Display, AR & Micro-Optics Processing
Laser-based microstructuring of AR waveguides, micro-lens arrays, OLED patterns, and consumer-electronics optics — sub-micron precision with low-edge-chipping for transparent materials.
Step 1 — Define your goal
What are you trying to achieve?
Pick the experiment / project closest to yours. We'll route you to the right system architecture and BOM.
Step 2 — Confirm the problem
Common project challenges
If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place. WaveQuanta engineers have seen — and solved — every one of them.
Sub-micron feature consistency
AR waveguide gratings need sub-100 nm depth control across > 100 cm² substrate.
Low edge-chipping for thin glass
< 1 µm chipping on 0.1 mm UTG / display glass without crack propagation.
Transparent material processing
Glass, sapphire, polymer — wavelength + pulse width matching to absorption.
Thin-film damage control
Below the OLED stack, no damage to underlying layers.
Optical-performance verification
How to inline-verify diffraction efficiency, surface roughness, lens shape.
Equipment integration with existing line
Drop-in process module for an existing display production tool.
Throughput at consumer-electronics volume
Tens of millions of parts per year requires > kHz throughput.
Process recipe portability
Recipe must transfer between fabs / shifts without re-tuning.
Step 3 — Understand the system
Typical system architecture
Most projects in this area follow a similar signal flow. Your specific architecture depends on resolution, throughput, and form-factor targets.
Sealed industrial fs source for sub-µm precision on transparent / heat-sensitive materials.
Telecentric or F-theta with sub-µm spot for fine features.
Galvo + XY stage for pattern transfer at high throughput.
Microscope-based or interferometric inspection on the work line.
Pulse-by-pulse energy + beam profile + thermal monitoring.
Step 4 — Pick the modules
Recommended system modules
These are the building blocks. Each module is a category of products — pick the right brand and grade for your project stage below.
Femtosecond Laser Source
Sealed industrial fs source for sub-µm precision on transparent / heat-sensitive materials.
- Yb fs · 1030 / 515 / 343 nm
- MHz repetition rate
- Industrial sealed enclosure
- Long-term reliability
Precision Focusing Optics
Telecentric or F-theta with sub-µm spot for fine features.
- F-theta f100 / f160
- Telecentric NA ≥ 0.5
- Sub-µm spot size
- Deep-DOF for thicker work
Motion / Scanning Module
Galvo + XY stage for pattern transfer at high throughput.
- Galvo X-Y aperture 12 mm
- Encoded XY stage sub-µm
- Z auto-focus
- Matched scan speed
Inline Optical Inspection
Microscope-based or interferometric inspection on the work line.
- Confocal / interference scope
- High-mag objective
- Auto-focus & XY scan
- Real-time defect detection
Beam Diagnostics
Pulse-by-pulse energy + beam profile + thermal monitoring.
- Pulse energy meter
- Beam profiler
- Thermal head
Beam Shaping
DOE / refractive shaper for top-hat or annular beam — uniform feature depth.
- DOE for shaped beam
- Refractive top-hat
- Field-replaceable mount
Microstructure Metrology
Atomic-force, white-light interferometry, or confocal for sub-nm verification.
- AFM for nano-scale features
- White-light interferometer
- Confocal microscope
Process Development Kit
Modular fixturing, sample holders, diagnostics — for fast process recipe turnaround.
- Sample holder fixtures
- Process data logging
- Recipe import / export
- Process simulator
Step 5 — Match your project stage
Choose your project stage
Same modules, three configurations sized for where your project is today. Move up the tiers as you progress from research to validation to OEM.
Research Starter
Process feasibility / sample build
Benchtop micro-optics fabrication. Validates the laser-material interaction window for new micro-structures.
- 1030 nm Yb fs · ≤20 W
- Manual XY + galvo + F-theta
- Manual diagnostics
- Microscope inspection station
- Process starter samples
BOM tier: $80k – $200k
Engineering Validation
Pilot line / process recipe
Locked-spec processing line for AR / display / micro-optics. Multi-wavelength, encoded stage, real-time diagnostics, with documented recipe.
