TRANSPARENT MEMBER, TIMEPIECE, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A TRANSPARENT MEMBER

• US 20100027383A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: SEKI, Hiroyuki, SUZUKI, Katsumi, SUZUKI, Keiichi
• Application Number:
  US12/496,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/276
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/734 comprising an alternation of high and low refractive indexes
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0652 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/10 Glass or silica
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/115 Multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 39/00 Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A transparent member has a transparent substrate, and an antireflection coating that has a high index of refraction layer made of silicon nitride and a low index of refraction layer made of silicon oxide alternately laminated on at least a part of a surface of the substrate. The content of silicon nitride in the region to a depth of 150 nm from the outside surface of the antireflection coating is 30-50 vol %.

Claims

1. A transparent member comprising:

a transparent substrate; and

an antireflection coating that has a high index of refraction layer made of silicon nitride and a low index of refraction layer made of silicon oxide alternately laminated on at least a part of a surface of the substrate,

the content of silicon nitride in the region to a depth of 150 nm from the outside surface of the antireflection coating being 30-50 vol %.

2. The transparent member described in claim 1, wherein:

the content of silicon nitride in the region to a depth of 150 nm from the outside surface of the antireflection coating is 40-50 vol %.

3. The transparent member described in claim 1, wherein:

the surface hardness of the transparent member is greater than or equal to 24000 N/mm².

4. The transparent member described in claim 3, wherein:

the surface hardness of the transparent member is greater than or equal to 30000 N/mm².

5. The transparent member described in claim 1, further comprising:

a stain resistant coating made of a fluorinated organosilicon compound formed on the antireflection coating.

6. The transparent member described in claim 5, wherein:

the fluorinated organosilicon compound is an alkoxysilane compound.

7. The transparent member described in claim 5, wherein:

the fluorinated organosilicon compound is a perfluoroether compound described in at least one of formula (1) and formula (2),

8. The transparent member described in claim 5, wherein:

the thickness of the stain resistant coating is 0.001-0.05 μ

m.

9. The transparent member described in claim 1, wherein:

the transparent member is a cover member; and

the antireflection coating is formed on at least a part on the outside side from among a group including parts on the inside side and parts on the outside side of the cover member.

10. A timepiece comprising:

the transparent member described in claim 9 with the transparent member disposed to a case that houses a timepiece movement.

11. A method of manufacturing the transparent member described in claim 1, comprising:

a sputtering step of forming the high index of refraction layer and low index of refraction layer rendering the antireflection coating by sputtering.

12. The method of manufacturing a transparent member described in claim 11, further comprising:

a heating step whereby sputtering is done while heating the substrate to 100°

C. or higher.

13. The method of manufacturing a transparent member described in claim 11, further comprising:

a reverse sputtering step of bias sputtering the substrate before forming the antireflection coating by sputtering.