SCHOTT and EV Group pave the way for consumer grade AR/MR glasses

Partnering with the NILPhotonics Competence Center at EV Group (EVG), a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, the two companies have developed a patterned 300-mm glass wafer with nanoimprints. The increased wafer size combined with the capabilities of EVG’s SmartNIL technology are seen as being crucial to achieving higher production volumes – while also lowering the cost per piece.

SCHOTT RealView glass wafers are key components of next-gen AR/MR headsets and are the basis for customers’ multi-layered RGB waveguides, and therefore are a key part of the AR/MR display unit that enables an immersive user experience.

The 300-mm wafer size relies on larger AR/MR-grade optical glass bars that have never been manufactured before and required all-new manufacturing and melting processes as a result.

SCHOTT is currently providing samples of the 300-mm RealView wafers to customers and is looking to ramp up production for the larger wafer diameter processing in its facilities.