Gradient Coating Apparatus
The disclosure provides methods of coating pluralities of waveguides for head-up display by providing certain groupings and arrangements of the waveguides in various opposing orientations, and coating a first group of waveguides and a second group of waveguides through a shadow mask comprising a stacked array of hexagonal apertures comprising a series of alternating first sections having decreasing aperture width and second sections having increasing aperture width, wherein the first sections are aligned with odd-numbered rows of waveguides and the second sections are aligned with even-numbered rows of waveguides.
1 . A method of coating a plurality of waveguides for head-up display, the method comprising:
forming a first group of waveguides by:
arranging a first row of one or more first waveguides in a first orientation, the first row of one or more first waveguides being an odd-numbered row of waveguides; and
arranging a second row of one or more second waveguides in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is opposite the first orientation, such that the first row of one or more first waveguides opposes the second row of one or more second waveguides, and such that the first row of one or more first waveguides is spaced apart from the second group of one or more second waveguides by a first row spacing, the second row of one or more second waveguides being an even-numbered row of waveguides;
forming a second group of waveguides by:
arranging a third row of one or more third waveguides in the first orientation, the third row of one or more third waveguides being an odd-numbered row of waveguides; and
arranging a fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides in the second orientation such that the third row of one or more third waveguides opposes the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides, and such that the third row of one or more third waveguides is spaced apart from the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides by a second row spacing, the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides being an even-numbered row of waveguides;
spacing the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides such that a gap between the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides is greater than the first row spacing, and the gap between the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides is greater than the second row spacing; and
coating the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides through a shadow mask comprising a stacked array of hexagonal apertures comprising a series of alternating first sections having decreasing aperture width and second sections having increasing aperture width, wherein the first sections are aligned with odd-numbered rows of waveguides and the second sections are aligned with even-numbered rows of waveguides.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stacked array of hexagonal apertures is arranged such that adjacent hexagonal aperture components directly abut one another.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stacked array of hexagonal apertures is arranged such that adjacent hexagonal aperture components are separated by a bridging link of the shadow mask.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the shadow mask comprises a gradient transition between each of the alternating first sections and second sections, wherein each gradient transition comprises a rounded corner aligned with one of:
(i) the spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides;
(ii) the spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides; or
(iii) the gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein a radius of curvature of the rounded corners is smaller for rounded corners aligned with (i) the spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides and (ii) the spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides, compared to a radius of curvature for rounded corners aligned with (iii) the gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein a radius of curvature of the rounded corner is smaller than the respective (i) spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides; (ii) spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides; or (iii) gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein an angle of the rounded corners is greater than 90 degrees and smaller than 120 degrees.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the alternating first sections of the shadow mask and second sections of the shadow mask are substantially trapezoidal components which abut one another to form the stacked array of hexagonal apertures.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of coating the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides through the shadow mask comprises:
arranging a source to output a coating material; and
positioning the shadow mask between the source and the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of coating the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides through the shadow mask further comprises providing a coating driver arranged to control the source, wherein the coating driver comprises at least one selected from the group comprising: a magnetic bar controller arranged to change the magnitude of a magnetic field at a plurality of positions of the source, a pressure controller arranged to change the pressure of a gas; and a magnet rotator arranged to control a direction of deposition of the coating material.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising arranging the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides on a sample carrier, and wherein the step of coating the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides through the shadow mask further comprises:
configuring a drum to house the sample carrier; and
positioning the source at the centre of the drum, wherein the shadow mask is positioned between the source and the sample carrier, and
rotating the drum at a determined speed in order to coat the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides with the coating material.
