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WO2022072297A1 - Glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic articles with a silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating and methods of making the same - Google Patents

Glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic articles with a silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating and methods of making the same Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022072297A1
WO2022072297A1 PCT/US2021/052276 US2021052276W WO2022072297A1 WO 2022072297 A1 WO2022072297 A1 WO 2022072297A1 US 2021052276 W US2021052276 W US 2021052276W WO 2022072297 A1 WO2022072297 A1 WO 2022072297A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
reflective coating
degrees
article
glass
aoi
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2021/052276
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Theresa Chang
Shandon Dee Hart
Todd Parrish St Clair
Ying Wei
James Andrew West
Shu Yuan
Original Assignee
Corning Incorporated
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Corning Incorporated filed Critical Corning Incorporated
Publication of WO2022072297A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022072297A1/en

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C17/00Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating
    • C03C17/28Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with organic material
    • C03C17/30Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with organic material with silicon-containing compounds
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C17/00Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating
    • C03C17/34Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with at least two coatings having different compositions
    • C03C17/3405Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with at least two coatings having different compositions with at least two coatings of organic materials
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C2217/00Coatings on glass
    • C03C2217/40Coatings comprising at least one inhomogeneous layer
    • C03C2217/425Coatings comprising at least one inhomogeneous layer consisting of a porous layer
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C2217/00Coatings on glass
    • C03C2217/70Properties of coatings
    • C03C2217/73Anti-reflective coatings with specific characteristics
    • C03C2217/732Anti-reflective coatings with specific characteristics made of a single layer
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C2217/00Coatings on glass
    • C03C2217/70Properties of coatings
    • C03C2217/76Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03CCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C2218/00Methods for coating glass
    • C03C2218/10Deposition methods
    • C03C2218/11Deposition methods from solutions or suspensions
    • C03C2218/116Deposition methods from solutions or suspensions by spin-coating, centrifugation

Definitions

  • the present disclosure generally relates to glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic articles including a silsesquioxane-based anti -reflective coating, and methods of making the same.
  • Glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are prevalent in various displays and display devices of many consumer electronic products.
  • chemically strengthened glass is favored for many touch-screen products, including cell phones, music players, e-book readers, notepads, tablets, laptop computers, automatic teller machines, and other similar devices.
  • Many of these glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are also employed in displays and display devices of consumer electronic products that do not have touch-screen capability, but are prone to direct human contact, including desktop computers, laptop computers, elevator screens, equipment displays, and others.
  • the glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are often treated to provide desired aesthetic and functionality characteristics based on the end-use application of the material.
  • anti-reflective, anti-glare, and anti-fingerprint treatments are common treatments used on materials used in touch-screen products.
  • anti-reflective coatings can be utilized to reduce the effect of light reflected by a display on the clarity and/or visibility of the display.
  • Conventional anti-reflective coatings can consist of single layer anti-reflective coatings or multi-layer anti-reflective coatings having different refractive indices to create destructive interference to reduce light reflected by the display.
  • a single layer anti-reflective coating is optimized at a single wavelength, usually in the middle of the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (about 550 nm).
  • Multi-layer anti- reflective coatings can be more effective over a range of wavelengths, such as the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (about 400 nm to 700 nm).
  • Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings are typically produced using multiple vacuum coating, annealing, and/or sintering steps, which can limit the use of multi-layer anti- reflective coatings to small area applications, such as small area laser, electronics, and optics applications.
  • the costs associated with large-area vacuum coating systems can limit the use of multi-layer anti-reflective coatings in applications where it is desirable to produce coatings having a larger area.
  • single layer anti-reflective coatings can be deposited using low cost liquid deposition techniques, such as spray coating and dip coating.
  • MgF2, SiO2, and CaF2 are conventional single layer anti-reflective coating materials that can be deposited using spray or dip coating techniques.
  • the material properties and porosity that is typically achieved when forming coatings with these types of materials using non-vacuum, liquid-based deposition techniques often results in an anti-reflective coating that does not have the desired level of durability.
  • anti-reflective coatings that can be formed as a single layer anti-reflective coating or multi-layer anti-reflective coating stack having a desired level of durability.
  • anti-reflective coatings that can be formed using liquid-based, non-vacuum deposition techniques.
  • an article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface and an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that includes at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety.
  • SSQ polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
  • the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first- surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • an article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface, an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating disposed over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a physical thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm.
  • SSQ polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
  • ETC easy-to-clean
  • the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • a method of manufacturing an article includes depositing a solution on a primary surface of a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, the solution comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety and curing the solution on the primary surface of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate to form an anti-reflective coating on the primary surface.
  • SSQ polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
  • the anti- reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of an article comprising a glass, glassceramic, or ceramic substrate with an anti-reflective coating and an ETC coating, according to embodiments of the present disclosure
  • FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of forming an anti-reflective coating on a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, according to embodiments of the present disclosure
  • FIG. 3 is a plot of refractive index (as measured at 550 nm) as a function of curing temperature for a film containing hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) at different film thicknesses for use in forming an anti-reflective coating, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
  • HSQ hydrogen silsesquioxane
  • FIG. 4 is a plot of first-surface reflectance spectra of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ at different concentrations on a single side of a glass substrate, the glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.51 (as measured at 550 nm), according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
  • FIG. 5 is a plot of first-surface reflectance spectra of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ at different concentrations on a single side of a glass substrate, the glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.7 (as measured at 550 nm), according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
  • FIG. 6 is a plot of CIE LAB color space color values a* and b* as a function of angle of incidence (AO I) for the anti -reflective coating of FIG. 4 containing 0.88 wt% HSQ, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 7 is a plot of CIE LAB color space color values a* and b* as a function of angle of incidence (AO I) for the anti -reflective coating of FIG. 5 containing 1.11 wt% HSQ, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • AO I angle of incidence
  • the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed.
  • the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
  • the term “about” means that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art.
  • the term “about” is used in describing a value or an end-point of a range, the disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or end-point referred to.
  • the term “formed from” can mean one or more of comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of.
  • a component that is formed from a particular material can comprise the particular material, consist essentially of the particular material, or consist of the particular material.
  • the terms “article,” “glass-article,” “ceramic-article,” “glassceramics,” “glass elements,” “glass-ceramic article” and “glass-ceramic articles” may be used interchangeably, and in their broadest sense, to include any object made wholly or partly of glass and/or glass-ceramic material.
  • disposed is used herein to refer to a layer or sub-layer that is coated, deposited, formed, or otherwise provided onto a surface.
  • the term disposed can include layers/sub-layers provided in direct contact with adjacent layers/sub-layers or layers/sub- layers separated by intervening material which may or may not form a layer.
  • samples described herein were optically characterized using a PerkinElmer, Inc. Lambda 950 UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer system. The system was periodically calibrated according to ASTM recommended procedures using absolute physical standards, or standards traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Unless otherwise specified, the total, specular, and average reflectance values reported herein are first-surface reflectance values, i.e., the measured sample included a substrate having a coating on only one side of the substrate.
  • the first-surface reflected color shift ACj* of a sample is calculated for each angle of incidence (AOI). /. according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • the color shift was measured and calculated using a D65 illuminant.
  • the first-surface reflectance and reflected color was measured by the coupling the back surface of a sample to a black glass absorber using a refractive index matching oil to remove the effect of back- surface reflectance.
  • the measured reflectance and reflected color values include the glass substrate, the SSQ layer, and the ETC layer, unless otherwise noted.
  • the “Steel Wool Abrasion Test” is a test employed to determine the durability of an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating deposited on a substrate of interest.
  • the Steel Wool Abrasion Test data reported herein was determined as follows, unless otherwise stated. Steel wool (Bonstar #0000) was first cut into strips (25 mm xl2 mm) and placed on a sheet of aluminum foil to bake in an oven for 2 hours at 100 °C. The steel wool strip was fitted to an attachment (10 mm xlO mm) of an abrader (5750, Taber Industries) using a zip tie. Weights totaling 720 g were added to the Taber arm to result in a total applied load of 1 kg.
  • the stroke length was set at 25 mm and the speed was set to 40 cycles per minute.
  • the area to be abraded was marked onto the back of the sample for tracking. Typically, each sample fit two tracks, one track was run for 2000 cycles and the second track was run for 3000 cycles.
  • a high contact angle e.g., above 80 degrees, above 90 degrees, or even 100 degrees
  • Decreases in the contact angle below 70 degrees has been shown to correlate with a loss of the ETC layer.
  • Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to articles and methods of manufacturing such an article that include a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface and an anti-reflective coating including a layer containing a silsesquioxane material, such as a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, disposed over the primary surface.
  • the anti- reflective coating can exhibit a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees.
  • the silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coatings of the present disclosure can have a suitable abrasion resistance, as characterized by the abrasion resistance of an easy-to-clean (ETC) layer deposited over the silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating.
  • ETC easy-to-clean
  • the ETC layer may contain a silane or a fluorosilane material that is hydrophobic and/or exhibits a water angle greater than 90 degrees.
  • the articles disclosed herein may be incorporated into a device article such as a device article with a display (or display device articles), non-limiting examples of which include consumer electronics (including mobile phones, tablets, computers, navigation systems, wearable devices, such as watches, and the like), architectural device articles, transportation device articles (e.g., automotive, trains, aircraft, sea craft, etc.), and appliance device articles.
  • a display or display device articles
  • consumer electronics including mobile phones, tablets, computers, navigation systems, wearable devices, such as watches, and the like
  • architectural device articles e.g., automotive, trains, aircraft, sea craft, etc.
  • appliance device articles e.g., appliance device articles.
  • the article 10 can include a substrate 12 that includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic composition.
  • the article 10 can include a pair of opposing primary surfaces, first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16.
  • An optical film 20 is disposed on at least one of the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16. While the optical film 20 is illustrated as being disposed only on the first primary surface 14, aspects of the present disclosure include disposing the optical film 20 on the second primary surface 16 or both the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16.
