I-Optical-Grade Silicon Carbide Waveguide AR Glasses: Ukulungiswa Kwezinto Ezivikela Ukushisa Ezisezingeni Eliphezulu

Ngokuphambene nesizinda senguquko ye-AI, izibuko ze-AR zingena kancane kancane emqondweni womphakathi. Njengombono ohlanganisa ngokungenaphutha umhlaba ongokoqobo nowangempela, izibuko ze-AR zihlukile kumadivayisi e-VR ngokuvumela abasebenzisi ukuthi babone izithombe ezivezwe ngedijithali kanye nokukhanya kwemvelo okuzungezile ngasikhathi sinye. Ukuze kufezwe lo msebenzi okabili—ukuveza izithombe ze-microdisplay emehlweni ngenkathi kulondolozwa ukudluliselwa kokukhanya kwangaphandle—izibuko ze-AR ezisekelwe ku-optical-grade silicon carbide (SiC) zisebenzisa ukwakheka kwe-waveguide (lightguide). Lo mklamo usebenzisa ukubonakaliswa kwangaphakathi okuphelele ukudlulisa izithombe, okufana nokudluliselwa kwe-optical fiber, njengoba kuboniswe kumdwebo weskimu.

Ngokuvamile, i-substrate eyodwa engamasentimitha angu-6 ehlanzekile kakhulu ingaveza ama-pair amabili ezibuko, kuyilapho i-substrate engamasentimitha angu-8 ifaka ama-pair angu-3-4. Ukwamukelwa kwezinto ze-SiC kunikeza izinzuzo ezintathu ezibalulekile:

1. Inkomba yokubuka engavamile (2.7): Inika amandla insimu yokubuka egcwele engu->80° (FOV) ngesendlalelo selensi eyodwa, isusa izinto zobuciko zothingo ezivamile emiklamo ye-AR evamile.
2. Umhlahlandlela wamagagasi ohlanganisiwe wemibala emithathu (i-RGB): Uthatha indawo yama-stack wamagagasi omugqa we-multi-layer, okunciphisa usayizi wedivayisi kanye nesisindo.
3. Ukushisa okuphezulu kakhulu (490 W/m·K): Kunciphisa ukuwohloka kokukhanya okubangelwa ukuqongelela kokushisa.

Lezi zinzuzo ziholele ekudingweni okukhulu kwemakethe kwezibuko ze-AR ezisekelwe ku-SiC. I-SiC yebanga le-optical esetshenziswa ngokuvamile iqukethe amakristalu e-semi-insulating (HPSI) ahlanzekile kakhulu, anezidingo zokulungiselela eziqinile ezifaka isandla ezindlekweni eziphakeme zamanje. Ngenxa yalokho, ukuthuthukiswa kwezingxenye ze-HPSI SiC kubaluleke kakhulu.

1. Ukwenziwa kwe-Semi-Insulating SiC Powder
Ukukhiqizwa kwezinga lezimboni kusebenzisa kakhulu ukwenziwa kokuzikhulisa okushisa okuphezulu (SHS), inqubo efuna ukulawulwa okucophelelayo:

• Izinto zokusetshenziswa: 99.999% impuphu yekhabhoni/i-silicon emsulwa enobukhulu bezinhlayiya obungu-10–100 μm.
• Ubumsulwa obuseCrucible: Izingxenye ze-Graphite ziyahlanzwa ngokushisa okuphezulu ukuze kuncishiswe ukusabalala kokungcola kwensimbi.
• Ukulawulwa kwesimo sezulu: i-argon engu-6N-purity (enezihlanzi eziku-line) icindezela ukufakwa kwe-nitrogen; amagesi e-HCl/H₂ angase angeniswe ukuze aguqule ama-compounds e-boron futhi anciphise i-nitrogen, yize ukuhlushwa kwe-H₂ kudinga ukulungiswa ukuze kuvinjelwe ukugqwala kwe-graphite.
• Izindinganiso zemishini: Izitofu zokwenziwa kumele zifinyelele ku-<10⁻⁴ Pa base vacuum, ngezinqubo eziqinile zokuhlola ukuvuza.

