Optical waveguide and encapsulation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025013048-A1
Application number	US-202318710038-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2023
Priority date	Jun 17, 2022
Publication date	Jan 9, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical waveguide of the present disclosure has a first region and a second region, and the optical waveguide includes a waveguide dielectric layer, a grating layer and an encapsulation film layer laminated one on another. The grating layer includes a first grating and a second grating, the first grating is located in the first region, and the second grating is located in the second region. The waveguide dielectric layer is configured to transmit light rays coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating to the second grating, to enable the light rays to be coupled out through the second grating. The encapsulation film layer covers a side of the first grating and the second grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the first grating and the second grating are not filled with a material of the encapsulation film layer.

First claim

1 . An optical waveguide having a first region and a second region; wherein the optical waveguide comprises a waveguide dielectric layer, a grating layer and an encapsulation film layer laminated one on another; wherein
the grating layer comprises a first grating and a second grating, the first grating is located in the first region, and the second grating is located in the second region; the waveguide dielectric layer is configured to transmit light rays coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating to the second grating, to enable the light rays to be coupled out through the second grating; the encapsulation film layer covers a side of the first grating and the second grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the first grating and the second grating are not filled with a material of the encapsulation film layer.

2 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide further has a third region; the grating layer further comprises a third grating located in the third region; wherein
the third grating is configured to change a transmission direction of the light rays which are coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating and transmitted via the waveguide dielectric layer, and to transmit the light rays with the changed transmission direction to the second grating through the waveguide dielectric layer, to enable the light rays to be coupled out by the second grating; the encapsulation film layer covers a side of the third grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the third grating are not filled with the material of the encapsulation film layer.

3 . The optical waveguide according to claim 2 , wherein an included angle between a grating strip of the third grating and the waveguide dielectric layer is not equal to 90°.

4 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation film layer has a same refractive index as the waveguide dielectric layer.

5 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the grating layer is made of a glass material or an imprinting adhesive having a refractive index of 1.7 to 2.1.

6 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide dielectric layer is made of an inorganic dielectric material having a refractive index of 1.7 to 2.1.

7 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the encapsulation film layer is an inorganic dielectric material having a refractive index of 1.7 to 2.1.

8 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the encapsulation film layer is silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride.

9 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the encapsulation film layer away from the waveguide dielectric layer is covered with a protective film layer.

10 . The optical waveguide according to claim 1 , wherein an included angle between each of grating strips of the first grating and the second grating and the waveguide dielectric layer is not equal to 90°.

11 . An encapsulation method of an optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide has a first region and a second region, and the method comprises:
forming a waveguide dielectric layer, a grating layer and an encapsulation film layer laminated one on another; forming the grating layer comprises: forming a first grating located in the first region and a second grating located in the second region on the waveguide dielectric layer; wherein the waveguide dielectric layer is configured to transmit light rays coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating to the second grating, to enable the light rays to be coupled out through the second grating; the encapsulation film layer covers a side of the first grating and the second grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the first grating and the second grating are not filled with a material of the encapsulation film layer.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the optical waveguide further has a third region; and upon forming the first grating and the second grating on the waveguide dielectric layer, the method further comprises: forming a third grating located in the third region; wherein the third grating is configured to change a transmission direction of the light rays which are coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating and transmitted via the waveguide dielectric layer, and to transmit the light rays with the changed transmission direction to the second grating through the waveguide dielectric layer, to enable the light rays to be coupled out by the second grating; the encapsulation film layer covers a side of the third grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the third grating are not filled with the material of the encapsulation film layer.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein forming the encapsulation film layer comprises:
forming the encapsulation film layer through plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition has a deposition power of 100 W to 1000 W, a deposition pressure of 200 Torr to 1500 Torr, and a deposition atmosphere of silicon tetrahydride and nitrous oxide.

15 . An augmented reality device comprising the optical waveguide according to claim 1 .

16 . The augmented reality device according to claim 15 , wherein the optical waveguide further has a third region; the grating layer further comprises a third grating located in the third region; wherein
the third grating is configured to change a transmission direction of the light rays which are coupled into the waveguide dielectric layer by the first grating and transmitted via the waveguide dielectric layer, and to transmit the light rays with the changed transmission direction to the second grating through the waveguide dielectric layer, to enable the light rays to be coupled out by the second grating; the encapsulation film layer covers a side of the third grating away from the waveguide dielectric layer, and grooves of the third grating are not filled with the material of the encapsulation film layer.

17 . The augmented reality device according to claim 16 , wherein an included angle between a grating strip of the third grating and the waveguide dielectric layer is not equal to 90°.

18 . The augmented reality device according to claim 15 , wherein the encapsulation film layer has a same refractive index as the waveguide dielectric layer.

19 . The augmented reality device according to claim 15 , wherein the grating layer is made of a glass material or an imprinting adhesive having a refractive index of 1.7 to 2.1.

20 . The augmented reality device according to claim 15 , wherein the waveguide dielectric layer is made of an inorganic dielectric material having a refractive index of 1.7 to 2.1.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Guo Kang
• Zhang Xiao
• Song Mengya
• Li Duohui
• Gu Xin

Classifications

• G02B27/0101 Primary

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/34

  utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title