Large-area fabrication of stochastic nano-structures on polymer webs by ion- and plasma treatment

Self-organized nano-structures can be created on polymer surfaces by applying a plasma or ion treatment [1]. This technology may be used for anti-reflection (AR) applications in plastic optical devices, e.g. for aspheric lenses in mobile phone cameras. Compared to conventional AR-coatings, the nano-structures exhibit a large potential for reduction of cost and increase of optical performance. The technology described in [1] was developed in a batch-coater and successful used to achieve AR-properties to polymer sheets and optical devices. This paper describes the transfer of this technology from a batch coater to an in-line machine for continuous surface treatment A suited ion source to being installed in reel-to-reel equipment is chosen. The best properties for the described approach were observed by polymer surface treatment by a glow discharge created with a dual magnetron system with fully poisoned (oxidized) target surface. The process was installed and optimized in a pilot-scale reel-to-reel coating machine with a process width of 600 mm. Stochastic nano-structures were created on PET. TAC and ETFE substrates. The relevant process parameters for plasma treatment are discussed. The process was transferred to industrial equipment with 2100 mm process width. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.