IP Library Granted Patent US 12698367
Granted Patent B2
US 12698367 · App. 18/084,741 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Shape thin substrates by curing shrinkable materials deposited with localized variations

Inventors: Yingdong Luo (Newark, CA); Xiaopei Deng (San Jose, CA); Kang Luo (San Jose, CA); Rami Hourani (Santa Clara, CA); Daihua Zhang (Los Altos, CA); Ludovic Godet (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
C08J3/28B41M5/0047B41M5/0064C08J5/18C08J2333/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698367
App. No.
18/084,741
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (38)

1 . A method of curing a deformation in an optical device substrate, comprising:

printing a first film on a first area of an optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the optical device substrate having a diameter, the first film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured;

printing a second film on a second area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the second film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured; and

curing the first film and the second film to induce a bend in the optical device substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film and the second film have different chemical compositions.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film and the second film comprise acrylates.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film is printed in localized areas of the optical device, and the second film is printed on remaining areas of the optical device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing is an ultraviolet cure.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing is a thermal cure.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film induces a greater bend in the optical device substrate than the second film after the curing.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first area and the second area are alternating, parallel columns.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film and the second film comprise monomers, crosslinkers, or photoinitiators.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film has a larger modulus than the second film after the curing.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying one or more areas on the optical device substrate with deformation.

12 . A method of curing a deformation in an optical device substrate, comprising:

measuring the optical device substrate for deformation;

printing a first film on a first area of an optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the first film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured;

printing a second film on a second area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the second film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured; and

curing the first film and the second film to induce a bend in the optical device substrate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first film and the second film have different chemical compositions.

14 . A method of curing a deformation in an optical device substrate, comprising:

identifying one or more areas on an optical device of the optical device substrate with deformation;

printing a first film over a first area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the first film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured;

printing a second film over a second area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the second film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured;

printing a third film over a third area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the third film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured;

printing a fourth film over a fourth area of the optical device of the optical device substrate via inkjet printing, the fourth film being a material that polymerizes and contracts when cured; and

curing of the first film, the second film, the third film, and the fourth film to induce a bend in the optical device substrate.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first film and the second film have different chemical compositions; and the third film and the fourth film have different chemical compositions.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first film, the second film, the third film, and the fourth film have different chemical compositions.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising a first curing of the first film and the second film to induce a bend in the optical device substrate prior to the printing the third film and the printing the fourth film.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the third area is adjacent the first area, and the fourth area is adjacent the second area.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first film and the second film are printed on a first surface of the optical device substrate, and the third film and the fourth film are printed on a second surface of the optical device substrate.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first film, the second film, the third film, and the fourth film are printed on a first surface of the optical device substrate.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the optical device substrate is from about 100 mm to about 750 mm.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device of the optical device substrate is a waveguide combiner.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device of the optical device substrate is a micro-lens array.

24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device of the optical device substrate is a flat optical device.

25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical device substrate comprises silicon (Si), silicon nitride (SiN), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), fused silica, quartz, silicon carbide (SiC), germanium (Ge), silicon germanium (SiGe), indium phosphide (InP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium oxide (GaO), diamond, lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ), gallium nitride (GaN), sapphire, tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), or combinations thereof.