Reducing the susceptibility of titanium nitride optical layers to crack
First Claim
1. A method of providing solar control comprising:
- providing a flexible substrate having a first surface; and
providing a damage-retardation layer at said first surface to protect a subsequently formed optical coating, said damage-retardation layer being a grey metal;
providing said optical coating as a titanium nitride-based structure having a titanium nitride layer on a side of said damage-retardation layer opposite to said flexible substrate, thereby forming a coated flexible substrate; and
attaching said coated flexible substrate to a rigid substrate through which solar control is sought;
wherein a thickness of said titanium nitride layer is selected primarily for achieving desired optical characteristics and a thickness of said grey metal is selected primarily for achieving desired mechanical characteristics in retarding damage to said titanium nitride layer, and wherein providing said damage-retardation layer includes selecting a material to achieve desired characteristics with regard to low reflectivity and physical bonding to said titanium nitride layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a titanium nitride-based optical coating, the structural stability of the coating is enhanced by providing a damage-retardation base layer between the titanium nitride layer and a substrate. Where the optical coating is to provide solar control, the titanium nitride layer is selected primarily for achieving desired optical characteristics, while the thickness of the damage-retardation layer is selected primarily for achieving desired mechanical characteristics. The damage-retardation layer is formed of a grey metal, with nickel chromium being the preferred metal. The grey metal layer reduces the likelihood that the titanium nitride layer will crack. The tendency of such a layer to crack and form worm tracks is further reduced by exposing the substrate to a plasma preglow and/or by using a slip agent on the side of the substrate on which the layers are to be formed.
58 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of providing solar control comprising:
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providing a flexible substrate having a first surface; and
providing a damage-retardation layer at said first surface to protect a subsequently formed optical coating, said damage-retardation layer being a grey metal;
providing said optical coating as a titanium nitride-based structure having a titanium nitride layer on a side of said damage-retardation layer opposite to said flexible substrate, thereby forming a coated flexible substrate; and
attaching said coated flexible substrate to a rigid substrate through which solar control is sought;
wherein a thickness of said titanium nitride layer is selected primarily for achieving desired optical characteristics and a thickness of said grey metal is selected primarily for achieving desired mechanical characteristics in retarding damage to said titanium nitride layer, and wherein providing said damage-retardation layer includes selecting a material to achieve desired characteristics with regard to low reflectivity and physical bonding to said titanium nitride layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An optical member comprising:
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a flexible polymeric substrate;
a grey metal layer on said polymeric substrate, said grey metal layer having a thickness in the range of 1 nm to 20 nm;
a single-layer optical coating of titanium nitride, said optical coating having a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 50 nm and having a visible light transmissivity in the range of ten percent to sixty percent, said single-layer optical coating being on a side of said grey metal layer opposite to said flexible polymeric substrate; and
a slip agent on a surface of said flexible polymeric substrate upon which said grey metal layer is formed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of forming an optical member comprising:
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providing a generally transparent substrate;
forming a layer of NiCr on a first surface of said substrate; and
forming a single-layer solar control coating in contact with said layer of NiCr, said solar control coating being a TiN layer;
wherein forming said layer of NiCr includes selecting a layer thickness at least partially based upon inhibiting cracking of said TiN layers, and wherein forming said single-layer solar control coating includes selecting a layer thickness primarily based on achieving a target level of transmissivity of visible light, said layer thickness of said NiCr thereby functioning to provide structural stability of said TiN layer which is dimensioned to determine optical characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
forming said layer of NiCr includes sputtering NiCr to said layer thickness in the range of 1 nm to 20 nm; and
forming said TiN layer includes sputtering TiN to a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 50 nm, said TiN layer and said layer of NiCr combining to provide a visible light transmissivity in the range of ten percent to sixty percent.
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15. The method of claim 13 further comprising exposing said transparent substrate to a plasma preglow prior to forming said layer of NiCr.
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16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of exposing includes using at least one of oxygen, nitrogen and argon in providing said plasma preglow.
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17. The method of claim 15 wherein providing said generally transparent substrate includes using a polymeric substrate having a slip agent on a side upon which said layer of NiCr is formed.
Specification