Optical effect structures
OwnerAndrew Richard Parkerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical coating structure is provided that when applied to a surface of an object to imparts a color to the object, the optical coating structure comprising: a base layer; a reflector on the base layer; and profile elements on the base layer under the reflector, the profile elements having a width and length which are each in the range of 5 to 500 μm in size, and being arranged in non-periodic manner or a periodic manner. The reflector may be a multilayer structure of alternating dielectric materials. A method of forming the optical coating structure is also provided.
Claims19
An optical coating structure that when applied to a surface of an object imparts a structural color to the object wherein the color remains substantially the same to an observer over a broad range of viewing angles, the optical coating structure comprising:
- a base layer;
- a multilayer reflector on the base layer to impart the color;
- and
- profile elements on the base layer under the reflector wherein the reflector conforms to the surface profile of the profile elements, the profile elements having a width and length which are each in the range of 5 to 500 μm in size, and being arranged in non-periodic manner such that the profile elements are configured to avoid diffraction effects, wherein the profile elements are shaped so that greater than 50% of the surface area of the reflector is approximately normal to the incoming light when the light is incident at the normal to the plane of the surface and shaped so that greater than 30% of the surface area of the reflector is approximately normal to the incoming light when the light is incident at an angle of up to 30 degrees, wherein the profile elements reduce the multilayer reflector's normal property of color change with changing viewing angle.
A method of forming an optical coating structure that when applied to a surface of an object imparts a structural color to the object, wherein the color remains substantially the same to an observer over a broad range of viewing angles, the method comprising:
- providing a base layer, the base layer having profile elements thereon, the profile elements having a width and length which are each in the range of 5 to 500 μm in size, and being arranged in a non-periodic manner such that the profile elements are configured to avoid diffraction effects, wherein the profile elements are shaped so that greater than 50% of the surface area of the reflector is approximately normal to the incoming light when the light is incident at the normal to the plane of the surface and shaped so that greater than 30% of the surface area of the reflector is approximately normal to the incoming light when the light is incident at an angle of up to 30 degrees;
- and
- depositing a multilayer reflector on the base layer to impart the color, wherein the reflector conforms to the surface profile of the profile elements and wherein the profile elements reduce the multilayer reflector's normal property of color change with changing viewing angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.