阅读说明：本技术 制造衍射背光的方法 (Method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight ) 是由 T.霍克曼 D.A.法塔尔 马明 彭臻 于 2020-04-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：制造衍射背光采用通用光栅并使用反射岛选择通用光栅的一部分以限定光栅元件,衍射背光的反射衍射光栅元件包括光栅元件和反射岛。一种制造衍射背光的方法包括形成通用光栅、形成反射岛、以及使用反射岛来选择通用光栅的一部分以限定光栅元件。制造衍射背光的方法可以包括在光导表面上形成反射岛,以及在反射岛之上形成通用光栅。可替代地,制造衍射背光的方法可以包括在光导表面上形成通用光栅,以及在通用光栅之上形成反射岛。(The fabrication of the diffractive backlight employs a generic grating and uses reflective islands to select a portion of the generic grating to define grating elements, the reflective diffraction grating elements of the diffractive backlight including the grating elements and the reflective islands. A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight includes forming a generic grating, forming reflective islands, and selecting a portion of the generic grating to define grating elements using the reflective islands. A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight may include forming reflective islands on a surface of a light guide, and forming a universal grating over the reflective islands. Alternatively, a method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight may include forming a generic grating on a surface of a light guide, and forming reflective islands over the generic grating.)

1. A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight, the method comprising:

forming a general grating on a light guide substrate;

forming a reflective island on the light guide substrate; and

selecting a portion of the generic grating using the reflective islands to define grating elements,

wherein a reflective diffraction grating element of the diffractive backlight comprises a combination of the grating element and the reflective islands.

2. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 1, wherein forming a generic grating on the light guide substrate comprises: nanoimprinting the generic grating in a nanoimprinting-receiving layer of the photoconductive substrate using a nanoimprinting mold.

3. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 1, wherein forming the reflective islands comprises: patterning a layer of reflective material to define the reflective islands, the layer of reflective material comprising one or more of a metal, a metal polymer, and a high index of refraction dielectric.

4. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 1, wherein the generic grating is located on a surface of the light guiding substrate, the reflective islands being formed over the generic grating.

5. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 4, wherein forming the reflective islands comprises:

depositing a layer of reflective material on the generic grating; and

the layer of reflective material is etched using a patterned photoresist to remove a portion of the layer of reflective material and define the reflective islands.

6. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 4, wherein selecting said portion of said generic grating to define a grating element using said reflective islands comprises: removing exposed portions of the generic grating that are not covered by the reflective islands by etching the exposed portions.

7. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 4, wherein selecting said portion of said generic grating to define a grating element using said reflective islands comprises: covering the common grating and the reflective islands with a layer of optical material that is index matched to the common grating.

8. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 1, wherein the reflective islands are located on a surface of the light guide substrate, the generic grating being formed over the reflective islands.

9. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 8, further comprising: providing a layer of optical material between the reflective islands and the generic grating, wherein the layer of optical material is index matched to the material of the light-guiding substrate, the generic grating being formed on the layer of optical material.

10. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 8 wherein selecting a portion of said generic grating comprises:

applying a photoresist to cover the generic grating; and

exposing the photoresist using a collimated light source to illuminate the photoresist from a side of the lightguide substrate opposite the side on which the reflective islands are located, the photoresist being a positive photoresist and the reflective guides acting as a photomask to define a portion of the photoresist remaining after the photoresist is developed,

wherein selecting the portion of the generic grating to define the grating element comprises: removing exposed portions of the generic grating not covered by the remaining photoresist.

11. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 10 wherein removing said exposed portion of said generic grating comprises: etching the exposed portion to remove material of the generic grating not covered by the photoresist.

12. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 10 further comprising:

applying a negative photoresist to cover the reflective islands and the grating elements;

exposing the negative photoresist using a collimated light source to illuminate the negative photoresist and define an opening in the photoresist over the grating element; and

depositing a reflective material on the grating elements through the openings in the photoresist,

wherein the reflective material exclusively covers the grating elements.

13. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 12, further comprising: depositing a layer of optical material on the light-guiding substrate, the layer of optical material embedding the grating elements, the reflective islands, and the reflective material covering the grating elements, wherein removing the exposed portions of the generic grating comprises the exposed portions being covered by the layer of optical material.

14. A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight, the method comprising:

forming reflective islands on a surface of a light guide, the reflective islands comprising one or more of a metal, a metal polymer, and a high index dielectric;

depositing a layer of optical material on the light guide to cover the reflective islands, the optical material being index matched to the material of the light guide;

forming a generic grating on the layer of optical material using nanoimprint lithography; and

selecting a portion of the generic grating using the reflective islands to define grating elements,

wherein a reflective diffraction grating element of the diffractive backlight comprises a combination of the grating element and the reflective islands.

15. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 14 wherein selecting a portion of said generic grating comprises:

applying a photoresist to cover the generic grating; and

exposing the photoresist using a collimated light source to illuminate the photoresist from a side of the light guide opposite the side on which the reflective islands are located, the reflective islands serving as a photomask to define a portion of the photoresist remaining after the photoresist is developed,

wherein selecting a portion of the generic grating to define the grating elements comprises: etching an exposed portion of the generic grating that is not covered by the remaining photoresist, or covering one of the exposed portions of the generic grating with the layer of optical material.

16. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 15 further comprising: depositing a layer of reflective material on the grating elements and also covering the deposited layer of reflective material with the layer of optical material.

17. A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight, the method comprising:

forming a general-purpose grating on a surface of a light guide by nanoimprinting the general-purpose grating using a nanoimprinting mold;

forming a reflective island on the generic grating; and

selecting a portion of the generic grating using the reflective islands to define grating elements,

wherein a reflective diffraction grating element of the diffractive backlight comprises a combination of the grating element and the reflective islands.

18. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 17 wherein selecting said portion of said generic grating to define a grating element using said reflective islands comprises: removing the exposed portions of the generic grating by etching the exposed portions not covered by the reflective islands, or covering one of the generic grating and reflective islands with a layer of optical material that is index matched to the generic grating.

19. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 17 wherein said generic grating comprises openings in said generic grating, the method further comprising: a layer of reflective material is deposited in the openings to provide reflective islands that are not included in the reflective diffraction grating elements.