  • the optical film 20 includes at least one anti-reflective coating 22 containing a silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety.
  • the at least one anti-reflective coating 22 can define an outer surface 24 of the optical film 20.
  • An easy-to-clean (ETC) coating 40 can be disposed directly on the outer surface 24 of the anti-reflective coating 22.
  • the ETC coating 40 includes an outer surface 42 that may define a coated surface of the article 10. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that preferential bond formation between the silsesquioxane layer and the ETC layer may promote a high durability of the ETC layer and the overall coating structure, as measured according to a frictional wear test, such as the Steel Wool Test described herein, for example.
  • the optical film 20 includes the at least one anti-reflective coating 22 and in some embodiments may include multiple anti-reflective coatings forming an anti-reflective stack.
  • the optical film 20 can include one or more additional layers/sub-layers and/or coatings adapted to provide the article 10 with a desired optical property. Additional nonlimiting examples of components of the optical film 20 include anti-glare coatings, scratchresistant coatings, impedance matching layers, and combinations thereof.
  • the optical film 20 can include one or more additional layers/sub-layers and/or coatings disposed between the at least one anti-reflective coating 22 and the first primary surface 14 of the substrate 12.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be an anti-reflective stack that includes both high refractive index (n) material layers (n > 1.6) and low refractive index material layers (n ⁇ 1.55).
  • suitable high refractive index materials can contain TiO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, HfO2, A12O3, Si3N4, SiNx, SiOxNy, AIN, AlOxNy, SiAluOxNy, and mixtures thereof.
  • suitable low refractive index materials can contain SiO2, MgF2, SiOxNy, siloxanes, silsesquioxanes, and mixtures thereof.
  • the outermost layer will generally be an ETC layer as described elsewhere herein, and the 2nd layer adjacent to the outermost ETC layer will generally be a silsesquioxane-containing layer according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the thickness of each layer may typically he in the range from about lOnm to about 150 nm.
  • a lower number of layers may be preferred, e.g. less than 10, less than 6, or less than 5 layers, such as for practical and/or cost concerns.
  • a simple 2-layer system (SSQ and ETC only) may be preferred for cost considerations, a multilayer system with 3 or more layers is contemplated for applications requiring specific optical performance levels, such as lower reflectance over a broad wavelength band.
  • a multilayer system with 3 or more layers may be utilized when optical performance requires less than 1.0% reflectance as an average from 450nm to 650nm, or for all wavelengths from 450 nm to 650 nm.
  • the exact nature of the optical film 20, i.e., the materials and/or number of layers present, in addition to the SSQ and ETC layers of the present disclosure, can be selected as needed to provide the optical film 20 with the desired optical properties.
  • the substrate 12 includes a glass composition.
  • the substrate 12, for example, can include a borosilicate glass, an aluminosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, chemically strengthened borosilicate glass, chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass, or chemically strengthened soda-lime glass.
  • the substrate may have a selected length and width, or diameter, to define its surface area.
  • the substrate may have at least one edge between the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16 of the substrate 12 defined by its length and width, or diameter.
  • the substrate 12 includes a glass-ceramic material having both a glassy phase and a ceramic phase.
  • a glass-ceramic material having both a glassy phase and a ceramic phase.
  • Illustrative glass-ceramics include those materials where the glass phase is formed from a silicate, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, or boroaluminosilicate, and the ceramic phase is formed from [3-spodumene, [3-quartz, nepheline, kalsilite, or carnegieite.
  • Glass-ceramics include materials produced through controlled crystallization of glass.
  • suitable glass-ceramics may include Li2O-A12O3-SiO2 system (i.e., LAS-System) glass-ceramics, MgO-A12O3-SiO2 system (i.e., MAS-System) glass-ceramics, ZnO x A12O3 x nSiO2 (i.e., ZAS system), and/or glass-ceramics that include a predominant crystal phase including [3-quartz solid solution, [3-spodumene, cordierite, and lithium disilicate.
  • the glass-ceramic substrates may be strengthened using a chemical strengthening process.
  • the substrate 12 includes a ceramic material such as inorganic crystalline oxides, nitrides, carbides, oxy nitrides, carbo nitrides, and/or the like.
  • a ceramic material such as inorganic crystalline oxides, nitrides, carbides, oxy nitrides, carbo nitrides, and/or the like.
  • Illustrative ceramics include those materials having an alumina, aluminum titanate, mullite, cordierite, zircon, spinel, perovskite, zirconia, ceria, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon aluminum oxynitride, or zeolite phase.
  • the substrate 12 can have any suitable thickness based at least in part on the intended application of the article 10. In some embodiments, the substrate 12 can have a thickness of from about 10 micrometers (pm) to about 5 millimeters (mm), and any range or sub-ranges therein.
  • the substrate 12 can have a thickness of from about 10 pm to about 5 mm, about 10 pm to about 4 mm, about 10 pm to about 3 mm, about 10 pm to about 2 mm, about 10 pm to about 1 mm, about 10 pm to about 500 pm, about 10 pm to about 250 pm, about 10 pm to about 100 pm, about 100 pm to about 5 mm, about 100 pm to about 4 mm, about 100 pm to about 3 mm, about 100 pm to about 2 mm, about 100 pm to about 1 mm, about 100 pm to about 500 pm, about 100 pm to about 250 pm, about 250 pm to about 5 mm, about 250 pm to about 4 mm, about 250 pm to about 3 mm, about 250 pm to about 2 mm, about 250 pm to about 1 mm, about 250 pm to about 500 pm, about 500 pm to about 5 mm, about 500 pm to about 4 mm, about 500 pm to about 3 mm, about 500 pm to about 2 mm, about 500 pm to about 1 mm, about 1mm to about 5 mm, about 500 pm to about 4
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 contains a layer that includes a silsesquioxane material.
  • the anti- reflective coating 22 is formed from a solution containing a silsesquioxane material that is spin-coated onto the desired substrate and subsequently cured.
  • the silsesquioxane material of the anti-reflective coating 22 is represented by the formula [RSiO3/2]n, where R is H or an organic moiety such as an alkyl, aryl, or alkoxyl group.
  • the silsesquioxane material is a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane material (also referred to as POSS).
  • the silsesquioxane material can have a cage-like or polymeric structure having Si-O-Si linkages and tetrahedral Si vertices.
  • the silsesquioxanes may form 6, 8, 10, or 12 silicon vertices in which each silicon center is bonded to three oxo groups, which in turn connect to other silicon centers.
  • An exemplary silsesquioxane material is hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) in which R is a hydrogen.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of about 3 nm to up to several hundreds of nanometers based at least in part on the intended application and/or other components of the article, such as the ETC coating 40.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of at least 10 nm, at least 15 nm, at least 50 nm, at least 100 nm, at least 500 nm, or at least 1 pm.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
  • the anti -reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm, about 20 nm to about 150 nm, about 50 nm to about 150 nm, about 75 nm to about 150 nm, about 100 nm to about 150 nm, about 125 nm to about 150 nm, about 10 nm to about 125 nm, about 20 nm to about 125 nm, about 50 nm to about 125 nm, about 75 nm to about 125 nm, about 100 nm to about 125 nm, about 10 nm to about 100 nm, about 20 nm to about 100 nm, about 50 nm to about 100 nm, about 75 nm to about 100 nm, about 10 nm to about 75 nm, about 20 nm to about 75 nm, about 50 nm to about 75 nm, about 10 nm to about 50 nm, or
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a thickness that is approximately ! of the wavelength of the visible light in the material, which typically corresponds to a physical thickness of from about 75 nm to about 125 nm. [0041] In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 is characterized by a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, about 1.25 to about 1.6, about 1.3 to about 1.6, about 1.35 to about 1.6, about 1.4 to about 1.6, about 1.45 to about 1.6, about 1.5 to about 1.6, about 1.55 to about 1.6, about 1.2 to about 1.55, about 1.25 to about 1.55, about 1.3 to about 1.55, about 1.35 to about 1.55, about 1.37 to about 1.52, about 1.4 to about 1.55, about 1.45 to about 1.55, about 1.2 to about 1.5, about 1.25 to about 1.5, about 1.3 to about 1.5, about 1.35 to about 1.5, about 1.4 to about 1.5, about 1.45 to about 1.5, about 1.2 to about 1.45, about 1.25 to about 1.45, about 1.3 to about 1.45, about 1.35 to about 1.45, about 1.4 to about 1.45, about 1.2 to about 1.45, about 1.25 to about 1.45, about 1.3 to about 1.45, about 1.35 to about 1.45, about 1.4 to about 1.45, about
  • the anti-reflective coating can have a refractive index of about 1.2, about 1.25, about 1.3, about 1.325, about 1.363, about 1.368, about 1.383, about 1.35, about 1.37, about 1.4, about 1.45, about 1.5, about 1.52, about 1.55, about 1.6, or any refractive index between these values, as measured at 550 nm.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first- surface reflectance of less than about 2 % for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm. As used herein, the first-surface reflectance includes specular and total reflectance.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflectance of less than about 2%, less than about 1.8%, less than about 1.6%, less than about 1.5%, or less than about 1.0% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by an average reflectance of less than about 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
  • the anti -reflective coating 22 can have an average reflectance of less than about 2%, less than about 1.8%, less than about 1.6%, or less than about 1.5%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm. The average reflectance values reported herein are measured as described above, unless otherwise stated.
  • the color of the light reflected by the anti- reflective coating 22 can exhibit little to no change in color when viewed from a range of angles, i.e., can exhibit stability in the color of reflected light when viewed at different angles.
  • the stability of the color of the light reflected by the anti -reflective coating 22 as viewed over a range of angles can be represented by determining a first-surface color shift (ACj*), i.e., a change in CIE LAB color AC*, at each angle of incidence (AOI) over a range of angles, j, according to formula (I).
