[Invited] A fabrication of an vari-focal electrowetting lenticular lens for 2D/3D display conversion

Abstract

We fabricated an electrowetting lenticular liquid lens with focal length variation firstly on the world. The electrowetting liquid lenticular lens system can convert 3D images to 2D images and vice versa by changing its focal length depending on the applied voltage. To fabricate the electrowetting lenticular lens, firstly long chamber with very narrow width should be prepared and then two kinds of immiscible liquids are filled in it in which liquids forms lens shape by change of the contact angle between the liquid and the inner surface of the chamber. For the chamber fabrication, a silicon master mold was firstly made by the silicon KOH etching technique. This silicon master mold is a seed pattern for the preparation of the main nickel mold. The nickel mold which has the opposite pattern of the silicon master mold and hard property was made by the electroplating processes. The final chamber made of polycarbonate was fabricated by imprinting the nickel mold with high temperature and pressure. After the chamber was made, the electrode and dielectric layers were applied in order and oil dosing and sealing processes were done in a D.I. water bath. With this completed electrowetting lenticular lens, 2D/3D display conversion was successfully tested by its capability of the focal length variation.