US2005260419A1PendingUtilityA1

Protective layers for optical coatings

49
Assignee: AFG IND INCPriority: Jan 25, 2002Filed: Mar 26, 2004Published: Nov 24, 2005
Est. expiryJan 25, 2022(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kyle W. HukariPeter MaschwitzRand Dannenberg
C03C 17/366Y10T428/24942C03C 17/3644C03C 17/36C03C 2218/355Y10T428/30C03C 17/3626Y10T428/265C03C 17/3441C03C 17/3618C03C 2217/78C03C 17/3634Y10T428/24975C03C 17/3435
49
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Claims

Abstract

An optical coating on a transparent substrate is provided with a temporary layer of carbon as protection during manufacturing against scratches and corrosive environments. When the optical coating and/or substrate are tempered in an atmosphere reactive to carbon, such as air, the layer of carbon is removed as a carbon-containing gas. For an optical coating with a brittle, glassy, outermost layer furthest from the substrate, additional protection is provided by a scratch propagation blocker layer between the outermost layer and the carbon protective layer.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 40 . (canceled)  
     
     
         41 . A transparent article comprising 
 a substrate;    an optical coating comprising one or more layers on the substrate, where the one or more layers include furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer comprising amorphous silicon nitride; and    a protective coating on the outermost layer, wherein    the protective coating consists of 
 a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer, and  
 a layer consisting essentially of carbon on the scratch propagation blocker layer; and  
   the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of 
 Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W; and  
 mixtures thereof.  
   
     
     
         42 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the substrate comprises a glass.  
     
     
         43 . The transparent article according to  claim 42 , wherein the substrate comprises a tempered glass.  
     
     
         44 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the optical coating is a low-emissivity coating.  
     
     
         45 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the optical coating is a tempered coating.  
     
     
         46 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the optical coating contains at least one layer comprising Ag.  
     
     
         47 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the fracture toughness of the scratch propagation blocker layer is higher than the fracture toughness of the outermost layer.  
     
     
         48 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer is from 2 to 8 nm thick.  
     
     
         49 . The transparent article according to  claim 48 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         50 . The transparent article according to  claim 48 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         51 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon is doped with nitrogen.  
     
     
         52 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon consists of carbon and unavoidable impurities.  
     
     
         53 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the carbon in the layer consisting essentially of carbon comprises at least one form of carbon selected from the group consisting of diamond-like carbon and graphite.  
     
     
         54 . The transparent article according to  claim 41 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon is from 1 to 10 nm thick.  
     
     
         55 . A transparent article comprising 
 a substrate;    an optical coating comprising one or more layers on the substrate, where the one or more layers include furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer comprising silicon nitride; and    a protective coating on the outermost layer, wherein    the protective coating consists of 
 a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer, and  
 a layer consisting essentially of carbon on the scratch propagation blocker layer; and  
   the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer  2  to 8 nm thick comprising a material selected from the group consisting of 
 Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W; and  
 mixtures thereof.  
   
     
     
         56 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the substrate comprises a glass.  
     
     
         57 . The transparent article according to  claim 56 , wherein the substrate comprises a tempered glass.  
     
     
         58 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the optical coating is a low-emissivity coating.  
     
     
         59 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the optical coating is a tempered coating.  
     
     
         60 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the optical coating contains at least one layer comprising Ag.  
     
     
         61 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the fracture toughness of the scratch propagation blocker layer is higher than the fracture toughness of the outermost layer.  
     
     
         62 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         63 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         64 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon is doped with nitrogen.  
     
     
         65 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon consists of carbon and unavoidable impurities.  
     
     
         66 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the carbon in the layer consisting essentially of carbon comprises at least one form of carbon selected from the group consisting of diamond-like carbon and graphite.  
     
     
         67 . The transparent article according to  claim 55 , wherein the layer consisting essentially of carbon is from 1 to 10 nm thick.  
     
     
         68 . A transparent article comprising 
 a substrate;    an optical coating comprising one or more layers on the substrate, where the one or more layers include furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer comprising silicon nitride; and    a protective coating on the outermost layer, wherein    the protective coating consists of a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer; and    the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of 
 Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;  
 oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W; and  
 mixtures thereof.  
   
     
     
         69 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the substrate comprises a glass.  
     
     
         70 . The transparent article according to  claim 69 , wherein the substrate comprises a tempered glass.  
     
     
         71 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the optical coating is a low-emissivity coating.  
     
     
         72 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the optical coating is a tempered coating.  
     
     
         73 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the optical coating contains at least one layer comprising Ag.  
     
     
         74 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the outermost layer comprises amorphous silicon nitride.  
     
     
         75 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the fracture toughness of the scratch propagation blocker layer is higher than the fracture toughness of the outermost layer.  
     
     
         76 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer is from 2 to 8 nm thick.  
     
     
         77 . The transparent article according to  claim 76 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         78 . The transparent article according to  claim 76 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of oxynitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W.  
     
     
         79 . The transparent article according to  claim 68 , wherein the scratch propagation blocker layer is in contact with air.

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