Abstract
Inkjet nanoimprint lithography, a technique for fabricating waveguide combiners used in near-eye displays (NEDs), can introduce predictable surface variations (ripples) in the diffractive waveguide combiner. The ripples diffract and scatter light, reducing image quality. This disclosure describes techniques to reduce surface undulations in near-eye displays using waveguide surface modification and/or stamp surface modification. The techniques reduce the surface energy of the droplets deposited on the waveguide by the inkjet, causing them to spread out more and producing a smoother final surface, in turn resulting in better image quality with lesser scattering and diffraction. Surface modification can be made using surface coatings or sub-wavelength surface energy modification structures. The surface modifications can be applied to the (soft or hard) lithographic master or to the waveguide prior to inkjetting.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hoekman, Thomas; Lowney, Joe; and Luo, Kang, "Improved Image Quality in Near-Eye Displays via Pre-imprint Surface Modification", Technical Disclosure Commons, (May 02, 2024)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/6956