3D multi-view system using electro-wetting liquid lenticular lenses

Abstract

Lenticular multi-view system has great potential of three dimensional image realization. This paper introduces a fabrication of liquid lenticular lens array and an idea of increasing view points with a same resolution. Tunable liquid lens array can produce three dimensional images by using electro-wetting principle that changes surface tensions by applying voltage. The liquid lenticular device consists of a chamber, two different liquids and a sealing plate. To fabricate the chamber, an <100> silicon wafer is wet-etched by KOH solution and a trapezoid shaped chamber can be made after a certain time. The chamber having slanted walls is advantageous for electro-wetting achieving high diopter. Electroplating is done to make a nikel mold and poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) chamber is fabricated through an embossing process. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is sputtered and parylene C and Teflon AF1600 is deposited for dielectric and hydrophobic layer respectively. Two immiscible liquids are injected and a glass plate as a sealing plate is covered with polycarbonates (PC) gaskets and sealed by UV adhesive. Two immiscible liquids are D.I water and a mixture of 1-chloronaphthalene and dodecane. The completed lenticular lens shows 2D and 3D images by applying certain voltages. Dioptric power and operation speed of the lenticular lens array are measured. A novel idea that an increment of viewpoints by electrode separation process is also proposed. The left and right electrodes of lenticular lens can be induced by different voltages and resulted in tilted optical axis. By switching the optical axis quickly, two times of view-points can be achieved with a same pixel resolution.