Nanostructured thin film optical coatings

• US 8,088,502 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Martin, Peter M., Henager, Charles H. Jr., Bennett, Wendy D., Williford, Ralph E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SPEER, TIMOTHY M
• Application Number:
  US11/858,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 428/701, 428/702, 428/704, 428/216, 428/336, 428/407
• US Class Current: 428/701
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/352 using more than one target C23C14/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A durable coating made up of superimposed microlayers of preselected materials, and a method of making and utilizing such a coating. In one embodiment of the invention, at least 200 microlayers of at least one transparent material, having a thickness of less than 50 nms are superimposed in a sequential manner so as to obtain a desired arrangement between the layers. This structure then forms a transparent coating that has strength characteristics that are substantially greater than the strength of a layer of the coating material alone.

Claims

1. A durable optical coating characterized by:

between 100 and 5000 superimposed microlayers of alternating types of transparent materials selected from the group consisting of Al, N, AlN, Si₃N₄, Ti, TiAlN, VN, TiAlNYN—

VN, TiAlN—

Cr, TiCN, TiC_xN_y, Si₃CN, Cu, Al₂O₃, polymers and combinations thereof;

each of said microlayers having a thickness of less than 50 nms and said optical coating having a hardness of at least 25 Gpa.

2. The durable optical coating of claim 1 wherein said superimposed plurality of microlayers comprises at least 300 layers each of said layers having a thickness of less than 5 nm.

3. The durable optical coating of claim 1 wherein said superimposed plurality of microlayers form a superlaminate.

4. The durable optical coating of claim 1 wherein said superimposed plurality of microlayers form a superlattice.

5. The durable optical coating of claim 1 wherein said transparent materials include the combination of AlN/Si₃N₄, and a polymer.

6. A durable optical coating comprising:

between about 50 and 1000 superimposed microlayers of AlN/Si₃N₄, each of said microlayers having a thickness between 1 and 30 nm.