Preparation method of textured glass

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation method of textured glass. The preparation method comprises the following steps: forming a metal film layer on the surface of glass; forming a photoresist layer on the surface of the metal film layer; exposing and developing the photoresist layer to enable the photoresist layer to form a micropore array which is randomly distributed according to a preset size range and a preset interval range; the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micropore array is removed, so that the glass corresponding to the position of the micropore array is exposed; and carrying out wet etching on the glass at the exposed part for first etching time until a microgroove array with a preset depth is formed on the surface of the glass at the exposed part, and continuously etching the microgroove array for second etching time until the surface of the glass covered by the metal film layer is etched to communicate the adjacent microgroove array and honeycomb-shaped microgroove textures are formed on the surface of the glass. According to the textured glass prepared by the invention, a light source can be converted into a surface light source through the concave parts of the microgrooves, so that a good light guide effect is achieved, and a relatively good anti-dazzle effect can be achieved through the convex parts of the microgrooves, so that the textured glass has good optical performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display screen glass technology, and in particular to a method for preparing textured glass. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, glass is widely used in the display screens of products such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. However, ordinary glass has a high specular reflectivity, which affects the contrast and viewing angle of the screen, and also allows a large amount of specularly reflected light to enter the user's eyes, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0003] Researchers have discovered that etching the surface of glass creates a unique texture that reduces specular reflectivity, minimizes ambient light interference, and improves screen contrast and viewing angles. However, conventional etching methods involve coating or covering the glass surface with a photosensitive material (often ink-based), exposing and developing it, and then etching the glass. Because the photosensitive material has poor etching resistance, the resulting texture lacks depth and smoothness; furthermore, the anti-glare effect of the treated glass is suboptimal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for preparing textured glass, which can form a honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface, ensuring the depth and smoothness of the texture, while also giving the glass good anti-glare and light-guiding effects.

[0005] This invention provides a method for preparing textured glass, comprising the following steps: A metallic film is formed on a clean glass surface; A photoresist layer is formed on the surface of the metal film layer; The photoresist layer is exposed and developed to form a micro-hole array randomly distributed within a preset size range and a preset spacing range. Remove the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micropore array to expose the glass at the corresponding position of the micropore array; The first etching time is used to wet-etch the exposed glass until a microgroove array of a preset depth is formed on the exposed glass surface. The etching of the microgroove array continues for a second etching time until the glass surface covered by the metal film layer is etched to connect the adjacent microgroove arrays, so that a honeycomb-like microgroove texture is formed on the glass surface.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, a direct-write exposure machine is used to expose the photoresist layer according to a preset template pattern, wherein the preset template pattern is a micro-hole array randomly generated according to a preset size range and a preset spacing range.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the micro-hole array can be a micro-circular hole array. After the photoresist layer is exposed and developed, the photoresist layer forms a micro-circular hole array randomly distributed according to a preset diameter range and a preset center distance range. The preset diameter range is 2μm to 10μm, and the preset center distance range is 15μm to 30μm.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, a metal film layer is formed on the glass surface by sputtering or vapor deposition, the thickness of the metal film layer is 100nm to 500nm, and the metal film layer includes any one or more of chromium layer, nickel layer or titanium layer.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the step of removing the metal film layer is specifically as follows: etching the metal film layer with cerium ammonium nitrate-based chemical solution at an etching temperature of 10℃~30℃ and an etching time of 60-80s.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the preset depth of the microgroove array is 5μm to 10μm, the etching solution is a mixture of 49% HF aqueous solution and 40% NH4F aqueous solution in a volume ratio of 1:6, the etching temperature is 10℃ to 30℃, the total etching time is 2h to 3h, and the total etching time is the sum of the first etching time and the second etching time.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the photoresist is a positive photoresist or a negative photoresist, and the thickness of the photoresist layer is 100nm to 1000nm.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, after the step of "forming a honeycomb-shaped microgroove texture on the glass surface", a step of removing the remaining metal film layer is included; or after the step of "removing the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micro-hole array" and before the step of "forming a honeycomb-shaped microgroove texture on the glass surface", a step of removing the photoresist layer is included, and after the step of "forming a honeycomb-shaped microgroove texture on the glass surface", a step of removing the remaining metal film layer is included.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the step of removing the photoresist layer specifically includes: heating the photoresist remover solution to 60±3℃, immersing the glass in the photoresist remover solution while keeping the glass shaken at fixed time intervals or keeping the glass in a state of continuous shaking, the glass immersion time being not less than 30 minutes, and the photoresist remover solution including any one or more of alkaline photoresist remover solution, acidic photoresist remover solution, and solvent-based photoresist remover solution.

