Fabrication technology for light field reconstruction in glasses-free 3D display

Abstract

Light field 3D display has attracted great attention as the hardware interface for a virtual 3D application. The design and fabrication of light-modulating structures directly affect the authenticity of the reconstructed 3D image. The critical challenges in 3D display, such as visual fatigue, limited motion parallax, and insufficient light efficiency, are closely related to the inaccurate phase or angular reconstruction of the virtual light field. While the designs of light field modulators are widely introduced in all kinds of studies, the importance of fabrication for 3D display is usually under-estimated. Large format, small feature size, and high precision in shape are the three critical requirements of fabrication for 3D display. In this paper, we focus on the fabrication technologies for light-modulating structures. Fabrication tools for both microstructures and nanostructures are introduced. The fabrication capability, critical challenges and its applications in light field 3D display are discussed. Finally, the future development of 3D display related fabrication technologies are highlighted.