Nanoscale structures for implementation of anti-reflection and self-cleaning functions

Well-designed optical sub-wavelength surface relief structures could be used for minimising the reflection losses at the surface, and be used to increase the hydrophobic property of the surface, so that to improve the efficiencies and reduce the maintaining costs of solar cells. Interference lithography technology provides a way to fabricate a fine surface structure with the periods that are much shorter than the wavelengths of near infrared or visible light. The morphology of the microstructure by multi-beam interference lithography can be controlled, allowing the design of sub-wavelength structure surfaces with both anti-reflection (AR) and self-cleaning functions. In this paper, the analysis of the anti-reflection sub-wavelength relief structure and the self-cleaning relief structure is given, and the realisation method for a multi-functional structure using the interference lithography technology is presented. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.