Fabrication of biomimetic patterns for high transmission and antifogging property

Enhancing the transmission of optical components is important for improving the performance of optical and optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaic panels and concentration photovoltaic systems. A simple method to enhance the transmission of quartz slides is presented here by fabricating multiscale tapered pillars on both sides of the quartz slides. The multiscale tapered nanopillars, which introduced a refractive index gradient on both surfaces, were created by reactive ion etching with dewetted Ag thin films as masks. The presence of the gradient on both surfaces greatly reduces the loss of light caused by reflection, which will enhance the total transmission light. Excellent transmission over the visible and near infrared region is achieved after optimizing the parameter of the structure. The transmission of the dual-sided structured quartz is enhanced to higher than 99% over wavelengths from 650 to 850 nm. Meanwhile, the structured quartz exhibits an antifogging property which is needed in optical and optoelectronic devices.