# US 2013/0157044 A1 · Coated article and method for making same

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- Number: US 2013/0157044 A1
- Document ID: US20130157044A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/481,011
- Filed: 2012-05-25
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited; Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: DA-HUA CAO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157044A1

## CPC

- C23C 14/025: {Metallic sublayers}
- C23C 14/0605: {Carbon}
- C23C 14/0635: {Carbides}
- C23C 14/345: {using substrate bias}
- C23C 14/352: {using more than one target (C23C14/56 takes precedence)}
- C23C 14/505: {for rotation of the substrates}
- C23C 28/322: {only coatings of metal elements only}
- C23C 28/341: {with at least one carbide layer}
- C23C 28/343: {with at least one DLC or an amorphous carbon based layer, the layer being doped or not}
- Y10T 428/265: 1 mil or less
- Y10T 428/31678: Of metal
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A coated article includes a substrate, a base layer directly formed on the substrate, an intermediate layer directly formed on the base layer, and a hydrophobic layer directly formed on the intermediate layer. The base layer is a chromium layer. The intermediate layer is a chromium carbide layer. The hydrophobic layer is a fluorine-carbon-hydrogen layer. The coated article has a good hydrophobic property and a good corrosion resistance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coated article, comprising:
a substrate;
a base layer directly formed on the substrate, the base layer being a chromium layer;
an intermediate layer directly formed on the base layer, the intermediate layer being a chromium carbide layer; and
a hydrophobic layer directly formed on the intermediate layer, the hydrophobic layer being a fluorine-carbon-hydrogen layer having a surface facing the atmosphere.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base layer has a thickness of about 0.05 μm to about 0.2 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of about 1.5 μm to about 2.0 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic layer has a thickness of about 0.2 μm to about 0.5 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of stainless steel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic layer has a water contact angle of about 108° to about 120°.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The coated article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic layer is transparent.

### Claim 8

A method for making a coated article, comprising:
providing a substrate;
directly forming a base layer on the substrate, the base layer being a chromium layer;
directly forming an intermediate layer on the base layer, the intermediate layer being a chromium carbide layer; and
directly forming a hydrophobic layer on the intermediate layer, the hydrophobic layer being a fluorine-carbon-hydrogen layer having a surface facing the atmosphere.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein forming the base layer uses magnetron sputtering method, uses argon gas as sputtering gas and argon gas has a flow rate of about 180 sccm to about 250 sccm; magnetron sputtering the base layer is at a temperature of about 110° C. to about 180° C.; uses chromium targets and the chromium targets are supplied with a power of about 13 kw to about 18 kw; a negative bias voltage of about −150 V is applied to the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein magnetron sputtering the base layer takes about 8 min to about 15 min.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein forming the intermediate layer uses magnetron sputtering method, uses acetylene as reaction gas and acetylene has a flow rate of about 60 sccm to about 90 sccm; argon gas as sputtering gas and argon gas has a flow rate of about 180 sccm to about 250 sccm; magnetron sputtering the intermediate layer is at a temperature of about 110° C. to about 180° C.; uses chromium targets and the chromium targets are supplied with a power of about 14 kw to about 19 kw; a negative bias voltage of about −100 V is applied to the substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein vacuum sputtering the intermediate layer takes about 80 min to about 120 min.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein forming the hydrophobic layer uses ion beam sputtering method, uses polytetrafluoroethylene targets; uses argon ions sputtering the polytetrafluoroethylene targets, the sputtering energy of the argon ions is about 1.0 keV to about 1.5 keV, the ion current is about 30 mA to about 40 mA, the low energy ion beam energy is about 100 eV to about 300 eV, the intermediate ion beam energy is about 500 eV to about 750 eV; a negative bias voltage of about −50 V is applied to the substrate.