Granted Patent B2

US 12,613,370 · App. 19/120,997 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Ronen Chriki (Ness Ziona, IL); Edgar Friedmann (Ness Ziona, IL); Ido Fuchs (Ness Ziona, IL)

Assignee: Lumus Ltd.

G02B6/0065G02B6/0018G02B6/0076G02B27/0172

Abstract

Claims (72)

1 . A method for manufacturing a waveguide, the method comprising:

treating top or bottom surfaces of waveguide plates to make the top or the bottom surfaces partially reflective or diffractive;

bonding the waveguide plates at the top or bottom surfaces to form a waveguide block having top and bottom surfaces using an adhesive selected from a first group of adhesives;

cutting the waveguide block along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide block to form waveguide slices with internal facets;

bonding a first plate to a front surface of a first block to form a second block having top and bottom surfaces;

cutting the second block to form placeholder slices; and

alternating and bonding the waveguide slices to the placeholder slices using an adhesive selected from a second group of adhesives to form a waveguide stack,

wherein the second group of adhesives consists of adhesives more susceptible to chemical etching or heating removal than respective adhesives in the first group of adhesives.

2 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

treating top surfaces of coupling-in plates to make the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates reflective or diffractive;

bonding the coupling-in plates together using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives to form a coupling-in stack having top and bottom surfaces; and

cutting the coupling-in stack along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the coupling-in stack to form one or more coupling-in stack segments including coupling-in plane segments.

3 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:

treating top surfaces of coupling-in plates to make the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates reflective or diffractive;

bonding the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates to first surfaces of sacrificial plates using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives and bonding bottom surfaces of the coupling-in plates to second surfaces of the sacrificial plates using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives to form a coupling-in stack having top and bottom surfaces; and

cutting the coupling-in stack along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the coupling-in stack to form one or more coupling-in stack segments including coupling-in plane segments.

4 . The method of claim 2 , comprising:

bonding the coupling-in plane segments to respective waveguide slices in the waveguide stack using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives to form a waveguide structure.

5 . The method of claim 4 , comprising:

cutting the waveguide structure along planes parallel to top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide structure to form one or more waveguide structure segments.

6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising:

removing from one or more of the waveguide structure segments portions bonded using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives by at least one of chemical etching or heating.

7 . The method of claim 3 , comprising:

bonding the coupling-in plane segments to respective waveguide slices in the waveguide stack using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives to form a waveguide structure.

8 . A method for manufacturing a waveguide, the method comprising:

producing a waveguide stack in which at least some elements are bonded using an adhesive selected from a first group of adhesives;

treating top surfaces of coupling-in plates to make the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates reflective or diffractive;

bonding the coupling-in plates together or bonding the coupling-in plates to sacrificial plates using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives to form a coupling-in stack having top and bottom surfaces;

cutting the coupling-in stack along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the coupling-in stack to form one or more coupling-in stack segments including coupling-in plane segments;

bonding the coupling-in plane segments to respective waveguide slices in the waveguide stack using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives to form a waveguide structure;

wherein the second group of adhesives consists of adhesives more susceptible to chemical etching or heating removal than respective adhesives in the first group of adhesives;

cutting the waveguide structure along planes parallel to top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide structure to form waveguide structure segments; and

removing from one or more of the waveguide structure segments portions bonded using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives by at least one of chemical etching or heating.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the producing the waveguide stack comprises:

treating top or bottom surfaces of waveguide plates to make the top or the bottom surfaces partially reflective or diffractive;

bonding the waveguide plates at the top or bottom surfaces to form a first block having top and bottom surfaces using the adhesive selected from a first group of adhesives;

cutting the first block along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the first block to form the waveguide slices with internal facets;

cutting a second block to form spacer slices; and

alternating and bonding the waveguide slices to the spacer slices to form the waveguide stack.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:

polishing the top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide slices including removing a portion of the first plate that remains adhered to the top surface.

11 . A method for manufacturing a waveguide, the method comprising:

treating top or bottom surfaces of first waveguide plates to make the top or the bottom surfaces of the first waveguide plates partially reflective or diffractive;

bonding the first waveguide plates at the top or bottom surfaces to form a first waveguide block using an adhesive selected from a first group of adhesives;

cutting the first waveguide block along first planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces to form one or more first waveguide slices with internal facets;

treating top or bottom surfaces of second waveguide plates to make the top or the bottom surfaces of the second waveguide plates partially reflective or diffractive;

bonding the second waveguide plates at the top or bottom surfaces to form a second waveguide block having top and bottom surfaces using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives;

cutting the second waveguide block along third planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the second waveguide block to form one or more second waveguide slices with internal facets;

bonding the waveguide slices using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives to form a waveguide stack;

treating top or bottom surfaces of third waveguide plates to make the top or the bottom surfaces of the third waveguide plates partially reflective or diffractive;

bonding the third waveguide plates at the top or bottom surfaces to form a mixer block having top and bottom surfaces using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives;

bonding the at least one of the first waveguide slices to the mixer block and the mixer block to the waveguide stack to form a compound waveguide block;

cutting the compound waveguide block along planes corresponding to the top or bottom surfaces of the second waveguide slices to form third waveguide slices; and

alternating and bonding the third waveguide slices to placeholder plates using an adhesive selected from a second group of adhesives to form a second waveguide stack, wherein the second group of adhesives consists of adhesives more susceptible to chemical etching or heating removal than respective adhesives in the first group of adhesives.

12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:

cutting the at least one of the first waveguide slices along a plane perpendicular to top and bottom surfaces of the third waveguide slices and that intersects an edge at which the at least one of the first waveguide slices joins the mixer block to form an aperture surface.

13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:

treating top surfaces of coupling-in plates to make the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates reflective or diffractive;

bonding the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates together using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives to form a coupling-in stack having top and bottom surfaces; and

cutting the coupling-in stack along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the coupling-in stack to form one or more coupling-in stack segments including coupling-in plane segments.

14 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:

treating top surfaces of coupling-in plates to make the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates reflective or diffractive;

bonding the top surfaces of the coupling-in plates to first surfaces of sacrificial plates using an adhesive selected from the first group of adhesives and bonding bottom surfaces of the coupling-in plates to second surfaces of the sacrificial plates using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives to form a coupling-in stack having top and bottom surfaces; and

cutting the coupling-in stack along planes at acute angles relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the coupling-in stack to form one or more coupling-in stack segments including coupling-in plane segments.

15 . The method of claim 13 , comprising:

bonding a coupling-in stack segment to the aperture surface with an adhesive selected from the first group to form a third waveguide stack;

cutting the third waveguide stack along planes corresponding to the bottom surfaces of the second waveguide slices to form fourth waveguide slices; and

removing portions bonded using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives by at least one of chemical etching or heating.

16 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:

bonding a coupling-in stack segment to the aperture surface with an adhesive selected from the first group to form a third waveguide stack;

cutting the third waveguide stack along planes corresponding to the bottom surfaces of the second waveguide slices to form fourth waveguide slices; and

removing portions bonded using an adhesive selected from the second group of adhesives by at least one of chemical etching or heating.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (19)