Fabrication of Disordered Subwavelength Structures on Curved Surfaces by Using a Thermal Dewetting Process

Abstract

We present disordered moth eye structures on curved surfaces fabricated by dry etching of thermally dewetted metal nanoparticles. This lithography-free fabrication allows the formation of subwavelength scale nanostructures on the strongly inclined surfaces such as ball lens as well as on the microlens arrays with low curvature. In particular, we found that the size and average distance of nanostructures are closely related to the inclined angle of the surface. Experimental results on oblique angle deposition of metal thin films followed by thermal dewetting also support these effects.