Method for forming a multicolor interference coating

A method for forming an interference coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating a first acrylate monomer;
• condensing the first acrylate monomer on a substrate as a monomer film less than one micron thick;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a first polymer film having a first index of refraction;
• evaporating a second acrylate monomer;
• condensing the second acrylate monomer on the first film as a monomer film less than one micron thick;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a second polymer film having a second index of refraction, wherein the second index of refraction is different from the first index of refraction.

A method for forming a multi-color coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating at least one acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• and
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• and characterized by
• forming a first area of the film with a different thickness than the thickness of a second adjacent to the first area of the film for producing different interference colors from the respective areas.

A method for forming a multi-color coating on a substrate comprising:

• evaporating at least one acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• forming a first area of the film with a different thickness than the thickness of a second adjacent to the first area of the film for producing different interference colors from the respective areas;
• and
• controlling the temperature of the substrate to be different in the first area than the temperature of the substrate in the second adjacent area during the condensing step.

A method for forming a multi-color coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating at least one acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• and
• forming a first area of the film with a different thickness than the thickness of a second adjacent to the first area of the film for producing different interference colors from the respective areas;
• wherein the polymerizing step comprises polymerizing the acrylate in the first area to a different degree than polymerization of the acrylate in the second adjacent area.

A method for forming a multi-color coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating at least one acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• and
• forming a first area of the film with a different thickness than the thickness of a second adjacent to the first area of the film for producing different interference colors from the respective areas;
• wherein the first area comprises a first plurality of stripes and the second adjacent area comprises a second plurality of stripes interleaved between the first stripes.

A method for forming a multi-color coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating at least one acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• and
• forming a first area of the film with a different thickness than the thickness of a second adjacent to the first area of the film for producing different interference colors from the respective areas;
• wherein the forming step comprises selectively shrinking the thickness of the first area of the film to a different degree from shrinkage of thickness of the second adjacent area of the film.

A method for forming an interference color filter on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating a first acrylate monomer;
• condensing the first acrylate monomer over the substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the first acrylate monomer to form a first crosslinked transparent acrylate layer, the first acrylate layer having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing an at least partially reflective layer on one face of the acrylate layer;
• and
• evaporating a second acrylate monomer;
• condensing the second acrylate monomer over the substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the second acrylate monomer to form a second crosslinked transparent acrylate layer, the second acrylate layer having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color.

A method for forming a reflective flake pigment comprising the steps of:

• evaporating a first acrylate monomer;
• condensing the first acrylate monomer on a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the first acrylate monomer to form a first crosslinked transparent acrylate layer;
• providing a reflective metal layer on one face of the first acrylate layer;
• evaporating a second acrylate monomer;
• condensing the second acrylate monomer on the substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the second acrylate monomer to form a second crosslinked transparent acrylate layer;
• and
• breaking up the layers to form reflective pigment flakes.

A method for forming an interference color filter comprising the steps of:

• evaporating a first acrylate monomer;
• condensing the first acrylate monomer on a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the first acrylate monomer to form a first crosslinked transparent acrylate layer;
• providing a first at least partially reflective layer on one face of the first acrylate layer;
• evaporating a second acrylate monomer;
• condensing the second acrylate monomer on the substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the second acrylate monomer to form a second crosslinked transparent acrylate layer;
• providing a second at least partially reflective layer over the second acrylate layer;
• and
• evaporating a third acrylate monomer;
• condensing the third acrylate monomer on the substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the third acrylate monomer to form a third crosslinked transparent acrylate layer.

A method for forming an interference color filter comprising the steps of:

• providing a first at least partially reflective layer on a substrate;
• evaporating an acrylate monomer;
• condensing an acrylate monomer on to the at least partially reflective layer;
• polymerizing the acrylate monomer to form a crosslinked transparent acrylate layer, the acrylate layer having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• and
• providing a second at least partially reflective layers on the face of the acrylate layer opposite from the first reflective layer.

A method for forming an interference color coating on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• evaporating an acrylate monomer;
• condensing the acrylate monomer over a substrate as a monomer film;
• polymerizing the acrylate for forming a polymer film having a thickness sufficient for producing an interference color;
• providing at least partially reflective coatings on both faces of the polymer film;
• and
• removing the film and coatings from the substrate using a release layer between one of the reflective coatings and the substrate.