Anti-glare glass and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses anti-glare glass and a preparation method thereof, the anti-glare glass comprises a glass substrate, the surface of the glass substrate is provided with a microstructure layer, and the microstructure layer comprises more than two different functional areas; the functional area at least comprises a first functional area corresponding to sub-pixels used for emitting light in the display panel and a second functional area corresponding to a nigra matrix used for separating and shading. Through differential microstructure processing of a light-emitting area and a non-light-emitting area, the inherent contradiction between glare resistance and display definition is effectively solved, glare can be effectively inhibited, and meanwhile an extremely low flash point can be kept; besides, the special microstructure processing of the nigra matrix area can effectively absorb the ambient light and make the black background deeper, thereby significantly improving the contrast of the display device in a bright environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display device glass technology, and in particular to an anti-glare glass and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic display screens often exhibit glare due to specular reflection under ambient light. This glare not only reduces the visibility of the displayed content but also easily causes eye strain for users. To address this technical problem, anti-glare (AG) glass technology has been developed and is now widely used.

[0003] Current mainstream AG glass manufacturing technologies typically involve forming micron-sized pit structures on the glass substrate surface through processes such as chemical etching or surface spraying. These pit structures diffusely reflect incident ambient light, converting concentrated specular reflection into light scattered in various directions, thereby reducing glare. For example, patent CN119143400A discloses a novel AG anti-glare glass manufacturing method that forms highly uniform groove morphology on the glass surface.

[0004] In the design of surface microstructures, existing technologies typically employ a homogenization approach. This approach treats the glass surface as a whole, fabricating a uniform array of pits across the entire surface. The pit structural characteristics include the average size, density, and arrangement of the pits, resulting in a highly consistent pit morphology. The purpose of this design is to achieve a macroscopically uniform anti-glare effect.

[0005] Existing anti-glare glass technologies suffer from inherent technical flaws and specific technical biases in their design and implementation. They exhibit a trade-off in optical performance, where anti-glare effectiveness and display clarity are mutually constrained. Increasing surface scattering intensity to enhance anti-glare inevitably increases the haze of transmitted light and can easily trigger sparkling on high-pixel-density screens, thus impairing image clarity and visual quality.

[0006] Existing technologies also have limitations in suppressing moiré interference. The existing uniform quasi-random arrangement, when faced with sub-pixel arrays with more complex internal structures, especially OLED screens with asymmetrical layouts, may still cause the single random pattern to resonate with the specific spatial frequency of the display, failing to fundamentally eliminate visible moiré patterns.

[0007] The root of these problems lies in the uniform design philosophy and technological obsession employed in existing technologies. This design fails to consider the functional differences between different regions within a single pixel unit, applying uniform AG processing to functionally distinct luminescent subpixel areas and non-luminescent black matrix areas, resulting in overall performance degradation. In luminescent areas where sharpness is extremely critical, this processing may sacrifice image quality due to excessive scattering; while in non-luminescent areas where maximizing extinction is sufficient, this processing may fail to achieve optimal anti-reflection effects due to insufficient scattering.

[0008] Existing technologies employing surface scattering structures to enhance anti-glare capabilities often sacrifice haze and flash point performance, failing to simultaneously meet users' dual demands for anti-glare and high image quality. Current uniform microstructure designs are no longer suitable for the intricate and diverse physical structures of modern display panels, necessitating a new design approach to eliminate these optical interference phenomena. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an anti-glare glass and its preparation method, which can effectively resolve the performance contradiction between anti-glare effect and display clarity, while simultaneously meeting users' dual needs for anti-glare and high image quality.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0011] An anti-glare glass includes a glass substrate, the surface of which has a microstructure layer, the microstructure layer including two or more different functional regions; the functional regions include at least a first functional region corresponding to a sub-pixel for emitting light in a display panel, and a second functional region corresponding to a black matrix for separating and blocking light.

[0012] Further or preferred:

[0013] Both the first and second functional areas are provided with pit microstructures, and the morphology of the pit microstructures in the two functional areas is different.

[0014] The first functional area is a sub-pixel light-emitting functional area, which includes a red sub-pixel corresponding area, a green sub-pixel corresponding area, and a blue sub-pixel corresponding area with different pit parameters.

[0015] The average diameter of the pits in the second functional area is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the first functional area.

[0016] The area coverage of the second functional area is higher than that of the first functional area.

[0017] The average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the blue sub-pixels is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the red and green sub-pixels.

[0018] The average diameter of the pits in the second functional area is 15-30 μm.

[0019] The average diameter of the pits in the area corresponding to the blue sub-pixel is 5-12μm, and the area coverage is 6%-15%.

[0020] The average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the red and blue sub-pixels is 3-8 μm.