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I).
  • the anti -reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less, 12 or less, 10 or less, 8 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, or 3 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I).
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I).
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less, 12 or less, 10 or less, 8 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, or 3 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I) above.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%, about 17% to about 30%, about 19% to about 30%, about 20% to about 30%, about 21% to about 30%, about 22% to about 30%, about 23% to about 30%, about 15% to about 25%, about 17% to about 25%, about 19% to about 25%, about 20% to about 25%, about 21% to about 25%, about 22% to about 25%, about 23% to about 25%, about 15% to about 23%, about 17% to about 23%, about 19% to about 23%, about 20% to about 23%, about 21% to about 23%, about 15% to about 22%, about 17% to about 22%, about 19% to about 22%, about 20% to about 22%, about 15% to about 21%, about 17% to about 21%, about 19% to about 21%, about 15% to about 20%, about 17% to about 20%, about 19% to about 21%, about 15% to
  • the anti-reflective coating 22 has a porosity of about 15%, about 17%, about 17.1%, about 19%, about 20%, about 20.2%, about 21%, about 21.3%, about 22%, about 23%, about 24%, about 25%, about 26%, about 27%, about 28%, about 29%, about 29.2%, about 30%, or any porosity between these values.
  • the optical coating 20 can include a single anti-reflective coating 22 or multiple layers of an anti-reflective coating 22 containing a cured silsesquioxane material according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the optical coating 20 can include multiple anti-reflective coatings 22 that may have the same or different thickness, silsesquioxane material, porosity, and/or refractive index.
  • the optical coating 20 can include multiple anti-reflective coatings 22, where each anti-reflective coating 22 is formed using the same or different processing conditions, examples of which include concentration of silsesquioxane material, deposition solvent, curing conditions (e.g., curing temperature and/ortime), and/ortype and concentration of additives (e.g., pore former).
  • the materials and processing conditions can be selected to provide one or more anti-reflective coatings having the desired optical properties, such as a desired refractive index and/or a reflectance profile having a desired minimum reflectance value, a minimum reflectance centered around a desired wavelength, and/or a desired average reflectance value across a predetermined range of wavelengths.
  • the easy-to-clean (ETC) coating 40 can be disposed directly on the outer surface 24 of the anti -reflective coating 22.
  • the ETC coating 40 can include any suitable polymer material and/or fluorinated material, examples of which include a fluorinated material with silane moieties, a fluoroether silane, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) silane, a perfluoroalkylether, and a PFPE oil.
  • PFPE perfluoropolyether
  • PFPE perfluoroalkylether
  • PFPE oil PFPE oil
  • a physical thickness of the ETC coating 40 is from about 1 nm to about 20 nm.
  • the physical thickness of the ETC coating 40 is from about 1 nm to about 20 nm, about 2 nm to about 10 nm, about 3 nm to about 10 nm, about 4 nm to about 10 nm, about 5 nm to about 10 nm, about 1 nm to about 200 nm, about 1 nm to about 100 nm, about 1 nm to about 50 nm, about
  • the ETC coating 40 can have a physical thickness of about 1 nm, about 2 nm, about 100 nm, about 2 nm to about 50 nm, about 5 nm to about 200 nm, about 5 nm to about 100 nm, about 5 nm to about 50 nm, about 1 nm to about 2nm, about 1 nm to about 3 nm, about 1 nm to about 4 nm, about 1 nm to about 5 nm, about 2 nm to about 3 nm, about 2 nm to about 4 nm, or about 2 nm to about 5 nm.
  • the ETC coating 40 can have a physical thickness of about 1 nm, about 2 nm, about
  • the ETC coating 40 may be a monolayer either vertically or horizontally arranged on the outer surface 24 of the anti -reflective coating 22.
  • the ETC coating 40 can be characterized by a durability as determined by the Steel Wool Abrasion Test, as described above. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the ETC coating 40 can exhibit an average contact angle with water of at least about 80 degrees, at least about 90 degrees, at least about 100 degrees, at least about 105 degrees, or at least about 110 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Abrasion Test. In some aspects, the ETC coating 40 exhibits an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees, at least about 105 degrees, or at least about 110 degrees after being subjected to 3000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Abrasion Test.
  • the method 100 can be used to form an article, such as the article 10 described above with respect to FIG. 1, which includes the anti-reflective coating 22 according to the present disclosure.
  • the method 100 can be used to provide an anti-reflective coating 22 containing a silsesquioxane material and having the desired thickness and optical properties, examples of which include a desired refractive index, first- surface reflectance, average reflectance, and/or first-surface color shift (AC0*), as described herein.
  • the method 100 can include a step 102 of depositing a solution containing a silsesquioxane material onto a sample.
  • the solution can be deposited directly on the substrate 12 or on a component of the optical film 20 that has already been deposited on the substrate 12.
  • the components of the solution deposited at step 102 such as type of silsesquioxane material, concentration of silsesquioxane material, solvent, and optional additives, can be selected to provide an anti-reflective coating 22 upon curing that has the desired thickness and optical properties.
  • the solution deposited at step 102 can include from about 0.2% to about 2%, by weight (wt%), of the silsesquioxane material.
  • the solution includes from about 0.2 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.25 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.5 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.75 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1.25 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1.5 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.75 w
  • the substrate 12 can be a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic material.
  • the optional components of the optical film 20 described herein can be provided on the substrate 12 according to any conventional method for depositing such materials, examples of which include physical vapor deposition (“PVD”), electron beam deposition (“e-beam” or “EB”), ion-assisted deposition-EB (“IAD- EB”), laser ablation, vacuum arc deposition, sputtering, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
  • PVD physical vapor deposition
  • e-beam electron beam deposition
  • IAD- EB ion-assisted deposition-EB
  • PECVD plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition
  • the solution containing a silsesquioxane material can be deposited in any suitable manner to provide a layer of material having a desired thickness.
  • the silsesquioxane material can be deposited using a liquid-based, non-vacuum technique, such as spray coating and spin coating.
  • the solution is spin-coated onto the sample.
  • the amount of solution, spin-coat speed, and spin time can be selected to provide a layer of material having the desired thickness.
  • the solution deposited at step 102 can include a pore former.
  • the pore former can be present as an additive in the solution and/or incorporated into the silsesquioxane material.
  • the pore former can be a small organic molecule that is present in the solution and/or an organic functional group forming at least a portion of the silsesquioxane material.
  • the pore former can be a macromolecule, such as cyclodextrin or polyethylene oxide, that could impart porosity to the coating upon curing.
  • organic materials may bum off during curing, which can affect the porosity of the cured coating, and which may also affect the refractive index of the cured coating.
  • HSQ is an example of a silsesquioxane material according to the present disclosure having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen.
  • a POSS having an organic moiety as the R group could impart a different porosity to the cured coating compared to HSQ, which could provide the anti- reflective coating 22 with different optical properties.
  • Additional examples of pore formers can include cationic or anionic surfactants (for example, as further described in Huo, Qisheng, et al. "Generalized synthesis of periodic surfactant/inorganic composite materials.” Nature 368.6469 (1994): 317-321) or block copolymers (for example, as further described in Yang, Peidong, et al.
  • the solution deposited at step 102 can be cured to form the anti -reflective coating 22.
  • the curing process can include thermal curing or other curing process techniques, an example of which includes electron-beam curing.
  • the curing conditions at step 104 can include heating the deposited solution at a time and temperature suitable for curing the solution to form the anti-reflective coating 22 having the desired optical properties.
  • the curing at step 104 can include thermally curing the deposited solution by heating the solution to a temperature of from about 400 oC to about 800 oC.
  • the curing step 104 can include heating the solution to a temperature of from about 400 oC to about 800 oC, about 500 oC to about 800 oC, about 600 oC to about 800 oC, about 700 oC to about 800 oC, about 400 oC to about 700 oC, about 500 oC to about 700 oC, about 600 oC to about 700 oC, about 400 oC to about 600 oC, about 500 oC to about 600 oC, or about 400 oC to about 500 oC.
  • the curing conditions during step 104 can be selected to provide a cured anti-reflective coating 22 having a desired refractive index.
  • some silsesquioxane materials of the present disclosure are characterized by a refractive index that varies as a function of curing temperature.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates plots of example HSQ films showing the relationship between refractive index (as measured at 550 nm) and curing temperature at three different film thicknesses (300 nm, 500 nm, and 800 nm). As can be seen in FIG. 3, generally speaking, as the curing temperature increases, the refractive index of the cured HSQ film also increases.
  • the relationship between refractive index, curing temperature, and cured film thickness for a particular silsesquioxane material according to the present disclosure can be determined and the information can be used to select the curing conditions at step 104 to provide a cured anti -reflective coating 22 having the desired thickness and optical properties.
  • the method 100 can include a step 106 in which a polymeric and/or fluorinated material suitable for forming the ETC coating 40 can be formed on the anti- reflective coating 22.
  • the polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be any of the materials described above for forming the ETC coating 40.
  • the polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be deposited in any suitable manner, examples of which include spin-coating, spraying, etc.
  • the polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be deposited at step 106 and the article can be heated to cure the polymeric and/or fluorinated material to form the ETC coating 40.
  • the outer surface of the anti -reflective coating 22 formed at step 104 can be plasma treated prior to application of the polymeric and/or fluorinated material.
  • the curing at step 106 can include heating the article at a time and temperature suitable for curing the deposited polymeric and/or fluorinated material to form the ETC coating 40.
  • PFPE perfluoropolyether
  • the embodiments of the present disclosure provide materials and methods for forming anti-reflective coatings using silsesquioxane materials.
  • the silsesquioxane materials described herein can form anti-reflective coatings having optical properties, such as refractive index and reflectance properties, which are suitable for use in many applications, including for use in displays and infrared camera applications.
  • the silsesquioxane materials described herein can be used to form anti-reflective coatings using non-vacuum, liquid-based processing techniques, which can provide cost benefits in manufacturing and potentially expand the use of anti-reflective coatings in other applications.
