Micro-cut patterned article and method of making same

A method for making a patterned article, the method comprising:

• providing a transfer article, the transfer article comprising:
• a carrier layer having opposing first and second major surfaces;
• and
• a functional layer disposed on the first major surface;
• providing a tool comprising a plurality of microstructures, each microstructure comprising at least one cutting edge;
• disposing the transfer article and the tool adjacent one another such that the functional layer faces the plurality of microstructures;
• and
• contacting the transfer article with the tool such that the tool embosses and cuts into the transfer article to form a pattern of cuts in the functional layer and to form a plurality of structures in the carrier layer defining upper and lower portions of the first major surface, the lower portion disposed between the upper portion and the second major surface, a first portion of the functional layer disposed on the upper portion of the first major surface, a second portion of the functional layer disposed on the lower portion of the first major surface, the first and second portions of the functional layer separated from one another along the pattern of cuts.

A patterned article comprising a multilayer film, the multilayer film comprising:

• a first polymeric layer;
• a functional layer comprising opposing first and second major surfaces, the first major surface disposed on the first polymeric layer, the functional layer comprising a multilayer stack comprising at least one micro-cut metal layer and at least one metal oxide or metal nitride layer, each micro-cut metal layer having an average thickness in a range of 5 nanometers to 500 nanometers and comprising a pattern of cuts forming either:
• (i) a pattern of discrete spaced apart plates corresponding to the pattern of cuts and bounded by the cuts with substantially no portion of the metal layer disposed between closest adjacent plates, or
• (ii) a continuous pattern corresponding to removing a pattern of discrete spaced apart plates corresponding to the pattern of cuts from the metal layer;
• and
• a second polymeric layer disposed on the second major surface of the functional layer.