Reflectors

• US 5,828,493 A
• Filed: 09/17/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dielectric Coating Industries Company
• Original Assignee: Dielectric Coating Industries Company
• Inventors: Bischer, Carmen B. Jr., Small, Edward A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Juba, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US08/710,464
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 359/585, 359/584, 359/884, 359/295, 359/572, 359/576, 428/472.1, 428/472.2, 428/912.2, 428/450
• US Class Current: 359/584
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/022 by means of bombardment with energetic particles or radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers

Abstract

A reflector formed on a base with a thick (0.5 to 2.0 microns) layer of non-porous oxide underlying an aluminum vacuum deposited layer which supports a pair of quarter wavelength reflectance-enhancing layers.

Claims

1. A high reflectance reflector comprising:

a base of unanodized aluminum;

a non-porous layer of oxide at least 0.5 microns thick deposited over said base;

an opaque layer of aluminum vacuum deposited onto said layer of oxide;

a quarter wavelength thick layer of a low index of refraction material and a quarter wavelength thick layer of a high index of refraction material vacuum deposited onto said layer of aluminum.

2. The reflector of claim 1 wherein said base is polished aluminum.

3. The reflector of claim 2 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

4. The reflector of claim 2 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

5. The reflector of claim 2 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

6. The reflector of claim 1 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

7. The reflector of claim 6 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

8. The reflector of claim 1 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

9. The reflector of claim 1 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

11. The reflector of claim 8 wherein said base is polished aluminum.

12. The reflector of claim 11 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

13. The reflector of claim 11 wherein said non-porous is SiO₂.

10. A reflector formed according to the following process:

vacuum depositing onto a smooth base a non-porous layer of oxide to a thickness of at least 0.5 microns;

vacuum depositing over said non-porous layer of oxide an opaque layer of aluminum; and

vacuum depositing over said layer of aluminum, quarter wavelength reflectance-enhancing layers.

14. The reflector of claim 10 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

15. The reflector of claim 14 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

16. The reflector of claim 10 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

17. The reflector of claim 10 wherein said base is un-anodized aluminum and the steps further comprising:

subjecting said base to a glow discharge.

18. The reflector of claim 17, the steps further comprising:

supplying water vapor to the glow discharge.

19. The reflector of claim 17, the steps further comprising;

subjecting the base of un-anodized aluminum to heat under vacuum to drive off water vapor.

20. The reflector of claim 19 wherein said water vapor is supplied to said glow discharge.

21. A high reflectance reflector comprising:

a base of polished metal;

a non-porous layer of oxide at least 0.5 microns thick deposited over said base;

an opaque layer of aluminum vacuum deposited onto said layer of oxide;

a quarter wavelength thick layer of a low index of refraction material and a quarter wavelength thick layer of a high index of refraction material vacuum deposited onto said layer of aluminum.

22. The reflector of claim 21 wherein said base is unanodized aluminum.

23. The reflector of claim 22 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

24. The reflector of claim 21 wherein said base is polished aluminum.

25. The reflector of claim 24 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

26. The reflector of claim 21 wherein said base is unanodized polished aluminum.

27. The reflector of claim 26 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

28. The reflector of claim 26 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.

29. The reflector of claim 21 wherein:

said non-porous layer of oxide is 0.50 to 2.0 microns thick.

30. The reflector of claim 21 wherein said non-porous oxide is SiO₂.