Fabrication of an optical wedge

1. A method of fabricating an optical wedge from a wedge blank using a vacuum molding tool, the method comprising:

inserting the wedge blank into the vacuum molding tool, the vacuum molding tool including a molding surface;

applying a vacuum to the vacuum molding tool to shape a molded surface of the wedge blank to the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool;

removing a layer from a surface of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface of the wedge blank to expose a machined surface of the wedge blank;

casting a finish layer on top of the machined surface to maintain the molded surface in a shape imparted by the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool thereby forming a finished optical wedge; and

removing the finished optical wedge from the vacuum molding tool.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein casting a finish layer comprises:

depositing a precursor for casting the finish layer on top of the machined surface;

retaining a casting plate in contact with a top surface of the precursor; and

curing the precursor to form a cured polymer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein depositing the precursor further comprises one or more of pouring the precursor on top of the machined surface, spraying the precursor in a pattern on top of the machined surface, and injecting the precursor into a space between the top of the machined surface and a finish layer interface surface of the casting plate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein an index of refraction of the cured polymer is within +/−0.01 of an index of refraction of a wedge blank material.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising conditioning a finish layer interface surface of the casting plate with a mold release agent.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising preventing differential charging at the machined surface of the wedge blank and/or at the finish layer interface surface of the casting plate by controlling an electrostatic potential of one or more of the casting plate, the vacuum molding tool, and the wedge blank.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein controlling the electrostatic potential comprises supplying electrons to one or more of the casting plate, the vacuum molding tool, and the wedge blank with an ionizer gun.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machined surface is a planar surface.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein removing the layer from the surface of the wedge blank further comprises machining the surface of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface with a milling machine.

10. A method of fabricating an optical wedge for a projection display surface from a wedge blank using a vacuum molding tool, the method comprising:

inserting the wedge blank into the vacuum molding tool, the vacuum molding tool including a molding surface;

applying a vacuum to the vacuum molding tool to shape a molded surface of the wedge blank to the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool;

removing a layer from a surface of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface to expose a machined surface of the wedge blank;

depositing a precursor for casting a finish layer on top of the machined surface;

clamping a casting plate in contact with a top surface of the precursor;

curing the precursor to form the finish layer of a finished optical wedge to hold the molded surface in a shape of the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool; and

removing the finished optical wedge from the vacuum molding tool.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising preventing differential charging at the machined surface of the wedge blank and/or at a finish layer interface surface of the casting plate by controlling an electrostatic potential of one or more of the casting plate, the vacuum molding tool, and the wedge blank.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selecting the precursor so that an interface between the finish layer and the machined surface will be invisible.