Antireflection film and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

There are provided an antireflection film for use primarily in displays such as LCDs, which exhibits both antifouling properties and mar-proofness, as well as a process for its production, the antireflection film comprising at least one functional layer and a low refractive index layer laminated in that order on a transparent base material, wherein the at least one functional layer contains leveling agent A in contact with the low refractive index layer, the low refractive index layer containing in addition to leveling agent B, the leveling agent A that has migrated from the at least one functional layer, further wherein the migrated leveling agent A and leveling agent B are uniformly distributed at the surface of the low refractive index layer, and the process for its production including: coating a functional layer-forming composition containing leveling agent A onto a transparent base material or a functional layer preformed thereover; half-curing it to form a functional layer in contact with the low refractive index layer; further coating the half-cured functional layer with a low refractive index layer-forming composition containing leveling agent B; and then completing the curing to form a low refractive index layer, whereby the leveling agent A migrates into the surface of the low refractive index layer, resulting in uniform distribution of the leveling agent A and leveling agent B at the surface of the low refractive index layer.

1 . An antireflection film comprising at least one functional layer and a low refractive index layer laminated in that order on a transparent base material, the at least one functional layer being in contact with the low refractive index layer and comprising a binder and a leveling agent A having neither functional groups that react under ionizing radiation and nor polar groups that react under heat, and
 the low refractive index layer comprising, in addition to a binder and a leveling agent B that is crosslinked at least with the binder, the leveling agent A that has migrated from the at least one functional layer,   wherein the migrated leveling agent A and the leveling agent B are uniformly distributed on the surface of the low refractive index layer.   
   
   
       2 . An antireflection film according to  claim 1 , wherein the functional layer in contact with the low refractive index layer is a hard coat layer. 
   
   
       3 . An antireflection film according to  claim 1 , wherein the leveling agent A is a non-reactive fluorine-based leveling agent. 
   
   
       4 . An antireflection film according to  claim 1 , wherein the leveling agent B is a reactive silicon-based leveling agent. 
   
   
       5 . An antireflection film according to  claim 3 , wherein the non-reactive fluorine-based leveling agent is a fluorinated compound having a fluorinated alkyl group represented by the general formula F(CF 2 ) 2n CH 2 CH 2 — where n is an integer of 1-10. 
   
   
       6 . An antireflection film according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluorinated alkyl group is a perfluoro group. 
   
   
       7 . An antireflection film according to  claim 4 , wherein the reactive silicon-based leveling agent is a compound represented by the following chemical formula (1): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     wherein R a  represents a C 1-20  alkyl group, R b  represents a C 1-20  alkyl, C 1-3  alkoxy or polyether-modified group which is either unsubstituted or substituted with an amino, epoxy, carboxyl, hydroxyl, acryloyl and/or methacryloyl group, and each R a  and R b  may be the same or different; m represents an integer of 0-200; and n represents an integer of 0-200. 
   
   
       8 . An antireflection film according to  claim 1 , wherein the low refractive index layer further comprises reactive hollow particles crosslinked with at least the binder. 
   
   
       9 . An antireflection film according to  claim 8 , wherein the low refractive index layer further comprises reactive solid particles crosslinked with at least the binder. 
   
   
       10 . An antireflection film according to  claim 2 , wherein the hard coat layer further comprises reactive inorganic fine particles crosslinked with at least the binder. 
   
   
       11 . An antireflection film according to  claim 10 , wherein the reactive inorganic fine particles are solid particles. 
   
   
       12 . An antireflection film according to  claim 1 , wherein the film thickness of the functional layer is from 0.1 μm to 30 μm, and the leveling agent A is present at from 0.01 wt % to 5 wt % based on the total weight of the binder of the functional layer. 
   
   
       13 . An antireflection film according to  claim 2 , wherein the film thickness of the low refractive index layer is from 0.05 μm to 0.15 μm, and the film thickness of the hard coat layer is from 5 μm to 30 μm. 
   
   
       14 . A process for production of an antireflection film comprising at least one functional layer and a low refractive index layer laminated in that order on a transparent base material, the process comprising: coating the transparent base material or a preformed functional layer with a functional layer-forming composition comprising a leveling agent A containing neither functional groups that react under ionizing radiation and nor polar groups that react under heat, and a binder; half-curing it to form a functional layer in contact with the low refractive index layer; further coating the half-cured functional layer with a low refractive index layer-forming composition containing a binder and a leveling agent B which is reactive at least with the binder; and then completing the curing to form a low refractive index layer. 
   
   
       15 . A process for production of an antireflection film according to  claim 14 , wherein the leveling agent A migrates to the surface of the low refractive index layer so that the leveling agent A and the leveling agent B are uniformly distributed on the surface of the low refractive index layer. 
   
   
       16 . A process for production of an antireflection film according to  claim 15 , wherein the leveling agent A is a non-reactive fluorine-based leveling agent and the leveling agent B is a reactive silicon-based leveling agent. 
   
   
       17 . An antireflection film produced by a process for production of an antireflection film according to  claim 14 . 
   
   
       18 . An antireflection film according to  claim 4 , wherein the non-reactive fluorine-based leveling agent is a fluorinated compound having a fluorinated alkyl group represented by the general formula F(CF 2 ) 2n CH 2 CH 2 — where n is an integer of 1-10. 
   
   
       19 . An antireflection film according to  claim 18 , wherein the fluorinated alkyl group is a perfluoro group. 
   
   
       20 . An antireflection film according to  claim 18 , wherein the reactive silicon-based leveling agent is a compound represented by the following chemical formula (1): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     wherein R a  represents a C 1-20  alkyl group, R b  represents a C 1-20  alkyl, C 1-3  alkoxy or polyether-modified group which is either unsubstituted or substituted with an amino, epoxy, carboxyl, hydroxyl, acryloyl and/or methacryloyl group, and each R a  and R b  may be the same or different; m represents an integer of 0-200; and n represents an integer of 0-200. 
   
   
       21 . An antireflection film according to  claim 3 , wherein the leveling agent B is a reactive silicon-based leveling agent. 
   
   
       22 . An antireflection film according to  claim 21 , wherein the reactive silicon-based leveling agent is a compound represented by the following chemical formula (1): 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     wherein R a  represents a C 1-20  alkyl group, R b  represents a C 1-20  alkyl, C 1-3  alkoxy or polyether-modified group which is either unsubstituted or substituted with an amino, epoxy, carboxyl, hydroxyl, acryloyl and/or methacryloyl group, and each R a  and R b  may be the same or different; m represents an integer of 0-200; and n represents an integer of 0-200. 
   
   
       23 . An antireflection film according to  claim 21 , wherein the non-reactive fluorine-based leveling agent is a fluorinated compound having a fluorinated alkyl group represented by the general formula F(CF 2 ) 2n CH 2 CH 2 — where n is an integer of 1-10. 
   
   
       24 . An antireflection film produced by a process for production of an antireflection film according to  claim 15 . 
   
   
       25 . An antireflection film produced by a process for production of an antireflection film according to  claim 16 .