Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein relate to optical devices. Resins with different optical properties can be deposited in different areas to provide increased optical functionality. It can be difficult to design a single photopolymer material that meets several technical requirements. Different resins can be deposited on the same substrate to make a single film with spatially varying properties. Different resins can also be applied to different substrates in a stack. By using different resins, an optical component can be made that meets several technical requirements.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein relate to optical devices. Resins with different optical properties can be deposited in different areas to provide increased optical functionality. It can be difficult to design a single photopolymer material that meets several technical requirements. Different resins can be deposited on the same substrate to make a single film with spatially varying properties. Different resins can also be applied to different substrates in a stack. By using different resins, an optical component can be made that meets several technical requirements.

Abstract: An inkjet is used to fabricate an optical device having a varying refractive index. The inkjet deposits a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index in a pattern on a substrate. The first material and/or the second material are processed to form an optical device having a refractive index that varies in one or two dimensions. The optical device is used in a virtual-reality system or augmented-reality system to provide angular selectivity from display to a user's eye.

Abstract: A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of depths relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a second material over the profile created in the etch-compatible film. The manufacturing system performs a planarization of the second material to obtain a plurality of etch heights of the second material in accordance with the plurality of depths in the profile created in the etch-compatible film. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the planarized second material to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles in the second material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for fabricating straight or slanted variable-etch-depth gratings. A photoresist material for fabricating a variable-etch-depth grating in a substrate is sensitive to light with a wavelength shorter than 300 nm and has an etch rate comparable to the etch rate of the substrate. A depth of an exposed portion of a photoresist material layer including the photoresist material correlates with the exposure dose. After exposure using a gray-scale mask and development, the photoresist material layer has a non-uniform thickness. The photoresist material layer with the non-uniform thickness and the underlying substrate are etched using a straight etching or slanted etching process to form the straight or slanted variable-etch-depth grating in the substrate. The variable-etch-depth grating is characterized by a non-uniform depth profile corresponding to the non-uniform thickness of the photoresist material layer before etching.

Abstract: An electronic display assembly includes a display element and a corrective element coupled to the display element. The display element has a first plurality of sub-pixels of a first type and a second plurality of sub-pixels of a second type. Two adjacent sub-pixels of the first plurality of sub-pixel are separated by a sub-pixel distance. The corrective element has a plurality of features configured to diffuse light emitted by the first plurality of sub-pixels such that an apparent distance between the two adjacent sub-pixels of the first type, viewed at a viewing distance away from the electronic display assembly, is less than the sub-pixel distance.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are materials for nanoimprinting lithography (NIL) and devices molded from the materials using NIL processes. According to certain aspects, an NIL material includes a mixture including a light-sensitive base resin and nanoparticles. The light-sensitive base resin is characterized by a first refractive index ranging from 1.58 to 1.77. The nanoparticles are characterized by a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index of the light-sensitive base resin. The mixture is curable to form a cured material characterized by a third refractive index greater than 1.78. The nanoparticles include from 45 wt. % to 90 wt. % of the cured material.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating a slanted structure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a slanted surface-relief structure in a material layer includes forming a thin hard mask on top of an intermediate mask layer, etching the intermediate mask layer at a slant angle using the thin hard mask to form a slanted intermediate mask, and etching the material layer at the slant angle using the slanted intermediate mask to form the slanted surface-relief structure in the material layer. The intermediate mask layer is characterized by an etch rate greater than an etch rate of the material layer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nanoimprint lithography (ML) precursor material comprising a base resin component having a first refractive index ranging from 1.45 to 1.80, and a nanoparticles component having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index of the base resin component. According to certain embodiments, further disclosed herein are a cured NIL material made by curing the NIL precursor material, a NIL grating comprising the cured NIL material, an optical component comprising the NIL grating, and methods for forming the NIL grating and the optical component using a NIL process.