20. The method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight according to claim 17 wherein forming said reflective islands on said generic grating comprises: patterning a layer of reflective material to define the reflective islands, the layer of reflective material comprising one or more of a metal, a metal polymer, and a high index of refraction dielectric.

Background

Electronic displays are a nearly ubiquitous medium for conveying information to users of a variety of devices and products. The most common electronic displays are Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), Plasma Display Panels (PDPs), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), electroluminescent displays (ELs), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) and active matrix OLED (amoleds) displays, electrophoretic displays (EPs) and various displays employing electromechanical or electrofluidic light modulation (e.g., digital micromirror devices, electrowetting displays, etc.). In general, electronic displays can be classified as either active displays (i.e., displays that emit light) or passive displays (i.e., displays that modulate light provided by another source). The most obvious examples of active displays are CRT, PDP and OLED/AMOLED. Displays that are generally classified as passive when considering emitting light are LCD and electrophoretic displays. Passive displays, while often exhibiting attractive performance characteristics, including but not limited to inherently low power consumption, may find somewhat limited use in many practical applications due to the lack of luminous power.

To overcome the limitations of passive displays associated with emitting light, many passive displays are coupled to an external light source. The coupled light sources may allow these passive displays to emit light and to function essentially as active displays. An example of such a coupled light source is a backlight. A backlight is a light source (typically a panel) placed behind an otherwise passive display to illuminate the passive display. For example, the backlight may be coupled to an LCD or electrophoretic display. The backlight emits light through the LCD or electrophoretic display. The emitted light is modulated by the LCD or electrophoretic display, and the modulated light is then emitted from the LCD or electrophoretic display.

Drawings

Various features of examples and embodiments in accordance with the principles described herein may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a multi-view display in an example in accordance with an embodiment consistent with principles described herein.

FIG. 1B illustrates a graphical representation of angular components of a light beam having a particular principal angular direction corresponding to a view direction of a multi-view display in an example in accordance with an embodiment consistent with principles described herein.

Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a diffraction grating in an example according to an embodiment consistent with principles described herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in an example in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in another example according to an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in another example according to an embodiment consistent with principles described herein.

6A-6G illustrate cross-sectional views of fabricating a diffractive backlight in an example of an implementation according to principles described herein.

7A-7F illustrate cross-sectional views of fabricating a diffractive backlight in another example of an embodiment according to principles described herein.

8A-8G illustrate cross-sectional views of fabricating a diffractive backlight in yet another example of an embodiment according to principles described herein.

FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate cross-sectional views of fabricating a diffractive backlight in yet another example of an embodiment according to principles described herein.

Certain examples and embodiments have other features in addition to or in place of those shown in the above-described figures. These and other features are described in detail below with reference to the above-identified figures.

Detailed Description

A method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight for application to various types of electronic displays according to examples and embodiments of the principles described herein. In particular, various methods of manufacturing diffractive backlights according to the principles described herein employ a generic grating, a portion of which is selected by reflective islands to define grating elements. The use of reflective islands to select portions of a generic grating to define grating elements may provide self-alignment of the reflective islands and grating elements, which together provide a reflective diffraction grating element that diffracts backlight. In addition to the self-alignment of the grating elements and reflective islands, the diffractive backlight fabrication methods described herein may, according to various embodiments, tolerate translation and stretching between reflective diffraction grating elements across the range of the diffractive backlight, and may facilitate the fabrication of large area diffractive backlights for electronic display applications. Electronic displays that may employ diffractive backlights made according to the methods described herein may include, but are not limited to, multiview displays and other similar displays, such as autostereoscopic displays or "glasses-free" three-dimensional (3D) displays.

Herein, a "two-dimensional display" or a "2D display" is defined as a display configured to provide substantially the same view of an image regardless of from which direction the image is viewed (i.e., within a predetermined viewing angle or range of the 2D display). Conventional Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) found in many smart phones and computer monitors are examples of 2D displays. In contrast, herein, a "multi-view display" is defined as an electronic display or display system configured to provide different views of a multi-view image in or from different view directions. In particular, the different views may represent different perspective views of a scene or object of the multi-view image. Uses of the single-sided backlights and single-sided multiview displays described herein include, but are not limited to, mobile phones (e.g., smart phones), watches, tablet computers, mobile computers (e.g., laptop computers), personal computers and computer monitors, automotive display consoles, camera displays, and various other mobile and substantially non-mobile display applications and devices.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a multi-view display 10 in an example in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. As shown in fig. 1A, the multi-view display 10 includes a screen 12 to display multi-view images to be viewed. The screen 12 may be the display screen of an electronic display, such as a telephone (e.g., mobile phone, smart phone, etc.), a tablet computer, a computer monitor of a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a camera display, or substantially any other device.

The multi-view display 10 provides different views 14 of the multi-view image in different viewing directions 16 relative to the screen 12, the viewing directions 16 being illustrated as arrows extending from the screen 12 in various different principal angular directions; the different views 14 are illustrated as shaded polygonal boxes at the ends of the arrows (i.e., depicting view directions 16); and only four views 14 and four view directions 16 are shown, all of which are exemplary and not limiting. Note that while the different views 14 are illustrated above the screen in fig. 1A, when the multi-view image is displayed on the multi-view display 10, the views 14 actually appear on or near the screen 12, the depiction of the views 14 above the screen 12 is merely for simplicity of illustration, and is intended to represent viewing of the multi-view display 10 from a respective one of the view directions 16 corresponding to a particular view 14. The 2D display may be substantially similar to the multi-view display 10, except that the 2D display is typically configured to provide a single view of the displayed image (e.g., one view similar to view 14), as opposed to a different view 14 of the multi-view image provided by the multi-view display 10.

A viewing direction, or equivalently a light beam having a direction corresponding to the viewing direction of a multi-view display, generally has a principal angular direction given by the angular components theta, phi, according to the definitions herein. The angular component θ is referred to herein as the "elevation component" or "elevation angle" of the light beam. The angular component φ is referred to as the "azimuthal component" or "azimuth" of the beam. By definition, the elevation angle θ is the angle in a vertical plane (e.g., a plane perpendicular to the multi-view display screen), and the azimuth angle φ is the angle in a horizontal plane (e.g., parallel to the multi-view display screen plane).

