Zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure and method for fabricating the same

• US 9,261,627 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Kun-Ping, He, Jr-Hau, Yeh, Li-Ko, Lai, Kun-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): AUER, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US13/469,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 428/141, 359/601
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1216 Metal oxides C23C18/1212 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1225 Deposition of multilayers of inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1245 Inorganic substrates other than metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/125 Process of deposition of the inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1291 by heating of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/118 having sub-optical wavelength surface structures designed to provide an enhanced transmittance, e.g. moth-eye structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

The disclosure provides a zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure and method for fabricating the same. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer includes: a zinc oxide lower portion, wherein the zinc oxide lower portion has a nanorod array structure; and a zinc oxide upper portion connected to the zinc oxide lower portion, wherein the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer has a syringe-like structure.

Claims

1. A zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure, comprising:

a plurality of zinc oxide lower portions, wherein the zinc oxide lower portions have a nanorod array structure, wherein adjacent zinc oxide lower portions are spaced apart from each other; and

a plurality of zinc oxide upper portions, each connected to one of the plurality of zinc oxide lower portions to form a syringe-like structure;

wherein each of the zinc oxide lower portions has a diameter gradually decreasing from bottom to top, and each of the zinc oxide upper portions has a diameter gradually decreasing from bottom to top, and wherein a step is formed between each zinc oxide upper portion and zinc oxide lower portion.

2. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the zinc oxide upper portions has a tip structure.

3. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of a length of the zinc oxide lower portion to that of the zincoxide upper portion is about 2/1-10/1.

4. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the zinc oxide upper portions has a length in a range of 100-300 nm, and each of the zinc oxide lower portions has a length in a range of 600-1000 nm.

5. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the zinc oxide upper portions has a diameter in a range of 1-40 nm, and each of the zinc oxide lower portions has a diameter in a range of 50-150 nm.

6. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the zinc oxide upper portions have a pitch in a range of 50-500 nm.

7. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a porous seed layer formed below the zinc oxide lower portion.

8. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer has a refractive index gradually decreasing from the zinc oxide lower portion to the zinc oxide upper portion.

9. A method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure of claim 1, comprising:

(a) providing a substrate;

(b) soaking the substrate in a first solution to conduct a first hydrothermal process to form a zinc oxide lower portion, wherein the first solution comprises a solution of zinc ions;

(c) removing the substrate from the first solution; and

(d) soaking the substrate in a second solution to conduct a second hydrothermal process to form a zinc oxide upper portion, wherein the second solution comprises a crystallization inhibitor, and the zinc oxide upper portion is connected to the zinc oxide lower portion to form a syringe-like zinc oxide anti-reflection layer, wherein a step is formed between the zinc oxide upper portion and the zinc oxide lower portion.

10. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises glass, metal, alloy, a plastic substrate or a ceramic substrate.

11. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the crystallization inhibitor comprises vitamin C, ammonium nitrate or L-ascorbic acid phosphate magnesium salt (APMg).

12. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, before the first hydrothermal process, further comprising forming a seed layer on the substrate.

13. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein the seed layer is formed by a spin coating process or an E-gun evaporation process.

14. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein a time interval between the first hydrothermal process and the second hydrothermal process is about 0.5-12 hours.

15. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first solution has a pH value of about 8-10, and the second solution has a pH value of about 8-10.

16. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first hydrothermal process is conducted at 85-99°

C., and the second hydrothermal process is conducted at 85-99°

C.

17. The method for fabricating the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first hydrothermal process is conducted for 0.5-3 hours, and the second hydrothermal process is conducted for 0.5-2 hours.

18. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of a bottom of the zinc oxide upper portions at the step is smaller than a diameter of a top of zinc oxide lower portions at the step.