2. Izinselele Zokukhula Kwekristalu
Ukukhula kwe-HPSI SiC kunezidingo ezifanayo zokuhlanzeka:

• I-feedstock: Impuphu ye-SiC engu-6N+-purity ene-B/Al/N <10¹⁶ cm⁻³, i-Fe/Ti/O ngaphansi kwemingcele yomkhawulo, kanye nezinsimbi ezincane ze-alkali (Na/K).
• Izinhlelo zegesi: I-6N argon/hydrogen blends ithuthukisa ukumelana.
• Imishini: Amaphampu e-molecular aqinisekisa i-vacuum ephezulu kakhulu (<10⁻⁶ Pa); ukwelashwa kwangaphambili kwe-crucible kanye nokuhlanza i-nitrogen kubalulekile.

2.1 Ukuqamba Okusha Kokucubungula I-Substrate
Uma kuqhathaniswa ne-silicon, imijikelezo yokukhula ende ye-SiC kanye nokucindezeleka okungokwemvelo (okubangela ukuqhekeka/ukuqhekeka komphetho) kudinga ukucutshungulwa okuthuthukisiwe:

• Ukusikwa nge-laser: Kwandisa isivuno kusukela kuma-wafer angu-30 (350 μm, i-wire saw) kuya kuma-wafer angu->50 nge-boule engu-20-mm, okungenzeka ukuthi kuncishiswe ama-200-μm. Isikhathi sokucubungula sehla kusukela ezinsukwini eziyi-10-15 (i-wire saw) kuya ku-<20 min/i-wafer yamakristalu angu-8-intshi.

3. Ukubambisana Kwemboni

Ithimba le-Meta le-Orion liqale ukusebenzisa i-SiC waveguide ye-optical-grade, okwakhuthaza ukutshalwa kwezimali kwe-R&D. Ubambiswano olubalulekile luhlanganisa:

• I-TankeBlue kanye ne-MUDI Micro: Ukuthuthukiswa okuhlangene kwamalensi e-AR diffractive waveguide.
• I-Jingsheng Mech, i-Longqi Tech, i-XREAL, kanye ne-Kunyou Optoelectronics: Ubambiswano oluhlelekile lokuhlanganiswa kwe-AI/AR supply chain.

Ukuqagela kwemakethe kulinganiselwa ukuthi kuzoba namayunithi e-AR asekelwe ku-SiC angu-500,000 minyaka yonke ngo-2027, kudla ama-substrate angu-250,000 angu-6-inch (noma angu-125,000 angu-8-inch). Lo mzila ugcizelela indima yokuguqula ye-SiC kuma-optics e-AR esizukulwane esilandelayo.

I-XKH igxile ekuhlinzekeni ama-substrate e-SiC e-4H-semi-insulating (4H-SEMI) asezingeni eliphezulu anobubanzi obungashintshwa obuqala ku-2-intshi kuya ku-8-intshi, aklanyelwe ukuhlangabezana nezidingo ezithile zohlelo lokusebenza ku-RF, i-electronics yamandla, kanye ne-AR/VR optics. Amandla ethu afaka phakathi ukuphakelwa kwevolumu okuthembekile, ukwenza ngokwezifiso ngokunemba (ukujiya, ukuqondiswa, ukuqeda ubuso), kanye nokucubungula okugcwele ngaphakathi kusukela ekukhuleni kwekristalu kuya ekupholisheni. Ngale kwe-4H-SEMI, siphinde sinikeze ama-substrate e-4H-N-type, 4H/6H-P-type, kanye ne-3C-SiC, asekela ukusungulwa okuhlukahlukene kwe-semiconductor kanye ne-optoelectronic.