[0014] As a further improvement of the invention, after the step of "removing the remaining metal film layer", a honeycomb-like microgroove texture is also included on the glass surface through chemical polishing.

[0015] In the textured glass preparation method of this invention, a metal film layer is coated on the glass surface. Because the metal film layer has strong etching resistance, even if the photoresist layer is etched away, the metal film layer can protect the unexposed glass from being etched by the etching solution during the first stage etching process. The etching time of the first stage is the first etching time, thus ensuring that the exposed glass can be processed into a sufficiently deep microgroove array and that each microgroove in the microgroove array has good smoothness. After the first stage, the glass enters the second stage etching process, the etching time of which is the second etching time. The etching solution further increases the depth of the microgroove array, and the surface of the glass covered by the metal film layer also begins to be etched. As the etching time increases, adjacent microgrooves are connected, ultimately forming a sufficiently deep honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface. Because the microgroove texture has sufficient depth and smoothness, the recesses of the microgroove texture convert the light source into a surface light source, playing a good light guiding role, while the protrusions of the microgroove texture provide a good anti-glare effect. Simultaneously, the textured glass obtained by the above etching method has good optical parameters such as gloss, cleanliness, and roughness. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of a method for preparing textured glass in some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram corresponding to the process flow diagram shown; Figure 3 The photoresist layer with a micro-pore array is displayed at 20x magnification. Figure 4 The photoresist layer with a micropore array is displayed at 100x magnification; Figure 5 An enlarged schematic diagram of the microgroove texture formed on the glass surface; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the depth of the microgroove texture formed on the glass surface. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more comprehensive description of the invention will be provided below in conjunction with specific embodiments. Preferred embodiments of the invention are given in the specific embodiments. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0018] In this invention, "one or several" refers to any one, any two, or any two or more of the listed items. "Several" refers to any two or more.

[0019] In this invention, unless otherwise specified, all percentage concentrations refer to the final concentration. The final concentration refers to the proportion of the added component in the system after the addition of that component.

[0020] The terms "optionally" and similar expressions used in this invention refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain beneficial effects in certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be optional in the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the description of one or more optional embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are unavailable, nor is it intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of this invention.

[0021] When a numerical range is disclosed in this invention, the range is considered continuous and includes the minimum and maximum values ​​of the range, as well as every value between the minimum and maximum values. Further, when the range refers to an integer, it includes every integer between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the range. Moreover, when multiple ranges are provided to describe a feature or characteristic, the ranges may be combined. In other words, unless otherwise specified, all ranges disclosed in this invention should be understood to include any and all subranges to which they are incorporated.

[0022] This invention provides a method for preparing textured glass; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps: Step S10: Form a metal film layer on a clean glass surface; Before a metallic film forms on the glass surface, dirt can be removed using ultrasonic cleaning to ensure the glass's cleanliness. For example, the glass and cleaning agent can be placed in an ultrasonic cleaning tank, and the cleaning speed and time can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

[0023] Specifically, a metal film layer can be formed on a cleaned glass surface using sputtering or vapor deposition. The thickness of the metal film layer is 100 nm to 500 nm, and the metal film layer includes any one or more of a chromium layer, a nickel layer, or a titanium layer. It is understood that in some embodiments, the metal film layer can be a single metal film, such as a chromium layer, a nickel layer, or a titanium layer. In other embodiments, the metal film layer can be two or more metal films, for example, a nickel layer can be vapor-deposited onto the glass surface, followed by a titanium layer, or a metal film layer composed of two other metals.

[0024] Step S20: Clean the glass with the metal coating.