FIG. 1B illustrates a graphical representation of angular components { θ, φ } of a light beam 20 having a particular principal angular direction corresponding to a view direction (e.g., view direction 16 in FIG. 1A) of a multi-view display in an example in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. Further, the light beam 20 is emitted or emitted from a particular point, as defined herein. That is, by definition, the light beam 20 has a central ray associated with a particular origin within the multi-view display. Fig. 1B also shows the origin O of the beam (or viewing direction).

Herein, a "light guide" is defined as a structure that guides light within the structure using total internal reflection. In particular, the light guide may comprise a core that is substantially transparent at the operating wavelength of the light guide. The term "light guide" generally refers to a dielectric optical waveguide that employs total internal reflection to guide light at an interface between the dielectric material of the light guide and the material or medium surrounding the light guide. By definition, the condition for total internal reflection is that the refractive index of the light guide is greater than the refractive index of the surrounding medium adjacent to the surface of the light guide material. In some embodiments, the light guide may include a coating in addition to or in place of the aforementioned refractive index difference to further promote total internal reflection. For example, the coating may be a reflective coating. The light guide may be any of a number of light guides including, but not limited to, one or both of a plate or slab light guide and a ribbon light guide.

According to various embodiments, the light guide itself may comprise an optically transparent material configured to guide light by total internal reflection. Any of a variety of optically transparent materials may be employed in the light guide, including, but not limited to, one or more of various types of glass (e.g., silica glass, alkali aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, etc.) and substantially optically transparent plastics or polymers (e.g., poly (methyl methacrylate) or "acrylic glass," polycarbonate, etc.).

Further, herein, the term "plate", when applied to a light guide as in a "plate light guide", is defined as a layer or sheet of segments or different planes, sometimes referred to as a "flat plate" light guide. In particular, a plate light guide is defined as a light guide configured to guide light in two substantially orthogonal directions defined by a top surface and a bottom surface (i.e., opposing surfaces) of the light guide. Further, by definition herein, both the top and bottom surfaces are separated from each other and may be substantially parallel to each other in at least a differential sense. That is, the top and bottom surfaces are substantially parallel or coplanar within any differentiated fraction of the plate light guide.

In some embodiments, the plate light guide may be substantially flat (i.e. confined to one plane), and thus, the plate light guide is a planar light guide. In other embodiments, the plate light guide may be curved in one or two orthogonal dimensions. For example, the plate light guide may be curved in a single dimension to form a cylindrical plate light guide. However, any curvature has a radius of curvature large enough to ensure that total internal reflection is maintained within the plate light guide to guide the light. A "light guide substrate" is, according to the definition herein, a substrate comprising a light guide, e.g. a plate-like light guide.

Herein, a "diffraction grating" is generally defined as a plurality of features (i.e., diffractive features) arranged to provide diffraction of light incident on the diffraction grating. In some examples, the plurality of features may be arranged in a periodic or quasi-periodic manner. For example, a diffraction grating may include a plurality of features (e.g., a plurality of grooves or ridges in a surface of a material) arranged in a one-dimensional (1D) array. In other examples, the diffraction grating may be a two-dimensional (2D) array of features. The diffraction grating may be, for example, a 2D array of projections or holes on the surface of the material.

Thus, by definition herein, a "diffraction grating" is a structure that provides diffraction of light incident on the diffraction grating. If light is incident from the light guide onto the diffraction grating, the diffraction or diffractive scattering provided may result in and is therefore referred to as "diffractive coupling" because the diffraction grating may couple light out of the light guide by diffraction. Diffraction gratings also redirect or change the angle of light by diffraction (i.e., at a diffraction angle). In particular, as a result of diffraction, light exiting a diffraction grating typically has a propagation direction that is different from the propagation direction of light incident on the diffraction grating (i.e., the incident light). Changing the propagation direction of light by diffraction is referred to herein as "diffractive redirection". Thus, a diffraction grating may be understood as a structure comprising diffractive features that diffractively redirect light incident on the diffraction grating, and if light is incident from the light guide, the diffraction grating may also diffractively couple out light from the light guide.

Further, by definition herein, features of a diffraction grating are referred to as "diffractive features" and can be one or more of at a material surface (i.e., a boundary between two materials), in a material surface, and on a material surface. For example, the surface may be a surface of a light guide. The diffractive features can include any of a variety of structures that diffract light, including, but not limited to, one or more of grooves, ridges, holes, and bumps on, in, or on the surface. For example, the diffraction grating may comprise a plurality of substantially parallel grooves in the surface of the material. In another example, the diffraction grating may comprise a plurality of parallel ridges protruding from the surface of the material. The diffractive features (e.g., grooves, ridges, apertures, bumps, etc.) can have any of a variety of cross-sectional shapes or profiles that provide diffraction, including but not limited to one or more of sinusoidal profiles, rectangular profiles (e.g., binary diffraction gratings), triangular profiles, and sawtooth profiles (e.g., blazed gratings).

According to various examples described herein, a diffraction grating (e.g., of a multibeam element, as described below) may be used to diffractively scatter or couple light out of a light guide (e.g., a plate light guide) as a light beam. In particular, the diffraction angle θ of a partial periodic diffraction grating_mOr the diffraction angle provided by it, can be given by equation (1):

where λ is the wavelength of the light, m is the diffraction order, n is the index of refraction of the light guide, d is the distance or spacing between the features of the diffraction grating, and θ_iIs the angle of incidence of light on the diffraction grating. For simplicity, equation (1) assumes that the diffraction grating is adjacent to the surface of the light guide and that the refractive index of the material outside the light guide is equal to one (i.e., n)_out1). Typically, the diffraction order m is given by an integer. Derived fromDiffraction angle theta of light beam generated by grating_mCan be given by equation (1) where the diffraction order is positive (e.g., m > 0). For example, when the diffraction order m is equal to one (i.e., m ═ 1), first order diffraction is provided.

Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a diffraction grating 30 in an example according to an embodiment consistent with principles described herein. For example, the diffraction grating 30 may be located on a surface of the light guide 40, and further, FIG. 2 shows the diffraction grating at an incident angle θ_iA light beam 50 incident on the diffraction grating 30. The light beam 50 is a guided light beam within the light guide 40, and also shown in fig. 2 is a directed light beam 60 that is diffracted by the diffraction grating 30 and coupled out as a result of the diffraction of the incident light beam 50, the directed light beam 60 having a diffraction angle θ as given by equation (1)_m(or "principal angular direction" herein). Diffraction angle theta_mFor example, may correspond to the diffraction order "m" of diffraction grating 30.

By definition herein, a "generic grating" or, equivalently, a "generic diffraction grating" is defined as a diffraction grating that substantially covers or has a range comparable to the range of a substrate, e.g. a light guiding substrate. For example, by definition, a generic grating may have a length approximately equal to the light guide substrate, and may also have a width approximately equal to the substrate. In some embodiments, the extent of the generic grating may exclude border regions or stripes along one or more edges of the substrate. In other embodiments, a "generic grating" may be defined as a diffraction grating that extends only beyond the boundary of the grating elements formed by or using the generic grating, and in some embodiments completely beyond the boundary, as described in detail below. In some embodiments, the universal diffraction grating may be or include a sub-wavelength diffraction grating having one or both of a diffractive feature size and a diffractive feature pitch that is less than a wavelength λ of light diffracted by the diffraction grating.

In some embodiments, the generic grating may be a uniform diffraction grating or have uniformly or substantially uniformly spaced diffractive features (i.e., grating pitch) across the generic grating. For example, the uniform diffraction grating may include a plurality of diffractive features, each diffractive feature of the plurality of diffractive features having a similar size and having a similar pitch as adjacent diffractive features.

In other embodiments, the generic grating may include a plurality of sub-gratings. In some embodiments, different sub-gratings of the plurality of sub-gratings may have different characteristics from each other. For example, the sub-grating may include one or both of a different diffractive feature pitch and a different diffractive feature orientation than other sub-gratings of the plurality of sub-gratings. In some embodiments, the diffractive features of the sub-gratings may be curved, for example, the diffractive features may comprise one or both of curved grooves or ridges.

In some embodiments, sub-gratings of the plurality of sub-gratings may be arranged in an array. According to various embodiments, the array may be a one-dimensional (1D) array or a two-dimensional (2D) array. Further, in some embodiments, the generic grating may comprise a plurality of sub-grating arrays that repeat across an extent of the generic grating. In other embodiments, different sub-gratings of the plurality of sub-gratings may be substantially randomly distributed across the extent of the common grating.

In other embodiments, the generic grating may comprise a chirped diffraction grating or even an array of chirped diffraction gratings. By definition, a "chirped" diffraction grating is a diffraction grating that exhibits or has a diffraction spacing of diffractive features that varies across the range or length of the chirped diffraction grating. In some embodiments, a chirped diffraction grating may have or exhibit a chirp of the diffractive feature spacing that varies linearly with distance. Thus, by definition, a chirped diffraction grating is a "linearly chirped" diffraction grating. In other embodiments, the chirped diffraction grating may exhibit a non-linear chirp of the diffractive feature spacing. Various non-linear chirps may be used, including but not limited to exponential chirps, logarithmic chirps, or chirps that vary in another substantially non-uniform or random, but still monotonic, manner. Non-monotonic chirps may also be employed, such as but not limited to sinusoidal chirps or triangular or saw-tooth chirps. In some embodiments, the sub-gratings of the generic grating may comprise chirped diffraction gratings.

Herein, a "collimator" is defined as essentially any optical device or apparatus configured to collimate light. According to various embodiments, the amount of collimation provided by the collimator may vary by a predetermined degree or amount from one embodiment to another. Further, the collimator may be configured to provide collimation in one or both of two orthogonal directions (e.g., a vertical direction and a horizontal direction). That is, according to some embodiments, the collimator may include a shape that provides light collimation in one or both of two orthogonal directions.

Herein, the "collimation factor" is defined as the degree to which light is collimated. In particular, the collimation factor, as defined herein, defines the angular spread of light rays in a collimated light beam. For example, the collimation factor σ may specify that most of the light rays in the collimated light beam are within a particular angular spread (e.g., +/- σ degrees around the center or principal angular direction of the collimated light beam). According to some examples, the rays of the collimated light beam may have a gaussian distribution in terms of angle, and the angular spread may be an angle determined by half of the peak intensity of the collimated light beam.

Herein, a "light source" is defined as a light source (e.g., an optical emitter configured to generate and emit light). For example, the light source may comprise a light emitter, such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED) that emits light when activated or turned on. In particular, the light source herein may be or include substantially any light source including, but not limited to, one or more of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), a laser, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), a polymer light emitting diode, a plasma-based optical emitter, a fluorescent lamp, an incandescent lamp, and virtually any other light source. The light generated by the light source may be of a color (i.e., may include light of a particular wavelength), or may be a range of wavelengths (e.g., white light). In some embodiments, the light source may comprise a plurality of light emitters. For example, the light source may comprise a group or set of light emitters, wherein at least one light emitter produces light having a color or wavelength different from the color or wavelength of light produced by at least one other light emitter of the group or set. For example, the different colors may include primary colors (e.g., red, green, blue).

Herein, "nanoimprint lithography" is defined as transferring a pattern to an imprintable surface of a substrate by or using an imprint process using a mold or patterning tool, wherein features represented in the mold or patterning tool include nanoscale dimensions or nanoscale tolerances. In some examples, the imprintable surface may comprise a relatively softer material of the substrate itself than the mold. In another example, the imprintable surface may comprise a layer of relatively soft material deposited or applied on the substrate surface. In either case, the relatively softer material of the imprintable surface is configured to receive and retain the imprint pattern after removal of the mold and during further processing. The surface that receives the softer material of the mold during imprinting is referred to herein as the "receiving layer" or "receiving surface".

