US Patent 7074463 - Nanoparticles for Brightness Enhancing Films

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7074463.pdf

Electronic displays such as LCDs employ special films to enhance the brightness. However, these films are often subject to scratches. This patent teaches using nanoparticles to produce films with more durability. Claims 1, 18, and 37 are representative.

1. A durable optical film comprising: a polymerized optical film structure having a microstructured surface and a plurality of surface modified colloidal nanoparticles of silica, zirconia, or mixtures thereof.

18. A brightness enhancing film comprising: a brightness enhancing polymerized structure having a plurality of surface modified colloidal nanoparticles.

37. A retro-reflective film comprising: a retro-reflective polymerized structure having a plurality of surface modified colloidal nanoparticles.