Environmentally Friendly Decorative Chrome-Like Materials And Methods Of Making The Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024337007-A1
Application number	US-202418629055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 8, 2024
Priority date	Apr 6, 2023
Publication date	Oct 10, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A material having a chrome-like appearance includes a substrate and a multilayer stack with at least three material layers, each is independently selected from the group consisting of: germanium (Ge), titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), silver (Ag), gold (Au), magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), silicon (Si), silicon oxide (SiO 2 ), silicon carbide (SiC), tungsten (W), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zinc (Zn), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), chalcogenides, iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) and combinations thereof. The material is free of chromium (Cr) and displays a specular reflectivity such that ≥ about 70% of wavelengths in a visible light range of 390 to 750 nm are reflected without scattering. In certain variations, a radiofrequency (RF)-transparent material having a chrome-like appearance is free of any metals. Methods of making the materials having the chrome-like appearance are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A material having a chrome-like appearance comprising:
a substrate; and a multilayer stack disposed on the substrate that comprises at least three material layers, wherein at least two material layers are compositionally distinct from one another and each material layer independently comprises a composition selected from:
a first composition comprising an optically transparent dielectric material selected from the group consisting of: titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ), zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc oxide (ZnO), silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), tin oxide (SnO 2 ), and combinations thereof;
a second composition comprising a light absorbing material comprising an element selected from Groups 13 to 16 of the IUPAC Periodic Table; or
a third composition comprising a light reflecting material selected from the group consisting of: nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), platinum (Pt), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), and combinations thereof,
wherein the material is free of chromium (Cr) and displays a specular reflectivity such that greater than or equal to about 50% of wavelengths in a visible light range of greater than or equal to about 390 nm to less than or equal to about 750 nm are reflected by the material without scattering.

2 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the second composition comprises a light absorbing material selected from the group consisting of: silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium phosphide (GaP), zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), iron oxides, chalcogenides, and combinations thereof.

3 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer stack defines a first side adjacent to the substrate and a second side opposite to the first side defining a terminal material layer, wherein the terminal material layer comprises the third composition comprising the light reflecting material and the multilayer stack further comprises one or more intermediate material layers comprising the first composition comprising the optically transparent dielectric material disposed between the terminal material layer and the substrate.

4 . The material of claim 3 , further comprising at least one second intermediate material layer disposed between the substrate and the terminal material layer that comprises the second composition comprising the light absorbing material disposed between the terminal material layer and the substrate.

5 . The material of claim 3 , wherein the multilayer stack comprises one of the following:
(a) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ), a second material layer comprises silicon (Si), and the terminal material layer comprises aluminum (Al); or (b) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises zinc sulfide (ZnS), a second material layer comprises magnesium fluoride (Mg 2 F), and the terminal material layer comprises silver (Ag); or (c) four distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), a second material layer comprises magnesium oxide (MgO), a third material layer comprises titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and the terminal material layer comprises aluminum (Al).

6 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer stack defines a first side adjacent to the substrate and a second side opposite to the first side defining a terminal material layer, wherein the terminal material layer comprises the second composition comprising the light absorbing material and the multilayer stack further comprises one or more intermediate material layers disposed between the terminal material layer and the substrate and comprising the first composition comprising the optically transparent dielectric material.

7 . The material of claim 6 , further comprising at least one intermediate material layer disposed between the terminal material layer and the substrate comprising the second composition comprising the light absorbing material.

8 . The material of claim 6 , wherein the first side of the multilayer stack comprises a bottom material layer adjacent to the substrate that comprises the third composition comprising the light reflecting material.

9 . The material of claim 6 , wherein the multilayer stack comprises one of the following:
(a) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises germanium (Ge), a second material layer comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), and the terminal material layer comprises germanium (Ge); (b) four distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises nickel (Ni), a second material layer comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), a third material layer comprises titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), and the terminal material layer comprises germanium (Ge); or (c) four distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises silver (Ag), a second material layer comprises tin oxide (SnO 2 ), a third material layer comprises magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ), and the terminal material layer comprises silicon (Si).

10 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer stack defines a first side defining a bottom material layer adjacent to the substrate and a second side opposite to the first side defining a terminal material layer, wherein the terminal material layer comprises the first composition comprising the optically transparent dielectric material and the bottom material layer comprises the third composition comprising the light reflecting material.

11 . The material of claim 10 , wherein the multilayer stack further comprises at least one intermediate material layer disposed between the bottom material layer and the terminal material layer comprising the first composition comprising the optically transparent dielectric material.

12 . The material of claim 10 , wherein the multilayer stack further comprises at least one intermediate material layer disposed between the bottom material layer and the terminal material layer comprising the second composition comprising the light absorbing material.

13 . The material of claim 10 , wherein the multilayer stack comprises one of the following:
(a) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises germanium (Ge), a second material layer comprises aluminum (Al), and the terminal material layer comprises magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ); (b) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises aluminum (Al), a second material layer comprises silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), and the terminal material layer comprises zinc oxide (ZnO); (c) three distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises silver (Ag), a second material layer comprises zinc selenide (ZnSe), and the terminal material layer comprises zinc oxide (ZnO); (d) four distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises aluminum (Al), a second material layer comprises aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), a third material layer comprises aluminum (Al), and the terminal material layer comprises aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ); (e) five distinct material layers, wherein a first material layer adjacent to the substrate comprises aluminu

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Guo Lingjie Jay
• Wang Haozhu
• Ma Taigao

Classifications

• C03C2217/72

  Decorative coatings · CPC title

• C03C17/3639

  Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers · CPC title

• C03C17/3649

  made of metals other than silver · CPC title

• C03C17/3615

  Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic · CPC title

• C03C17/36

  at least one coating being a metal · CPC title