Wear resistant transparent dielectric coatings

• US 5,234,769 A
• Filed: 04/16/1992
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deposition Sciences Incorporated (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Deposition Sciences Incorporated (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Shevlin, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, CATHY FONG FONG
• Application Number:
  US07/869,621
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 428/901, 428/432, 428/409, 174/250, 174/255, 174/256, 174/258, 174/210
• US Class Current: 428/409
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/225 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/23 Oxides C03C17/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3452 comprising a fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2204/08 Glass having a rough surface
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/214 Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/218 V2O5, Nb2O5, Ta2O5
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/281 Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/32 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/901 Printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block

Abstract

A substantially transparent wear resistant member wherein a dielectric layer is coated on a support such as glass. Wear resistance is enhanced by reducing fine-scale surface roughness of the dielectric layer.

Claims

1. A substantially transparent wear resistant member comprising a substantially transparent support having a layer of a substantially transparent dielectric coated thereon wherein said dielectric layer exhibits an average surface roughness not exceeding 100 Å

rms.

2. The member of claim 1 wherein said substantially transparent support comprises a substantially planar piece of glass.

3. The member of claim 1 wherein said substantially transparent dielectric layer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of Al₂ O₃, AlN, Ta₂ O₅ and Si₃ N₄.

4. The member of claim 1 wherein said dielectric is applied to said support by a method selected from the group consisting of evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition and dip coating and then polished to exhibit said average surface roughness not exceeding 100 Å

rms.

5. The member of claim 1 wherein said dielectric is overcoated with a second substantially transparent layer wherein said second layer enhances the wear resistance of said dielectric layer.

6. The member of claim 5 wherein said combination of substantially transparent layers exhibit an average surface roughness not exceeding 100 Å

rms.

7. The member of claim 5 wherein said second substantially transparent layer comprises a member selected to provide a lower coefficient of friction than the first substantially transparent dielectric layer.

8. The member of claim 5 wherein said second substantially transparent layer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of magnesium fluoride, tin oxide, antimony oxide and indium oxide.

9. The member of claim 7 wherein said second substantially transparent layer comprises a member selected to provide a coefficient of friction below 0.2.

10. The member of claim 1 wherein said dielectric is overcoated with one or more substantially transparent dielectric layers characterized as having a lower coefficient to friction than said dielectric wherein said additional dielectric layers are selected to enhance the wear resistance of said dielectric layer.

11. The member of claim 10 wherein said combination of substantially transparent dielectric layers exhibit an average surface roughness not exceeding 100 Å

rms.