12 . A coating device comprising:
a sample carrier;
a plurality of waveguides arranged on the sample carrier in a first group of waveguides and a second group of waveguides,
wherein the first group of waveguides comprises:
a first row of one or more first waveguides arranged in a first orientation, the first row of one or more first waveguides being an odd-numbered row of waveguides; and
a second row of one or more second waveguides arranged in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is opposite the first orientation, such that the first row of one or more first waveguides opposes the second row of one or more second waveguides, and such that the first row of one or more first waveguides is spaced apart from the second group of one or more second waveguides by a first row spacing, the second row of one or more second waveguides being an even-numbered row of waveguides;
wherein the second group of waveguides comprises:
a third row of one or more third waveguides arranged in the first orientation, the third row of one or more third waveguides being an odd-numbered row of waveguides; and
a fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides arranged in the second orientation such that the third row of one or more third waveguides opposes the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides, and such that the third row of one or more third waveguides is spaced apart from the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides by a second row spacing, the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides being an even-numbered row of waveguides;
wherein the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides are spaced such that a gap between the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides is greater than the first row spacing, and the gap between the first group of waveguides and second group of waveguides is greater than the second row spacing;
a source arranged to coat the plurality of waveguides with a coating material; and
a shadow mask positioned between the source and the sample carrier, the shadow mask comprising a stacked array of hexagonal apertures comprising a series of alternating first sections having decreasing aperture width and second sections having increasing aperture width, wherein the first sections are aligned with odd-numbered rows of waveguides and the second sections are aligned with even-numbered rows of waveguide.
13 . The coating device of claim 12 , wherein the stacked array of hexagonal apertures is arranged such that adjacent hexagonal aperture components directly abut one another.
14 . The coating device of claim 12 , wherein the stacked array of hexagonal apertures is arranged such that adjacent hexagonal aperture components are separated by a bridging link of the shadow mask.
15 . The coating device of claim 12 , wherein the shadow mask comprises a gradient transition between each of the alternating first sections and second sections, wherein each gradient transition comprises a rounded corner aligned with one of:
(i) the spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides;
(ii) the spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides; or
(iii) the gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
16 . The coating device of claim 15 , wherein a radius of curvature of the rounded corners is smaller for rounded corners aligned with (i) the spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides and (ii) the spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides, compared to a radius of curvature for rounded corners aligned with (iii) the gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
17 . The coating device of claim 16 , wherein a radius of curvature of the rounded corner is smaller than the respective (i) spacing between the first row of one or more first waveguides and the second row of one or more second waveguides; (ii) spacing between the third row of one or more third waveguides and the fourth row of one or more fourth waveguides; or (iii) gap between the first group of waveguides and the second group of waveguides.
18 . The coating device of claim 17 wherein an angle of the rounded corners is greater than 90 degrees and smaller than 120 degrees.
19 . The coating device of claim 12 , wherein each of the alternating first sections of the shadow mask and second sections of the shadow mask are substantially trapezoidal components which abut one another to form the stacked array of hexagonal apertures.
20 . The coating device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a drum configured to house at least the sample carrier; and
wherein the shadow mask is positioned between the source and the sample carrier,
wherein the drum is configured to rotate at a determined speed in order to coat the plurality of with the coating material.
21 . A coating device comprising:
a sample carrier;
a plurality of sample positions arranged on the sample carrier in a first group of sample positions and a second group of sample positions,
wherein the first group of sample positions comprises:
a first row of one or more first sample positions arranged in a first orientation, the first row of one or more first sample positions being an odd-numbered row of sample positions; and
a second row of one or more second sample positions arranged in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is opposite the first orientation, such that the first row of one or more first sample positions opposes the second row of one or more second sample positions, and such that the first row of one or more first sample positions is spaced apart from the second group of one or more second sample positions by a first row spacing, the second row of one or more second sample positions being an even-numbered row of sample positions;
wherein the second group of sample positions comprises:
a third row of one or more third sample positions arranged in the first orientation, the third row of one or more third sample positions being an odd-numbered row of sample positions; and
a fourth row of one or more fourth sample positions arranged in the second orientation such that the third row of one or more third sample positions opposes the fourth row of one or more fourth sample positions, and such that the third row of one or more third sample positions is spaced apart from the fourth row of one or more fourth sample positions by a second row spacing, the fourth row of one or more fourth sample positions being an even-numbered row of sample positions;
wherein the first group of sample positions and second group of sample positions are spaced such that a gap between the first group of sample positions and second group of sample positions is greater than the first row spacing, and the gap between the first group of sample positions and second group of sample positions is greater than the second row spacing;
a shadow mask comprising a stacked array of hexagonal apertures comprising a series of alternating first sections having decreasing aperture width and second sections having increasing aperture width, wherein the first sections are aligned with odd-numbered rows of sample positions and the second sections are aligned with even-numbered rows of sample positions.