Method for producing anti-reflective textured surface using additive thin film

A method of producing an anti-reflective textured surface of a substrate using a sacrificial thin film to increase transmission of light through the substrate, the method comprising:

• applying a thin film to a surface of the substrate;
• placing the substrate between a first electrode and a second electrode of an etching chamber;
• injecting a first mixture of gases into the etching chamber;
• applying a first radio frequency wave to the electrodes to ionize the first mixture of gases and create a first plasma between the electrodes, such that reactive ions and non-reactive polymer molecules are created in the first plasma;
• wherein the first plasma chemically and physically etches away material of the exposed thin film and simultaneously deposits nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands on an exposed surface of the thin film;
• wherein the deposited nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands is configured to resist chemical reactions, with the reactive ions and/or reactive neutral species in the first plasma, of material of the exposed thin film, which prevents the removal of material that is covered under the deposited nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands;
• wherein energetic ions driven by the first radio frequency wave on the electrodes physically remove the thin film and the deposited nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands;
• wherein the depositing of the nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands and the physically removing of the deposited nanoscale non-reactive polymer islands concurrently occur at locations on the exposed surface of the thin film;
• wherein the chemical and physical etching continues for a first length of time to produce textured structures that are distributed on the exposed surface of the thin film, and the structures have varied sizes, heights, and spacings;
• the method further comprising:
• injecting a second mixture of gases into the etching chamber;
• and
• applying a second radio frequency wave to the electrodes to ionize the second mixture of gases and create a second plasma between the electrodes;
• wherein the second plasma removes the thin film and substrate materials concurrently;
• wherein the structures made in the thin film material serve as masks for etching the substrate material;
• and
• wherein the etching continues for a second length of time to transfer the textured structures from the thin film to the substrate.