  • the silsesquioxane materials described herein also provide for the ability to adjust the refractive index of the anti-reflective coating based on curing conditions, such as curing temperature, thickness, type of silsesquioxane materials (e.g., based on R group identity), and/or through the use of pore formers (e.g., as additives and/or as components of the silsesquioxane material).
  • the anti- reflective coatings of the present disclosure also exhibit durability, as measured using the Steel Wool Abrasion Test described above, when used in combination with an ETC coating that is sufficient for many applications, such as displays.
  • Table 1 below lists the refractive index and porosity of exemplary coatings formed using HSQ (Examples 1A-1D).
  • Ex. 1A-1D were prepared by serial dilution of a 25% by volume (vol%) solution of HSQ with a solvent to form coatings of different thickness when spin-coated on a substrate.
  • the HSQ was received in FOx® 25 (available from Dow Coming) and diluted using NovecTM HFE 7200 (available from 3MTM). Each dilution was spin-coated on a glass substrate at the concentration indicated in Table 1 and then cured at 400 oC for 30 minutes.
  • Ex. 1A-1D had a refractive index of about 1.3 (ranging from 1.325 to 1.383), as measured at 550 nm, even at different coating thicknesses.
  • FIGS. 4-7 illustrate the reflectance and color shift data for exemplary anti -reflective coatings formed on two different glass substrates.
  • the samples of Example 2A (designated “Ex. 2A”) consist of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ formed at different thicknesses on one side of a glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.51 (as measured at 550 nm).
  • the samples of Example 2B (designated “Ex. 2B”) consist of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ formed at different thicknesses on one side of a glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.7 (as measured at 550 nm).
  • the concentration of HSQ, in weight percent (wt%), spin-coated on the substrate is representative of the thickness of the coating formed after curing.
  • the HSQ, diluting solvent, and curing conditions are the same as those described above in Example 1.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the first-surface reflectance of Ex. 2A having an anti-reflective coating formed from a solution containing HSQ at concentrations of 0.33 wt%, 0.66 wt%, 0.77 wt%, 0.88 wt%, and 1.0 wt%.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates the first-surface reflectance of Ex. 2B having an anti-reflective coating formed from a solution containing HSQ at concentrations of 1.11 wt%, 1.22 wt%, 1.34 wt%, 1.52 wt%, and 1.70 wt%.
  • the physical thickness of the HSQ layer for each sample can be estimated using the principles of single-layer quarter-wave anti-reflection coatings, the measured reflectance wavelength minima, and the known refractive index of a 1 wt% HSQ layer (as measured at 550 nm).
  • the effect of the ETC layer on the thickness calculation can be assumed to be negligent (e.g., the ETC layer is thin and the refractive index of the ETC layer is similar to the HSQ layer).
  • the anti -reflective coating of Ex. 2A reduced the first-surface reflection of the glass substrate from about 4 to a minimum of about 1.3 (Ex. 2A at 0.88 wt%).
  • the anti-reflective coating of Ex. 2B reduced the first-surface reflection of the glass substrate from about 4 to a minimum of about 0.6 (Ex. 2B at 1 .11 wt%).
  • the refractive index of the glass substrate of Ex. 2B is higher than that of Ex. 2A, which may contribute to the lower minimum reflectance exhibited by Ex. 2B.
  • the anti -reflective coatings of Ex. 2A and 2B are capable of broadband reduced reflectivity at wavelengths up to about 1000 nm.
  • the reduced broadband reflectance may be useful in applications which utilize infrared cameras.
  • the infrared camera and light source are often disposed behind a substrate having an anti-reflective coating.
  • the broadband reduced reflectivity of the anti-reflective coatings of the present disclosure suggest that the present anti-reflective coatings may be useful in these types of applications, as well as others.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the CIE LAB single-surface reflected color data for Ex. 2A (0.88 wt%) and Ex. 2B (1. 11 wt%), respectively.
  • the color of the single -surface reflected light can be characterized using CIE LAB color coordinates.
  • the a* axis in color space is representative of the green-red color component, with negative a* values corresponding to green and positive a* values corresponding to red.
  • the b* axis in color space is representative of the blue-yellow component, with negative b* values corresponding to blue and positive b* values corresponding to yellow. The closer the a* and b* values are to the origin, the more neutral in color the reflected light will appear to an observer.
  • the CIE LAB a* and b* values were measured by directing the illumination at the sample at the indicated incident angles between 8 degrees and 60 degrees (8 o, 15 o, 30 o, 45 o, and 60o).
  • the sample was illuminated with a D65 series illuminant (representing natural daylight) over a working optical range of 380 nm to 770 nm at 2 nm intervals for incident angles from 0 to 60 degrees.
  • Example 2A (0.88 wt%) exhibited a color shift of less than about 3 (within a radius of 3 from the origin at 0,0) for all incidence angles from 8 to 60 degrees.
  • Example 2B (1.11 wt%) exhibited a color shift of less than about 12 (within a radius of 12 from the origin at 0,0) for all incidence angles from 8 to 60 degrees. The color shift was determined based on the first- surface reflectance values, measured as described above.
  • an article comprises: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; and an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, and wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • AOI angle of incidence
  • ACj* first-surface reflected color shift
  • the article of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2 wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first- surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • ACj* first- surface reflected color shift
  • the article of any one of embodiments 1-3, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a first-surface reflectance of less than about 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 1-5, wherein the anti-reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than about 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 1-6, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 1-7, wherein the anti -reflective coating comprises a plurality of layers, wherein each of the layers comprises the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane.
  • an article comprises: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating disposed over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a physical thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm, and wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (A OI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB
  • the article of embodiment 9, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test.
  • the article of embodiment 9 or embodiment 10 wherein the anti -reflective coating has a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 9-11, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 9-13, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 9-14, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
  • the article of any one of embodiments 9-15 wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • ACj* first-surface reflected color shift
  • a method of manufacturing an article comprises: depositing a solution on a primary surface of a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, the solution comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and curing the solution on the primary surface of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate to form an anti-reflective coating on the primary surface, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I): where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE
  • the method of embodiment 17, wherein the curing step comprises one of thermal curing or electron-beam curing.
  • the method of embodiment 18, wherein the curing step comprises thermally curing the solution at a temperature of from 400 oC to 800 oC.
  • the method of any one of embodiments 17-19, wherein the solution comprises from about 0.2% to about 2% of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, by weight.
  • the method of any one of embodiments 17-20 wherein the solution further comprises at least one pore former.
  • the method of any one of embodiments 17-21 wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
  • ACj* first-surface reflected color shift
  • the method of any one of embodiments 17-25 further comprising: depositing an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm.
  • ETC easy-to-clean
  • the method of embodiment 26, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test.

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Abstract

An article and method of manufacturing an article is provided. The article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface with an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface. The anti-reflective coating includes at least one layer, the at least one layer containing a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety. The anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ΔC j*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees.

Description

GLASS, GLASS-CERAMIC, AND CERAMIC ARTICLES WITH A SILSESQUIOXANE-BASED ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63/086,775 filed on October 2, 2020, the content of which is relied upon and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic articles including a silsesquioxane-based anti -reflective coating, and methods of making the same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are prevalent in various displays and display devices of many consumer electronic products. For example, chemically strengthened glass is favored for many touch-screen products, including cell phones, music players, e-book readers, notepads, tablets, laptop computers, automatic teller machines, and other similar devices. Many of these glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are also employed in displays and display devices of consumer electronic products that do not have touch-screen capability, but are prone to direct human contact, including desktop computers, laptop computers, elevator screens, equipment displays, and others.
[0004] The glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic materials are often treated to provide desired aesthetic and functionality characteristics based on the end-use application of the material. For example, anti-reflective, anti-glare, and anti-fingerprint treatments are common treatments used on materials used in touch-screen products. For example, anti-reflective coatings can be utilized to reduce the effect of light reflected by a display on the clarity and/or visibility of the display. Conventional anti-reflective coatings can consist of single layer anti-reflective coatings or multi-layer anti-reflective coatings having different refractive indices to create destructive interference to reduce light reflected by the display. Typically, a single layer anti-reflective coating is optimized at a single wavelength, usually in the middle of the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (about 550 nm). Multi-layer anti- reflective coatings can be more effective over a range of wavelengths, such as the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (about 400 nm to 700 nm).
[0005] Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings are typically produced using multiple vacuum coating, annealing, and/or sintering steps, which can limit the use of multi-layer anti- reflective coatings to small area applications, such as small area laser, electronics, and optics applications. The costs associated with large-area vacuum coating systems can limit the use of multi-layer anti-reflective coatings in applications where it is desirable to produce coatings having a larger area. In contrast, single layer anti-reflective coatings can be deposited using low cost liquid deposition techniques, such as spray coating and dip coating. For example, MgF2, SiO2, and CaF2, are conventional single layer anti-reflective coating materials that can be deposited using spray or dip coating techniques. However, the material properties and porosity that is typically achieved when forming coatings with these types of materials using non-vacuum, liquid-based deposition techniques often results in an anti-reflective coating that does not have the desired level of durability.
[0006] In view of these considerations, there is a need for anti-reflective coatings that can be formed as a single layer anti-reflective coating or multi-layer anti-reflective coating stack having a desired level of durability. There is further a need for such anti-reflective coatings that can be formed using liquid-based, non-vacuum deposition techniques.
