Reflective or semi-reflective metal alloy coatings

• US 20060165943A1
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Academy Corporation (Materion Corporation)
• Inventors: Wityak, George M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,572,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/64.400
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3647 in combination with other metals, silver being more than 50%
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 5/06 Alloys based on silver
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 5/08 with copper as the next major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24 Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material characterised by the arrangement of information on the carrier G11B7/007
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24038 Multiple laminated recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2467 azo-dyes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2472 cyanine
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/248 porphines; azaporphines, e.g. phthalocyanines
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/258 of reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/259 based on silver
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2595 based on gold
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/26 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12771 Transition metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12868 Group IB metal-base component alternative to platinum group metal-base component [e.g., precious metal, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A silver-based alloy composition for use as a reflective, semi-reflective or highly reflective coatings or layer(s) for use in optical data storage media, low emissivity glass, transparent conductive displays, and electro-chromic mirrors, or other reflective, semi-reflective or highly reflective applications. The alloy compositions comprise silver with hafnium, and/or indium, and/or copper, and/or zinc, and/or silicon and/or tin.

Claims

1. A reflective, semi-reflective, highly reflective or semi-transparent coating for optical storage media, low emissivity glass, transparent conductive displays, electro-chromic mirrors, reflective applications, highly reflective applications, or semi-reflective applications, said coating comprising an alloy comprising:

silver; and

hafnium.

2. The coating of claim 1, wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 85% by weight and approximately 99.9% by weight.

3. The coating of claim 2, wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 90% by weight and approximately 99% by weight.

4. The coating of claim 3, wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 95% by weight and approximately 99% by weight.

5. The coating of claim 1, wherein said hafnium is between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 15.0% by weight.

6. The coating of claim 5, wherein said hafnium is between approximately 1.0% by weight and approximately 10% by weight.

7. The coating of claim 6, wherein said hafnium is between approximately 1.0% by weight and approximately 5.0% by weight.

8. The coating of claim 7 comprising approximately 98% silver and approximately 2.0% hafnium.

60. An optical storage medium comprising the coating of claim 1.

63. A low emissivity glass comprising the coating of claim 1.

66. A transparent conductive display comprising the coating of claim 1.

69. An electro-chromic mirror comprising the coating of claim 1.

72. A reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 1.

75. A highly reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 1.

78. A semi-reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 1.

81. The coating of claim 1 deposited on a surface.

9. A reflective, semi-reflective, highly reflective or semi-transparent coating for optical storage media, low emissivity glass, transparent conductive displays, electro-chromic mirrors, reflective application, highly reflective applications, or semi-reflective applications, said coating comprising an alloy comprising:

silver; and

indium.

10. The coating of claim 9 wherein said alloy further comprises copper.

11. The coating of claim 9 wherein said alloy further comprises zinc.

12. The coating of claim 9 wherein said alloy further comprises tin.

13. The coating of claim 12 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

14. The coating of claim 9 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

15. The coating of claim 10 wherein said alloy further comprises zinc.

16. The coating of claim 10 wherein said alloy further comprises tin.

17. The coating of claim 16 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

18. The coating of claim 10 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

19. The coating of claim 11 wherein said alloy further comprises tin.

20. The coating of claim 17 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon

21. The coating of claim 11 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

22. The coating of claim 15 wherein said alloy further comprises tin.

23. The coating of claim 15 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

24. The coating of claim 22 wherein said alloy further comprises silicon.

25. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 45% by weight and approximately 99.9% by weight silver.

26. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 80% by weight and approximately 99% by weight silver.

27. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 85% by weight and approximately 99% by weight silver.

28. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 30% by weight indium.

29. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 15% by weight indium.

30. The coating of claim 9 comprising between approximately 0.1% by weight and approximately 12% by weight indium.

31. The coating of claim 10 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 55% by weight of copper.

32. The coating of claim 10 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 10% by weight of copper.

33. The coating of claim 10 comprising between approximately 0.25% by weight and approximately 5% by weight of copper.

34. The coating of claim 11 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 55% by weight of zinc.

35. The coating of claim 11 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 10% by weight of zinc.

36. The coating of claim 11 comprising between approximately 0.25% by weight and approximately 5% by weight of zinc.

37. The coating of claim 12 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 30% by weight of tin.

38. The coating of claim 12 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 10% by weight of tin.

39. The coating of claim 14 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 30% by weight of silicon.

40. The coating of claim 14 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 10% by weight of silicon.

41. The coating of claim 14 comprising between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 1% by weight of silicon.

