Seamless Nanostructure Manufacturing via Laser Pulse and Preliminary Action
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing seamless moth-eye structures with large areas are hindered by the absence of a plating layer in the seam area, resulting in incomplete seamless cylinders.
Innovation Solution
A nanostructure with a fine concave-convex pattern is created using a master with surface concavities and convexities, where the distance between adjacent structures and the length of buffer areas are controlled to prevent visual recognition of seams, and a method involving pulse-irradiation of a resist layer with laser light to form latent image patterns is used to achieve seamless uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If stamper sheets are joined together to form a seamless cylinder, then large area production is achieved, but the plating layer is absent in the seam area resulting in incomplete seamless structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the plating layer on the stamper sheets before joining them together. This ensures that the plating layer is already present on all surfaces including the seam areas before the sheets are assembled into a cylinder, eliminating the problem of missing plating in the seam region and achieving both large area production and complete seamless structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fine concave-convex structures are arranged at predetermined pitch, then antireflection effect is achieved, but seams become visually recognizable reducing uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the pitch between adjacent structures across the seam different from the pitch within each individual track. Specifically, the pitch across the seam is set to a value that makes the seam visually imperceptible, while maintaining the predetermined pitch within tracks for antireflection functionality. This local variation in pitch resolves the contradiction between achieving antireflection effect and maintaining visual uniformity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method ensures the production of seamless nanostructures with excellent uniformity and antireflection properties, suitable for various optical applications by preventing visual recognition of seams and enhancing the quality of optical devices.
Implementation Method 1
pulse-irradiating the resist layer on the master with laser light while moving its irradiation position to form a latent image pattern
Data Source
AI summary
A nanostructure that is visually recognized as being seamless by its more regularly and more uniformly formed fine concave-convex structure and that exhibits an excellent antireflection effect against light in a visible wavelength range is provided. Such a nanostructure is configured by a number of rows of tracks each including structures, formed by protrusions or depressions on a surface of a substrate, arranged at a predetermined fine pitch. In this nanostructure, a distance between centers of the structures adjacent to each other across a strip-shaped portion (seam) in which portions with no structures within the predetermined pitch are continuously formed in a track arrangement direction is adjusted so as to prevent visual recognition of the seam.