29 March 2018

IBELIVE project to develop compact, low-profile multi-functional optical components for data visualization or illumination

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Together with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF), TEMICON and Continental, Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH of Regensburg, Germany has been working since October 2017 on the development of extremely compact and low-profile multi-functional optical components for data visualization or illumination.

Set to run for three years and funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), the research project IBELIVE (Innovative Hybrid Diffusers for Low-Profile Lighting Systems with Tailored Light Distribution) aims to deliver universal, flexible design and manufacturing processes for space-critical applications. The project partners directly address different markets, including compact and powerful head-up projection displays, ultra-thin camera flashes, and selective direct display backlighting.

The background to the research work is the absence of any significant ways of further reducing the profile of the LED chips currently used as light sources. In contrast, there is still great potential for miniaturizing the optics.

The planned reduction in the thickness of the optical elements and the combinability of various optical functionalities in a microstructure should give designers much greater flexibility in integrating the components in the devices. Another benefit is an improvement in energy efficiency, as a much greater proportion of the generated light can be used for the applications.

The project spans the entire value-added chain from the development of optics and volume production to testing of the new technology in sample applications, and the consortium partners have years of experience in optics simulation, microstructuring of surfaces and opto-electronic system integration. In addition to coordinating the project, Osram Opto is responsible for the system concept and for the design of two application-based demonstrators, and is also researching installation and testing concepts. Continental is designing and developing two compact head-up displays with different projection light sources. The hybrid diffusers to be developed play a central role in creating images and making efficient use of light in the head-up displays (targeting image quality as perceived by the driver). The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering is developing methods and algorithms for designing hybrid diffuser optics, as well as technologies for generating deterministic surface structures. The tasks assigned to TEMICON include using interference lithography to overlay nano-scale structures and developing injection stamping and molding technologies for replicating thin two-sided hybrid diffuser optics as series products.

“The IBELIVE research project brings together a powerful consortium with many years of experience in photonic materials and the necessary know-how,” says Ulrich Streppel, Key Expert Modelling at Osram Opto Semiconductors.

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