Fabrication method of moth-eye using UV-curable polydimethylsiloxane with vitrification by vacuum ultraviolet light

Moth-eye, which is the nanoscale tapered pillars array and has a remarkable anti-reflection property, has been paid more attention to be coated on optical materials for high performance anti-reflection surface. However, there are some problems in conventional fabrication method of moth-eye structure, such as labor-intensive mold master for nanoimprint fabrication. In order to overcome these problems, we demonstrated a novel fabrication method of moth-eye structure, which is possible to apply on the large area of non-flat surfaces at low cost by printing (stamping). The process was realized with an UV-curable silicone elastomer and glass transformation from silicone elastomer to SiO₂ by vacuum-ultraviolet light (VUV) exposure. As a result, the fabricated PDMS-made moth-eye showed 94.3 % transparency and the vitrified SiO₂ one showed 95.5 %, compared with plain surface of 92.0 % in the visible range from 470nm to 700nm.