From the November 2016 issue of IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology

Continuous Fabrication of Multiscale Compound Eyes Arrays With Antireflection and Hydrophobic Properties

by Linfa Peng; Chengpeng Zhang; Hao Wu; Peiyun Yi; Xinmin Lai; Jun Ni
T-NANO, Vol. 15, Issue 6, pp. 971 – 976, November 2016.
 

Images of the multi-scale compound eyes arrays: (a) low magnification image of multi-scale compound eyes arrays, (b) close-up image of the single microlens and its surroundings, (c) AFM image of the ordered array of tapered pillars.
Abstract: The multiscale hierarchical structures inspired by moth’s compound eyes offer multifunctional properties in optoelectronic devices. However, it is still a major challenge to fabricate these hierarchical structures on large-area substrates using a simple and cost-effective technique. The roll-to-roll ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (R2R UV-NIL) technique provides a solution for the continuous fabrication of multiscale compound eyes arrays due to its high-speed, large-area, high-resolution, and high-throughput. In this paper, the R2R UV-NIL technique was used to fabricate the multiscale compound eyes arrays on the PET substrate. The mold used in the R2R UV-NIL process was acquired by anodic aluminum oxide process and then the multiscale compound eyes arrays were directly obtained via one-step R2R imprinting. The obtained multiscale compound eyes arrays exhibit excellent antireflective performance within the wavelength 400-800 nm. Besides, the compound eyes arrays also equip the surface of the microlens with excellent hydrophobic characteristics. These multifunctional properties enable the multiscale compound eyes arrays to retain their superior optical properties in real-time environmental conditions. This report can provide a beneficial direction for the continuous production and widespread applications of the multiscale compound eyes arrays.