High transparency, high haze nanostructured structures
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
InventorsSajad Haghanifar, Bradley D. Pafchek, Paul W. Leu, Tongchuan Gao
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Abstract
The invention relates generally to optically high transparency and high haze structures and, more particularly, to plastic, e.g., polymer, and glass structures having a sub-wavelength texture formed on a surface thereof, which is effective to impart the optical properties of high transparency and high haze to the structures. The texture is in a grass-like or needle-like form. Additionally, the optically high transparency and high haze structures may include a transparent conductor. Furthermore, the glass structures may exhibit a self-cleaning function.
Claims10
A method of fabricating a structure that exhibits a switchable haze from transparent to opaque, comprising:
- obtaining a substrate selected from the group consisting of polymer and glass, having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface;
- depositing a plurality of nanoscale polymer particles on at least one of the top surface and the opposing bottom surface of the substrate;
- etching the plurality of nanoscale polymer particles to form a sub-wavelength, nano-structured polymer texture having a grass-like form comprising a plurality of blades on the at least one of the top surface and the opposing bottom surface of the substrate and;
- exhibiting a switchable haze from transparent to opaque, comprising:
- applying to the sub-wavelength, nano-structured polymer texture, water or a liquid having an index of refraction comparable to water, to form a transparent state;
- and
- removing from the sub-wavelength, nano-structured polymer texture, the water or liquid having an index of refraction comparable to water, to revert to an opaque state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.