Abstract: Methods of curing a deformation in a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes identifying one or more areas on the substrate with deformation. The method further includes printing a first film on a first area of a surface of the substrate via inkjet printing, the first film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured. The method includes printing a second film on a second area of the surface of the substrate via inkjet printing, the second film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured. The method further includes curing the first film and the second film to induce a bend in the substrate. In some embodiments, the method includes inkjet printing a third film and a fourth film on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Fabrication of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) polymer eyepiece assemblies and the resulting AR/MR polymer eyepiece assemblies may include one or more features, separately or in any appropriate combination, to compensate for expected deformation and to maintain substantially uniform gaps between polymer layers. Such features include fabricating polymer eyepiece assemblies with components having coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) that are substantially the same; modifying the surface chemistry or structure of one or more polymer layers to increase hydrophobicity or omniphobicity of the polymer layer; disposing adhesive between adjacent polymer layers in continuous and/or extended configurations; and disposing microspheres of different sizes at selected locations between polymer layers.

Abstract: A head-mounted, near-eye display system comprises a stack of waveguides having integral spacers separating the waveguides. The waveguides may each include diffractive optical elements that are formed simultaneously with the spacers by imprinting or casting. The spacers are disposed on one or more major surfaces of the waveguides and define a distance between immediately adjacent waveguides. Adjacent waveguides may be bonded using adhesives on the spacers. The spacers may fit within indentations of overlying waveguides. In some cases, the spacers may form one or more walls of material substantially around a perimeter of an associated waveguide. Vent holes may be provided in the walls to allow gas flow into and out from an interior volume defined by the spacers. Debris trapping structures may be provided between two walls of spacers to trap and prevent debris from entering into the interior volume.

Abstract: Waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 and methods of patterning waveguides are disclosed. Patterned waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 can be incorporated in display devices, such as, for example wearable display devices to project virtual images to a viewer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a waveguide. Methods may include measuring a waveguide substrate, the waveguide having a substrate thickness distribution; and depositing an index-matched layer onto a surface of the waveguide, the index-matched layer having a first surface disposed on the waveguide substrate and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the index-matched layer is disposed only over a portion of the waveguide substrate, and a device slope of a second surface of the index-matched layer is substantially the same as the waveguide slope of the first surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: Fabrication of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) polymer eyepiece assemblies and the resulting AR/MR polymer eyepiece assemblies may include one or more features, separately or in any appropriate combination, to compensate for expected deformation and to maintain substantially uniform gaps between polymer layers. Such features include fabricating polymer eyepiece assemblies with components having coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) that are substantially the same; modifying the surface chemistry or structure of one or more polymer layers to increase hydrophobicity or omniphobicity of the polymer layer; disposing adhesive between adjacent polymer layers in continuous and/or extended configurations; and disposing microspheres of different sizes at selected locations between polymer layers.

Abstract: Recesses are formed on a front side and a rear side of a waveguide. A solid porogen material is spun onto the front side and the rear side and fills the recesses. First front and rear cap layers are then formed on raised formations of the waveguide and on the solid porogen material. The entire structure is then heated and the solid porogen material decomposes to a porogen gas. The first front and rear cap layers are porous to allow the porogen gas to escape and air to enter into the recesses. The air maximizes a difference in refractive indices between the high-index transparent material of the waveguide and the air to promote reflection in the waveguide from interfaces between the waveguide and the air.

Abstract: A head-mounted, near-eye display system comprises a stack of waveguides having integral spacers separating the waveguides. The waveguides may each include diffractive optical elements that are formed simultaneously with the spacers by imprinting or casting. The spacers are disposed on one or more major surfaces of the waveguides and define a distance between immediately adjacent waveguides. Adjacent waveguides may be bonded using adhesives on the spacers. The spacers may fit within indentations of overlying waveguides. In some cases, the spacers may form one or more walls of material substantially around a perimeter of an associated waveguide. Vent holes may be provided in the walls to allow gas flow into and out from an interior volume defined by the spacers. Debris trapping structures may be provided between two walls of spacers to trap and prevent debris from entering into the interior volume.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a waveguide. Methods may include measuring a waveguide substrate, the waveguide having a substrate thickness distribution; and depositing an index-matched layer onto a surface of the waveguide, the index-matched layer having a first surface disposed on the waveguide substrate and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the index-matched layer is disposed only over a portion of the waveguide substrate, and a device slope of a second surface of the index-matched layer is substantially the same as the waveguide slope of the first surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: Recesses are formed on a front side and a rear side of a waveguide. A solid porogen material is spun onto the front side and the rear side and fills the recesses. First front and rear cap layers are then formed on raised formations of the waveguide and on the solid porogen material. The entire structure is then heated and the solid porogen material decomposes to a porogen gas. The first front and rear cap layers are porous to allow the porogen gas to escape and air to enter into the recesses. The air maximizes a difference in refractive indices between the high-index transparent material of the waveguide and the air to promote reflection in the waveguide from interfaces between the waveguide and the air.