SUMMARY
[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface and an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that includes at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety. The anti-reflective coating exhibits a first- surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000004_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0008] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an article includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface, an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating disposed over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a physical thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm. The anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000005_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0009] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing an article is provided. The method includes depositing a solution on a primary surface of a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, the solution comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (SSQ) having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety and curing the solution on the primary surface of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate to form an anti-reflective coating on the primary surface. The anti- reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000005_0002
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees. [0010] These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosure will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] In the drawings:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of an article comprising a glass, glassceramic, or ceramic substrate with an anti-reflective coating and an ETC coating, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of forming an anti-reflective coating on a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a plot of refractive index (as measured at 550 nm) as a function of curing temperature for a film containing hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) at different film thicknesses for use in forming an anti-reflective coating, according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a plot of first-surface reflectance spectra of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ at different concentrations on a single side of a glass substrate, the glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.51 (as measured at 550 nm), according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a plot of first-surface reflectance spectra of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ at different concentrations on a single side of a glass substrate, the glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.7 (as measured at 550 nm), according to embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a plot of CIE LAB color space color values a* and b* as a function of angle of incidence (AO I) for the anti -reflective coating of FIG. 4 containing 0.88 wt% HSQ, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0018] FIG. 7 is a plot of CIE LAB color space color values a* and b* as a function of angle of incidence (AO I) for the anti -reflective coating of FIG. 5 containing 1.11 wt% HSQ, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various principles of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art, having had the benefit of the present disclosure, that the present disclosure may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein. Moreover, descriptions of well-known devices, methods and materials may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of various principles of the present disclosure. Finally, wherever applicable, like reference numerals refer to like elements.
[0020] Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps, or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; the number or type of embodiments described in the specification.
[0021] As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.
[0022] Modifications of the disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the disclosure. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the following claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents. [0023] In this document, relational terms, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like, are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
[0024] As used herein, the term “about” means that amounts, sizes, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art. When the term “about” is used in describing a value or an end-point of a range, the disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or end-point referred to. Whether or not a numerical value or end-point of a range in the specification recites “about,” the numerical value or end-point of a range is intended to include two embodiments: one modified by “about,” and one not modified by “about.” It will be further understood that the end-points of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other end-point, and independently of the other end-point.
[0025] The term “formed from” can mean one or more of comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of. For example, a component that is formed from a particular material can comprise the particular material, consist essentially of the particular material, or consist of the particular material.
[0026] As also used herein, the terms “article,” “glass-article,” “ceramic-article,” “glassceramics,” “glass elements,” “glass-ceramic article” and “glass-ceramic articles” may be used interchangeably, and in their broadest sense, to include any object made wholly or partly of glass and/or glass-ceramic material.
[0027] The term “disposed” is used herein to refer to a layer or sub-layer that is coated, deposited, formed, or otherwise provided onto a surface. The term disposed can include layers/sub-layers provided in direct contact with adjacent layers/sub-layers or layers/sub- layers separated by intervening material which may or may not form a layer.
[0028] Unless stated otherwise, samples described herein were optically characterized using a PerkinElmer, Inc. Lambda 950 UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer system. The system was periodically calibrated according to ASTM recommended procedures using absolute physical standards, or standards traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Unless otherwise specified, the total, specular, and average reflectance values reported herein are first-surface reflectance values, i.e., the measured sample included a substrate having a coating on only one side of the substrate.
[0029] As used herein, the first-surface reflected color shift ACj* of a sample is calculated for each angle of incidence (AOI). /. according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000009_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees. Unless otherwise stated, the color shift was measured and calculated using a D65 illuminant. The first-surface reflectance and reflected color was measured by the coupling the back surface of a sample to a black glass absorber using a refractive index matching oil to remove the effect of back- surface reflectance. The measured reflectance and reflected color values include the glass substrate, the SSQ layer, and the ETC layer, unless otherwise noted.
[0030] As used herein, the “Steel Wool Abrasion Test” is a test employed to determine the durability of an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating deposited on a substrate of interest. The Steel Wool Abrasion Test data reported herein was determined as follows, unless otherwise stated. Steel wool (Bonstar #0000) was first cut into strips (25 mm xl2 mm) and placed on a sheet of aluminum foil to bake in an oven for 2 hours at 100 °C. The steel wool strip was fitted to an attachment (10 mm xlO mm) of an abrader (5750, Taber Industries) using a zip tie. Weights totaling 720 g were added to the Taber arm to result in a total applied load of 1 kg. The stroke length was set at 25 mm and the speed was set to 40 cycles per minute. The area to be abraded was marked onto the back of the sample for tracking. Typically, each sample fit two tracks, one track was run for 2000 cycles and the second track was run for 3000 cycles. Once the abrasion test was complete the sample was characterized using static water contact angles. Without being bound by theory, a smaller change in the average contact angle over time is indicative of an increase in durability of the measured coating. A high contact angle (e.g., above 80 degrees, above 90 degrees, or even 100 degrees) is indicative of the presence of an ETC layer. Decreases in the contact angle below 70 degrees has been shown to correlate with a loss of the ETC layer.
[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to articles and methods of manufacturing such an article that include a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate having a primary surface and an anti-reflective coating including a layer containing a silsesquioxane material, such as a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, disposed over the primary surface. The anti- reflective coating can exhibit a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees. The silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coatings of the present disclosure can have a suitable abrasion resistance, as characterized by the abrasion resistance of an easy-to-clean (ETC) layer deposited over the silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating. In some embodiments, the ETC layer may contain a silane or a fluorosilane material that is hydrophobic and/or exhibits a water angle greater than 90 degrees.
[0032] The articles disclosed herein may be incorporated into a device article such as a device article with a display (or display device articles), non-limiting examples of which include consumer electronics (including mobile phones, tablets, computers, navigation systems, wearable devices, such as watches, and the like), architectural device articles, transportation device articles (e.g., automotive, trains, aircraft, sea craft, etc.), and appliance device articles.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, an article 10 is illustrated according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The article 10 can include a substrate 12 that includes a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic composition. The article 10 can include a pair of opposing primary surfaces, first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16. An optical film 20 is disposed on at least one of the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16. While the optical film 20 is illustrated as being disposed only on the first primary surface 14, aspects of the present disclosure include disposing the optical film 20 on the second primary surface 16 or both the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16. The optical film 20 includes at least one anti-reflective coating 22 containing a silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety. The at least one anti-reflective coating 22 can define an outer surface 24 of the optical film 20. An easy-to-clean (ETC) coating 40 can be disposed directly on the outer surface 24 of the anti-reflective coating 22. The ETC coating 40 includes an outer surface 42 that may define a coated surface of the article 10. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that preferential bond formation between the silsesquioxane layer and the ETC layer may promote a high durability of the ETC layer and the overall coating structure, as measured according to a frictional wear test, such as the Steel Wool Test described herein, for example.
[0034] The optical film 20 includes the at least one anti-reflective coating 22 and in some embodiments may include multiple anti-reflective coatings forming an anti-reflective stack. Optionally, the optical film 20 can include one or more additional layers/sub-layers and/or coatings adapted to provide the article 10 with a desired optical property. Additional nonlimiting examples of components of the optical film 20 include anti-glare coatings, scratchresistant coatings, impedance matching layers, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the optical film 20 can include one or more additional layers/sub-layers and/or coatings disposed between the at least one anti-reflective coating 22 and the first primary surface 14 of the substrate 12. In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be an anti-reflective stack that includes both high refractive index (n) material layers (n > 1.6) and low refractive index material layers (n < 1.55). Examples of suitable high refractive index materials can contain TiO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, HfO2, A12O3, Si3N4, SiNx, SiOxNy, AIN, AlOxNy, SiAluOxNy, and mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable low refractive index materials can contain SiO2, MgF2, SiOxNy, siloxanes, silsesquioxanes, and mixtures thereof. In such stacks, the outermost layer will generally be an ETC layer as described elsewhere herein, and the 2nd layer adjacent to the outermost ETC layer will generally be a silsesquioxane-containing layer according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The thickness of each layer may typically he in the range from about lOnm to about 150 nm. In some embodiments, a lower number of layers may be preferred, e.g. less than 10, less than 6, or less than 5 layers, such as for practical and/or cost concerns. While a simple 2-layer system (SSQ and ETC only) may be preferred for cost considerations, a multilayer system with 3 or more layers is contemplated for applications requiring specific optical performance levels, such as lower reflectance over a broad wavelength band. For example, a multilayer system with 3 or more layers may be utilized when optical performance requires less than 1.0% reflectance as an average from 450nm to 650nm, or for all wavelengths from 450 nm to 650 nm. Thus the exact nature of the optical film 20, i.e., the materials and/or number of layers present, in addition to the SSQ and ETC layers of the present disclosure, can be selected as needed to provide the optical film 20 with the desired optical properties.
[0035] In some embodiments, the substrate 12 includes a glass composition. The substrate 12, for example, can include a borosilicate glass, an aluminosilicate glass, soda-lime glass, chemically strengthened borosilicate glass, chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass, or chemically strengthened soda-lime glass. The substrate may have a selected length and width, or diameter, to define its surface area. The substrate may have at least one edge between the first primary surface 14 and second primary surface 16 of the substrate 12 defined by its length and width, or diameter.
[0036] In some embodiments, the substrate 12 includes a glass-ceramic material having both a glassy phase and a ceramic phase. Illustrative glass-ceramics include those materials where the glass phase is formed from a silicate, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, or boroaluminosilicate, and the ceramic phase is formed from [3-spodumene, [3-quartz, nepheline, kalsilite, or carnegieite. “Glass-ceramics” include materials produced through controlled crystallization of glass. Examples of suitable glass-ceramics may include Li2O-A12O3-SiO2 system (i.e., LAS-System) glass-ceramics, MgO-A12O3-SiO2 system (i.e., MAS-System) glass-ceramics, ZnO x A12O3 x nSiO2 (i.e., ZAS system), and/or glass-ceramics that include a predominant crystal phase including [3-quartz solid solution, [3-spodumene, cordierite, and lithium disilicate. The glass-ceramic substrates may be strengthened using a chemical strengthening process.