[0025] In one embodiment, step S20 specifically involves cleaning the glass with the metal film layer using a tank-type ultrasonic cleaner. Preferably, the glass with the metal film layer is first cleaned for 30 minutes with a cleaning agent, specifically isopropyl alcohol solution, followed by 10 minutes of cyclic rinsing with pure water, and finally dried in an oven. Ultrasonic cleaning removes dirt from the surface of the metal film layer, ensuring its cleanliness and preparing it for the subsequent formation of a photoresist layer.

[0026] Step S30: Form a photoresist layer on the surface of the metal film layer.

[0027] In step S30, the thickness of the photoresist layer is 100 nm to 1000 nm. The photoresist mainly consists of a photosensitive resin, a sensitizer, and a solvent. The photosensitive resin is the main component of the photoresist, determining its chemical and physical properties. The photoresist can be either a positive or negative photoresist. Commonly used positive photoresists include o-azidoquinone photoresists. Commonly used negative photoresists include polycinnamate photoresists and polyhydrocarbon-bisazido photoresists.

[0028] In some implementations, after forming a photoresist layer on the surface of the metal film, the photoresist layer can be baked to accelerate the drying of the photoresist layer and make the photoresist layer adhere more firmly.

[0029] Step S40: Expose and develop the photoresist layer to form a micro-hole array randomly distributed within a preset size range and a preset spacing range.

[0030] In this invention, the micro-hole array can be fabricated using either a photomask exposure method or a direct-write exposure method. Specifically, the micro-hole array can be a micro-circular hole array, a micro-square hole array, a micro-polygonal hole array, etc.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, the photoresist layer is exposed using a direct-write exposure method. Before exposure, a direct-write exposure machine model with matching resolution is selected according to a preset size range and a preset spacing range. The direct-write exposure machine retrieves a preset template pattern to expose the photoresist layer. The preset template pattern is a micro-hole array randomly generated according to the preset size range and preset spacing range. The random generation of the micro-hole array according to the preset size range and preset spacing range can be achieved by the algorithm built into the direct-write exposure machine.

[0032] Furthermore, at room temperature (23±2 degrees Celsius), a 2.38% tetramethylammonium hydroxide developer was used to immerse and develop the exposed glass for 60-80 seconds. It can be understood that the type of developer and the development time can be adjusted appropriately depending on the thickness of the photoresist layer and the type of photoresist. The developed photoresist layer has a randomly distributed array of micropores, and these micropores are very densely distributed on the photoresist layer. Compared with mask exposure, direct-write exposure can quickly generate micropore array patterns of different sizes, offering greater flexibility and lower cost.

[0033] Specifically, the micro-via array can be a micro-circular aperture array. After exposure and development of the photoresist layer, the photoresist layer has a micro-circular aperture array randomly distributed within a preset diameter range of 2μm to 10μm and a preset center-to-center distance range of 15μm to 30μm. For details on the distribution of the micro-circular aperture array in the photoresist layer, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 3 To display the photoresist layer magnified 20 times, Figure 4 The photoresist layer is magnified 100 times, where the black dots represent micro-circular holes, showing that the photoresist layer has an array of micro-circular holes.

[0034] Step S50: Remove the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micropore array, so that the glass at the position corresponding to the micropore array is exposed.

[0035] Specifically, step S50 can remove the metal film layer corresponding to the micropore array position by etching the metal film layer with a chemical solution. The chemical solution can be a cerium ammonium nitrate-based solution, the etching temperature is 10℃~30℃, and the etching time is 60-80s. During the etching process, the chemical solution will not damage the metal film layer beneath the photoresist layer, nor will it react with the glass beneath the metal film layer.

[0036] Step S60: Wet etching for the first etching time until the exposed glass forms a microgroove array of a preset depth, and continue etching for the second etching time until the glass covered by the metal film layer is etched to connect the adjacent microgroove arrays, so that a honeycomb-like microgroove texture is formed on the glass surface.