[0021] A method for preparing anti-glare glass includes the following steps: the design of the mask is based on the precise sub-pixel layout of the target display panel; two or more patterned regions with different statistical characteristics can be integrated on a single mask to provide a process blueprint for the final formation of a non-uniform glass surface microstructure.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] This anti-glare glass and its preparation method are rationally designed, featuring a partitioned design based on sub-pixel layout, which offers significant advantages in both optical performance and technical applications. Specifically, by differentiating the microstructure of the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, the inherent contradiction between anti-glare and display clarity is effectively resolved, maintaining extremely low flicker point while strongly suppressing glare. Since this design is customized for the sub-pixel layout of a specific display panel, it fundamentally avoids interference between the microstructure and the spatial frequency of the pixel array. Therefore, it exhibits excellent moiré / flicker point suppression capabilities for both high-resolution OLED screens and lower-resolution LCD screens. Furthermore, the special microstructure treatment of the black matrix region effectively absorbs ambient light, making the black background deeper, thereby significantly improving the contrast of the display device in bright environments. The solution of this invention also possesses high flexibility and universality, enabling rapid customized development for any existing or future display technology. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the microstructure layer corresponding to a single pixel unit in this invention.

[0026] In the picture:

[0027] 1. Microstructure layer, 2. Blue subpixel corresponding area, 3. Red subpixel corresponding area, 4. Green subpixel corresponding area, 5. BM area inside the pixel, 6. BM area outside the pixel. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through the description of the examples.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the anti-glare glass includes a glass substrate, and a microstructure layer 1 is provided on the surface of the glass substrate. The microstructure layer 1 includes two or more different functional regions. The functional regions include at least a first functional region corresponding to the sub-pixels used for light emission in the display panel, and a second functional region corresponding to the black matrix used for separation and light blocking. The first functional region is the sub-pixel light emission functional region, and the second functional region is the black matrix functional region. Both the first and second functional regions are provided with pit microstructures, and the morphology of the pit microstructures on the two functional regions is different.

[0030] This invention, based on a sub-pixel layout partitioning design, offers significant advantages in both optical performance and technical applications. Specifically, by differentiating the microstructure of the luminescent and non-luminescent areas, it effectively resolves the inherent contradiction between anti-glare and display clarity, maintaining extremely low flicker points while powerfully suppressing glare. Because this design is customized for the sub-pixel layout of a specific display panel, it fundamentally avoids interference between the spatial frequencies of the microstructure and the pixel array. Therefore, it exhibits excellent moiré / flicker point suppression capabilities for both high-resolution OLED screens and lower-resolution LCD screens. Furthermore, the special microstructure treatment of the black matrix region effectively absorbs ambient light, making the black background deeper and significantly improving the contrast of the display device in bright environments. Finally, this invention possesses high flexibility and versatility, enabling rapid customized development for any existing or future display technology.

[0031] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, an anti-glare glass based on sub-pixel layout partitioning design is provided, which mainly includes a glass substrate and a microstructure layer formed on the surface of the glass substrate.

[0033] The microstructure layer is divided into at least two functional regions. The boundaries of these functional regions correspond precisely in spatial location to the units in the pixel layout of the target display panel that the glass is intended to cover. Specifically, these functional regions include: a first functional region that precisely corresponds to the sub-pixels in the display panel used for light emission, and a second functional region that precisely corresponds to the black matrix (BM) used for separation and light blocking.

[0034] The pit microstructure of the subpixel emitting region and the second functional region (black matter matrix region) differs significantly in at least one measurable microstructural parameter. These parameters include, but are not limited to, the average size, density, area coverage of the pits, and parameters used to characterize their three-dimensional morphology.

[0035] The first functional area is the sub-pixel light-emitting functional area, which includes a red sub-pixel corresponding area 3, a green sub-pixel corresponding area 4, and a blue sub-pixel corresponding area 5 with different pit parameters. That is, the first functional area is the area corresponding to the light-emitting sub-pixels of the display panel, and its interior is further divided into sub-regions with different pit parameters according to the three different sub-pixels: red (R), green (G), and blue (B).

[0036] For the area corresponding to the blue subpixel, the design goal of its pit microstructure is to find an optimal balance between effective anti-glare and macroscopic visual uniformity for the larger blue subpixel in OLEDs, avoiding visual mottledness caused by an insufficient number of pits. To achieve this goal, the pits in this area have a medium average size, with an average diameter of 5-12 μm and an area coverage of 6%-15%. The wide range of pit sizes is due to two factors: firstly, the large area of ​​the blue subpixel requires sufficiently large pits to effectively scatter light and reduce the DOI value; secondly, this size also ensures that a sufficient number of pits (5-20) can still be accommodated on a single subpixel at the target area coverage. By setting a sufficient number of micro-pits on a single subpixel, a uniform softening effect can be formed on the transmitted light, thereby avoiding visual mottledness caused by uneven brightness in some areas due to insufficient scattering points. The 6%-15% area coverage ensures an ideal compromise between sufficient anti-glare effect and maintaining high transmittance.

