Coated object

• US 7,381,469 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Schott AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Geisler, Stefan, Dzick, Jürgen, Moelle, Christoph, Bewig, Lars, Bauer, Stefan, Küpper, Thomas, Koppe, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Blackwell; Gwendolyn
• Application Number:
  US10/829,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 428/432, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/704
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/734 comprising an alternation of high and low refractive indexes
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/156 by magnetron sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/322 Oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0078 by moving the substrates between spatially separate sputtering and reaction stations
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/022 by means of bombardment with energetic particles or radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/042 including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/42 characterized by the composition of the alternating layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/285 comprising deposited thin solid films G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12576 Boride, carbide or nitride component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12611 Oxide-containing component

Abstract

The invention relates to a coated object in which coatings remain of a constant and unchanged high quality despite operating temperatures of more than 350° C. This is achieved with interlayers which deliberately interrupt and thereby stabilize the morphology of the coating.

Claims

1. A coated object, comprising:

a substrate having at least one functional layer; and

at least one interlayer being arranged in said at least one functional layer, said at least one interlayer having a layer thickness of less than or equal to 10 nm interrupting the morphology of said at least one functional layer, and dividing said at least one functional layer in a plurality of partial layers,

wherein said at least one functional layer comprises a plurality of functional layers defining an alternating optical layer system, said alternating optical layer system comprising a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer, and

wherein said low refractive index layer is interrupted by a plurality of interlayers with a high refractive index.

2. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said high refractive index layer comprises one element selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, titanium aluminum oxide, and zirconium oxide.

3. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said high refractive index layer comprises one element selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, titanium aluminum oxide, and zirconium oxide.

4. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said low refractive index layer comprises silicon oxide.

5. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of interlayers with a low refractive index comprise silicon oxide.

6. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises glass.

7. The coated object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coated object is useable as an optical element selected from the group consisting of a reflector for digital projection, a lens for digital projection, a mirror for digital projection, an illumination means for digital projection, a reflector for stage, a lens for stage, an illumination means for stage, a reflector for architectural lighting, a lens for architectural lighting, an illumination means for architectural lighting, a prism for the UV wavelength region, a lens for the UV wavelength region, a mirror for the UV wavelength region, a reflector for the UV wavelength region, a filter for the UV wavelength region, an illumination means for the UV wavelength region, a prism for the IR wavelength region, a lens for the IR wavelength region, a mirror for the IR wavelength region, a reflector for the IR wavelength region, a filter for the IR wavelength region, an illumination means for the IR wavelength region, a display for monitors, and a display unit.

8. A coated object, comprising:

a substrate having at least one functional layer; and

at least one interlayer being arranged in said at least one functional layer, said at least one interlayer having a layer thickness of less than or equal to 10 nm interrupting the morphology of said at least one functional layer, and dividing said at least one functional layer in a plurality of partial layers,

wherein said at least one functional layer is made from a metal and said at least one interlayer is made from a metal oxide, and

wherein said at least one functional layer comprises chromium and said at least one interlayer comprises chromium oxide.

9. A coated object, comprising:

a substrate having at least one functional layer; and

at least one interlayer being arranged in said at least one functional layer, said at least one interlayer having a layer thickness of less than or equal to 10 nm interrupting the morphology of said at least one functional layer, and dividing said at least one functional layer in a plurality of partial layers,

wherein said at least one functional layer is made from a metal and said at least one interlayer is made from a metal oxide, and

wherein the coating object is useable as a carrier element for lithographic processes.

10. A coated object, comprising:

a substrate having at least one protective functional layer, said at least one protective functional layer having a layer thickness between 100 and 20,000 nm, having a predominantly crystalline layer in a thermally stable crystal phase, and having at least one interlayer arranged therein, said at least one interlayer having a different morphology than said at least one protective functional layer, having a layer thickness less than or equal to 10 nm, and dividing said at least one protective functional layer in a plurality of partial layers so that said plurality of partial layers have a layer thickness between 30 and 500 nm, said at least one functional layer comprises at least one chloride and at least one element selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, a carbide, a selenide, a telluride, and a sulfide.

11. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plurality of partial layers have a layer thickness in the range from 100 to 250 nm.

12. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one interlayer has a layer thickness in the range from 0.3 to 10 nm.

13. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one interlayer has a layer thickness in the range from 1 to 5 nm.

14. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective layer has a morphology with a plurality of columns which, on average, have a lateral extent of less than 1 μ

m.

15. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective layer has a morphology with a plurality of columns which, on average, have a lateral extent of less than 200 nm.

16. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective layer comprises silicon nitride.

17. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said protective layer comprises zirconium oxide in a thermally stable crystal phase.

18. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one interlayer comprises one element selected from the group consisting of zirconium nitride, silicon oxide, and titanium aluminum oxide.

19. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein said substrate comprises glass.

20. The coated object as claimed in claim 10, wherein the coated objected is useable as a cooking plate for a cooking hob.

21. A diffusion-inhibiting container, comprising:

a substrate;

a functional layer disposed on said substrate; and

an interlayer arranged in said functional layer, wherein said interlayer has a layer thickness of less than or equal to 10 nm, interrupts the morphology of said functional layer, and divides said functional layer in a plurality of partial layers.