[0037] For ease of description, the etching process is divided into a first stage and a second stage. The etching time of the first stage is referred to as the first etching time, and the etching time of the second stage is referred to as the second etching time. The specific process of glass etching in step S60 is as follows: The glass obtained in step S50 is immersed in the etching solution. During the first stage of etching, the glass corresponding to the micro-hole array position is exposed, while the glass at other positions is protected by a metal film layer and a photoresist layer. The etching solution reacts with the exposed glass, etching it. As the etching time increases, the etching depth also increases, forming a micro-groove array of a preset depth at the glass corresponding to the micro-hole array position. It can be seen that the specific value of the preset depth can be controlled by the etching time and the etching rate of the etching solution. After the micro-groove array of the preset depth is formed at the exposed glass, the second stage of etching begins. The surface of the glass covered by the metal film layer begins to be gradually etched by the etching solution. Specifically, the glass covered by the metal film layer begins to be etched at the side near the micro-groove array. As the etching time increases, the etching depth of the microgroove array further increases, and the portion of the glass surface covered by the metal film that is etched away gradually increases. Eventually, the glass covered by the metal film is etched to connect adjacent microgroove arrays, forming a honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface, thus producing textured glass. (See honeycomb-like microgroove texture for reference.) Figure 5 As shown, the depth of the microgroove texture is referenced. Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is equivalent to data on the microgroove texture obtained from a longitudinal section of glass, where the vertical axis represents height and the horizontal axis represents length.

[0038] In the method for preparing textured glass according to the present invention, a metal film layer is coated on the glass surface. Because the metal film layer has strong etching resistance, even if the photoresist layer is etched away, the metal film layer can protect the unexposed glass from being etched by the etching solution in the first stage. The etching time corresponding to the first stage is the first etching time, thereby ensuring that the exposed glass can be processed into a sufficiently deep microgroove array and that each microgroove in the microgroove array has good roundness. In the second stage etching process, the etching time corresponding to the second stage is the second etching time. The depth of the microgroove array further increases, and the sides of the glass covered by the metal film layer also begin to be etched. As the etching time increases, adjacent microgrooves are connected, ultimately forming a sufficiently deep honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface. The recesses of the microgroove texture convert the light source into a surface light source, playing a good light guiding role, while the protrusions of the microgroove texture provide a good anti-glare effect. Simultaneously, the textured glass obtained by the above etching method has good optical parameters such as gloss, cleanliness, and roughness.

[0039] In some embodiments, the preset depth of the microgroove array is 5μm to 10μm. In step S60, an etching solution is used, which is a mixture of 49% HF aqueous solution and 40% NH4F aqueous solution in a volume ratio of 1:6. The etching temperature is 10℃ to 30℃, and the total etching time is 2h to 3h. The sum of the first etching time and the second etching time is the total etching time.

[0040] In other specific embodiments, after step S50 of "removing the metal film layer corresponding to the location of the micropore array" and before step S60 of "forming a honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface", including Step S55: Remove the photoresist layer.

[0041] The specific steps for removing the photoresist layer are as follows: heating the photoresist remover solution to 60±3℃, immersing the glass in the photoresist remover solution while keeping the glass shaken at fixed time intervals or keeping the glass in a state of continuous shaking, and the glass immersion time is not less than 30 minutes. The photoresist remover solution includes any one or more of alkaline photoresist remover solution, acidic photoresist remover solution, and solvent-based photoresist remover solution.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, the structural schematic diagram corresponding to the process flow diagram in this invention is shown in the reference diagram. Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 In the diagram, 1 represents glass, 2 represents a metal film, 3 represents a photoresist layer, 4 represents a microvia array, 5 represents a microgroove array, and 6 represents a microgroove texture. S60a represents the first stage etching process in step S60. S60b represents the second stage etching process in step S60. It can be understood that... Figure 2 It is used to illustrate the changes in glass, metal film, and photoresist layers during the fabrication process of textured glass, which may deviate from the actual size and shape of the micro-hole array and micro-groove array.

[0043] After step S60, which involves "forming a honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface", Step S70: Remove the remaining metal film layer.

[0044] Since the photoresist layer may detach during the etching process in step S60, in other embodiments, step S55 can be omitted, and step S60 can be used to remove the photoresist layer. Therefore, after step S60, the process includes: Step S70: The step of removing the remaining metal film layer.

[0045] Specifically, a cerium ammonium nitrate-based etching solution can be used to etch the metal film layer at an etching temperature of 10℃ to 30℃ for 60-80 seconds. It is known that the solution only reacts with the metal film layer and will not damage the textured glass.