42. The coating of claim 14 comprising between approximately 0.05% by weight and approximately 0.2% by weight of silicon.

43. The coating of claim 13 comprising between approximately 85% by weight and between approximately 99.9% by weight silver;

between approximately 0.01% by weight and between approximately 15% by weight indium;

between approximately 0.05% by weight and between approximately 10.0% by weight tin; and

between approximately 0.01% by weight and between approximately 0.75% silicon.

44. The coating of claim 13 wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 85.0% by weight and approximately 99.9% by weight.

45. The coating of claim 44 wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 90% by weight and approximately 99% by weight.

46. The coating of claim 45 wherein said silver is in an amount of between approximately 95% by weight and approximately 98.5% by weight.

47. The coating of claim 13 wherein said indium is in an amount of between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 15.0% by weight.

48. The coating of claim 47 wherein said indium is in an amount of between approximately 0.1% by weight and approximately 10% by weight.

49. The coating of claim 48 wherein said indium is in an amount of between approximately 1.0% by weight and approximately 2.0% by weight.

50. The coating of claim 13 comprising tin in an amount of between approximately 0.05% by weight and approximately 10% by weight.

51. The coating of claim 50 wherein said tin is between approximately 0.1% by weight and approximately 3% by weight.

52. The coating of claim 51 wherein said tin is between approximately 0.25% by weight and approximately 1.0% by weight.

53. The coating of claim 13 wherein said silicon in an amount of between approximately 0.01% by weight and approximately 0.75% by weight.

54. The coating of claim 53 comprising silicon in an amount of between approximately 0.05% by weight and approximately 0.5% by weight.

55. The coating of claim 54 comprising silicon in an amount of between approximately 0.05% by weight and approximately 0.2% by weight.

56. The coating of claim 22 wherein said alloy comprises between approximately 90% and 95% by weight of silver, between approximately 3% and 6% by weight of copper, between approximately 1% and 3% by weight of zinc, between approximately 0.1% and 1% by weight of tin, and between approximately 0.1% and 0.2% by weight of indium.

61. An optical storage medium comprising the coating of claim 9.

64. A low emissivity glass comprising the coating of claim 9.

67. A transparent conductive display comprising the coating of claim 9.

70. An electro-chromic mirror comprising the coating of claim 9.

73. A reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 9.

76. A highly reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 9.

79. A semi-reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 9.

82. The coating of claim 9 deposited on a surface.

57. A reflective, semi-reflective, highly reflective or semi-transparent coating for optical storage media, low emissivity glass, transparent conductive displays, electro-chromic mirrors, reflective application, highly reflective applications, or semi-reflective applications, said coating comprising an alloy comprising:

silver;

copper;

zinc;

tin; and

silicon.

58. The coating of claim 57 comprising between approximately 94% and 96% by weight silver;

between approximately 2% and 3% by weight copper;

between approximately 1% and 2% by weight zinc;

between approximately 0.1% and 1% by weight tin; and

between approximately 0.1% and 0.5% by weight silicon.

59. The coating of claim 57 comprising between approximately 97% and 99% by weight silver;

between approximately 0.5% and 2% by weight copper;

between approximately 0.1% and 1% by weight zinc;

between approximately 0.1% and 0.5% by weight tin; and

between approximately 0.1% and 0.5% by weight silicon.

62. An optical storage medium comprising the coating of claim 57.

65. A low emissivity glass comprising the coating of claim 57.

68. A transparent conductive display comprising the coating of claim 57.

71. An electro-chromic mirror comprising the coating of claim 57.

74. A reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 57.

77. A highly reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 57.

80. A semi-reflective surface comprising the coating of claim 57.

83. The coating of claim 57 deposited on a surface.