Radar transparent, optically reflective semiconductor effect pigments
AssigneeEckart America Corporation
InventorsDevin Schmitt, Christopher Hilbrich, Jonglak Choi
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Abstract
This invention deal with a flaky effect pigment comprising as optical active layer a single platelet consisting of a semiconductor material with a band gap in a range of 0.1 to 2.5 eV and having an average atomic composition of: a) Si(1-x)Gex, wherein 0<x<1.00 or b) Si(1-y)Sny, wherein 0<y<0.90 or c) Ge(1-z)Sn2, wherein 0<z≤0.60 or d) Si(1-m-n)GemSnn, wherein 0<m<1.00, 0<n<1.00 with the provisos that x<1.00; y<1.00, z<1.00 and m+n<1.00. These effect pigments exhibit attractive optical properties and are radartransparent.
Claims21
A flaky effect pigment comprising as the only optical active layer a single platelet consisting of a semiconductor material with a band gap in a range of 0.1 to 2.5 eV, wherein the average thickness ta of the single semiconductor platelet is in a range of 5 to 160 nm and having an average atomic composition of:
- a) Si(1-x)Gex, wherein 0<x<1.00 or
- b) Si(1-y)Sny, wherein 0<y<0.90 or
- c) Ge(1-z)Snz, wherein 0<z≤0.60 or
- d) Si(1-m-n)GemSnn, wherein 0<m<1.00, 0<n<1.00 with the provisos that x<1.00;
- y<1.00, z<1.00 and m+n<1.00.
A method of manufacturing a flaky effect pigment comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a flexible substrate coated with a release agent,
- b) evaporating under ultra high vacuum conditions a semiconductor material with a band gap in a range of 0.1 to 2.5 eV onto the flexible substrate a),
- c) stripping the semiconductor film from the flexible substrate in a suitable solvent and comminuting the particles in the dispersion to obtain semiconductor flakes, and
- d) separating the semiconductor flakes from the solvent;
- the resulting flaky effect pigment comprising as the only optical active layer a single platelet consisting of a semiconductor material with a band gap in a range of 0.1 to 2.5 eV, wherein the average thickness ta of the single semiconductor platelet is in a range of 5 to 160 nm and having an average atomic composition of:
- a) Si(1-x)Gex, wherein 0<x<1.00 or
- b) Si(1-y)Sny, wherein 0<y<0.90 or
- c) Ge(1-z)Snz, wherein 0<z≤0.60 or
- d) Si(1-m-n)GemSnn, wherein 0<m<1.00, 0<n<1.00 with the provisos that x<1.00;
- y<1.00, z<1.00 and m+n<1.00.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.