Light-Reflective Articles

• US 20100261036A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vtec Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vtec Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Housman, Jeanne D., Calcagni, Frank
• Application Number:
  US12/422,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261036A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/626
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/165 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin

Abstract

Article that includes optically-transmissive metal layer on light-reflective metal layer. Optically-transmissive metal layer has composition including at least about ten molar % of chromium. Article further includes optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer on optically-transmissive metal layer. Optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer has composition including metal oxide. Article also includes optically-transmissive protective layer on optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer. Optically-transmissive protective layer has composition including organic moiety-containing polymer. Method that includes providing light-reflective metal layer. Method also includes forming optically-transmissive metal layer on light-reflective metal layer wherein optically-transmissive metal layer has composition including at least about ten molar % chromium. Method further includes forming optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer on optically-transmissive metal layer wherein optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer has composition including metal oxide. Method additionally includes forming optically-transmissive protective layer, having composition including organic moiety-containing polymer, on optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a light-reflective metal layer;

an optically-transmissive metal layer on the light-reflective metal layer, the optically-transmissive metal layer having a composition including at least about ten molar % of chromium;

an optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer on the optically-transmissive metal layer, the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer having a composition including a metal oxide; and

an optically-transmissive protective layer on the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer, the optically-transmissive protective layer having a composition including an organic moiety-containing polymer.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the optically-transmissive metal layer has a composition including at least about fifty molar percent of chromium.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the optically-transmissive metal layer has a composition including at least about ninety-nine molar percent of chromium.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer and the optically-transmissive protective layer have substantially equivalent refractive indices at a selected wavelength of visible light.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the light-reflective metal layer has an average optical reflectance of light across the visible light spectrum of at least about 80%.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the optically-transmissive protective layer forms a wear-resistant protective surface of the article.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the organic moiety-containing polymer in the optically-transmissive protective layer includes silicon.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein the organic moiety-containing polymer in the optically-transmissive protective layer includes a silicone.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein a metal oxide in the composition of the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer includes silicon.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the composition of the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer includes one or a plurality of silicon oxides at a combined concentration of at least about 99 molar percent of the composition.

11. The article of claim 1, including a covalent bonding interface between the optically-transmissive protective layer and the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the organic moiety-containing polymer in the optically-transmissive protective layer has a composition including a metal M₁, wherein a metal oxide in the composition of the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer includes a metal M₂, and wherein the bonding interface has a plurality of covalent M₁-oxygen-M₂ bonds.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein M₁ is silicon, wherein M₂ is silicon, and wherein the bonding interface has a plurality of covalent silicon-oxygen-silicon bonds.

14. The article of claim 1, including an optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer between the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer and the optically-transmissive protective layer, the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer having an organic moiety-containing composition.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer and the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer have substantially equivalent refractive indices at a selected wavelength of visible light.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein the organic moiety-containing composition of the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer includes silicon.

17. The article of claim 14, including a covalent bonding interface between the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer and the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the organic moiety-containing composition of the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer includes a metal M₃, wherein a metal oxide in the composition of the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer includes a metal M₂, and wherein the bonding interface has a plurality of covalent M₃-oxygen-M₂ bonds.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein M₃ is silicon, wherein M₂ is silicon, and wherein the bonding interface has a plurality of covalent silicon-oxygen-silicon bonds.

20. A method, comprising:

providing a light-reflective metal layer;

forming an optically-transmissive metal layer on the light-reflective metal layer, the optically-transmissive metal layer having a composition including at least about ten molar % of chromium;

forming an optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer on the optically-transmissive metal layer, the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer having a composition including a metal oxide; and

forming an optically-transmissive protective layer on the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer, the optically-transmissive protective layer having a composition including an organic moiety-containing polymer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the optically-transmissive metal layer includes utilizing a composition including at least about fifty molar % of chromium.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing the light-reflective metal layer includes selecting a composition of the light-reflective metal layer having an average optical reflectance of light across the visible light spectrum of at least about 80%.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the optically-transmissive protective layer includes forming a silicone.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer includes utilizing a metal oxide including silicon.

25. The method of claim 20, including forming an optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer between the optically-transmissive metal-adhering layer and the optically-transmissive protective layer, the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer having an organic moiety-containing composition.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein forming the optically-transmissive metal oxide-adhering layer includes utilizing a composition including silicon.