[0037] In some embodiments, the substrate 12 includes a ceramic material such as inorganic crystalline oxides, nitrides, carbides, oxy nitrides, carbo nitrides, and/or the like. Illustrative ceramics include those materials having an alumina, aluminum titanate, mullite, cordierite, zircon, spinel, perovskite, zirconia, ceria, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon aluminum oxynitride, or zeolite phase.
[0038] The substrate 12 can have any suitable thickness based at least in part on the intended application of the article 10. In some embodiments, the substrate 12 can have a thickness of from about 10 micrometers (pm) to about 5 millimeters (mm), and any range or sub-ranges therein. For example, the substrate 12 can have a thickness of from about 10 pm to about 5 mm, about 10 pm to about 4 mm, about 10 pm to about 3 mm, about 10 pm to about 2 mm, about 10 pm to about 1 mm, about 10 pm to about 500 pm, about 10 pm to about 250 pm, about 10 pm to about 100 pm, about 100 pm to about 5 mm, about 100 pm to about 4 mm, about 100 pm to about 3 mm, about 100 pm to about 2 mm, about 100 pm to about 1 mm, about 100 pm to about 500 pm, about 100 pm to about 250 pm, about 250 pm to about 5 mm, about 250 pm to about 4 mm, about 250 pm to about 3 mm, about 250 pm to about 2 mm, about 250 pm to about 1 mm, about 250 pm to about 500 pm, about 500 pm to about 5 mm, about 500 pm to about 4 mm, about 500 pm to about 3 mm, about 500 pm to about 2 mm, about 500 pm to about 1 mm, about 1mm to about 5 mm, about 1 mm to about 4 mm, about 1 mm to about 3 mm, or about 2 mm to about 5 mm.
[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the anti-reflective coating 22 contains a layer that includes a silsesquioxane material. In some embodiments, the anti- reflective coating 22 is formed from a solution containing a silsesquioxane material that is spin-coated onto the desired substrate and subsequently cured. The silsesquioxane material of the anti-reflective coating 22 is represented by the formula [RSiO3/2]n, where R is H or an organic moiety such as an alkyl, aryl, or alkoxyl group. In some embodiments, the silsesquioxane material is a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane material (also referred to as POSS). In some examples, the silsesquioxane material can have a cage-like or polymeric structure having Si-O-Si linkages and tetrahedral Si vertices. In some examples, the silsesquioxanes may form 6, 8, 10, or 12 silicon vertices in which each silicon center is bonded to three oxo groups, which in turn connect to other silicon centers. An exemplary silsesquioxane material is hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) in which R is a hydrogen.
[0040] The anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of about 3 nm to up to several hundreds of nanometers based at least in part on the intended application and/or other components of the article, such as the ETC coating 40. For example, the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of at least 10 nm, at least 15 nm, at least 50 nm, at least 100 nm, at least 500 nm, or at least 1 pm. In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm. For example, the anti -reflective coating 22 can have a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm, about 20 nm to about 150 nm, about 50 nm to about 150 nm, about 75 nm to about 150 nm, about 100 nm to about 150 nm, about 125 nm to about 150 nm, about 10 nm to about 125 nm, about 20 nm to about 125 nm, about 50 nm to about 125 nm, about 75 nm to about 125 nm, about 100 nm to about 125 nm, about 10 nm to about 100 nm, about 20 nm to about 100 nm, about 50 nm to about 100 nm, about 75 nm to about 100 nm, about 10 nm to about 75 nm, about 20 nm to about 75 nm, about 50 nm to about 75 nm, about 10 nm to about 50 nm, or about 20 nm to about 50 nm. In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a thickness that is approximately ! of the wavelength of the visible light in the material, which typically corresponds to a physical thickness of from about 75 nm to about 125 nm. [0041] In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 is characterized by a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm. For example, the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, about 1.25 to about 1.6, about 1.3 to about 1.6, about 1.35 to about 1.6, about 1.4 to about 1.6, about 1.45 to about 1.6, about 1.5 to about 1.6, about 1.55 to about 1.6, about 1.2 to about 1.55, about 1.25 to about 1.55, about 1.3 to about 1.55, about 1.35 to about 1.55, about 1.37 to about 1.52, about 1.4 to about 1.55, about 1.45 to about 1.55, about 1.2 to about 1.5, about 1.25 to about 1.5, about 1.3 to about 1.5, about 1.35 to about 1.5, about 1.4 to about 1.5, about 1.45 to about 1.5, about 1.2 to about 1.45, about 1.25 to about 1.45, about 1.3 to about 1.45, about 1.35 to about 1.45, about 1.4 to about 1.45, about 1.2 to about 1.4, about 1.25 to about 1.4, about 1.3 to about 1.4, about 1.35 to about 1.4, about 1.2 to about 1.35, about 1.25 to about 1.35, or about 1.3 to about 1.35, as measured at 550 nm. In some examples, the anti-reflective coating can have a refractive index of about 1.2, about 1.25, about 1.3, about 1.325, about 1.363, about 1.368, about 1.383, about 1.35, about 1.37, about 1.4, about 1.45, about 1.5, about 1.52, about 1.55, about 1.6, or any refractive index between these values, as measured at 550 nm. [0042] In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first- surface reflectance of less than about 2 % for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm. As used herein, the first-surface reflectance includes specular and total reflectance. For example, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflectance of less than about 2%, less than about 1.8%, less than about 1.6%, less than about 1.5%, or less than about 1.0% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm. [0043] In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by an average reflectance of less than about 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm. For example, the anti -reflective coating 22 can have an average reflectance of less than about 2%, less than about 1.8%, less than about 1.6%, or less than about 1.5%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm. The average reflectance values reported herein are measured as described above, unless otherwise stated.
[0044] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the color of the light reflected by the anti- reflective coating 22 can exhibit little to no change in color when viewed from a range of angles, i.e., can exhibit stability in the color of reflected light when viewed at different angles. The stability of the color of the light reflected by the anti -reflective coating 22 as viewed over a range of angles can be represented by determining a first-surface color shift (ACj*), i.e., a change in CIE LAB color AC*, at each angle of incidence (AOI) over a range of angles, j, according to formula (I). In some embodiments the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I). For example, the anti -reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less, 12 or less, 10 or less, 8 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, or 3 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I). In some embodiments the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I). For example, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less, 12 or less, 10 or less, 8 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, or 3 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees according to formula (I) above.
[0045] In some embodiments, the anti-reflective coating 22 can be characterized by a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%. For example, the anti-reflective coating 22 can have a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%, about 17% to about 30%, about 19% to about 30%, about 20% to about 30%, about 21% to about 30%, about 22% to about 30%, about 23% to about 30%, about 15% to about 25%, about 17% to about 25%, about 19% to about 25%, about 20% to about 25%, about 21% to about 25%, about 22% to about 25%, about 23% to about 25%, about 15% to about 23%, about 17% to about 23%, about 19% to about 23%, about 20% to about 23%, about 21% to about 23%, about 15% to about 22%, about 17% to about 22%, about 19% to about 22%, about 20% to about 22%, about 15% to about 21%, about 17% to about 21%, about 19% to about 21%, about 15% to about 20%, about 17% to about 20%, about 19% to about 20%, about 15% to about 19%, about 17% to about 19%. In some examples, the anti-reflective coating 22 has a porosity of about 15%, about 17%, about 17.1%, about 19%, about 20%, about 20.2%, about 21%, about 21.3%, about 22%, about 23%, about 24%, about 25%, about 26%, about 27%, about 28%, about 29%, about 29.2%, about 30%, or any porosity between these values.
[0046] The optical coating 20 can include a single anti-reflective coating 22 or multiple layers of an anti-reflective coating 22 containing a cured silsesquioxane material according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. In some examples, the optical coating 20 can include multiple anti-reflective coatings 22 that may have the same or different thickness, silsesquioxane material, porosity, and/or refractive index. In some examples, the optical coating 20 can include multiple anti-reflective coatings 22, where each anti-reflective coating 22 is formed using the same or different processing conditions, examples of which include concentration of silsesquioxane material, deposition solvent, curing conditions (e.g., curing temperature and/ortime), and/ortype and concentration of additives (e.g., pore former). The materials and processing conditions can be selected to provide one or more anti-reflective coatings having the desired optical properties, such as a desired refractive index and/or a reflectance profile having a desired minimum reflectance value, a minimum reflectance centered around a desired wavelength, and/or a desired average reflectance value across a predetermined range of wavelengths.
[0047] The easy-to-clean (ETC) coating 40 can be disposed directly on the outer surface 24 of the anti -reflective coating 22. In some embodiments, the ETC coating 40 can include any suitable polymer material and/or fluorinated material, examples of which include a fluorinated material with silane moieties, a fluoroether silane, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) silane, a perfluoroalkylether, and a PFPE oil. According to one aspect, a physical thickness of the ETC coating 40 is from about 1 nm to about 20 nm. In other aspects, the physical thickness of the ETC coating 40 is from about 1 nm to about 20 nm, about 2 nm to about 10 nm, about 3 nm to about 10 nm, about 4 nm to about 10 nm, about 5 nm to about 10 nm, about 1 nm to about 200 nm, about 1 nm to about 100 nm, about 1 nm to about 50 nm, about
2 nm to about 200 nm, about 2 nm to about 100 nm, about 2 nm to about 50 nm, about 5 nm to about 200 nm, about 5 nm to about 100 nm, about 5 nm to about 50 nm, about 1 nm to about 2nm, about 1 nm to about 3 nm, about 1 nm to about 4 nm, about 1 nm to about 5 nm, about 2 nm to about 3 nm, about 2 nm to about 4 nm, or about 2 nm to about 5 nm. For example, the ETC coating 40 can have a physical thickness of about 1 nm, about 2 nm, about
3 nm, about 4 nm, about 5 nm, about 10 nm, about 15 nm, about 20 nm, about 50 nm, about 100 nm, about 200 nm, or any physical thickness between these values. In some examples, the ETC coating 40 may be a monolayer either vertically or horizontally arranged on the outer surface 24 of the anti -reflective coating 22.
