Erhan Ercan | Morphotonics: How do you scale a single wafer-scale AR waveguide master into hundreds of copies on a single panel without losing nanometer-scale angular fidelity?
00:06:13.300 - 00:07:48.200
Other snippets from this talk
Summary of the clip:
How do you scale a single wafer-scale AR waveguide master into hundreds of copies on a single panel without losing nanometer-scale angular fidelity?
The fabrication of diffractive waveguides for augmented reality (AR) glasses presents severe scaling challenges. AR optical designs rely on complex grating structures, including slanted, binary, and blazed profiles, to guide light from the projector to the eye. Replicating these sensitive geometries over large surfaces typically risks dimensional distortion, which degrades the modular transfer function (MTF) and color uniformity of the final waveguide display.
Through a collaborative industry consortium, a single wafer-scale master was successfully scaled up using high-fidelity master-tiling processes. By leveraging dimensionally stable flexible stamps, Morphotonics printed 120 AR waveguides simultaneously on a Gen 3.5 substrate. The process is further scalable to Gen 5, enabling the simultaneous patterning of up to 270 waveguides in a single, high-throughput imprinting cycle.
This scalable master-tiling and replication approach is a critical step toward lowering the cost barriers for consumer-grade AR glasses. By employing custom-formulated high refractive index resins, the process delivers high yield and extreme cost efficiency. It establishes a viable pathway for manufacturing tens of millions of high-performance AR waveguides annually.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Scaling diffractive AR waveguides from single masters to massive multi-die arrays.
* Replicating complex surface-relief gratings, including slanted, binary, and blazed structures.
* The commercial and yield advantages of patterning up to 270 waveguides in a single Gen 5 cycle.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip details the cooperative effort to upscale a single AR waveguide design into 120 and 270 copies per panel on Gen 3.5 and Gen 5 systems, respectively. The presentation highlights the ability of flexible stamp technology to maintain high fidelity across slanted and blazed gratings for high-volume AR glasses.
#NanoimprintLithography, #MasterTiling, #HighRefractiveIndexResins, #DiffractiveWaveguides, #AugmentedRealityOptics, #DisplayManufacturing
This is a highlight of the presentation:
More Highlights from the same talk.
00:02:40.000 - 00:04:16.500
Can roll-to-plate nanoimprint lithography achieve sub-50nm resolution over Gen 5 glass substrates in under 90 seconds?
How can manufacturers scale sub-micron optical replication to Gen 5 display dimensions without sacrificing nanometer-scale fidelity?
The transition from wafer-scale lithography to large-format display manufacturing requires a fundamental shift in replication mechanics. Roll-to-plate (R2P) technology bridges this gap by combining the continuous pressure dynamics of roller-based systems with the rigid registration of a flat substrate plate. This hybrid configuration allows for the precise dispensing of specialized optical resins—tailored for specific refractive indices, viscosities, and mechanical hardness—directly onto large-area substrates.
At the heart of this high-fidelity replication process is a proprietary flexible stamp that acts as the inverse copy of the master mold. Operating as a discrete, discontinuous process, the system utilizes a precise start-and-stop mechanism where the flexible stamp rewinds after each cycle to ensure absolute positioning accuracy. This method mitigates the cumulative shear stresses and rotational distortions typical of continuous roll-to-roll systems, preserving critical sub-micron geometries.
This roll-to-plate approach achieves exceptional design freedom, successfully replicating complex optical features ranging from 500 microns down to 50 nanometers, including challenging high-aspect-ratio and slanted structures. By scaling this capability up to Gen 5 substrate dimensions (1.1 by 1.5 meters), the technology enables high-throughput manufacturing of large-format optical components, including displays for TVs up to 65 inches.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The operational mechanics of roll-to-plate (R2P) replication and how it differs from continuous roll-to-roll processes.
* How resin properties such as viscosity, hardness, and refractive index are optimized for flexible stamp replication.
* The dimensional limits and geometric capabilities of R2P, spanning from Gen 5 display glass down to 50-nanometer optical features.
📋 **Clip Abstract** The speaker explains the mechanics of roll-to-plate (R2P) technology, detailing how a flexible stamp and specialized resins replicate optical structures from 500 microns down to 50 nanometers. He highlights the system's ability to handle Gen 5 substrate sizes, enabling high-throughput manufacturing for displays up to 65 inches with high replication fidelity.
🎤 Speaker: Erhan Ercan
🏢 Company: Morphotonics
📅 Event: Mini- & Micro-LED Displays 2022: Markets, Manufacturing Innovations, Applications, Promising Start-ups
📍 Location: TechBlick Platform |Online
🌐 Learn more at the next TechBlick event: https://www.techblick.com
#RollToPlateNIL, #NanoimprintLithography, #FlexiblePolymerStamps, #Sub50nmLithography, #DiffractiveOpticalElements, #ARDisplayOptics
00:07:48.200 - 00:09:33.500
Can large-area micro-lens arrays (MLAs) solve the power efficiency and beam-shaping bottlenecks of next-generation MicroLED displays?
Can large-area micro-lens arrays (MLAs) solve the power efficiency and beam-shaping bottlenecks of next-generation MicroLED displays?
For MicroLED and MiniLED displays, light extraction and beam shaping represent fundamental limits to power efficiency and visual quality. Traditional flat LED emitters exhibit high internal reflection losses and wide emission angles, which cause optical crosstalk and reduce peak luminance. Integrating pixel-level micro-lens arrays (MLAs) directly over the emitters solves this by narrowing the output beam profile and maximizing outcoupling efficiency.
For MicroLEDs, the addition of MLAs enables pixel-level beam collimation and matching with AR waveguides or projection optics, substantially lowering battery consumption in smart glasses. In MiniLED backlights, MLAs improve spatial light uniformity and local dimming capabilities while allowing a thinner backlight unit (BLU) stack. To realize these advantages, display makers require high-volume, low-cost methods to align and print micro-lenses across large panel dimensions.
Morphotonics applies its large-area nanoimprinting process to scale these MLA architectures from wafer-level masters up to Gen 5 glass panels. By maintaining precise spatial uniformity and controlling residual layer thickness (RLT) across the entire substrate, the process delivers uniform focal lengths for billions of micro-lenses. This bridges the gap between laboratory-scale display performance and cost-competitive, large-scale consumer display manufacturing.
In this short video, you can learn:
* Pixel-level beam collimation and matching benefits of MLAs in MicroLED and MiniLED architectures.
* Reducing display stack thickness and improving local dimming uniformity using integrated micro-optics.
* Techniques for upscaling wafer-level MLA masters to Gen 5 sheets with thin residual layer control.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip outlines the optical benefits of integrating micro-lens arrays on MicroLED and MiniLED displays to enhance light outcoupling, collimation, and power efficiency. It demonstrates how large-area nanoimprint lithography makes high-density MLA integration commercially viable for both AR glasses and large-screen displays.
#MicroLensArrays, #NanoimprintLithography, #LightOutcoupling, #MicroLEDDisplays, #AugmentedRealityOptics, #DisplayManufacturing