Creating Anti‐Reflective Nanostructures on Polymers by Initial Layer Deposition before Plasma Etching

Abstract

The generation of nanostructures by initial layer deposition and plasma etching offers a simple and cost‐effective method for imparting broadband anti‐reflection properties to polymer optics. In this study, we have investigated the possibility of controlling the structure growth on the cycloolefin polymer Zeonex®. It has been found that the geometry of the emerging nanostructures can be adjusted from “island‐like,” through “sponge‐like,” to “pinholes” merely by changing the thickness of the initial layer before the etching step. However, not all structure types provided a satisfactory transmittance enhancement. Only when the initial layer thickness and the etching time were matched in such a way that a certain material/air filling factor range and a sufficient structure depth were obtained could an outstanding anti‐reflection effect be realized.

Ultra-low Anti-reflection Coating on a Plastic Cover Slip in Liquid for He-Ne Laser Light

“…In this case, the first layer may be designed to be Substance-2 with a high refraction index; the second may be silicon dioxide with a low refraction index for the double-layer anti-reflection coating using the above-mentioned method of the admittance diagram. Moreover, we can pre-deposit a SiOx layer of several nanometers for the anti-reflection coating of the plastic substrate to enhance the adherence of the double layer [16].…”

Hybrid antireflective coating with plasma-etched nanostructure

“…The refractive index is 1.82 at 500 nm [19,21]. Variable parameters to obtain different nanostructures on organic materials are: thin seed layers, the ion energy in eV corresponding to the value of bias voltage of ion source APS (Advanced Plasma Source), the oxygen flow and the etching time [22]. In the experiment described here an about 1 nm thick Ta 2 O 5 seed layer was deposited on the melamine layer before etching.…”

“…3). Former experiments on etched polymers had shown that a more or less closed silica film on top of ARS is very helpful to provide the system a better environmental and mechanical stability [22]. In the hybrid system, a silica layer was applied as a first step down from the substrate refractive index 1.52 to the silica index 1.46.…”

Ultra-Low Reflectivity Anti-Reflection Coating on a Plastic Cover Slip in Liquid for He-Ne Laser Light

“…In this case, the first layer may be designed using Substance-2 with a high refraction index; and the second may be silicon dioxide with a low refraction index for the double-layer anti-reflection coating, using the above-mentioned method of the admittance diagram. Moreover, we can pre-deposit a SiO x layer of several nanometers for the anti-reflection coating of the plastic substrate to enhance the adherence of the double layer [18].…”