Graphic formation via material ablation

• US 9,661,770 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lane, Michael Joseph, Darbha, Krishna, Groene, Ralf, Fischer, Joshua James, Ishihara, James Alec, Master, Raj N., McCormack, Mark Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): LA VILLA, MICHAEL EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US13/784,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/06 by exposure to radiation B05D3/02 takes precedence ; plasma treatment B05D3/141
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/228 by laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/00 Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0015 characterized by the colour of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/021 Cleaning or etching treatments
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/024 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating C23C14/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/025 Metallic sublayers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/028 Physical treatment to alter the texture of the substrate surface, e.g. grinding, polishing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/04 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/046 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/14 Metallic material, boron or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/58 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0252 Labels, e.g. for identification, markings or configuration store
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12361 having aperture or cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12389 having variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12396 Discontinuous surface component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12847 : Cr-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12854 : Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12882 : Cu-base component alternative to Ag-, Au-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12903 : Cu-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 : Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 : Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 : Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 : No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 : Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/264 : Up to 3 mils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less

Abstract

Techniques for graphic formation via material ablation described. In at least some implementations, a graphic is applied to a surface of an object by ablating layers of the object to form an ablation trench in the shape of the graphic. In at least some embodiments, an object can include a surface layer and multiple sublayers of materials. When an ablation trench is generated in the object, the ablation trench can penetrate a surface layer of the object and into an intermediate layer. In at least some implementations, height variations in an object surface caused by an ablation trench can cause variations in light reflection properties such that a graphic applied via the ablation trench appears at a different color tone than a surrounding surface, even if the ablation trench and the surrounding surface are coated with a same colored coating.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing formed from a substrate;

a surface layer of at least one of a metal or a metal alloy applied on top of the substrate;

an ablation trench in the shape of a graphic and formed into the surface layer without penetrating into the substrate, the ablation trench including surface variations formed by varying a depth of the ablation trench into the surface layer, the surface variations causing different portions of the graphic to exhibit different optical properties based on the depth; and

at least one coating applied at a uniform thickness over the ablation trench and at least a portion of the surface layer, the uniform thickness causing the surface variations in the ablation trench to be maintained after application of the coating.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a computing device, the surface layer comprises an exterior surface of the computing device, and the graphic comprises a visual image to be applied to the exterior surface.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the surface layer is formed from at least one of chromium, a chromium alloy, nickel, or a nickel alloy.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the surface layer is formed at a thickness of up to 1500μ

.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the ablation trench is formed such that the ablation trench penetrates the surface layer at a depth range of up to 4μ

.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one coating is colored such that a same color is applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one coating includes at least one of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating, or an anti-fingerprint (AFP) coating.

8. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one coating includes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer, and an anti-fingerprint (AFP) coating applied to the PVD coating.

9. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the ablation trench is formed such that incident light on the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer causes variations in light reflection properties between the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer.

10. A housing comprising:

a substrate;

multiple layers of materials applied on top of the substrate, at least two of the multiple layers being formed from different metals or different metal alloys;

an ablation trench in the shape of a graphic and formed through an outermost layer of the multiple layers into an intermediate layer of the multiple layers, the ablation trench being formed such that a lowermost portion of the trench is positioned within the intermediate layer without penetrating an interface between the intermediate layer and a lower layer of the multiple layers, the ablation trench including at least one variation in depth formed by varying the depth of the ablation trench, the at least one variation causing a portion of the graphic corresponding to the at least one variation to exhibit different optical properties than at least one other portion of the graphic based on the depth; and

at least one colored coating applied at a uniform thickness over the ablation trench and at least a portion of the outermost layer, the uniform thickness causing the at least one variation in depth to be maintained after application of the coating.

11. A housing as described in claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a portion of a computing device, the outermost layer comprises an exterior surface of the computing device, and the graphic comprises an image to be applied to the exterior surface.

12. A housing as described in claim 10, wherein the outermost layer is formed from at least one of chromium or a chromium alloy, the intermediate layer is formed from at least one of nickel or a nickel alloy, and the lower layer is formed from at least one of copper or a copper alloy.

13. A housing as described in claim 12, wherein the outermost layer is formed at a thickness of 0.1μ

to 0.3μ

, the intermediate layer is formed at a thickness of 9.0μ

+/−

5μ

, and the lower layer is formed at a thickness of 20μ

+/−

5μ

.

14. A housing as described in claim 13, wherein the ablation trench is formed such that the ablation trench penetrates the intermediate layer at a depth range of 2μ

to 4μ

.

15. A housing as described in claim 10, wherein the at least one colored coating comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the outermost layer, the at least one colored coating applied at a thickness that ranges from 0.4μ

to 1.2μ

.

16. A housing comprising:

a substrate;

a surface layer of at least one of a metal or a metal alloy applied on top of the substrate;

an ablation trench in the shape of a graphic and formed into the surface layer without penetrating into the substrate, the ablation trench formed according to a specification that defines a depth of the ablation trench for a respective portion of the graphic, the specification defining at least two different depths of the ablation trench for at least two different portions of the graphic, the at least two different depths causing the at least two different portions of the graphic to have different optical properties; and

a coating applied at a uniform thickness over the ablation trench and at least some portion of the surface layer such that the different optical properties of the at least two different portions are exhibited after application of the coating.

17. A housing as described in claim 16, wherein the specification comprises a pattern for the graphic and the ablation depth is defined in the form of a depth range for the ablation trench.

18. A housing as described in claim 16, wherein the ablation trench is formed using a laser.

19. A housing as described in claim 16, wherein the coating is colored such that a same color is applied to the ablation trench and the at least some portion of the surface layer.

20. A housing as described in claim 16, wherein the specification defines at least three different depths of the ablation trench for at least three different portions of the graphic.