[0048] According to some embodiments, the ETC coating 40 can be characterized by a durability as determined by the Steel Wool Abrasion Test, as described above. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the ETC coating 40 can exhibit an average contact angle with water of at least about 80 degrees, at least about 90 degrees, at least about 100 degrees, at least about 105 degrees, or at least about 110 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Abrasion Test. In some aspects, the ETC coating 40 exhibits an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees, at least about 105 degrees, or at least about 110 degrees after being subjected to 3000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Abrasion Test. [0049] Referring to FIG. 2, a method 100 for forming an article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The method 100 can be used to form an article, such as the article 10 described above with respect to FIG. 1, which includes the anti-reflective coating 22 according to the present disclosure. The method 100 can be used to provide an anti-reflective coating 22 containing a silsesquioxane material and having the desired thickness and optical properties, examples of which include a desired refractive index, first- surface reflectance, average reflectance, and/or first-surface color shift (AC0*), as described herein.
[0050] The method 100 can include a step 102 of depositing a solution containing a silsesquioxane material onto a sample. With respect to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the solution can be deposited directly on the substrate 12 or on a component of the optical film 20 that has already been deposited on the substrate 12. The components of the solution deposited at step 102, such as type of silsesquioxane material, concentration of silsesquioxane material, solvent, and optional additives, can be selected to provide an anti-reflective coating 22 upon curing that has the desired thickness and optical properties. For example, in some embodiments, the solution deposited at step 102 can include from about 0.2% to about 2%, by weight (wt%), of the silsesquioxane material. In some examples, the solution includes from about 0.2 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.25 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.5 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 1.75 wt% to about 2 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1.25 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 1.5 wt% to about 1.75 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 1.25 wt% to about 1.5 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1.25 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1.25 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 1.25 wt%, about 1 wt% to about 1.25 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 1 wt%, about 0.5 wt% to about 1 wt%, about 0.75 wt% to about 1 wt%, about 0.2 wt% to about 0.75 wt%, or about 0.5 wt% to about 0.75 wt% of the silsesquioxane material.
[0051] As described above with respect to the substrate 12 of the article 10, the substrate 12 can be a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic material. The optional components of the optical film 20 described herein can be provided on the substrate 12 according to any conventional method for depositing such materials, examples of which include physical vapor deposition (“PVD”), electron beam deposition (“e-beam” or “EB”), ion-assisted deposition-EB (“IAD- EB”), laser ablation, vacuum arc deposition, sputtering, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
[0052] The solution containing a silsesquioxane material can be deposited in any suitable manner to provide a layer of material having a desired thickness. According to one embodiment, the silsesquioxane material can be deposited using a liquid-based, non-vacuum technique, such as spray coating and spin coating. In an exemplary embodiment, the solution is spin-coated onto the sample. The amount of solution, spin-coat speed, and spin time can be selected to provide a layer of material having the desired thickness. [0053] In some embodiments, the solution deposited at step 102 can include a pore former. The pore former can be present as an additive in the solution and/or incorporated into the silsesquioxane material. For example, the pore former can be a small organic molecule that is present in the solution and/or an organic functional group forming at least a portion of the silsesquioxane material. In another example, the pore former can be a macromolecule, such as cyclodextrin or polyethylene oxide, that could impart porosity to the coating upon curing. Without wishing to be limited by any theory, it is believed that organic materials may bum off during curing, which can affect the porosity of the cured coating, and which may also affect the refractive index of the cured coating. For example, HSQ is an example of a silsesquioxane material according to the present disclosure having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen. A POSS having an organic moiety as the R group could impart a different porosity to the cured coating compared to HSQ, which could provide the anti- reflective coating 22 with different optical properties. Additional examples of pore formers can include cationic or anionic surfactants (for example, as further described in Huo, Qisheng, et al. "Generalized synthesis of periodic surfactant/inorganic composite materials." Nature 368.6469 (1994): 317-321) or block copolymers (for example, as further described in Yang, Peidong, et al. "Generalized syntheses of large-pore mesoporous metal oxides with semicrystalline frameworks." Nature 396.6707 (1998): 152-155; and Zhao, Dongyuan, et al. "Triblock copolymer syntheses of mesoporous silica with periodic 50 to 300 angstrom pores." Science 279.5350 (1998): 548-552).
[0054] At step 104, the solution deposited at step 102 can be cured to form the anti -reflective coating 22. The curing process can include thermal curing or other curing process techniques, an example of which includes electron-beam curing. In some embodiments, the curing conditions at step 104 can include heating the deposited solution at a time and temperature suitable for curing the solution to form the anti-reflective coating 22 having the desired optical properties. For example, the curing at step 104 can include thermally curing the deposited solution by heating the solution to a temperature of from about 400 oC to about 800 oC. For example, the curing step 104 can include heating the solution to a temperature of from about 400 oC to about 800 oC, about 500 oC to about 800 oC, about 600 oC to about 800 oC, about 700 oC to about 800 oC, about 400 oC to about 700 oC, about 500 oC to about 700 oC, about 600 oC to about 700 oC, about 400 oC to about 600 oC, about 500 oC to about 600 oC, or about 400 oC to about 500 oC.
[0055] In some embodiments, the curing conditions during step 104 can be selected to provide a cured anti-reflective coating 22 having a desired refractive index. For example, some silsesquioxane materials of the present disclosure are characterized by a refractive index that varies as a function of curing temperature. FIG. 3 illustrates plots of example HSQ films showing the relationship between refractive index (as measured at 550 nm) and curing temperature at three different film thicknesses (300 nm, 500 nm, and 800 nm). As can be seen in FIG. 3, generally speaking, as the curing temperature increases, the refractive index of the cured HSQ film also increases. In some examples, the relationship between refractive index, curing temperature, and cured film thickness for a particular silsesquioxane material according to the present disclosure can be determined and the information can be used to select the curing conditions at step 104 to provide a cured anti -reflective coating 22 having the desired thickness and optical properties.
[0056] Optionally, the method 100 can include a step 106 in which a polymeric and/or fluorinated material suitable for forming the ETC coating 40 can be formed on the anti- reflective coating 22. The polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be any of the materials described above for forming the ETC coating 40. The polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be deposited in any suitable manner, examples of which include spin-coating, spraying, etc. The polymeric and/or fluorinated material can be deposited at step 106 and the article can be heated to cure the polymeric and/or fluorinated material to form the ETC coating 40. Optionally, the outer surface of the anti -reflective coating 22 formed at step 104 can be plasma treated prior to application of the polymeric and/or fluorinated material. The curing at step 106 can include heating the article at a time and temperature suitable for curing the deposited polymeric and/or fluorinated material to form the ETC coating 40. For example, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) solution can be spray coated onto the anti-reflective coating 22 and cured at about 150 oC to form the ETC coating 40.
[0057] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide materials and methods for forming anti-reflective coatings using silsesquioxane materials. The silsesquioxane materials described herein can form anti-reflective coatings having optical properties, such as refractive index and reflectance properties, which are suitable for use in many applications, including for use in displays and infrared camera applications. The silsesquioxane materials described herein can be used to form anti-reflective coatings using non-vacuum, liquid-based processing techniques, which can provide cost benefits in manufacturing and potentially expand the use of anti-reflective coatings in other applications. The silsesquioxane materials described herein also provide for the ability to adjust the refractive index of the anti-reflective coating based on curing conditions, such as curing temperature, thickness, type of silsesquioxane materials (e.g., based on R group identity), and/or through the use of pore formers (e.g., as additives and/or as components of the silsesquioxane material). The anti- reflective coatings of the present disclosure also exhibit durability, as measured using the Steel Wool Abrasion Test described above, when used in combination with an ETC coating that is sufficient for many applications, such as displays.
[0058] EXAMPLES
[0059] The following examples describe various features and advantages provided by the disclosure, and are in no way intended to limit the invention and appended claims.
[0060] Example 1
[0061] Table 1 below lists the refractive index and porosity of exemplary coatings formed using HSQ (Examples 1A-1D). Ex. 1A-1D were prepared by serial dilution of a 25% by volume (vol%) solution of HSQ with a solvent to form coatings of different thickness when spin-coated on a substrate. The HSQ was received in FOx® 25 (available from Dow Coming) and diluted using Novec™ HFE 7200 (available from 3M™). Each dilution was spin-coated on a glass substrate at the concentration indicated in Table 1 and then cured at 400 oC for 30 minutes. As shown in Table 1, Ex. 1A-1D had a refractive index of about 1.3 (ranging from 1.325 to 1.383), as measured at 550 nm, even at different coating thicknesses.
Table 1: HSQ Coating Examples 1A-1D
Figure imgf000021_0001
[0062] Example 2 [0063] FIGS. 4-7 illustrate the reflectance and color shift data for exemplary anti -reflective coatings formed on two different glass substrates. The samples of Example 2A (designated “Ex. 2A”) consist of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ formed at different thicknesses on one side of a glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.51 (as measured at 550 nm). The samples of Example 2B (designated “Ex. 2B”) consist of an anti-reflective coating containing HSQ formed at different thicknesses on one side of a glass substrate having a refractive index of 1.7 (as measured at 550 nm). The concentration of HSQ, in weight percent (wt%), spin-coated on the substrate is representative of the thickness of the coating formed after curing. The HSQ, diluting solvent, and curing conditions are the same as those described above in Example 1.
