Hydrophobic coating including DLC and/or FAS on substrate

• US 6,280,834 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thomsen, Scott V., Petrmichl, Rudolph Hugo, Veerasamy, Vijayen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US09/627,441
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 428/408, 428/446, 428/447, 428/212, 428/217, 428/426
• US Class Current: 428/217
• 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 17/1033 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing temporary protective coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• 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 17/3482 comprising silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide
• 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 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• 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: C23C 16/0272 : Deposition of sub-layers, e.g. to promote the adhesion of the main coating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 : Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24983 : Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 : As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A substrate is coated with a hydrophobic coating system including diamond-like carbon (DLC) and at least one fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) compound. In certain embodiments, the coating system includes an FAS inclusive layer provided over at least one DLC inclusive layer in order to increase the initial contact angle of the coated article. At least the FAS inclusive layer may be heated (i.e., thermally cured) to an extent sufficient to at least one of: (a) improve the initial contact angle θ of the resulting coated article, (b) render the hydrophobic nature of the resulting coated article more stable when exposed to solution(s)/material(s) such as hexane and/or isopropyl alcohol, and/or (c) improve bonding characteristics of the FAS inclusive layer within itself and/or between the FAS inclusive layer and a layer immediately beneath it.

Claims

1. A coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a hydrophobic coating system provided on said glass substrate, said hydrophobic coating system including at least one diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer and at least one fluoro-alkyl silane (FAS) compound inclusive layer; and

wherein said hydrophobic coating system is heat treated so as to have an initial contact angle θ

of at least about 80 degrees, and an average hardness of at least about 10 GPa.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate comprising, on a weight basis:

SiO₂ from about 60-80%,

Na₂O from about 10-20%,

CaO from about 0-16%,

K₂O from about 0-10%,

MgO from about 0-10%,

Al₂O₃ from about 0-5%; and

wherein said DLC inclusive layer includes sp³ carbon-carbon bonds.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said hydrophobic coating system includes first and second DLC inclusive layers, said first DLC inclusive layer including silicon (Si) and being provided between said DLC inclusive second layer and said substrate;

and

wherein said second DLC inclusive layer is deposited in a manner so that at least a portion of said second DLC inclusive layer has a greater hardness and higher density than said first DLC inclusive layer.

4. The coated article of claim 3, wherein said hydrophobic coating system further includes said FAS inclusive layer provided on said second DLC inclusive layer, so that said second DLC inclusive layer is located between said first DLC inclusive layer and said FAS inclusive layer.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said initial contact angle is at least about 100 degrees.

6. The coated article of claim 5, wherein said initial contact angle is at least about 110 degrees.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said coating system has a surface energy γ

_C of less than or equal to about 20.2 mN/m.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said FAS compound includes at least one of:

CF₃(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₂CH₃)₃;

CF₃(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₅(CH₂)₂Si(OCH₃)₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCl₃;

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCH₃Cl₂; and

CF₃(CF₂)₇(CH₂)₂SiCH₃(OCH₃)₂.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said hydrophobic coating system has an average hardness of at least about 20 GPa.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said DLC inclusive layer includes sp³ carbon-carbon bonds.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least about 50% of carbon-carbon bonds in said DLC inclusive layer are sp³ carbon-carbon bonds.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said glass substrate comprises soda-lime-silica glass.