In some embodiments, the relatively softer material may be cured or hardened during imprinting to facilitate retention of the imprinted pattern. Curing essentially "freezes" or fixes the receiving layer into the shape or pattern defined by the mold. For example, a layer of a photo-curable material, such as, but not limited to, photo-activated monomers, oligomers, or polymers (e.g., photoresists), that hardens when exposed to light (e.g., infrared, visible, or Ultraviolet (UV) radiation) may be used as the receiving layer. Prior to curing, the photocurable material is soft (e.g., liquid or semi-liquid) and readily accepts the mold to imprint the pattern. Upon exposure, the photocurable material cures around the mold. The cured photocurable material of the receiving layer thus maintains the imprint pattern of the mold.

In another example, a thermoplastic material applied as a layer or film to the surface of a substrate may be used as the receiving layer. Prior to embossing, the layer of thermoplastic material is heated to about the glass transition temperature of the material, thereby softening the material. The mold is pressed into the softened material and the material is cooled below the glass transition temperature, causing the material to harden or solidify around the imprinted mold. The imprinted pattern is retained by the solidified thermoplastic material. Examples of thermoplastic polymers useful as the receiving layer include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate, poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA).

In some embodiments, the imprint pattern formed in the soft material layer may then be further "transferred" into the substrate by, for example, photolithography and etching as a positive image of the mold. The transferred pattern is further processed to form features in the substrate. These features are typically of nanometer scale dimensions. Dry etching techniques, such as, but not limited to, Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) and plasma etching or wet chemical etching techniques, may be used to transfer the features to selectively remove substrate material and form the features. According to some embodiments, the molded receiving layer may also be etched or even removed using one or both of dry and wet etching techniques.

Further, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to have their ordinary meaning in the patent art, i.e., "one or more". For example, "reflective island" refers to one or more reflective islands, and thus, herein, "reflective island" refers to "one or more reflective islands". Also, any reference herein to "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "first," "second," "left," or "right" is not intended to be limiting herein. As used herein, the term "about" when applied to a value generally means within the tolerance of the equipment used to produce the value, or may mean plus or minus 10%, or plus or minus 5%, or plus or minus 1%, unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, as used herein, the term "substantially" refers to a majority, or almost all, or an amount in the range of about 51% to about 100%. Furthermore, the examples herein are intended to be illustrative only and are presented for purposes of discussion and not limitation.

According to some embodiments of the principles described herein, a method of manufacturing a diffractive backlight is provided. FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in an example, according to an embodiment consistent with principles described herein. As shown, a method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight includes forming 110 a generic grating on a light guide substrate. In some embodiments, forming 110 the generic grating may provide the generic grating on or adjacent to a surface of the light guide substrate. In other embodiments, the generic grating may be provided on a surface of a layer of optical material, which in turn is provided on a surface of the light guiding substrate.

According to various embodiments, forming 110 the generic grating may employ any of a variety of different patterning methods, including, but not limited to, photolithography, focused ion beam lithography, electron beam lithography, and nanoimprint lithography (NIL). In particular, in some embodiments, forming 110 the generic grating on the photoconductive substrate may include nanoimprinting the generic grating in a nanoimprinting-receiving layer of the photoconductive substrate using a nanoimprinting mold. In some embodiments, the nanoimprint receiving layer may include a material of the light guide substrate, such as a surface of the light guide substrate itself. In other embodiments, the nanoimprint receiving layer may include a layer or material deposited or disposed on a surface of the photoconductive substrate. For example, the layer may be a layer of optical material formable according to nanoimprint lithography, having a refractive index matching that of the photoconductive substrate, e.g. a layer of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on the surface of a glass or PMMA photoconductive substrate.

The method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight shown in FIG. 3 also includes forming 120 reflective islands on the light guide substrate. According to some embodiments, forming 120 the reflective islands includes patterning a layer of reflective material to define the reflective islands. According to various embodiments, the layer of reflective material may comprise one or more of a metal, a metal polymer (e.g., polymeric aluminum), and a high index of refraction dielectric. For example, the layer of reflective material may be deposited by or using one or more of evaporation deposition, sputter deposition, or equivalents. The layer of reflective material may then be patterned, for example using photolithography or imprint lithography. In another example, forming 120 the reflective islands may include ink stamping, screen printing, or a similar printing process. In yet another example, forming 120 the reflective islands can employ a preform deposition in which a reflective island preform is employed.

In some embodiments, the generic grating is located on a surface of the lightguide substrate and the reflective islands are formed 120 over the generic grating. Thus, forming 110 a generic grating is performed before forming 120 the reflective islands. In particular, in some embodiments, forming 120 the reflective islands includes depositing a layer of reflective material on the generic grating, and then etching the layer of reflective material using a patterned photoresist to remove a portion of the layer of reflective material and define the reflective islands.

In other embodiments, forming 120 the reflective islands is performed prior to forming 110 the generic grating. For example, the reflective islands may be formed 120 on the surface of the light guide substrate and then the generic grating may be formed 110 in a receiving layer applied over the reflective islands. As a result, the reflective islands may be located on the surface of the lightguide substrate and then a 110 common grating is formed on the reflective islands.

As shown in fig. 3, the method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight further includes using the reflective islands to select 130 a portion of the generic grating to define grating elements. The grating elements defined by selection 130 represent diffraction gratings that include a relatively small portion of the original generic grating. Furthermore, the defined grating elements have a size and a position on the light guiding substrate determined by the reflective islands. For example, as a result of selecting 130 the generic grating portion, the grating elements may be substantially similar in size and may also be substantially juxtaposed or aligned with the reflective islands. According to various embodiments, the reflective diffraction grating elements of the diffractive backlight comprise a combination of grating elements and reflective islands.

In some embodiments, selecting 130 a portion of the generic grating to define the grating elements using the reflective islands includes removing the exposed portion of the generic grating that is not covered by the reflective islands by etching the exposed portion. In particular, the option 130 may employ the reflective islands as a photomask to lithographically define the grating elements.