[0064] FIG. 4 illustrates the first-surface reflectance of Ex. 2A having an anti-reflective coating formed from a solution containing HSQ at concentrations of 0.33 wt%, 0.66 wt%, 0.77 wt%, 0.88 wt%, and 1.0 wt%. FIG. 5 illustrates the first-surface reflectance of Ex. 2B having an anti-reflective coating formed from a solution containing HSQ at concentrations of 1.11 wt%, 1.22 wt%, 1.34 wt%, 1.52 wt%, and 1.70 wt%. As can be seen in FIGS. 4-5, the anti-reflective coatings of Ex. 2A and 2B result in single-surface reflection curves that are centered at different wavelengths. The physical thickness of the HSQ layer for each sample can be estimated using the principles of single-layer quarter-wave anti-reflection coatings, the measured reflectance wavelength minima, and the known refractive index of a 1 wt% HSQ layer (as measured at 550 nm). For the purposes of the present example, the effect of the ETC layer on the thickness calculation can be assumed to be negligent (e.g., the ETC layer is thin and the refractive index of the ETC layer is similar to the HSQ layer). Thus, for Ex. 2A, the physical thickness of the HSQ layer was estimated at about 95 nm (thickness = (525 nm/4)/1.38). The physical thickness of Ex. 2B was estimated to be about 103 nm (thickness = (571 nm/4)/1.38). The anti -reflective coating of Ex. 2A reduced the first-surface reflection of the glass substrate from about 4 to a minimum of about 1.3 (Ex. 2A at 0.88 wt%). The anti-reflective coating of Ex. 2B reduced the first-surface reflection of the glass substrate from about 4 to a minimum of about 0.6 (Ex. 2B at 1 .11 wt%). Without wishing to be limited by any theory, the refractive index of the glass substrate of Ex. 2B is higher than that of Ex. 2A, which may contribute to the lower minimum reflectance exhibited by Ex. 2B. FIGS. 4-5 also show that the anti -reflective coatings of Ex. 2A and 2B are capable of broadband reduced reflectivity at wavelengths up to about 1000 nm. The reduced broadband reflectance may be useful in applications which utilize infrared cameras. In some applications, such as occupant tracking in vehicles and mobile devices, the infrared camera and light source are often disposed behind a substrate having an anti-reflective coating. The broadband reduced reflectivity of the anti-reflective coatings of the present disclosure suggest that the present anti-reflective coatings may be useful in these types of applications, as well as others.
[0065] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the CIE LAB single-surface reflected color data for Ex. 2A (0.88 wt%) and Ex. 2B (1. 11 wt%), respectively. The color of the single -surface reflected light can be characterized using CIE LAB color coordinates. The a* axis in color space is representative of the green-red color component, with negative a* values corresponding to green and positive a* values corresponding to red. The b* axis in color space is representative of the blue-yellow component, with negative b* values corresponding to blue and positive b* values corresponding to yellow. The closer the a* and b* values are to the origin, the more neutral in color the reflected light will appear to an observer. The CIE LAB a* and b* values were measured by directing the illumination at the sample at the indicated incident angles between 8 degrees and 60 degrees (8 o, 15 o, 30 o, 45 o, and 60o). The sample was illuminated with a D65 series illuminant (representing natural daylight) over a working optical range of 380 nm to 770 nm at 2 nm intervals for incident angles from 0 to 60 degrees. Example 2A (0.88 wt%) exhibited a color shift of less than about 3 (within a radius of 3 from the origin at 0,0) for all incidence angles from 8 to 60 degrees. Example 2B (1.11 wt%) exhibited a color shift of less than about 12 (within a radius of 12 from the origin at 0,0) for all incidence angles from 8 to 60 degrees. The color shift was determined based on the first- surface reflectance values, measured as described above.
[0066] As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, both the Ex. 2A and 2B samples exhibited a low shift in single -surface reflected color as a function of viewing angle between 8 degrees and 60 degrees. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it is believed that the higher reflectance of Ex. 2A (0.88 wt%) may be correlated with the lower angular color shift compared to Ex. 2B (1. 11 wt%). The data suggests that the optimal combination of reflectance and color shift may be selected based on the intended application, where some applications may prioritize lower reflectance over lower angular color shift and vice versa. [0067] The following non-limiting embodiments are encompassed by the present disclosure. To the extent not already described, any one of the features of the following embodiments may be combined in part or in whole with features of any one or more of the other embodiments of the present disclosure to form additional embodiments, even if such a combination is not explicitly described.
[0068] According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, an article, comprises: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; and an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, and wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000024_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0069] According to a second embodiment of the present application, the article of embodiment 1, wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 10 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ct * and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0070] According to a third embodiment of the present application, the article of embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first- surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0071] According to a fourth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 1-3, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm. [0072] According to a fifth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a first-surface reflectance of less than about 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
[0073] According to a sixth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 1-5, wherein the anti-reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than about 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
[0074] According to a seventh embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 1-6, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
[0075] According to an eighth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 1-7, wherein the anti -reflective coating comprises a plurality of layers, wherein each of the layers comprises the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane.
[0076] According to a ninth embodiment of the present application, an article comprises: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating disposed over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a physical thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm, and wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (A OI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000025_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and a,* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0077] According to a tenth embodiment of the present application, the article of embodiment 9, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test. [0078] According to an eleventh embodiment of the present application, the article of embodiment 9 or embodiment 10, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
[0079] According to a twelfth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 9-11, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
[0080] According to a thirteenth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 9-12, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a first-surface reflectance of less than 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
[0081] According to a fourteenth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 9-13, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
[0082] According to a fifteenth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 9-14, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
[0083] According to a sixteenth embodiment of the present application, the article of any one of embodiments 9-15, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0084] According to a seventeenth embodiment of the present application, a method of manufacturing an article comprises: depositing a solution on a primary surface of a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, the solution comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and curing the solution on the primary surface of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate to form an anti-reflective coating on the primary surface, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000026_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0085] According to an eighteenth embodiment of the present application, the method of embodiment 17, wherein the curing step comprises one of thermal curing or electron-beam curing.
[0086] According to a nineteenth embodiment of the present application, the method of embodiment 18, wherein the curing step comprises thermally curing the solution at a temperature of from 400 oC to 800 oC.
[0087] According to a twentieth embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-19, wherein the solution comprises from about 0.2% to about 2% of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, by weight.
[0088] According to a twenty-first embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-20, wherein the solution further comprises at least one pore former. [0089] According to a twenty-second embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-21, wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
[0090] According to a twenty-third embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-22, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
[0091] According to a twenty-fourth embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-23, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a first-surface reflectance of less than 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
[0092] According to a twenty-fifth embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-24, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
[0093] According to a twenty-sixth embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-25, further comprising: depositing an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm.
[0094] According to a twenty-seventh embodiment of the present application, the method of embodiment 26, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test.
[0095] According to a twenty-eighth embodiment of the present application, the method of any one of embodiments 17-27, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
[0096] Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and various principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
[0097] To the extent not already described, the different features of the various aspects of the present disclosure may be used in combination with each other as desired. That a particular feature is not explicitly illustrated or described with respect to each aspect of the present disclosure is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but it is done for the sake of brevity and conciseness of the description. Thus, the various features of the different aspects may be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not the new aspects are expressly disclosed.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. An article, comprising: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; and an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety, and wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (A 01), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000029_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 10 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
3. The article of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first- surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
4. The article of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
5. The article of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a first- surface reflectance of less than about 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
27
6. The article of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than about 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
7. The article of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
8. The article of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the anti -reflective coating comprises a plurality of layers, wherein each of the layers comprises the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane.
9. An article, comprising: a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; an anti-reflective coating disposed over the primary surface that comprises at least one layer, the at least one layer comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating disposed over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a physical thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm, and wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (A OI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000030_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
10. The article of claim 9, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test.
11. The article of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a physical thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
12. The article of any one of claims 9-11, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
13. The article of any one of claims 9-12, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a first- surface reflectance of less than 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
14. The article of any one of claims 9-13, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
15. The article of any one of claims 9-14, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a porosity of from about 15% to about 30%.
16. The article of any one of claims 9-15, wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
17. A method of manufacturing an article, comprising: depositing a solution on a primary surface of a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate, the solution comprising a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane having the formula (RSiO3/2)n, where R is a hydrogen or an organic moiety; and curing the solution on the primary surface of the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic substrate to form an anti-reflective coating on the primary surface, wherein the anti-reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 8 to 60 degrees as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, wherein the reflected color shift (ACj*) is determined according to formula (I):
Figure imgf000032_0001
where ao* and bo* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of 0 degrees respectively, and aj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the curing step comprises one of thermal curing or electron-beam curing.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the curing step comprises thermally curing the solution at a temperature of from 400 °C to 800 °C.
20. The method of any one of claims 17-19, wherein the solution comprises from about 0.2% to about 2% of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, by weight.
21. The method of any one of claims 17-20, wherein the solution further comprises at least one pore former.
22. The method of any one of claims 17-21, wherein the anti -reflective coating exhibits a first-surface reflected color shift (ACj*) of 15 or less at each angle of incidence (AOI), j, from 0 to 60 degrees, as relative to normal incidence at 0 degrees, where ctj* and bj* are the CIE LAB a* and b* values at an AOI of j degrees.
23. The method of any one of claims 17-22, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a refractive index of from about 1.2 to about 1.6, as measured at 550 nm.
24. The method of any one of claims 17-23, wherein the anti -reflective coating has a first- surface reflectance of less than 2% for at least one wavelength within the range of 400 nm to 1000 nm.
25. The method of any one of claims 17-24, wherein the anti -reflective coating has an average reflectance of less than 2%, as measured from 450 nm to 650 nm.
26. The method of any one of claims 17-25, further comprising: depositing an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating over the anti-reflective coating, the ETC coating comprising a fluorinated material and a thickness of about 1 nm to about 20 nm.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the ETC coating comprises an average contact angle with water of at least about 100 degrees after being subjected to 2000 reciprocating cycles under a load of 1 kg according to a Steel Wool Test.
28. The method of any one of claims 17-27, wherein the anti-reflective coating has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 150 nm.
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PCT/US2021/052276 2020-10-02 2021-09-28 Glass, glass-ceramic, and ceramic articles with a silsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating and methods of making the same WO2022072297A1 (en)

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