- Yb fs multi-wavelength chain
- 100–200 W base laser
- Encoded XY + galvo + F-theta
- In-line beam diagnostics
- Inline confocal / interferometer
- Documented process recipe
BOM tier: $300k – $1M
OEM Production
Display / consumer-electronics line
Productized processing module for a 24/7 production tool. Locked BOM, SECS/GEM, full quality docs.
- Sealed industrial fs laser
- Closed-loop control
- High-throughput galvo + telecentric
- Integrated SECS/GEM
- SEMI quality docs
- Long-term supply contract
BOM tier: $1M+ · contract pricing
Step 6 — Run the numbers
Recommended calculators
Sanity-check your design before talking to an engineer.
Step 7 — Configure the system
Configure your setup with our engineering tools
Two ways to go from "this is what I want to do" to "this is the BOM I need".
Open AR / Display Process VL
Configure laser, F-theta, galvo, and inspection. Validate edge quality target and throughput. Export a manufacturable BOM.
Launch Virtual LabAsk AI to scope my AR / display process
Describe substrate, feature size, edge tolerance, and throughput. AI proposes wavelength, scanning, and inspection strategy.
Open AI ConciergeStep 8 — Anchor SKUs
Featured products for this application
Common picks for this application area. Your final BOM will pull from a wider catalog and be sized to your project tier.
Yi-Laser
HELIOS Femtosecond Laser
Yi-Laser
HYPERION-G MPC Pulse Compressor
LBTek
Double-Convex Lens, N-BK7, AR-coated 1100–1650 nm
LBTek
Telecentric Objective NA 0.55
WaveQuanta
Encoded XY Translation Stage
WaveQuanta
Harmonic Beam Splitter (DOE Path)
Princeton Instruments
Confocal Inspection Microscope
WaveQuanta
Wizzler 2000 Pulse Energy / Spectrum
Step 9 — Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions our application engineers hear most often.
AR waveguide grating — what's the laser challenge?
Sub-100 nm depth control across > 100 cm² substrate. Requires sub-µm spot size, sub-1% pulse-energy stability, and active focus tracking. Most teams use Yb fs at 343 nm with telecentric objective NA 0.7+.
Low edge-chipping on UTG (Ultra Thin Glass)?
State-of-the-art: <1 µm chipping on 0.1 mm UTG with fs laser at 515 nm and burst mode. Trepanning + filamentation strategy for cleaner cuts. WaveQuanta provides reference recipes for popular UTG types.
Throughput for consumer electronics volume?
Tens of millions of panels / year requires kHz pulsing + galvo scanning + multi-spot. We co-design the throughput strategy with your process engineering team.
How to verify diffraction efficiency inline?
Inline confocal microscope or white-light interferometer with grating-efficiency measurement station. Co-located with the laser station.
Wavelength: 1030, 515, or 343 nm?
1030 nm: highest throughput, but limited to thicker glass / opaque materials. 515 nm: best balance for transparent glass cutting, sub-µm features. 343 nm: cleanest features for diffractive optics, but slowest.
Does WaveQuanta provide the full process recipe?
For Engineering Validation tier and above, yes — we run process qualification on your specific glass / substrate type and deliver documented recipe + reference samples.
Wafer-level optics — what's special?
Glass / polymer wafer processing requires uniform pulse-energy across > 6" wafer, sub-µm registration to alignment marks, and in-line inspection. Most teams ramp from research to pilot using our Engineering Validation tier.
Can WaveQuanta integrate with my display production tool?
Yes — modular processing-station design with SECS/GEM hooks and standard fixturing. Drop-in compatible with most display fab inspection / processing platforms.
Step 10 — Engineering Review
Application Engineering Review
Tell us your application, current setup, and project context. A WaveQuanta application engineer will return initial recommendations within 1 business day.
- 1 Application
- 2 Current setup
- 3 Project & purchase