Substrates with Hard Coats

Abstract

An apparatus, such as an electronic device, may have a polymer substrate or layer, and a coating on the polymer substrate/layer. The coating may include an interfacial layer and a ceramic multilayer hard coat on the interfacial layer. The interfacial layer may be a non-nitride material, such as an oxide material, that is applied to the polymer substrate/layer. The ceramic multi-layer hard coat may be sputtered onto the interfacial layer and may include alternating nitride layers (e.g., oxynitride layers) with tensile stress and compressive stress. The presence of the interfacial layer may protect the polymer substrate/layer from damage during the sputtering of the ceramic multilayer hard coat.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.