[0037] For the areas corresponding to the red and green subpixels, the pit microstructures have a smaller average size, with an average diameter of 3-8 μm, and an area coverage of 6-15%, similar to the blue area, to ensure consistent anti-glare performance across the entire screen. It is worth noting that although the area coverage is similar, the smaller pit size in this area results in a higher pit density.

[0038] The core objective of this design is to avoid excessive occlusion of pixel emission by a single pit for the smaller red and green sub-pixels, while also suppressing high-frequency interference (moiré patterns or flashes) that may occur due to their close arrangement. Smaller pit sizes are chosen because the physical area of ​​red and green sub-pixels is limited, which fundamentally prevents a single large pit from affecting pixel integrity and brightness uniformity. At the same time, smaller pits allow for a larger number (6–12) within a limited area, resulting in a finer and more uniform scattering texture, thus better protecting image sharpness.

[0039] The black matrix (BM) area includes BM region 5 inside the pixel and BM region 6 outside the pixel; the second functional area (black matrix area) corresponds to the non-emissive black matrix (BM) in the display panel used to separate sub-pixels and mask circuits. This area is designed to achieve ultimate matte finish and enhanced contrast. Because this area does not transmit display light, its microstructure can be designed to focus on maximizing the suppression of ambient light reflection without considering its impact on display sharpness.

[0040] To achieve the above objectives, the pit microstructures in this region have a relatively large average size, with an average diameter between 15 and 30 μm. This size range was chosen because larger pits can more effectively disrupt specular reflection, thus achieving a lower DOI value. In conjunction with the large size, the pits in this region also have a high area coverage, exceeding 40%.

[0041] The high-density arrangement aims to accelerate the lateral merging of adjacent pits during the etching process, transforming the original continuous smooth surface into a large-area continuous rough surface dominated by the recessed region. This surface structure maximizes the scattering and absorption of ambient light, thereby achieving optimal matting effect. In terms of arrangement, the pits in this area are arranged in a quasi-random pattern to ensure a seamless and smooth transition of the pattern at the boundary with the first functional area.

[0042] This invention provides a method for preparing anti-glare glass, comprising the following steps: the design of the mask is based on the precise sub-pixel layout of the target display panel; two or more patterned regions with different statistical characteristics can be integrated on a single mask to provide a process blueprint for the final formation of a non-uniform glass surface microstructure.

[0043] The preferred specific preparation steps are as follows:

[0044] Step 1: Design and fabrication of non-uniform photomasks

[0045] First, a precise subpixel layout map of the target display panel is obtained. This map contains the precise dimensions and spatial locations of luminescent subpixels (such as red R, green G, and blue B subpixels) and non-luminescent black matter matrix (BM) regions. Based on this layout map, a digital pattern file containing multiple pattern regions with different statistical characteristics is generated using computer-aided design. For example, patterns with larger apertures and higher density are designed in the regions corresponding to the black matter matrix, while patterns with smaller apertures and lower density are designed in the regions corresponding to the subpixels. Finally, using high-precision plate-making techniques such as electron beam lithography, this digital pattern file is used to create a physical photomask with a partitioned, non-uniform pattern.

[0046] Step 2: Substrate Pretreatment

[0047] The glass substrate to be processed undergoes a series of rigorous cleaning and drying processes to remove oil, particles and other contaminants from its surface, ensuring its cleanliness and providing a good foundation for subsequent adhesive coating.

[0048] Step 3: Deposition of hard mask layer

[0049] After pretreatment such as cleaning and drying, a layer of hard mask material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) film, is uniformly deposited on the surface of the glass substrate by vacuum deposition process such as magnetron sputtering.

[0050] Step 3: Photoresist coating and pre-baking

[0051] A photoresist of a specific thickness is uniformly coated on the hard mask layer using methods such as spin coating or slot coating, followed by pre-baking to remove the solvent.

[0052] Step 4: Exposure and Development

[0053] A glass substrate coated with photoresist is placed in a photolithography machine, and alignment and exposure are performed using a mask with a non-uniform pattern prepared in the first step. After exposure, a patterned photoresist mask is formed on the surface of the hard mask layer through a development process. After development, a hard film baking process is usually performed to enhance its subsequent etching resistance.

[0054] Step 5: Hard mask patterning

[0055] Using the first etching process, the pattern on the photoresist mask is transferred to the underlying hard mask layer. After etching, the remaining photoresist is removed, leaving a patterned hard mask (e.g., a patterned ITO layer) on the surface of the glass substrate.

