relay Waveguide Reflectors via Selective Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image relay waveguides face challenges in preserving spatial information due to manufacturing errors that introduce angular and flatness errors in reflective surfaces, leading to image degradation.
Innovation Solution
The process involves forming reflectors in a substrate using selective etching techniques, such as with potassium hydroxide, to create reflective surfaces with precise crystallographic orientations, ensuring accurate ray propagation and minimizing errors through careful cutting and polishing of wafers from boules, and optionally coating with metal or thin film stacks for high reflectance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional waveguide manufacturing methods are used, then production is simpler and faster, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to angular and flatness errors in reflective surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming reflectors in a master mold before the actual waveguide production. The master mold is created with precisely defined reflector geometries using techniques like selective etching of crystal substrates. This master mold is then used to replicate identical reflector structures in multiple waveguides through copying processes, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring each individual waveguide to undergo complex precision manufacturing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying by creating a master mold with precisely defined reflector structures that can be replicated in multiple waveguides. The master mold serves as a template that copies the exact geometric configuration of reflectors into numerous waveguide units, ensuring consistent angular and flatness precision across all produced waveguides while simplifying the manufacturing process for each individual unit.
2Loss of information
If tight dimensional and angular tolerances are enforced, then image quality is preserved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing the precise reflector geometries in a master mold before mass production. The master mold is created using controlled etching processes that achieve the required tight tolerances once, and this pre-formed template is then used to reproduce the same precise structures in multiple waveguides, making the manufacturing process easier and more cost-effective while maintaining spatial information preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying to replicate the precisely defined reflector structures from a master mold into multiple waveguide units. This approach allows tight dimensional and angular tolerances to be maintained in the final product without requiring each individual waveguide to undergo complex precision manufacturing, as the master mold already embodies the exact geometric specifications needed for spatial information preservation.
3Manufacturing precision
If selective etching with potassium hydroxide is used, then manufacturing precision improves through precise crystallographic orientations, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the time-consuming selective etching process to create the master mold with precise crystallographic orientations before mass production begins. Once the master mold is ready, the same precise reflector structures can be replicated in multiple waveguides using faster copying processes, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring every individual waveguide to undergo the full time-consuming etching procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying to reproduce the precisely oriented reflector structures from the master mold into multiple waveguides using faster replication techniques. This allows the production system to leverage the high precision achieved during master mold creation without repeating the time-consuming selective etching process for each individual waveguide, thus improving overall productivity while maintaining crystallographic orientation precision.
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 ensures precise orientation and flatness of reflective surfaces, maintaining the spatial information of rays and reducing image artifacts, thereby enhancing the quality of the image relayed through the waveguide.
Implementation Method 1
forming reflectors in a substrate using selective etching techniques, such as with potassium hydroxide, to create reflective surfaces with precise crystallographic orientations
Implementation Method 2
radiation such as visible light enters one part of the waveguide, is transported through the waveguide by reflection from the sides of the waveguide
Implementation Method 3
optionally coating with metal or thin film stacks for high reflectance
Data Source
AI summary
Described are embodiments of a process including patterning one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, and etching one or more reflectors in the surface, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material. Also described are process embodiments for forming a molded waveguide including preparing a waveguide mold, the waveguide mold comprising a master mold including one or more reflectors on a surface of a substrate of a master mold material, the surface oriented at a selected angle relative to a (100) crystallographic plane of the material, each reflector including one or more reflective surfaces formed by (111) crystallographic planes of the material, injecting a waveguide material into the waveguide mold, and releasing the molded waveguide from the waveguide mold.