Antimicrobial article with functional coating and methods for making the antimicrobial article

An antimicrobial article, comprising:

• a substrate having a first surface;
• a layer disposed on the first surface, the layer defining a second surface;
• a compressive stress region extending from the first surface of the substrate to a first depth in the substrate;
• and
• an antimicrobial region comprising a plurality of Ag+ ions extending from the second surface of the layer to a second depth in the layer,
• wherein the second surface of the layer has a concentration of Ag+ ions in the range from about 1% by weight to about 50% by weight.

A method of making an antimicrobial article, comprising the steps:

• providing an article comprising a glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic composition and having a first surface and a plurality of ion-exchangeable metal ions;
• providing a strengthening bath comprising a plurality of ion-exchanging metal ions larger in size than the ion-exchangeable metal ions;
• providing an antimicrobial bath comprising a plurality of antimicrobial ions, a plurality of the ion-exchangeable metal ions and a plurality of the ion-exchanging ions;
• submersing the article in the strengthening bath to exchange a portion of the plurality of ion-exchangeable metal ions in the article with a portion of the plurality of the ion-exchanging metal ions in the strengthening bath to form a compressive stress region extending from the first surface to a first depth in the article;
• forming a layer on the first surface of the article, the layer arranged over the compressive stress region and defining a second surface;
• and
• submersing the article and the layer in the antimicrobial bath to exchange a portion of the ion-exchangeable and the ion-exchanging metal ions in the compressive stress region with a portion of the plurality of the antimicrobial ions in the antimicrobial bath to impart an antimicrobial region comprising a plurality of antimicrobial ions extending from the second surface of the layer to a second depth in the article.