Color shifting carbon-containing interference pigments
AssigneeFlex Products, Inc.
InventorRoger W. Phillips
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A color shifting multilayer interference film is provided which may be used to produce foils or flakes for use in pigment compositions and colorants having color shifting properties. The flakes can be interspersed into a pigment medium to form paints, inks, or cosmetic preparations which can subsequently be applied to objects, papers, or people. Three and five layer designs of the interference film include alternating layers of a dielectric material and carbon in various configurations. The dielectric layers are formed to have an optical thickness at a design wavelength that provides a color shift as the angle of incident light or viewing angle changes.
Claims16
A color shifting interference structure, comprising:
- a first dielectric layer;
- a first carbon layer overlying the first dielectric layer;
- a second dielectric layer overlying the first carbon layer;
- a second carbon layer overlying the second dielectric layer;
- and
- a third dielectric layer overlying the second carbon layer;
- wherein the dielectric layers have an optical thickness at a design wavelength that provides a color shift as the angle of incident light or viewing angle changes.
A method of fabricating a color shifting interference structure, comprising:
- forming a first dielectric layer over an upper surface of a web material;
- forming a first carbon layer over the first dielectric layer;
- forming a second dielectric layer over the first carbon layer to form an interference film;
- and
- removing the interference film from the web material in order to produce a plurality of multilayer interference flakes or foils.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.