Method of making hydrophobic coated article

• US 6,395,333 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Veerasamy, Vijayen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, BRET P
• Application Number:
  US09/927,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20020009593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 427/249.1,249.7,530,577,535,533
• US Class Current: 427/249.7
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/06 by giving articles subject to fouling a special shape or arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/065 the surface having a microscopic surface pattern to achieve the same effect as a lotus flower
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10018 comprising only one glass sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1033 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing temporary protective coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10577 Surface roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/007 Rear spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3441 comprising carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3634 one layer at least containing carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3652 the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/76 Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/151 by vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/31 : Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0075 : Cleaning of glass specially adapted to plate glass B08B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/076 : with 40% to 90% silica, by weight C03C3/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 : Elements for improving aerodynamics
• 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 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

A method of making a coated article, the method including depositng a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer or coating on a substrate. In certain example embodiments, the coating has a high contact angle.

Claims

1. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive coating having more sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds than sp² carbon—

carbon bonds on the substrate so that the DLC inclusive coating has an initial contact angle θ

of at least about 100 degrees and the DLC has an average hardness of at least about 10 GPa.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising plasma treating an outmost surface of the coating in order to provide at least H atoms in the coating proximate the outermost surface thereof, so as to reduce surface energy of the coating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing step is carried out using at least plasma ion beam deposition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said depositing step includes using at least one of H₂ and acetylene feedstock gas.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said depositing step includes varying ion energy within a range of from about 100 to 800 eV during said depositing so that the coating has different layer portions having different densities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the DLC has an average hardness of at least about 20 GPa.

7. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a layer comprising amorphous diamond-like (DLC) having more sp₃ carbon—

carbon bonds than sp₂ carbon—

carbon bonds on the substrate so that the layer comprising amorphous DLC has an initial contact angle θ

of at least about 100 degrees and an average hardness of at least about 10 GPa.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the layer comprising amorphous DLC has an average hardness of at least about 20 GPa.