Improved thermal stability of antireflective moth-eye topography imprinted on PMMA/TiO ₂ surface nanocomposites

Abstract The thermal stability of antireflective moth-eye topographical features fabricated by nanoimprint lithography on poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) incorporating TiO ₂ nanoparticles is explored. The effect of nanoparticle load on the relaxation dynamics of the moth-eye nanostructure is evaluated via grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering measurements by in situ monitoring the structural decay of the nanopatterns upon thermal annealing. It is demonstrated that the incorporation of TiO ₂ nanoparticles to the imprinted surface nanocomposite films delays greatly the pattern relaxation which, in turn, enhances the stability of the patterned topography even at temperatures well above the polymer glass transition (T _g ). The improved thermal behavior of the antireflective films will significantly enhance their functionality and performance in light-trapping applications where temperatures typically rise, such as solar devices or solar glass panels.