OPTICAL MEMBER WITH LAYER HAVING A COATING GEOMETRY AND COMPOSITION THAT ENHANCE CLEANING PROPERTIES

摘要

An improved transparent optical member, preferably a glass sheet, comprising a nanostructure layer with an enhanced geometry and a balance of chemical (hydrophobic and hydrophilic) characteristics can be formed on a surface. Th e geometry and chemistry of the layer combine to obtain improved washability. The layer can be manufactured by forming a layer comprising a silicon compou nd coating, including a silicon oxide coating, a silicon carbide coating, a silicon nitride coating or mixtures thereof. The coating can have a thicknes s of about 1 to 100 nm (10-9 meter). The layer has a preferred rougheness from a random or ordered array of structure. The layer can be doped with di tri or polyvalent metal compounds. Such coatings have been found to have increased washability and such coatings have been found to preferentially bind to aqueous solutions applied to the glass. The hydrophilicity and prefential binding to aqueous solutions (wetability) tends to displace any soil deposit ed or contacted with the glass surface. As a result, the glass tends to associa te with aqueous solutions and to disassociate soil when contacted with aqueous solutions substantially increasing the ease of cleaning the glass surface using water, aqueous cleaning solutions, etc.