Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AR-R2P (Mass Manufacturing Augmented Reality (AR) Waveguides via Roll-to-Plate Nanoimprinting)
Período documentado: 2023-10-01 hasta 2024-09-30
Augmented Reality (AR) smart glasses project visual information over real-life situations. They find practical applications in many domains, ranging from manufacturing to health care and much more. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to improve people’s quality of life on a daily basis in applications such as simultaneous language translations, hands-free navigation, and displaying complex data that can enhance learning. It can provide a new way of interacting with our surroundings. However, this technology is currently not broadly available to the public, one of the reasons being that it is not yet mass produced at low-costs.
One of the main components of AR smart glasses is the waveguide, which is an optical element that is used to project information. The current AR industry uses wafer scale nanoimprinting lithography (NIL) to produce these components, which is a process compatible with producing small products, such as for the semiconductor industry. In contrast to this method, Morphotonics is able to nanoimprint in large areas, such as panels (1300 mm x 1100 mm). This is due to Roll-to-Plate (R2P) NIL technology developed and patented by Morphotonics. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the production cost of AR waveguides compared to the current process used in industry. The main advantage of R2P nanoimprinting is that it is scalable, this means that it can produce hundreds of AR waveguides per machine cycle.
The EU currently has a lack of supply chain in the field of AR smart glasses, and also lacks the presence of local foundries to source components. Morphotonics proposes to act as a catalyzer for the EU AR smart glasses industry. The expectation of AR smart glasses manufacturers is that Morphotonics’ R2P technology can deliver waveguides with the same (or even superior) quality as those made using wafer-based NIL but at a much lower cost. With the support of the EIC accelerator grant, the development of Morphotonics’ technology has the potential of keeping the production of AR waveguides within EU.
One of the main components of AR smart glasses is the waveguide, which is an optical element that is used to project information. The current AR industry uses wafer scale nanoimprinting lithography (NIL) to produce these components, which is a process compatible with producing small products, such as for the semiconductor industry. In contrast to this method, Morphotonics is able to nanoimprint in large areas, such as panels (1300 mm x 1100 mm). This is due to Roll-to-Plate (R2P) NIL technology developed and patented by Morphotonics. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the production cost of AR waveguides compared to the current process used in industry. The main advantage of R2P nanoimprinting is that it is scalable, this means that it can produce hundreds of AR waveguides per machine cycle.
The EU currently has a lack of supply chain in the field of AR smart glasses, and also lacks the presence of local foundries to source components. Morphotonics proposes to act as a catalyzer for the EU AR smart glasses industry. The expectation of AR smart glasses manufacturers is that Morphotonics’ R2P technology can deliver waveguides with the same (or even superior) quality as those made using wafer-based NIL but at a much lower cost. With the support of the EIC accelerator grant, the development of Morphotonics’ technology has the potential of keeping the production of AR waveguides within EU.
Within this project, Morphotonics has the aim of showing a scalable, stable and reproducible process for the manufacturing of AR waveguides. This starts by the improvement activities on the current scalability capabilities. Followed by further development on materials and processes, and finally, a demonstration of a pilot run with a quality standard, demonstrating that the R2P technology can deliver quality and quantity.
Morphotonics has made progress on the different processes relevant to the R2P NIL. One example is on the surface preparation of the substrate before imprinting, which is critical for the uniformity and visual results of the waveguide. A plasma cleaning method was selected, and primer formulations and machine processes were developed. Additionally, to fully exploit the large are NIL capability, the upscaling (cost-effective multiple up imprint) of the waveguides was improved for layer uniformity. In order to produce high quality replicas, the flexible stamp should have adequate release properties, Morphotonics has improved its resin formulation to be able imprint the demanding AR textures (the latter was also qualified by a customer).
Quality control is an essential part of a foundry, a full quality control procedure for the AR waveguides has been developed. The relevant tools have been installed, among them a tool for functional tests such as image contrast and brightness uniformity and an atomic force microscope to measure the shape fidelity and layer thickness of the imprints.
The development activities were also partly realized with the collaboration of partners, these companies are specialized in techniques that combined with R2P can deliver relevant results, here we can mention the post-processing of waveguides such as singulation and dry-etching.
A main achievement within the first year of this project is the confirmation from a partner (3rd party) that Morphotonics technology is on par with competitors, with an additional cost advantage using the NIL R2P technology. Additionally, funding for a pilot-foundry has been secured having two new investors focused AR on board (3M and the BOM).
Morphotonics has made progress on the different processes relevant to the R2P NIL. One example is on the surface preparation of the substrate before imprinting, which is critical for the uniformity and visual results of the waveguide. A plasma cleaning method was selected, and primer formulations and machine processes were developed. Additionally, to fully exploit the large are NIL capability, the upscaling (cost-effective multiple up imprint) of the waveguides was improved for layer uniformity. In order to produce high quality replicas, the flexible stamp should have adequate release properties, Morphotonics has improved its resin formulation to be able imprint the demanding AR textures (the latter was also qualified by a customer).
Quality control is an essential part of a foundry, a full quality control procedure for the AR waveguides has been developed. The relevant tools have been installed, among them a tool for functional tests such as image contrast and brightness uniformity and an atomic force microscope to measure the shape fidelity and layer thickness of the imprints.
The development activities were also partly realized with the collaboration of partners, these companies are specialized in techniques that combined with R2P can deliver relevant results, here we can mention the post-processing of waveguides such as singulation and dry-etching.
A main achievement within the first year of this project is the confirmation from a partner (3rd party) that Morphotonics technology is on par with competitors, with an additional cost advantage using the NIL R2P technology. Additionally, funding for a pilot-foundry has been secured having two new investors focused AR on board (3M and the BOM).
In the past year, Morphotonics has filed patents on two topics which will enable improved AR imprinting hardware and processes. Furthermore, Morphotonics is working towards establishing a pilot-foundry of AR waveguides, for that a new cleanroom rental contract was signed to perform these activities. Important commercial partnerships were also started with companies relevant to the AR manufacturing (NIL process as well as upstream and downstream processes).