Anti-Reflective Coatings Produced via Atomic Layer Deposition for Hybrid Polymer 3D Micro-Optics

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 16; p. 2281
• Main Authors: Astrauskytė, Darija, Galvanauskas, Karolis, Gailevičius, Darius, Drazdys, Mantas, Malinauskas, Mangirdas, Grineviciute, Lina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-08-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: anti-reflective coating; Antireflection coatings; atomic layer deposition; Atomic layer epitaxy; Chemical vapor deposition; Coatings; Direct laser writing; Fabrication; Heat; Ion beams; Lasers; Methods; Micro-optics; Microlenses; multi-photon lithography; Optical properties; Optics; Polymerization; Polymers; Sensors; Software; Structure; SZ2080; Thin films; Lithuania
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano13162281

The increasing demand for optics quality requires the lowest optical power loss, which can occur from unwanted reflections. Laser direct writing (LDW) allows for the fabrication of complex structures, which is particularly advantageous in micro-optic applications. This research demonstrates the possibility of forming an anti-reflective coating on hybrid polymer micro-lenses fabricated by employing LDW without changing their geometry. Such coating deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) decreased the reflection from 3.3% to 0.1% at a wavelength of 633 nm for one surface of hybrid organic–inorganic SZ2080™ material. This research validates the compatibility of ALD with LDW 3D multiphoton lithography synergistically, expanding its applications on optical grade sub-100 μm scale micro-optics.