Antireflective surface patterned by rolling mask lithography

A growing number of commercial products such as displays, solar panels, light emitting diodes (LEDs and OLEDs), automotive and architectural glass are driving demand for glass with high performance surfaces that offer anti-reflective, self-cleaning, and other advanced functions. State-of-the-art coatings do not meet the desired performance characteristics or cannot be applied over large areas in a cost-effective manner. “Rolling Mask Lithography” (RML™) enables highresolution lithographic nano-patterning over large-areas at low-cost and high-throughput. RML is a photolithographic process performed using ultraviolet (UV) illumination transmitted through a soft cylindrical mask as it rolls across a substrate. Subsequent transfer of photoresist patterns into the substrate is achieved using an etching process, which creates a nanostructured surface. The current generation exposure tool is capable of patterning one-meter long substrates with a width of 300 mm. High-throughput and low-cost are achieved using continuous exposure of the resist by the cylindrical photomask. Here, we report on significant improvements in the application of RML™ to fabricate anti-reflective surfaces. Briefly, an optical surface can be made antireflective by “texturing” it with a nano-scale pattern to reduce the discontinuity in the index of refraction between the air and the bulk optical material. An array of cones, similar to the structure of a moth’s eye, performs this way. Substrates are patterned using RML™ and etched to produce an array of cones with an aspect ratio of 3:1, which decreases the reflectivity below 0.1%.