Electrically-conductive, contrast-selectable, contrast-improving filter
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A thin film contrast-improving filter, comprising:
- a transparent substrate;
a substantially transparent dielectric layer;
a precoat layer;
a metal layer consisting essentially of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper platinum, and alloys of these metals, said metal layer being substantially transmissive to visible light;
a postcoat layer;
a protective substantially transparent dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; and
a low-index, substantially-transparent, dielectric layer, the low-index layer having a lower index of refraction than the protective dielectric layer, wherein each of the postcoat and precoat layers has a thickness of 8 Å
or more and is formed from a mixture of nickel metal and at least one of chromium and chromium nitride, the precoat and postcoat layers having a combined thickness of 24 Å
or more.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention comprises a contrast-improving filter which uses a tri-layer comprising a metal layer, preferably silver, sandwiched between two metal precoat layers. The silver layer is thin so that it is substantially transparent to visible light. Additionally, the contrast-improving filter uses a silicon nitride layer between the tri-layer and further oxide layer to improve the durability and scratch-resistance of the contrast-improving filter.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A thin film contrast-improving filter, comprising:
-
a transparent substrate; a substantially transparent dielectric layer; a precoat layer; a metal layer consisting essentially of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper platinum, and alloys of these metals, said metal layer being substantially transmissive to visible light; a postcoat layer; a protective substantially transparent dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; and a low-index, substantially-transparent, dielectric layer, the low-index layer having a lower index of refraction than the protective dielectric layer, wherein each of the postcoat and precoat layers has a thickness of 8 Å
or more and is formed from a mixture of nickel metal and at least one of chromium and chromium nitride, the precoat and postcoat layers having a combined thickness of 24 Å
or more. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for the production of a durable thin film contrast-improving filter on a transparent substrate, comprising the steps, in sequence, of:
-
reactively sputtering a first substantially transparent dielectric layer onto said substrate; depositing a precoat layer; depositing a metal layer to a thickness such that the metal layer is substantially transmissive to visible light; depositing a postcoat layer; reactively sputtering a second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride onto said second metal precoat layer, and reactively sputtering a substantially transparent low index material onto the second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer, wherein said second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer protects the metal layer when the low index material is sputtered, wherein the precoat and postcoat layers are formed by sputtering nickel and chromium in a nitrogen environment to form a mixture of nickel metal and chromium nitride. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A thin film contrast-improving filter, comprising:
-
a transparent substrate; a substantially transparent dielectric layer; a precoat layer; a metal layer formed from a metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, copper, and platinum, said metal layer being substantially transmissive to visible light; a postcoat layer; a protective substantially transparent dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; and a low-index, substantially-transparent, dielectric layer, the low-index layer having a lower index of refraction than the protective dielectric layer, wherein the precoat and postcoat layer are formed of a mixture of nickel metal and chromium nitride. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
-
26. A method for the production of a durable thin film contrast-improving filter on a transparent substrate, comprising the steps, in sequence, of:
-
reactively sputtering a first substantially transparent dielectric layer onto said substrate; depositing a precoat layer; depositing a metal layer to a thickness such that the metal layer is substantially transmissive to visible light; depositing a postcoat layer; reactively sputtering a second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride onto said second metal precoat layer, and reactively sputtering a substantially transparent low index material onto the second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer, wherein said second substantially transparent protective dielectric layer protects the metal layer when the low index material is sputtered, said steps being such that each of the postcoat and precoat layers is formed with a thickness of 8 Å
or more and is formed from a mixture of nickel metal and at least one of chromium and chromium nitride, the precoat and postcoat layers having a combined thickness of 24 Å
or more. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
Specification