Evaluation of Physical Properties of Prism Thin Films Using Micro-Indentation Analysis

The micro-indentation analysis was employed as a measure to investigate the surface properties of prism films made of various UV-curable resins, whose measurement was compared to those of the scratch evaluation method. The anti-scratch property of prism film can be directly related to elastic recovery and indentation depth. The number of functionalities in reactive monomers is directly and inversely proportional to elastic modulus and indentation depth, respectively. The one-directional repeated-groove structure of the prism film increases the hydrophobicity, exhibiting very low moisture regain. Even such a small presence, however, significantly affects the surface properties of the prism. Consequently, the indentation depth increases, while the initial modulus decreases, leading to the severe damage of scratch resistance regarding patterned films.