Producing Meta’s Orion AR glasses is no small feat when each prototype costs a whopping $10,000 to make. The primary reason behind this steep price tag is the custom silicon carbide waveguide lenses. However, Meta plans to bring down these expenses significantly in the long run.
Silicon carbide isn’t new to the tech world. It’s been primarily used as a substrate in high-power chips, thanks to its superior power efficiency and lower heat output. However, manufacturing it is easier said than done. The material’s properties, crystal growth process, and fabrication complexity present unique challenges that are starkly different from traditional silicon.
In recent years, electric vehicles (EVs) have been at the forefront of reducing silicon carbide costs, although the prices still don’t match up with cheaper silicon alternatives. Another field experimenting with this material is quantum computing, which faces its own hurdles quite distinct from those tackled by Meta’s ambitions.
Meta’s interest in silicon carbide isn’t for its power efficiency. It’s actually the material’s high refractive index that caught their eye, which makes it a perfect candidate for crafting crystal-clear, wide field-of-view (FOV) waveguides. This quality brings about a glaring difference when compared to conventional multi-layered glass waveguides. For the fortunate few who’ve tried the Orion glasses with these waveguides, the experience was akin to contrasting day with night.
Pasqual Rivera, an Optical Scientist at Meta, shared in a blog post, “Wearing glasses with conventional glass-based waveguides felt like being trapped in a distracting disco of rainbow colors. The AR visuals were practically sidelined. However, with the silicon carbide waveguides, it’s like being at a serene symphony. Suddenly, the AR content was engaging and fully immersive—a game changer.”
Silicon carbide’s reduction in cost owes much to EV manufacturers who’ve embraced this technology recently. Reality Lab’s AR Waveguides Tech Lead, Giuseppe Calafiore, explains the dynamics here, “Thanks to EVs, there’s now an overcapacity of silicon carbide that didn’t exist when we built Orion. Supply outstripping demand has naturally lowered substrate costs.”
Nonetheless, chips used in EVs aren’t tailored for optical clarity, strictly focusing on electrical performance, sidelining any surplus chip use in Meta’s production. Despite this, Barry Silverstein, Director of Research Science at Reality Labs, is optimistic. He elaborates, “Suppliers are eager to venture into making optical-grade silicon carbide. Every waveguide lens demands significant material, akin to electronic chips.”
Moreover, larger wafers, moving from four-inch to beyond eight-inch, could drive prices down further, potentially scaling production exponentially. Silverstein is hopeful this growth trajectory could one day facilitate more affordable consumer AR glasses.
Meta isn’t new to leveraging other industries’ advancements. In the early days of VR headsets, components like low-cost smartphone displays helped push innovations forward. A glance inside the Oculus Rift DK2, for instance, reveals a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 display panel. The smartphone parts bin has undoubtedly supported VR growth for years, from IMUs to battery tech.
Even as suppliers focus on the niche market of photonics-grade silicon carbide, tangible product scalability seems distant. This scarcity hampers Meta’s ability to bring Orion to the masses. Still, Meta considers Orion an “internal developer kit,” aiming for a consumer-ready AR product by 2030. Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, hopes that such glasses might attain pricing comparable to phones or laptops.
Given the enormous consumer interest potential, it’s just a matter of time before these plans materialize. Giants like Meta, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm are determined to capture the emerging mobile computing wave poised to dethrone smartphones.
