Manufacturing method of flexible waveguide display structure
A manufacturing method of flexible waveguide display structure includes steps of: providing at least one mold, the at least one mold having multiple mold channels inside, a polymer material being filled into the multiple mold channels, after solidified and shaped, multiple flexible waveguide structures being formed; taking the multiple flexible waveguide structures out of the multiple mold channels, each two adjacent flexible waveguide structures of the multiple flexible waveguide structures having two opposite cut faces, an optical guide layer being formed on one of the cut faces; and connecting the opposite cut faces of the multiple flexible waveguide structures with each other to form the flexible waveguide display structure. The manufacturing method of the flexible waveguide display structure is applicable to a device with different curved faces or plane faces to enhance the installation flexibility and the brightness and uniformity of the visible light image.
1. A manufacturing method for a flexible waveguide display structure, comprising steps of:
providing at least one mold, the at least one mold having multiple mold channels inside;
filling the multiple mold channels with a polymer material which when solidified and shaped, forms at least a first flexible waveguide structure and a second flexible waveguide structure, each waveguide structure having front and rear ends;
taking the first and second flexible waveguide structures out of the multiple mold channels;
forming an optical guide layer on either the rear end of the first flexible waveguide structure or the front end of the second flexible waveguide structure; and
connecting the rear end of the first flexible waveguide structure and the front end of the second flexible waveguide structure with each other such that the optical guide layer is deposited in the flexible waveguide display structure for receiving a visible light and reflecting and projecting the visible light to an outer side of the flexible waveguide display structure so as to form a visible light image.
2. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of cleaning outer surfaces and the ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures before the step of connecting the opposite ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures with each other to form the flexible waveguide display structure.
3. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cleaning of the outer surfaces and the ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures includes plasma cleaning.
4. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the step of providing at least one mold, multiple polishing layers are coated on inner sides of the multiple mold channels.
5. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical guide layer is formed by means of physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
6. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the physical vapor deposition is vacuum evaporation or sputtering or ion plating.
7. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front end of the first flexible waveguide structure is a light incoming end of the flexible waveguide display structure for receiving a visible light, the flexible waveguide display structure further having a light outgoing end distal from the light incoming end corresponding to the optical guide layer, the visible light being totally reflected in the flexible waveguide display structure and transmitted to the optical guide layer, then the visible light is reflected and projected from the optical guide layer to outer side of the light outgoing end to form the visible light image.
8. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical guide layer has multiple transflective sections, the multiple transflective sections being stacked and formed on the flexible waveguide structures.
9. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures are connected with each other by means of adhesion or plasma.
10. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical guide layer is made of metal material.
11. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures are in the form of a prism.
12. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the area of the optical guide layers is smaller than the area of the ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures, whereby the peripheries of the optical guide layer is smaller than the peripheries of the ends.
13. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein peripheries of the ends opposite ends of the first and second flexible waveguide structures are free from the optical guide layer so that the first and second flexible waveguide structures are securely attached to and integrally connected each other.
14. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising forming a third flexible waveguide structure having front and rear ends and a second optical guide layer formed on either the rear end of the second flexible waveguide structure or the front end of the third flexible waveguide structure, and connecting the rear end of the second flexible waveguide structure and the front end of the third flexible waveguide structure with each other such that the second optical guide layer is deposited in the flexible waveguide display structure.
15. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising forming a third flexible waveguide structure, and a fourth flexible waveguide structure, each waveguide structure having front and rear ends;
forming a second optical guide layer on either the rear end of the second flexible waveguide structure or the front end of the third flexible waveguide structure;
forming a third optical guide layer on either the rear end of the third flexible waveguide structure or the front end of the fourth flexible waveguide structures;
connecting the rear end of the second flexible waveguide structure and the front end of the third flexible waveguide structure with each other such that the second optical guide layer is deposited in the flexible waveguide display structure; and
connecting the rear end of the third flexible waveguide structure and the front end of the fourth flexible waveguide structure with each other such that the third optical guide layer is deposited in the flexible waveguide display structure.
16. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the optical guide layer has a first, second and third transflective sections;
wherein a thickness of the first transflective section is thinner than a thickness of the second transflective section; and
wherein the thickness of the second transflective section is thinner than a thickness of the third transflective section.
17. The manufacturing method for the flexible waveguide display structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).