Anti-glare and anti-sparkle transparent structures

1. An anti-glare light-transmitting structure that reduces an amount of glare from reflected ambient light and that has reduced optical distortion for light of wavelength λ transmitted through the light-transmitting structure, comprising:

a first transparent medium having a first refractive index n 1 and a light-scattering first surface that reduce glares and that by itself introduces an amount of distortion to the transmitted light; and

a second transparent medium having a second refractive index n 2 and a second surface that defines an interface to an ambient environment having a refractive index n 3 ,

wherein n 2 >n 1 >n 3 , and with the second transparent medium residing atop of and at least partially covering the first surface to reduce the amount of distortion introduced by the first surface; and

wherein the first surface has a first surface shape h 1 (x,y), the second surface has a second surface shape h 2 (x,y), and h 2 (x,y) is within 50% of (n 2 −n 1 )/(n 2 −n 3 )·h 1 (x,y)+c, where c is a constant.

2. The anti-glare light-transmitting structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transparent mediums act to maintain a relative phase difference of the transmitted light of ½λ or less.

3. The anti-glare light-transmitting structure of claim 2 , wherein the relative phase difference is ¼λ or less.

4. The anti-glare light-transmitting structure of claim 1 , wherein the first surface includes peaks and valleys, and wherein the second transparent material has a thickness within the valleys that is greater than a thickness on the peaks.

5. The anti-glare light-transmitting structure of claim 1 , wherein the second transparent medium resides only within the valleys.

6. The anti-glare light-transmitting structure of claim 5 , wherein the valleys are defined by substantially vertical sidewalls.

7. An anti-glare light-transmitting structure that reduces an amount of glare from reflected ambient light and that has reduced optical distortion of light of wavelength λ transmitted through the light-transmitting structure, comprising:

a first transparent medium having a first refractive index n 1 and a first surface that defines an interface to an ambient environment having a refractive index n 3 , wherein the first surface constitutes a light-scattering anti-glare surface comprising peaks and valleys that introduces an amount of distortion to the transmitted light; and

a plurality of ion-diffused regions of refractive index n 2 >n 1 >n 3 formed in the valleys that serve to reduce the amount of distortion in the transmitted light.

8. A method of forming an anti-glare light-transmitting structure that reduces an amount of glare from reflected ambient light and that has reduced optical distortion of light of wavelength λ transmitted through the light-transmitting structure, comprising:

forming, on first transparent medium having a first refractive index n 1 , a light-scattering anti-glare first surface that by itself introduces an amount of distortion to the transmitted light; and

adding a second transparent medium to the first surface of the first transparent medium, the second transparent medium having a second refractive index n 2 and a second surface that interfaces with an ambient environment having a refractive index n 3 , wherein n 2 >n 1 >n 3 , with the second transparent medium covering at least a portion of the first surface to reduce the amount of distortion in the transmitted light, and

wherein the light-scattering anti-glare first surface includes peaks and valleys, and wherein the second transparent medium does not cover the peaks.

9. The method of claim 8 , including forming the light-scattering anti-glare first surface by at least one of etching, stamping, embossing, molding, replicating, and imprinting.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein adding the second transparent medium to the first transparent medium comprises depositing particles of the second transparent medium into the valleys.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein adding the second transparent medium to the first transparent medium comprises spin-coating the second transparent medium onto the first surface.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein adding the second transparent medium to the first transparent medium comprises:

adding the second transparent medium to the valleys as a liquid that forms a meniscus shape with each valley; and

allowing or causing the liquid to harden while maintaining the meniscus shapes.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein adding the second transparent medium to the first transparent medium comprises:

depositing a layer of phobic material on the first surface;

removing the layer of phobic material from the valleys but not the peaks;

adding the second transparent medium to the valleys; and

removing the phobic material from the peaks.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein adding the second transparent medium to the first transparent medium comprises:

depositing a layer of the second transparent medium on the first surface; and

polishing the layer of the second transparent medium so that more of the material remains in the valleys than on the peaks.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first and second transparent mediums define an optical path difference for the transmitted light that is ½λ, or less.

16. A method of forming an anti-glare light-transmitting structure that reduces an amount of glare from reflected ambient light and that has reduced optical distortion of light of wavelength λ transmitted through the light-transmitting structure, comprising:

forming a transparent medium having a first refractive index n 1 and a light-scattering anti-glare first surface having peaks and valleys that by itself introduces an amount of distortion to the transmitted light; and

adding ion-diffused regions to the first transparent medium, the ion-diffused regions having a second refractive index n 2 and a second surface that interfaces with an ambient environment having a refractive index n 3 , wherein n 2 >n 1 >n 3 , with the ion-diffused regions formed in the valleys and configured to reduce the amount of distortion in the transmitted light.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first transparent medium and the ion-diffused regions formed therein define an optical path for the transmitted light that is ½λ, or less.

18. An anti-glare light-transmitting structure comprising:

a first transparent medium having a first refractive index n 1 and a light-scattering first surface; and

a second transparent medium having a second refractive index n 2 and a second surface that defines an interface to an ambient environment having a refractive index n 3 ,

wherein n 2 >n 1 >n 3 ,

wherein the second transparent medium resides atop of and at least partially covers the first surface to reduce the amount of distortion introduced by the first surface; and

wherein the light-scattering first surface includes peaks and valleys, and wherein the second transparent medium resides only in the valleys.