For example, selecting 130 a portion of the generic grating may include applying a photoresist to cover the generic grating. The photoresist is then exposed using a collimated light source to illuminate the photoresist from the side of the photoconductive substrate opposite the side on which the reflective islands are located. According to various embodiments, the photoresist may be a positive photoresist and the reflective islands serve as a photomask to define a portion of the photoresist remaining after the photoresist is developed. Selecting 130 the portion of the generic grating to define the grating element then further comprises removing the exposed portion of the generic grating not covered by the remaining photoresist. For example, removing the exposed portions of the generic grating may include etching the exposed portions to remove material of the generic grating that is not covered by the photoresist.

In other embodiments, the selection 130 may employ etching or similar processes to remove a portion or portions of the generic grating to define the grating elements, with the reflective islands being used as an etch mask. In other embodiments, selecting 130 portions of the generic grating to define the grating elements using the reflective islands includes covering the generic grating and the reflective islands with a layer of optical material that is index matched to the generic grating.

In some embodiments (not shown in fig. 3), the method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight further comprises applying a negative photoresist to cover the reflective islands and the grating elements. After application, the negative photoresist may be exposed using a collimated light source to illuminate the negative photoresist and define an opening in the photoresist over the grating element. A reflective material may be deposited on the grating elements through the openings in the photoresist. As a result, the reflective material may exclusively cover the grating elements.

In some embodiments, a layer of optical material may be deposited on the light guide substrate such that the layer of optical material embeds the grating elements, the reflective islands, and the reflective material covering the grating elements. The exposed portion of the generic grating that is removed is the exposed portion covered by the layer of optical material.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method 200 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in another example according to an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. As shown in fig. 4, a method 200 of fabricating a diffractive backlight includes forming 210 reflective islands on a surface of a light guide. In various embodiments, the reflective islands may include, but are not limited to, one or more of metals, metal polymers, and high index dielectrics. In some embodiments, forming 210 the reflective islands may be substantially similar to forming 120 the reflective islands as described above with respect to method 100 of fabricating a diffractive backlight. For example, the reflective islands may be formed 210 using photolithographic patterning of a deposited layer of reflective material. Further, in some embodiments, the light guide may be substantially similar to the light guide substrate of method 100 of fabricating a diffractive backlight described above.

As shown in fig. 4, the method 200 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight further includes depositing 220 a layer of optical material on the light guide to cover the reflective islands. In various embodiments, the optical material is index matched to the material of the light guide. For example, the light guide may comprise glass or poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the optical material may comprise PMMA, both having a refractive index of about 1.5.

The method 200 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight shown in FIG. 4 also includes forming 230 a generic grating on the layer of optical material. In some embodiments, forming 230 the generic grating may be substantially similar to forming 110 the generic grating, as described above with respect to method 100 of fabricating a diffractive backlight. For example, in some embodiments, forming 230 a generic grating may use nanoimprint lithography.

According to various embodiments, the method 200 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight further comprises selecting 240 a portion of the generic grating to define grating elements using the reflective islands. In various embodiments, the reflective diffraction grating elements of the diffractive backlight comprise a combination of grating elements and reflective islands. In some embodiments, selecting 240 a portion of a generic grating may be substantially similar to selecting 130 a portion of a generic grating of method 100 of fabricating a diffractive backlight described above. For example, selection 240 may include applying a photoresist to cover the generic grating and exposing the photoresist using a collimated light source to illuminate the photoresist from a side of the light guide opposite the side where the reflective islands are located, where the reflective islands serve as a photomask. Further, selecting 240 a portion of the generic grating to define the grating elements may include, for example, one of etching exposed portions of the generic grating that are not covered by the remaining photoresist or covering the exposed portions of the generic grating with a layer of optical material.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight in another example according to an embodiment consistent with the principles described herein. As shown in fig. 5, a method 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight includes forming 310 a generic grating on a surface of a light guide by nanoimprinting the generic grating using a nanoimprinting mold. In some embodiments, forming 310 a generic grating may be substantially similar to forming 310 a generic grating of method 100 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight, as described above.

The method 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight shown in fig. 5 further includes forming 320 reflective islands on the generic grating, and selecting 330 a portion of the generic grating to define grating elements using the reflective islands. As described above, the reflective diffraction grating elements of the diffractive backlight may comprise a combination of grating elements and reflective islands. In some embodiments, one or both of forming 320 the reflective islands and selecting 330 a portion of the generic grating may be substantially similar to forming 120 the reflective islands and forming the generic grating, respectively, as described above. For example, forming 320 the reflective islands on the generic grating may include patterning a layer of reflective material to define the reflective islands, the layer of reflective material including one or more of a metal, a metal polymer, and a high index of refraction dielectric.

In some embodiments, selecting 330 portions of the generic grating to define the grating elements using the reflective islands includes removing the exposed portions of the generic grating that are not covered by the reflective islands by etching the exposed portions. In other embodiments, selecting 330 a portion of the generic grating includes covering the generic grating and the reflective islands with a layer of optical material that is index matched to the generic grating.

In some embodiments, the generic grating may comprise openings in the generic grating. For example, the openings may be provided by a photolithographic process (e.g., etching of a generic grating). In these embodiments, the method 300 may further include depositing a layer of reflective material in the openings to provide reflective islands that are not reflective diffraction grating elements.

Examples of the invention

Several examples of diffractive backlight manufacturing according to one or more of the above-described methods 100, 200, 300 are given below. Examples the results of the above-described methods are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation.

Fig. 6A-6G illustrate cross-sectional views of fabricating a diffractive backlight 400 in an example according to an embodiment of the principles described herein. In particular, FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate a diffractive backlight 400 that includes a light guide substrate 410. In some embodiments, the light guide substrate 410 may be substantially similar to the light guide substrate or light guide described above with respect to the methods 100, 200, 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight. In particular, according to various embodiments, the light guide of the diffractive backlight 400 may include a light guide substrate 410.

As shown in fig. 6A, a general grating 420 is provided on the surface of the light guide substrate 410. The generic grating 420 typically extends over the entire surface or substantially the entire surface of the light guide substrate 410. In some embodiments, the generic grating 420 may be substantially similar to the generic grating provided by forming 110 the generic grating, which was described above with respect to the methods 100, 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight. For example, nanoimprint lithography may be used to provide the generic grating 420 on the photoconductive substrate 410.

