Protective layers for optical coatings
AssigneeAFG Industries, Inc.
InventorsKyle W. Hukari, Peter A. Maschwitz
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Abstract
An optical coating on a transparent substrate is provided with a temporary layer of carbon as protection during manufacturing against scratches and corrosive environments. When the optical coating and/or substrate are tempered in an atmosphere reactive to carbon, such as air, the layer of carbon is removed as a carbon-containing gas. For an optical coating with a brittle, glassy, outermost layer furthest from the substrate, additional protection is provided by a scratch propagation blocker layer between the outermost layer and the carbon protective layer.
Claims40
A method of making a transparent article, the method comprising
- forming a protective coating including a layer consisting essentially of carbon on an optical coating on a substrate;
- heating the protective coating in a reactive atmosphere;
- reacting the layer consisting of carbon with the reactive atmosphere to form a carbon containing gas;
- and
- removing the layer consisting essentially of carbon from the optical coating to form the transparent article.
A method of making a transparent article, the method comprising
- providing a substrate having an optical coating including furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer;
- and
- forming a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer, wherein
- the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of
- Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- and
- mixtures thereof.
A transparent article comprising
- a substrate;
- an optical coating comprising one or more layers on the substrate, where the one or more layers include furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer comprising silicon nitride;
- and
- a protective coating on the outermost layer, wherein
- the protective coating consists of
- a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer, and
- a layer consisting essentially of carbon on the scratch propagation blocker layer;
- and
- the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of
- Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- and
- mixtures thereof.
A transparent article comprising
- a substrate;
- an optical coating comprising one or more layers on the substrate, where the one or more layers include furthest from the substrate a homogeneous outermost layer comprising silicon nitride;
- and
- a protective coating on the outermost layer, wherein
- the protective coating consists of a scratch propagation blocker layer on the outermost layer;
- and
- the scratch propagation blocker layer is a homogeneous layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of
- Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- oxides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- nitrides of Ti, Si, Zn, Sn, In, Zr, Al, Cr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W;
- and
- mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.