Antireflection film

• US 6,632,513 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Choi, Hyung Chul, Nagarkar, Pradnya V., Smyth, William K., Lindholm, Edward P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thibodeau, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paulraj, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US09/571,742
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 428/421, 428/422, 428/457, 428/461, 428/689, 428/332, 428/333, 428/334, 428/335, 428/336, 428/339, 428/215, 428/216, 427/372.2, 427/383.1, 427/384, 427/402, 427/404, 427/407.1, 427/419.1, 427/419.2, 427/419.5
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/111 using layers comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31692 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

An article includes an antireflection composite material, a substrate, and an inorganic layer deposited onto the substrate. The inorganic layer has a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm. The article includes a polymer layer in contact with the inorganic layer to form an outer surface of the antireflection composite material. The polymer layer has a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

Claims

1. An article including an antireflection composite material, the article comprising:

a substrate;

an inorganic metal or metal oxide layer deposited onto the substrate and having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm; and

a polymer layer in contact with the inorganic layer to form an outer surface of the antireflection composite material, the polymer layer having a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

2. The article of claim 1 in which the inorganic layer is a metal layer.

3. The article of claim 2 in which the metal comprises nickel.

4. The article of claim 3 in which the nickel has a thickness of from about 2 nm to about 3.5 nm.

5. The article of claim 2 in which the metal comprises chromium.

6. The article of claim 1 in which the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 100 nm to about 110 nm.

7. The article of claim 1 in which the polymer layer has a refractive index less than or equal to about 1.53 over the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

8. The article of claim 1 further comprising a hard coat disposed between the substrate and the inorganic layer.

9. The article of claim 1 in which the inorganic layer absorbs a percentage of the incident light.

10. The article of claim 1 in which a total thickness of the antireflection composite material is about one-fourth of the wavelength of light that is the mean of the visible spectrum.

11. The article of claim 1 in which the article exhibits a photopic reflectance of less than about 0.5 percent over the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

12. The article of claim 1 in which the polymer layer is formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer.

13. An article including an antireflection composite material, the article consisting essentially of:

a substrate;

an inorganic metal or metal oxide layer deposited onto the substrate and having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm; and

a polymer layer in contact with the inorganic layer to form an outer surface of the antireflection composite material, the polymer layer having a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

14. The article of claim 13 in which the polymer layer is formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer.

15. The article of claim 13 in which the inorganic layer is a metal layer.

16. The article of claim 15 which the metal comprises nickel.

17. The article of claim 16 in which the nickel has a thickness of from about 2 nm to about 3.5 nm.

18. The article of claim 15 in which the metal comprises chromium.

19. The article of claim 13 in which the polymer layer has a thickness of from about 100 nm to about 110 nm.

20. The article of claim 13 in which the polymer layer has a refractive index less than or equal to about 1.53 over the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

21. The article of claim 13 in which the substrate is hard coated.

22. The article of claim 13 in which the inorganic layer absorbs a percentage of the incident light at a wavelength of about 550 nm.

23. The article of claim 13 in which the article exhibits a photopic reflectance of less than about 0.5 percent over the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

24. A method for providing an antireflection composite material on a substrate, the method comprising:

depositing an inorganic antireflection composite material on the substrate to create an inorganic metal or metal oxide layer having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm;

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

effecting a curing of the deposited curable composition to form a polymer layer having a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

25. A method for providing an antireflection composite material on a substrate, the method consisting essentially of:

depositing an inorganic antireflection composite material on the substrate to form an inorganic metal or metal oxide layer having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm;

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

effecting a curing of the deposited curable composition to form a polymer layer having a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.

26. The method of claim 25 which the inorganic layer is a metal layer.

27. The method of claim 26 in which the metal comprises nickel.

28. The method of claim 27 in which the nickel has a thickness from about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

29. The method of claim 27 in which the metal has a thickness from about 2 nm to 3.5 nm.

30. The method of claim 25 in which the polymer layer has a refractive index less than or equal to about 1.53 over the wavelength range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm.

31. The method of claim 25 in which the inorganic layer absorbs a percentage of the incident light at a wavelength of about 550 nm.

32. An antireflection composite material that may be deposited on a substrate, the antireflection composite material consisting essentially of:

an inorganic metal or metal oxide layer having a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 10 nm; and

a polymer layer formed by curing a curable composition in situ on the inorganic layer, the polymer layer having a thickness of from about 70 nm to about 120 nm.