Figure 6B shows a reflective island 430 formed on and covering a portion 422 of a generic grating 420. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, another portion 424 of the generic grating 420 is exposed and not covered by the generic grating 420. According to some embodiments, the reflective islands 430 may be substantially similar to the reflective islands described above as provided by forming 120, 320 the reflective islands of the above-described methods 100, 300 of fabricating diffractive backlights.

In various embodiments, the exposed portions 424 may be removed to define the grating elements 426 of the diffractive backlight 400. In particular, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6C, the exposed portions 424 may be removed by covering the generic grating 420 and the reflective islands 430 with a layer of optical material 440 having an index of refraction matching the material of the generic grating 420. As described above, the optical material 440 has an index of refraction substantially similar to that of the generic grating 420, such that covering the generic grating 420 effectively eliminates any diffractive features thereof in the exposed portions 424. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6D, the exposed portions 424 of the generic grating 420 may be removed by etching the exposed portions 424 using the reflective islands 430 as an etch mask.

Removing exposed portions 424 selects portions 422 of the generic grating as grating elements 426. According to some embodiments, the removal of the exposed portion 424 may represent the use of the reflective island 430 to select 130, 330 a portion of the generic grating 420 to define the grating elements, as described with respect to the method 100, 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight. For example, in FIG. 6C, the reflective islands 430 effectively protect the cover portions 422 when the layer of optical material is applied to select and define the grating elements 426, while in FIG. 6D, the reflective islands 430 select and define the grating elements 426 by acting as an etch resist that prevents the cover portions 422 from being etched away.

Once defined, grating elements 426, together with reflective islands 430, may represent reflective diffraction grating elements 402 of diffractive backlight 400. In some embodiments (e.g., fig. 6C), the reflective diffraction grating elements 402 are embedded in a light guide comprising a light guide substrate 410 and a layer of optical material 440. In other embodiments (e.g., fig. 6D), the reflective diffraction grating elements 402 may be on or at the surface of the light guide substrate 410 that serves as the diffractive backlight 400.

In some embodiments, the generic grating 420 may include openings in the generic grating 420. Additionally, in some embodiments, a layer of reflective material may be deposited in the openings to provide reflective islands that are not part of or included in the reflective diffraction grating elements. FIG. 6E shows a top view and FIG. 6F shows a side view of the diffractive backlight 400 depicting a plurality of openings 428 in the generic grating 420. A reflective island 432 within each opening 428 of the plurality of openings is also illustrated by way of example and not limitation. As shown in fig. 6F, the reflective islands 432 within the openings 428 do not cover any generic grating 420 and are therefore not part of a reflective diffraction grating element. On the other hand, after the grating elements 426 are selected and defined, the reflective islands 430 and the grating elements 426 (including the overlying portions of the generic grating) are part of the reflective diffraction grating elements 402, as shown in FIG. 6G.

Fig. 7A-7F illustrate cross-sectional views of another example of fabricating a diffractive backlight 400 according to an embodiment of the principles described herein. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6F, the diffractive backlight 400 shown in FIGS. 7A-7F includes a light guide substrate 410. Further, fig. 7A illustrates a reflective island 430 formed on the surface of the light guide substrate 410. According to some embodiments, the reflective islands 430 and the steps of forming the reflective islands may be substantially similar to the reflective islands provided by forming 120, 210 the reflective islands on the light guide substrate or light guide of the methods 100, 200 of manufacturing diffractive backlights described above.

Fig. 7B shows the lightguide substrate 410 and the reflective islands 430 of the diffractive backlight 400 covered by a layer of optical material 440 that has been deposited on the lightguide substrate 410 and over the reflective islands 430. As illustrated, the optical material 440 may be index matched to the lightguide substrate 410, i.e., the optical material 440 may have an index of refraction substantially similar to the lightguide substrate 410. In some embodiments, the layer of optical material 440 may be deposited on the light guide substrate 410 according to the deposition 220 of layer material of the method 200 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight described above.

Fig. 7C shows a generic grating 420 provided or formed in a receiving layer of optical material 440. In some embodiments, the surface 440a of the optical material layer 440 may serve as a receiving layer. In other embodiments (not shown), another layer of material may be disposed or applied on the surface of the optical material to serve as a receiving layer. As described above, the generic grating 420 may be provided or formed according to the formation 110, 230, 310 of the method 100, 200, 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight.

FIG. 7D shows a positive photoresist 450 applied over the generic grating 420. Also shown is an arrow representing exposure of the positive photoresist 450, which illuminates the positive photoresist 450 from the side of the lightguide substrate 410 opposite the side where the reflective lightguide 430 is located, using a collimated light source. As shown, the reflective islands 430 are used as a photomask to define portions 452 of the positive photoresist 450 that remain after the positive photoresist 450 is developed. Another portion 454 of the photoresist is removed by developing the positive photoresist 450. In particular, as shown in fig. 7D, the reflective islands 430 block some light (arrows) from the collimated light source, preventing the blocked light from reaching and illuminating (i.e., exposing) portions 452 of the positive photoresist 450 directly above the reflective islands 430, as shown. As shown, another portion 454 of the positive photoresist 450 is exposed to light from a light source, allowing the other portion 454 to be removed during development of the positive photoresist.

Fig. 7E shows a portion 452 of the positive photoresist 450 that remains after the positive photoresist 450 is developed. The remaining portion 452 covers and protects a portion 422 of the generic grating 420, while other portions 424 of the generic grating 420 are unprotected, and thus are exposed portions 424. According to various embodiments, the portion 422 of the generic grating 420 may be selected or more specifically further selected to define the grating elements 426 by removing exposed portions 424 of the generic grating 420 that are not covered by remaining portions 452 of the positive photoresist 450. For example, the exposed portions 424 of the generic grating 420 may be removed by etching.

FIG. 7F shows the diffractive backlight 400 after the remaining portions of the positive photoresist are removed. As shown in fig. 7F, reflective diffraction grating element 402 includes reflective islands 430 positioned below and aligned with grating elements 426.

