US 11,867,931 B2
Fabrication of diffractive optic element having a variable refractive index profile by inkjet printing deposition
Kang Luo, Santa Clara, CA (US); Xiaopei Deng, San Jose, CA (US); Daihua Zhang, Los Altos, CA (US); and Ludovic Godet, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/448,619.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/082,314, filed on Sep. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0091314 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 5/18 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G03F 7/16 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 5/1857 (2013.01) [G03F 7/0005 (2013.01); G03F 7/16 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for fabricating a diffractive optics element (DOE) comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
receive a substrate; and
deposit an optical structure having a varying thickness using an inkjet process on a portion of the substrate, wherein depositing the optical structure comprises:
depositing a first solution having a first refractive index using a first nozzle;
depositing a second solution having a second refractive index using a second nozzle, the second refractive index being different than the first refractive index; and
adjusting a volume of the first solution relative to a volume of the second solution to vary refractive properties and the thickness of the optical structure.
 
6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a processing system, cause the processing system to:
receive a substrate; and
deposit an optical structure having a varying thickness using an inkjet process on a portion of the substrate, wherein depositing the optical structure comprises:
depositing a first solution having a first refractive index using a first nozzle;
depositing a second solution having a second refractive index using a second nozzle, the second refractive index being different than the first refractive index; and
adjusting a volume of the first solution relative to a volume of the second solution to vary refractive properties and thickness of the optical structure.
 
10. A system for fabricating a diffractive optics element (DOE) comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
receive a substrate having a uniform DOE provided thereon; and
deposit a film layer having a varying thickness across a surface of the substrate using an inkjet process, wherein depositing the film layer comprises:
depositing a first solution having a first refractive index using a first nozzle;
depositing a second solution having a second refractive index using a second nozzle, the second refractive index being different than the first refractive index; and
adjusting a volume of the first solution relative to a volume of the second solution to vary the refractive index and thickness of the DOE, to form an encapsulated uniform DOE.