Project: Micro-Integrated Laser Light Engine.

MILLE (Micro-Integrated Laser Light Engine) is an integrated laser optics project consisting of a micro-red, green & blue laser diode chip integrated on a common micro-platform such that each laser colour is individually addressable and that each laser chip is placed to very high accuracy. Such ´micro´-RGB laser light engines are required as light sources in, e.g. ´full´ colour RGB 3D laser displays, micro-projectors, or adaptive lighting applications_x000D__x000D_The MILLE project encompasses four EU R&D SME Ps (TopGaN - Poland, TriLite - Austria, Optocap -– UK, and CST Global - UK) with each P having a unique technological capability that is essential for the development of such novel micro-laser light engine display products. In addition, MILLE will also produce prototype demonstrators that are capable of serving as light sources in next generation 3D imaging displays. _x000D__x000D_A major issue in laser display technology is the lack of a suitable green laser diode. The nitride material system (AlGaInN) provides the only viable option for a green laser diode and there is a substantial world-wide research effort to achieve a ‘reasonable’ green laser diode that will complete this ‘missing link’ in laser display technology. Hence there is significant commercial interest in green laser diode technology, with both Japan and America dominating this high growth business area. MILLE is an opportunity for Europe to compete with an innovative, first-to-market, integrated ´micro´ RGB-laser source for e.g. next generation 3D imaging applications. _x000D__x000D_TopGaN is a Polish R&D SME with a long history of nitride technology. TopGaN has already demonstrated world-class nitride laser performance for u.v. & blue lasers. In addition, TopGaN is the only European company with a vertical integrated capability in nitrides that includes; GaN substrates, GaN epitaxy and GaN laser processing, giving ‘critical control’ over all aspects of green laser diode development. _x000D__x000D_The primary technical challenge and CO effort of MILLE is for TopGaN to develop an AlGaInN micro-green laser diode. As a second technical challenge TopGaN will also develop an AlGaInN micro-blue laser diode. _x000D_To complete the full colour spectrum required for projection display, an AlGaInP micro-red laser diode will be developed in Pship with CST Global (CST Global have core expertise in red laser development and is outside TopGaN core expertise). The micro-red, green & blue laser diodes will be integrated in a common micro-RGB laser engine package in Pship with Optocap and supplied to TriLite. _x000D__x000D_TriLite is an Austrian R&D SME with a core intellectual property competency in large area ‘macro’ display technology using next generation video image processing. TriLite’s focus is to take advantage of the latest developments in RGB laser technology to create innovative display products, such as the world's first autostereoscopic ' glasses free' three-dimensional (3D) displays for full outdoor use. _x000D__x000D_Just like conventional two-dimensional (2D) LED screens, TriLite's patent pending displays would incorporate large arrays of many 'micro'-RGB laser light engines. Thus, the MILLE project will allow TopGaN to fabricate ‘micro’-laser light engines, and supply to TriLite for integration into large area, ‘macro’- display prototypes, for next generation, ‘full’ colour 3D video imaging to be used for Digital Out of Home Signage (DOOH). _x000D__x000D_MILLE has been structured such that TopGaN has responsibility for the design, development, fabrication and supply of micro-RGB laser light engines (with CST and Optocap as Ps) to TriLite. TriLite has responsibility for overall design specifications and characterisation of the interface of the 'micro'-RGB laser light engine to their larger 'macro'-displays. _x000D__x000D_Thus MILLE allows:_x000D_- TopGaN to develop its first green laser diode product._x000D_- TopGaN to produce an integrated RGB laser system. This allows TopGaN to make a step from being a laser diode supplier to an optical system company. This has the additional effect of creating a component supply chain across several European R&D SME's, with each developing and manufacturing critical components._x000D_- TriLite to be able to develop a new range of innovative display products and demonstrate next generation 3D imaging._x000D_-The ambition of both TopGaN and TriLite is to volume manufacture both micro-RGB laser light engine components and large area displays within Europe, thus having a positive economic impact within the EU by creating employment for Europeans and also allowing Europe to compete world-wide against American and Japanese competition._x000D__x000D__x000D_

Acronym	MILLE (Reference Number: 7302)
Duration	01/11/2012 - 30/04/2015
Project Topic	TopGaN (Poland) will develop a 'micro'-RGB laser light engine incorporating green, blue and red semiconductor lasers based on design specifications from TriLite (Austria). TriLite will integrate TopGaN´s prototypes into 'macro' displays suitable for next generation 3D imaging products.
Project Results (after finalisation)	The MILLE consortium has successfully developed and characterized integrated RGB laser light modules to be used as light sources in multi-view autostereoscopic outdoor displays. Each light module consists of an AlGaInP red laser diode, a GaInN blue laser diode, a GaInN green laser diode, as well as a common cylindrical microlens. The plano-convex microlens is a so-called “fast axis collimator”, which is widely used for collimating light beams emitted from high-power laser diode bars, and has been optimized for polychromatic RGB laser diodes. The three light beams emitted from the red, green, and blue laser diodes are collimated in only one transverse direction, the so-called “fast axis”, and in the orthogonal direction, the so-called “slow axis”, the beams pass the microlens uncollimated. In the far field of the integrated RGB light module this produces Gaussian beams with a large ellipticity which are required, e.g., for the application in autostereoscopic outdoor displays. For this application only very low optical output powers of a few milliwatts per laser diode are required and therefore we have developed tailored low-power laser diode chips with short cavity lengths of 250 µm for red and 300 µm for blue. Our RGB laser light module including the three laser diode chips, associated monitor photodiodes, the common microlens, as well as the hermetically sealed package has a total volume of only 0.45 cm³, which is the smallest RGB laser light source to date.
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 8

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
4	Compound Semiconductor Technologies Global Ltd.	Partner	United Kingdom
4	Optocap Ltd.	Partner	United Kingdom
4	TopGaN Ltd.	Coordinator	Poland
4	TriLite Technologies GmbH	Partner	Austria