Antireflection films for use with displays

• US 20030116270A1
• Filed: 10/14/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Pawlak, Richard G., Lund, Tiffany E., Hawa, A. Nader, Trapani, Georgio, Nagarkar, Pradnya V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,800,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/307.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3025 Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133502 Antiglare, refractive index matching layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 including particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

An antireflection film and method of making same includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate being a circular polarizer, a linear polarizer, or a louvered plastic film, an inorganic layer deposited on the first surface of the substrate, and an optically active polymer layer formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer, the polymer layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm and a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

Claims

1. An antireflection film comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer, a linear polarizer, or a louvered plastic film;

an inorganic layer deposited on the first surface of the substrate; and

an optically active polymer layer formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer, the polymer layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm and a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

2. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the inorganic layer comprises a metal oxide, a nitride, nickel, chromium, silica, or any combination thereof.

3. The antireflection film of claim 2 wherein the metal oxide is indium oxide, titanium dioxide, nickel oxide, chromium oxide, cadmium oxide, gallium indium oxide, niobium pentoxide, indium tin oxide, tin dioxide, or any combination thereof.

4. The antireflection film of claim 3 wherein the metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 30 nm and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 80 nm to about 150 nm.

5. The antireflection film of claim 2 wherein the nitride is silicon nitride, titanium nitride, or a combination thereof.

6. The antireflection film of claim 2 wherein the inorganic layer comprises a first metal oxide layer, a silica layer, and a second metal oxide layer, wherein the silica layer is disposed between the first metal oxide layer and the second metal oxide layer and wherein the first metal oxide layer is deposited on the first surface of the substrate.

7. The antireflection film of claim 6 wherein the first metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 35 nm, the silica layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 25 nm, the second metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 100 nm and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

8. The antireflection film of claim 2 wherein the inorganic layer comprises a metal oxide layer and a silica layer, the metal oxide layer being deposited on the first surface of the substrate and the silica layer being deposited on the metal oxide layer.

9. The antireflection film of claim 8 wherein the metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 30 nm, the silica layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 120 nm, and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 130 nm.

10. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer comprises repeating units derived from a fluoroalkene, an acrylate with silicone, a methacrylate, a polyfunctional acrylate monomer, or any combination thereof.

11. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer comprises repeating units derived from a fluoroalkene and repeating units derived from an acrylate with silicone and wherein the polymer layer has an outer portion enriched in the acrylate with silicone and an inner portion enriched in the fluoroalkene.

12. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer comprises repeating units derived from a fluoroalkene and repeating units derived from a methacrylate and wherein the polymer layer has an outer portion enriched in the methacrylate and an inner portion enriched in the fluoroalkene.

13. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer further comprises an antistatic agent.

14. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising an antistatic coating disposed on the polymer layer.

15. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising a hardcoat layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.

16. The antireflection film of claim 15 wherein the hardcoat layer has a thickness of from about 1 μ

m to about 15 μ

m.

17. The antireflection film of claim 15 wherein the hardcoat layer comprises colloidal inorganic oxide particles dispersed in a free-radically cured binder.

18. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising a support layer disposed adjacent to the substrate.

19. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising a louvered plastic layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.

20. The antireflection film of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer comprising a linear polarizer and a quarter-wavelength retarder, the inorganic layer being adjacent to the linear polarizer.

21. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer.

22. The antireflection film of claim 21 wherein the adhesive layer is microtextured.

23. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprising an infrared blocking component.

24. The antireflection film of claim 1 further comprises a protective layer disposed adjacent to the substrate.

25. An optical system comprising:

a display device; and

an antireflection film disposed on the display device, wherein the antireflection film comprises a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer, a linear polarizer, or a louvered plastic film, an inorganic layer deposited on the first surface of the substrate, and an optically active polymer layer formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer, the polymer layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm and a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

26. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the display device is a personal digital assistant, an automated teller machine, a cellular phone, a touch-sensitive screen, a wrist watch, a car navigation system, a dashboard, a global positioning system, a depth finder, a calculator, a handheld electronic game player, an electronic book, a CD player, a DVD player, a projection television screen, a computer monitor, a notebook computer display, an instrument gauge, a tablet personal computer, or an LCD television.

27. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a louvered plastic layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.

28. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer comprising a linear polarizer and a quarter-wavelength retarder, the inorganic layer being adjacent to the linear polarizer.

29. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a protective layer disposed adjacent to the substrate.

30. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the antireflection film further comprises an adhesive layer.

31. The optical system of claim 25 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a hardcoat layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.

32. A method for producing an antireflection film comprising:

providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer, a linear polarizer, or a louvered plastic film;

depositing an inorganic layer on the first surface of the substrate;

depositing a layer of a curable composition on the inorganic layer; and

curing the deposited curable composition to form an optically active polymer layer having a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 200 nm and a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the inorganic layer is formed from a metal oxide, a nitride, nickel, chromium, silica, or any combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the metal oxide is indium oxide, titanium dioxide, nickel oxide, chromium oxide, cadmium oxide, gallium indium oxide, niobium pentoxide, indium tin oxide, tin dioxhide, or any combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 30 nm and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 80 nm to about 150 nm.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the nitride is silicon nitride, titanium nitride, or a combination thereof.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein the inorganic layer depositing step comprises depositing a first metal oxide layer on the first surface of the substrate;

depositing a silica layer on the first metal oxide layer; and

depositing a second metal oxide layer on the silica layer.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the first metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 35 nm, the silica layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 25 nm, the second metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 100 nm, and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

39. The method of claim 32 wherein the inorganic layer depositing step comprises

depositing a metal oxide layer on the first surface of the substrate;

and

depositing a silica layer on the metal oxide layer.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the metal oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 30 nm, the silica layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 120 nm, and the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 130 nm.

41. The method of claim 32 wherein the curable composition comprises a fluoroalkene polymer, an acrylate with silicone polymer, a methacrylate polymer, a polyfunctional acrylate monomer, or any combination thereof.

42. The method of claim 32 wherein the curable composition comprises a fluoroalkene polymer and an acrylate with silicone polymer, the curing causing segregation of material within the polymer layer producing an outer portion enriched in the acrylate with silicone and an inner portion enriched in the fluoroalkene.

43. The method of claim 32 wherein the curable composition comprises a fluoroalkene polymer and a methacrylate polymer, the curing causing segregation of material within the polymer layer producing an outer portion enriched in the methacrylate and an inner portion enriched in the fluoroalkene.

44. The method of claim 32 further comprising depositing a hardcoat on the first surface of the substrate before the inorganic layer is deposited thereon.

45. The method of claim 32 further comprising

disposing a support layer adjacent to the substrate.

46. The method of claim 32 further comprising

disposing a louvered plastic layer on the first surface of the substrate before the inorganic layer is deposited thereon.

47. The method of claim 32 further comprising

depositing an adhesive layer.

48. The method of claim 32 further comprising

disposing a protective layer adjacent to the substrate.

49. A method for producing an optical system comprising:

providing a display device; and

disposing an antireflection film on at least a portion of the display device, the antireflection film comprising a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is a circular polarizer, a linear polarizer, or a louvered plastic film, an inorganic layer deposited on the first surface of the substrate, and an optically active polymer layer formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer, the polymer layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.53 over the wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm and a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 200 nm.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the display device is a personal digital assistant, an automated teller machine, a cellular phone, a touch-sensitive screen, a wrist watch, a car navigation system, a dashboard, a global positioning system, a depth finder, a calculator, a handheld electronic game player, an electronic book, a CD player, a DVD player, a projection television screen, a computer monitor, a notebook computer display, an instrument gauge, a tablet personal computer, or an LCD television.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a louvered plastic layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.

52. The method of claim 49 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a support layer disposed adjacent to the substrate.

53. The method of claim 49 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a protective layer disposed adjacent to the substrate.

54. The method of claim 49 wherein the antireflection film further comprises a hardcoat layer disposed between the first surface of the substrate and the inorganic layer.