[0046] Furthermore, after step S70, the following steps are also included: Step S80: Polish the honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface.

[0047] Specifically, chemical polishing can be used to immerse glass with honeycomb-like microgrooves in a polishing solution, thereby further improving the honeycomb-like microgrooves and enhancing the surface gloss, clarity, and roughness of the textured glass, giving it excellent optical parameters.

[0048] In this invention, a metal film layer is applied to the glass surface. Due to the strong etching resistance of the metal film layer, even if the photoresist layer is etched away, the metal film layer can protect the unexposed glass from being etched by the etching solution in the first stage. This ensures that the exposed glass can be processed into a sufficiently deep microgroove array, and that each microgroove in the array has good roundness. In the second etching stage, the depth of the microgroove array further increases, and the sides of the glass covered by the metal film layer also begin to be etched. As the etching time increases, adjacent microgrooves become connected, ultimately forming a sufficiently deep honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface. Because the microgroove texture has sufficient depth and roundness, the recesses convert the light source into a surface light source, providing good light guidance, while the protrusions provide good anti-glare effects. Simultaneously, the textured glass obtained by the above etching method has good optical parameters such as gloss, cleanliness, and roughness.

[0049] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing textured glass, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A metallic film is formed on a clean glass surface; A photoresist layer is formed on the surface of the metal film layer; The photoresist layer is exposed and developed to form a micro-hole array randomly distributed within a preset size range and a preset spacing range. Remove the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micropore array to expose the glass at the corresponding position of the micropore array; The first etching time is used to wet-etch the exposed glass until a microgroove array of a preset depth is formed on the exposed glass surface. The etching of the microgroove array continues for a second etching time until the glass surface covered by the metal film layer is etched to connect the adjacent microgroove arrays, so that a honeycomb-like microgroove texture is formed on the glass surface.

2. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photoresist layer is exposed using a direct-write exposure machine according to a preset template pattern, wherein the preset template pattern is a micro-hole array randomly generated based on a preset size range and a preset spacing range.

3. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, The micro-hole array can be a micro-circular hole array. After the photoresist layer is exposed and developed, the photoresist layer forms a micro-circular hole array randomly distributed according to a preset diameter range and a preset center distance range. The preset diameter range is 2μm to 10μm, and the preset center distance range is 15μm to 30μm.

4. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, A metal film layer is formed on the glass surface by sputtering or vapor deposition. The thickness of the metal film layer is 100nm to 500nm. The metal film layer includes any one or more of chromium, nickel, or titanium layers.

5. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific steps for removing the metal film are as follows: use cerium ammonium nitrate-based etching solution to etch the metal film at an etching temperature of 10℃~30℃ and an etching time of 60-80s.

6. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset depth of the microgroove array is 5μm to 10μm. The etching solution is prepared by mixing 49% HF aqueous solution and 40% NH4F aqueous solution in a volume ratio of 1:

6. The etching temperature is 10℃ to 30℃, and the total etching time is 2h to 3h. The total etching time is the sum of the first etching time and the second etching time.

7. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photoresist is either a positive or negative photoresist, and the thickness of the photoresist layer is 100nm to 1000nm.

8. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the step of "forming a honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface", the process includes the step of removing the remaining metal film layer; Alternatively, after the step of "removing the metal film layer corresponding to the position of the micro-hole array" and before the step of "forming a honeycomb-shaped microgroove texture on the glass surface", the step of removing the photoresist layer is included; after the step of "forming a honeycomb-shaped microgroove texture on the glass surface", the step of removing the remaining metal film layer is included.

9. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 8, characterized in that, The specific steps for removing the photoresist layer are as follows: heating the photoresist remover solution to 60±3℃, immersing the glass in the photoresist remover solution while keeping the glass shaken at fixed time intervals or keeping the glass in a state of continuous shaking, and the glass immersion time is not less than 30 minutes. The photoresist remover solution includes any one or more of alkaline photoresist remover solution, acidic photoresist remover solution, and solvent-based photoresist remover solution.

10. The method for preparing textured glass according to claim 8, characterized in that, Following the step of "removing the remaining metal film layer", the honeycomb-like microgroove texture on the glass surface is also polished.

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