What Is an Anti-Reflective Coating?
An anti-reflective coating is an optical film applied to screens to reduce glare and reflection from external light sources. This is particularly useful both indoors, where lights can reflect off screens, and outdoors, where sunlight can make screen contents difficult to read.
With the growing prevalence of smartphones and digital devices, anti-reflective coatings have become essential for enhancing visibility and user experience.
Uses of Anti-Reflective Coatings
Anti-reflective coatings are commonly found on personal computing devices like PCs and tablets, helping to reduce glare and improve visibility. They are also beneficial in portable devices such as gaming consoles, especially when used outdoors.
In industrial applications, these coatings are used on displays such as those in surveying instruments with camera functions and car navigation systems. They are particularly effective in environments with direct sunlight, ensuring accurate readings by minimizing light reflection.
While excellent at reducing glare, anti-reflective coatings can sometimes alter the perceived color of the reflected light. This can result in a reddish hue when viewed from certain angles, making the choice of coating an important consideration.
Principle of Anti-Reflective Coatings
There are two main approaches to applying anti-reflective films: anti-glare (AG) and anti-reflection (AR) treatments.
About Anti-Glare Treatment
Anti-glare treatment involves creating a textured surface on the base film through coating with resin, scattering incident light in various directions to reduce glare.
Anti-Reflection Treatment
This treatment adjusts the phase of light by coating the base film with a dispersion solution, effectively reducing the amount of light reflected into the viewer’s eyes.
Other Processing Methods
Beyond these, there are various methods for applying anti-reflective treatments. These include dry methods like vacuum deposition, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), as well as wet methods such as the sol-gel and coating methods. Each of these categories includes several specific techniques tailored to different applications and requirements.