What Is an Anti-Reflection Coating?
An anti-reflection coating is an optical film formed on the surface of a display to reduce surface reflection and reflection of light. A polymer film is layered on top of the base film, and the difference in refractive index between the layers is used to cause interference of light and weaken the reflected light to reduce the reflectance. Some types of anti-reflection coatings have fine particles added to scatter light.
Anti-reflective films are commercially available for home use and can be applied to the surface of TVs, PC monitors, and smartphone displays.
Uses of Anti-Reflection Coatings
Anti-reflection coatings are generally applied to base materials and hard coatings. In addition to suppressing surface reflection, it also inhibits the adhesion of dust and dirt and protects the display.
Anti-reflective films with multiple layers are mainly used for displays on TVs, PC monitors, and smartphones. They are also being considered for use in large equipment such as solar heat collectors and laser equipment for nuclear fusion to prevent energy loss due to surface reflection.
Principle of Anti-Reflection Coatings
Anti-reflection coatings consist of multiple optical layers on a base material. The refractive index at the interface of each layer is different, which causes interference, and this principle is used to reduce the reflectance of specific wavelengths. Multi-layered (multi-coated) films reduce surface reflection and improve the transmittance of displays, etc., making the screen easier to see.
Anti-reflective films can be broadly classified into LR (Low-Reflection) film and AG (Anti-Glare) film. AG films have particles in the hard coat layer to form unevenness on the surface of the film. This surface irregularity scatters incident light, and at the same time, the internal scattering caused by the difference in refractive index between the hard coat layer and the particles can be used to suppress reflection.