Techniques for marking a substrate using a physical vapor deposition material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773494-B2
Application number	US-201715812058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 25, 2009
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Techniques, processes and structures are disclosed for providing markings on products, such as electronic devices. For example, the markings can be formed using physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes to deposit a layer of material. The markings or labels may be textual and/or graphic. The markings are deposited on a compliant layer that is disposed on a surface to be marked. The compliant layer is arranged to isolate the surface to be marked from the layer of material deposited using the PVD process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a glass housing layer having opposing exterior and interior surfaces;
a buffer layer on the interior surface of the glass housing layer that includes silicon dioxide; and
a physical vapor deposition layer deposited on the buffer layer.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the physical vapor deposition layer is viewable through the exterior surface of the glass housing.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the physical vapor deposition layer forms a logo.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the physical vapor deposition layer forms text.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the buffer layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the buffer layer isolates the interior surface of the glass housing layer from the physical vapor deposition layer.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a layer of ink formed over the silicon dioxide of the buffer layer.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the buffer layer is transparent.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:
an additional housing layer; and
sidewalls extending between the glass housing layer and the additional housing layer, wherein the buffer layer and the physical vapor deposition layer are interposed between the glass housing layer, the additional housing layer, and the sidewalls.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the buffer layer includes polyvinyl acetate.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a glass housing layer having opposing interior and exterior surfaces;
a buffer layer on the interior surface of the glass housing; and
a physical vapor deposition coating deposited on the buffer layer, wherein the physical vapor deposition layer is viewable through the exterior surface of the glass housing and the buffer layer.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the buffer layer includes silicon dioxide.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the buffer layer comprises polyvinyl acetate.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising:
a housing having an interior and an exterior, wherein the glass housing layer is mounted in the housing with the buffer layer and the physical vapor deposition layer in the interior of the housing.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the buffer layer has a first thickness, the physical vapor deposition has a second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the first thickness.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a glass housing layer having opposing interior and exterior surfaces;
a buffer layer on the interior surface of the glass housing layer, wherein the buffer layer comprises silicon dioxide; and
a physical vapor deposition coating deposited on the buffer layer, wherein the physical vapor deposition layer comprises reflective structures.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the physical vapor deposition coating is viewable through the exterior surface of the glass housing.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the buffer layer has a thickness between 50 nm and 500 nm.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the physical vapor coating has a thickness between 25 nm and 250 nm.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the buffer layer has a thickness between 1 micron and 10 microns.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Weber Douglas
• Prest Christopher
• Pakula David
• Zadesky Stephen Paul

Classifications

• B05D5/06 Primary

  to obtain multicolour or other optical effects (B05D5/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C03C17/3636

  one layer at least containing silicon, hydrogenated silicon or a silicide · CPC title

• C23C14/042

  using masks · CPC title

• C23C14/024

  Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating (C23C14/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T428/31692

  Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers · CPC title