[0056] Step 6: Chemical Etching

[0057] A glass substrate with a hard mask is immersed in a second chemical etching solution with hydrofluoric acid (HF) as the main component for a uniform chemical etching process. Because the hard mask (such as ITO) has excellent corrosion resistance to HF etching solution, it can act as a very stable and high-precision mask to transfer the pattern to the glass substrate body with high fidelity, forming the final AG pit.

[0058] Step 7: Mask Removal and Post-processing

[0059] After chemical etching, a specialized stripping solution or etching process is used to completely remove the hard mask and photoresist mask that serve as sacrificial layers from the glass surface. Finally, after final cleaning and post-processing steps such as chemical polishing and functional coatings (such as AF anti-fingerprint film) as needed, the final anti-glare glass product with a zoned microstructure is obtained.

[0060] The core protection point of this invention is:

[0061] 1. The microstructure of the anti-glare glass surface is spatially non-uniform. This non-uniformity is specifically manifested in that at least one statistical characteristic of its pit microstructure, such as average size, density, or three-dimensional morphology parameters, is not the same everywhere, but rather achieves a precise spatial correlation with the sub-pixel layout (including luminous and non-luminous areas) of the display panel that the glass is intended to cover.

[0062] 2. A method for designing and manufacturing the anti-glare glass is provided; the core innovation of this method lies in the fact that the design and manufacturing of its mask is based on a precise sub-pixel layout map of the target display panel. This method allows for the integration of multiple patterned regions with different statistical characteristics onto a single mask, providing a crucial process blueprint for the final formation of a non-uniform AG surface.

[0063] 3. The same piece of glass, through a uniform process, forms different / non-uniform surface morphologies in different zones. Corresponding to the sub-pixel area and the black matrix area, the design within each zone is different, resulting in different surface morphologies after chemical etching, which in turn achieve different optical effects on individual sub-pixels.

[0064] 4. Define specific numerical relationships that the microstructural parameters of different regions should satisfy: the average diameter of the pits in the black matrix region is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the sub-pixel emitting region; the area coverage of the black matrix region is significantly higher than the area coverage of the sub-pixel emitting region; for the region of blue sub-pixels, the average diameter of the pits is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the region of red or green sub-pixels.

[0065] 5. The specific numerical ranges of the microstructural parameters within each functional area are defined. For the sub-pixel emitting region, the average diameter of its pits can be within a relatively small overall range, such as 3μm-12μm, and its area coverage can be within a medium overall range, such as 6%-15%. More specifically, within this sub-pixel emitting region, the average pit diameter corresponding to the blue sub-pixel can be 5-12μm; while the average pit diameter corresponding to the red or green sub-pixel can be 3-8μm. For the black matter matrix region, the average pit diameter is limited to a larger range, such as 15-30μm, while its area coverage is limited to a higher range, such as above 40%.

[0066] This invention can effectively resolve the performance contradiction between anti-glare effect and display clarity, which is difficult to reconcile; and it can solve the problem that existing AG glass is difficult to fundamentally eliminate moiré patterns and flickering points when used with high pixel density displays, especially OLED screens with complex sub-pixel layouts.

[0067] The above description is merely an illustration of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the above technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form multiple embodiments of the present invention.

[0068] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An anti-glare glass, comprising a glass substrate, wherein the surface of the glass substrate has a microstructure layer, characterized in that: The microstructure layer includes two or more different functional regions; the functional regions include at least a first functional region corresponding to the sub-pixels used for emitting light in the display panel, and a second functional region corresponding to the black matter matrix used for separation and light blocking.

2. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first and second functional areas are provided with pit microstructures, and the morphology of the pit microstructures in the two functional areas is different.

3. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The first functional area is a sub-pixel light-emitting functional area, which includes a red sub-pixel corresponding area, a green sub-pixel corresponding area, and a blue sub-pixel corresponding area with different pit parameters.

4. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The average diameter of the pits in the second functional area is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the first functional area.

5. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The area coverage of the second functional area is higher than that of the first functional area.

6. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the blue sub-pixels is greater than the average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the red and green sub-pixels.

7. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The average diameter of the pits in the second functional area is 15-30 μm.

8. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The average diameter of the pits in the area corresponding to the blue sub-pixel is 5-12μm, and the area coverage is 6%-15%.

9. The anti-glare glass as described in claim 6 or 8, characterized in that: The average diameter of the pits in the areas corresponding to the red and blue sub-pixels is 3-8 μm.

10. A method for preparing the anti-glare glass as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The preparation method includes the following steps: the design of the mask is based on the precise sub-pixel layout of the target display panel; two or more patterned regions with different statistical characteristics can be integrated on a single mask to provide a process blueprint for the final formation of a non-uniform glass surface microstructure.

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