Abstract: Waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 and methods of patterning waveguides are disclosed. Patterned waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 can be incorporated in display devices, such as, for example wearable display devices to project virtual images to a viewer. A waveguide may be transparent and may comprise a substrate comprising a first material having a first refractive index greater than about 2.0. Diffractive features may be formed, on the substrate, of a second material having a second refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index. A third material may be disposed over the diffractive features and may have a third refractive index that is higher than the second refractive index.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to waveguide and methods of forming waveguides. The waveguide includes a waveguide stack including a waveguide substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, a first low index layer disposed on the top surface, a first cap layer disposed on the first low index layer, a first lens disposed on the first cap layer, and a first optically clear adhesive layer between the first low index layer and the first lens. In another embodiment, a method of forming a waveguide is provided. The method includes dispensing a liquid optically clear adhesive layer on a lens, placing a waveguide stack including a first low index layer onto the liquid optically clear adhesive opposite the lens, and curing the liquid optically clear adhesive. The waveguide stack further includes a first cap layer disposed on the first low index layer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods for forming waveguides with gratings of structures having depths distributions, method includes disposing a resist material over areas of a device material or a substrate corresponding to gratings of structures to be formed having depth distributions, imprinting a stamp into the resist material over areas, the stamp having a positive pattern of the depth distribution, the imprinting the stamp and curing the resist material forms a patterned resist over the areas, releasing the stamp, etching the patterned resist and one of the device material or the substrate to form the depth distributions in the device material or the substrate, and forming the structures in the areas having the depth distributions to form the gratings.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate methods of forming films for optical devices. A method of forming a film on an optical device includes disposing a film on a patterned substrate, directing ultraviolet (UV) light toward the patterned substrate to form a first portion of the film and a second portion of the film, and removing one of the first portion of the film or the second portion of the film. The patterned substrate includes a first grating and a second grating, the first grating and second grating formed from optical device structures. The film is disposed on at least one of the first grating or second grating.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for inkjet printing self-assembled monolayer (SAM) structures on substrates. In one embodiment, which can be combined with other embodiments, one or more SAM layers are printed on a substrate surface of a substrate in a localized manner such that a portion of the substrate surface is left exposed to a processing region of the inkjet chamber. The printing includes spraying one or more subsections of the substrate surface with an ink, the ink having a SAM composition. The SAM composition includes an active component, and a hydrophobic tail.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a waveguide combiner having an edge coated with an optically absorbent composition and a method of coating the edge of the waveguide combiner with the optically absorbent composition. The optically absorbent composition includes one or more types of nanoparticles or microparticles, at least one of one or more dyes or one or more pigments, and a polymer matrix of one or more binders. The method includes producing an optically absorbent formulation. The optically absorbent formulation includes one or more types of particles, at least one of one or more dyes or one or more pigments, one or more binders, and one or more solvents. The optically absorbent formulation is applied on an edge of a waveguide combiner using an edge blackening tool. The formulation is cured with radiation to form the optically absorbent composition.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a waveguide. Methods may include measuring a waveguide substrate, the waveguide having a substrate thickness distribution; and depositing an index-matched layer onto a surface of the waveguide, the index-matched layer having a first surface disposed on the waveguide substrate and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein the index-matched layer is disposed only over a portion of the waveguide substrate, and a device slope of a second surface of the index-matched layer is substantially the same as the waveguide slope of the first surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to optical devices, and more specifically, protective coatings for optical devices and methods for preparing protective coatings on optical devices and other devices. In one or more embodiments, a method for protecting a photoresist on a workpiece is provided and includes depositing a photoresist layer on a first surface of a substrate, and depositing a protective coating on the photoresist layer disposed on the first surface, wherein the protective coating contains a water-soluble polymeric material. Thereafter, the method includes exposing a second surface of the substrate to one or more fabrication processes, where the first surface is covered by the photoresist layer and the protective coating, and the second surface is uncovered. Thereafter, the method further includes removing the protective coating by at least partially dissolving the water-soluble polymeric material with a removal solution containing water or an aqueous solution.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection within the waveguide. The in-coupled light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to optical devices. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to optical devices and methods of manufacturing a patterned optical device film on an optical device substrate. According to certain embodiments, an inkjet deposition process is used to deposit a patterned inkjet coating layer on the optical device substrate. A deposition process may then be used to deposit an optical device material on the patterned inkjet coating and the optical device substrate. The patterned inkjet coating on the optical device substrate may then be washed with an appropriate detergent to lift-off the patterned inkjet coating layer from the optical device substrate to form the patterned optical device film.