Fig. 8A-8G illustrate cross-sectional views of a diffractive backlight 400 fabricated in yet another example of an embodiment according to principles described herein. As shown in FIGS. 6A-6F and 7A-7F, the diffractive backlight 400 shown in FIGS. 8A-8G includes a light guide substrate 410. In addition, fig. 8A illustrates a reflective island 430 formed on the surface of the light guide substrate 410. The reflective islands 430 may be arranged as described above. For example, the reflective islands 430 may be formed using photolithographic patterning of a layer of reflective material applied to the surface of the lightguide substrate.

Fig. 8B shows a generic grating 420 provided over a reflective island 430 on the surface of a lightguide substrate 410. As described above, nanoimprint lithography may be used to provide the generic grating 420 on the surface of the photoconductive substrate. For example, a receiving layer comprising a layer of optical material (e.g., index-matched optical material layer 440) can be deposited on the lightguide substrate surface and over the reflective islands. Then, for example, a nanoimprinting mold can be used to nanoimprint the generic grating 420.

As shown in fig. 8C, a positive photoresist 450 may be applied over the generic grating 420, and the reflective islands 430 may be used as a photomask to define a portion 452 of the positive photoresist 450 remaining after the positive photoresist is developed. For example, fig. 8C shows an arrow representing exposure of the positive photoresist 450, which illuminates the positive photoresist 450 from the side of the lightguide substrate 410 opposite the side where the reflective islands 430 are located using a collimated light source, e.g., as described above with respect to fig. 7D. Also, as previously described, another portion 454 of the photoresist is removed by developing the positive photoresist 450, leaving a remaining portion 452. Further, as described above, the remaining portion 452 selects the portion 422 of the generic grating 420 to define the grating elements 426.

FIG. 8D shows the grating element 426 after removal of the exposed portions of the generic grating 420 not covered by the remaining portions 452 of the positive photoresist 450 after photoresist development. As shown, etching may be used to remove the exposed portions to provide the grating elements 426 on the reflective islands 430.

According to some embodiments, the grating elements 426 may be coated with a layer of reflective material. According to various embodiments, the layer of reflective material may be relatively thin, such that the coating of the grating elements 426 retains the diffraction grating of the grating elements 426 in the layer of reflective material.

Figure 8E shows the use of a negative photoresist 460 which is exposed using collimated light as described above, followed by the deposition of a reflective material 470 to provide a coating of reflective material on the grating elements 426. In particular, the grating elements 426 are exposed by developing the negative photoresist 460 after using the reflective islands 430 as a photomask. A reflective material 470 may then be deposited using sputtering, evaporation deposition, or the like to coat the exposed portions 462 of the negative photoresist 460 and the exposed grating elements 426.

As shown in fig. 8F, removal of the exposed portions 462 of the negative photoresist 460 and the accompanying stripping of the reflective material 470 that does not cover the grating elements 426 leaves a coating of reflective material 470 behind the reflective islands 430 and grating elements 426. According to various embodiments, the thickness of the negative photoresist 460 may be selected to support stripping of the reflective material 470 on the exposed portions 462 of the negative photoresist 460.

Fig. 8G illustrates the diffractive backlight 400 after depositing an index-matched optical material 440 to cover the reflective islands 430 and the reflective material coated grating elements 426 according to some embodiments. As shown, the light guide of diffractive backlight 400 includes a combination of index-matched optical material 440 and light guide substrate 410. In addition, the reflective diffraction grating elements 402 of the diffractive backlight 400 include reflective islands 430 and alignment grating elements 426 having a coating of reflective material 470.

FIGS. 9A-9E illustrate cross-sectional views of a diffractive backlight 400 fabricated in yet another example of an embodiment according to principles described herein. Fig. 9A shows a light guide substrate 410 and reflective islands 430 of a diffractive backlight 400 covered with a generic grating 420, e.g., as described above with respect to fig. 8A-8B. As described above, the generic grating 420 may be provided or formed according to the formation 110, 230, 310 of the method 100, 200, 300 of manufacturing a diffractive backlight. In particular, for example, nanoimprint lithography using a nanoimprint mold may be used to form the generic grating 420.

FIG. 9B shows a negative photoresist 460 that has been applied over the generic grating 420. Also shown is an arrow representing the exposure of the negative photoresist 460, which illuminates the negative photoresist 460 from the side of the light guide substrate 410 opposite the side where the reflective guide 430 is located, using a collimated light source. As shown, the reflective islands 430 serve as a photomask to define exposed portions 462 that remain after the negative photoresist 460 is developed. Another portion 464 of the negative photoresist 460 is removed by developing the negative photoresist 460 to expose the portion 422 of the generic grating 420 that is aligned with the reflective islands 430. As a result, the reflective islands 430 serve to select portions 422 and define grating elements 426.

Figure 9C shows a layer of reflective material 470 deposited on the negative photoresist 460 and the exposed portion 422 of the generic grating 420. As described above, the reflective material 470 may be thin enough to preserve the diffraction grating of the generic grating in the deposited layer of reflective material.

Figure 9D shows a portion 472 of the layer of reflective material remaining on the generic grating 420 after removal of the exposed portion 462 of the negative photoresist 460 and the accompanying stripping of the reflective material 470. As shown, the remaining portions 472 of the layer of reflective material are aligned with the reflective islands and effectively define the grating elements 426. That is, the negative photoresist 460 is exposed using the reflective islands 430 as a photomask, followed by deposition and stripping of a layer of reflective material, selecting the portions 422 of the generic grating 420 and defining the grating elements 426.

Fig. 9E shows the diffractive backlight 400 after depositing an index-matched optical material 440 to cover the reflective islands 430 and the reflective material coated grating elements 426. As shown, the light guide of diffractive backlight 400 includes a combination of index-matched optical material 440 and light guide substrate 410. In addition, the reflective diffraction grating elements 402 of the diffractive backlight 400 include reflective islands 430 and alignment grating elements 426 having a coating of reflective material 470.

Thus, examples and embodiments of several methods of manufacturing diffractive backlights have been described that employ reflective islands to select a portion of a generic grating as or to define grating elements, where the reflective islands and grating elements comprise reflective diffractive grating elements of a diffractive backlight. It should be understood that the above-described examples are merely illustrative of some of the many specific examples that represent the principles described herein. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can easily devise many other arrangements without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.