Antireflective surface fabricated from colloidal silica nanoparticles

Nanostructured antireflective surfaces were fabricated by the deposition of monodispersed silica nanoparticles on a glass substrate by electrostatic attraction between charged colloidal particles and charged polyelectrolyte multilayers. The effects of particle size and surface nanoparticle density on the antireflective properties of the nanostructured surfaces were investigated by the analysis of their reflection/transmission spectra and examination of their surface morphology. It was found that the nanostructured surfaces with particles of ∼120 nm in diameter yielded the most suitable performance for antireflection with respect to the visible-light region. The nanoparticle coatings revealed reflective properties similar to homogeneous porous layers. However, in comparing the simulation analysis to the experimental results, it was found inappropriate that an NP coating is entirely regarded as a homogenous porous layer.