Abstract: A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of depths relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a second material over the profile created in the etch-compatible film. The manufacturing system performs a planarization of the second material to obtain a plurality of etch heights of the second material in accordance with the plurality of depths in the profile created in the etch-compatible film. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the planarized second material to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles in the second material.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a diffraction grating includes generating an ionized gas, passing the ionized gas through a gating structure to selectively directed gas toward a substrate, injecting an etchant gas into the directed gas, and exposing a surface of the substrate to the directed gas and the injected etchant gas to form grating structures on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method comprises disposing a photosensitive film layer on a surface of a substrate layer and placing a variable neutral density (ND) filter such that a surface of the variable ND filter faces an exposure region of the photosensitive film layer. The variable ND filter is a thin film that has an attenuation profile that modulates transmittance of light passing through the variable ND filter to the exposure region to cancel out an uneven power distribution in an intermediate interference exposure pattern at the exposure region of the photosensitive film layer. The method further comprises arranging one or more laser generators such that at least two generated beams of light from the one or more laser generators intersect with each other and form the intermediate interference exposure pattern that is modulated by the variable ND filter to form a target interference exposure pattern at the exposure region.

Abstract: An electronic display assembly includes a display element and a corrective element coupled to the display element. The display element has a first plurality of sub-pixels of a first type and a second plurality of sub-pixels of a second type. Two adjacent sub-pixels of the first plurality of sub-pixel are separated by a sub-pixel distance. The corrective element has a plurality of features configured to diffuse light emitted by the first plurality of sub-pixels such that an apparent distance between the two adjacent sub-pixels of the first type, viewed at a viewing distance away from the electronic display assembly, is less than the sub-pixel distance.

Abstract: A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of etch heights relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the created profile in the etch-compatible film to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles corresponding to the etch-compatible film deposited over the substrate.

Abstract: A manufacturing system for fabricating self-aligned grating elements with a variable refractive index includes a patterning system, a deposition system, and an etching system. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of one or more photoresists to create a stack over a substrate. The manufacturing system performs a conformal deposition of a protective coating on the stack. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a first photoresist of a first refractive index on the protective coating. The manufacturing system performs a removal of the first photoresist to achieve a threshold value of first thickness. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a second photoresist of a second refractive index on the first photoresist. The second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index. The manufacturing system performs a removal of the second photoresist to achieve a threshold value of second thickness to form a portion of an optical grating.

Abstract: A method of forming a structure for etch masking that includes forming first dielectric spacers on sidewalls of a plurality of mandrel structures and forming non-mandrel structures in space between adjacent first dielectric spacers. Second dielectric spacers are formed on sidewalls of an etch mask having a window that exposes a connecting portion of a centralized first dielectric spacer. The connecting portion of the centralized first dielectric spacer is removed. The mandrel structures and non-mandrel structures are removed selectively to the first dielectric spacers to provide an etch mask. The connecting portion removed from the centralized first dielectric spacer provides an opening connecting a first trench corresponding to the mandrel structures and a second trench corresponding to the non-mandrel structures.

Abstract: A method for transferring a pattern from a template to a nanoimprint object. A perimeter portion of the nanoimprint object is supported by a perimeter support structure. A gas pressure induced force is applied to the nanoimprint object to facilitate bending of a central portion of the nanoimprint object in a direction toward a surface of the template until the central portion of the nanoimprint object is brought into contact with the surface of the template. While the nanoimprint object is held in contact with the surface of the template, the pattern from the template is transferred to a surface of the nanoimprint object thereby creating a patterned surface on the nanoimprint object.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating a slanted structure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a slanted structure on a material layer includes forming a mask layer on the material layer, and implanting ions into a plurality of regions of the material layer at a slant angle greater than zero using an ion beam and the mask layer. The slant angle is measured with respect to a surface normal of the material layer. Implanting the ions into the plurality of regions of the material layer changes a refractive index or an etch rate of the plurality of regions of the material layer. In some embodiments, the method further includes wet-etching the material layer using an etchant to remove materials in the plurality of regions of the material layer. In some embodiments, the method includes either simultaneous or post-implantation etching of modified material through a dry etching process using reactive etchants in feed gas.

Abstract: An interconnect structure having a pitch of less than 40 nanometers and a self-aligned quadruple patterning process for forming the interconnect structure includes three types of lines: a ? line defined by a patterned bottom mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process; a ? line defined by location underneath a top mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process; and an ? line defined by elimination located underneath neither the top mandrel or the bottom mandrel formed in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process. The interconnect structure further includes multi-track jogs selected from a group consisting of a ??? jog; a ??? jog; and ??? jog; a ??? jog, and combinations thereof. The first and third positions refer to the uncut line and the second position refers to the cut line in the self-aligned quadruple patterning process.

Abstract: A modulated beam moving stage device is used in electron-beam photolithography to create an optical device. The optical device can have varying pitch to increase angular selectivity to increase light entering an eyebox of a virtual-reality and/or an augmented-reality system.