Security element

Abstract

The invention relates to a security element (1), in particular for securities, antifalsification papers or security objects, such as banknotes, identity documents, credit cards, wherein the security element (1) has at least one region (2) with optically effective, diffractive structures (3), said optically effective, diffractive structures (3) having an achromatic overall effect to the naked eye.

Description

The invention relates to a security element, in particular for valuable documents, security papers or security objects such as bank notes, ID cards, credit cards, wherein the security element has at least one region with optically effective, diffractive structures. Security elements of the aforementioned type are commonly used to enhance protection against counterfeiting valuable documents and security papers such as bank notes, identity documents, credit cards, ATM cards, tickets etc. Security features that appear achromatic are commonly represented by relief structures, which are based on light reflection due to their size or structural properties. Corresponding structures are often described as micromirrors or as structures with reflective facets. The optical effects thus achieved are often motion effects (a moving macroscopic motif) or a motif appearing to be three-dimensional. Diffractive structures, however, cause light diffraction and are thus mostly perceived as iridescent optical effects due to their optical appearance. These include conventional holographic motifs. In addition, by using what are known as diffractive motheye structures, it is possible to generate security features that appear black across a wide viewing angle range and have the corresponding diffraction colors at flat viewing angles. These different diffractive relief structures thus have in common that they appear colored. Static motifs are often shown in this way, however generating motion effects is also possible. It is an object of the invention to provide a security element that has increased protection against counterfeiting. The aforementioned problem is solved according to the invention by a security element of the type mentioned at the beginning, in that an overall impression generated by the optically effective, diffractive structures appears achromatic to the naked eye. The solution according to the invention significantly enhances protection against counterfeiting, since the structures have an achromatic impression, as is typically achieved with reflective structures, but the underlying diffractive character of the structures can be checked by appropriate optical measurement methods (e.g. angle-dependent optical measurement using high-resolution microscopes). The security element advantageously has an image composed of regions, in particular pixels. Irregularly arranging the optically effective structures has been found to be particularly advantageous, wherein particularly a frequency, an alignment, region sizes and / or contours of regions in which the structures are arranged and / or shapes of the structures, for example curvatures of the structures, can vary. It can further be provided that the overall achromatic impression is caused by an additive color mixture of colors generated by the structures. According to a preferred advancement of the invention, it can be provided that individual regions, in particular pixels, are each formed from a plurality of optically effective structures, wherein the optically effective structures in individual regions, in particular pixels, are aligned such that each of these regions, in particular each of these pixels, appears achromatic. According to an advantageous variant of the invention, it can additionally be provided that the structures are covered entirely or partially by at least one optical effect layer. It has proven to be particularly advantageous for the structures to be embossed structures, in particular structures embossed in an embossing lacquer layer. It is particularly preferred for the optically effective structures to appear achromatic in plan view due to additive color mixing of light diffracted at the structures. According to an advantageous variant of the invention, it can be provided that a maximum elongation of the regions, in particular of the pixels, is respectively less than the resolution limit of the human eye, in particular less than 300^m. According to an advantageous advancement of the invention, it is provided that the optical effect layer is formed as a thin-film element and has at least one absorber layer and at least one spacing layer. It has proven to be particularly advantageous for the at least one absorber layer to comprise at least one metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of consisting of nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, palladium, iron, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, aluminum, silver, copper and / or alloys of these materials, or to be manufactured from at least one of these materials. It has further proven to be particularly advantageous for the at least one spacing layer to comprise or be manufactured from at least one low-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index less than or equal to 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), metal fluorides, for example magnesium fluoride (MgF2), aluminum fluoride (AlF3), cerium fluoride (CeF3), sodium aluminum fluorides (e.g. Na3AlF6 or Na5Al3F14), silicon oxide (SIOx), silicon dioxide (SiO2), neodymium fluoride (NdF3), lanthanum fluoride (LaF3), samarium fluoride (SmF3), barium fluoride (BaF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), lithium fluoride (LiF), low-refractive organic monomers and / or low-refractive organic polymers or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers. A preferred embodiment provides for the optical effect layer formed as a thin-film element to further comprise at least one reflection layer and / or a second absorber layer, wherein the at least one spacing layer is arranged between the at least one first absorber layer and the at least one reflection layer and / or the at least one second absorber layer. It is preferable for the at least one reflection layer to comprise or be manufactured from at least one metallic material selected in particular from the group consisting of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, niobium, tin or from nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt and palladium or alloys of these materials, in particular cobalt-nickel alloys or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium-tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers. It can be further provided that this comprises a carrier layer made of a plastic, the plastic being formed in particular from a translucent and / or thermoplastic plastic, and the carrier layer preferably comprising or being manufactured from at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polypropylene(PP), monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), polyethylene imide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid crystalline polymers (LCP), polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene fluoroterpolymer (EFEP), cellulose-based or lignin-based plastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and / or at least one recycled and / or biologically or marine degradable plastic and / or mixtures and / or copolymers of these materials. It can further be advantageous for the security element to be provided with color-shifting layers, in particular layers with color-shifting pigments or liquid crystals, and / or with machine-readable features, said machine-readable features in particular being magnetic codes, electrically conductive layers, materials that absorb and / or re-emit electromagnetic waves. In particular, it is possible for the security element to have additional layers, said additional layers comprising in particular protective lacquers, heat-sealing lacquers, adhesives, primers and / or films. The figures below elaborate on the invention to offer better understanding thereof. These show in a highly simplified, schematic representation: Fig. 1 a layer structure of a security element according to the invention. According to Fig. 1, a security element 1 in accordance with the invention, as it is used for protection against counterfeiting of security papers or security items such as bank notes, ID cards, credit cards, tickets, etc., has a region 2, in which structures 3 are arranged. The region 2 can extend over a part of the security element 1 or also over the entire security element 1. The optically effective structures 3 of the region 2 form regions, in particular pixels, of an image. To ease readability in the following description, the term pixel alone will be used to denote the term region and pixel. A plurality of structures 3 can form a pixel. The image formed from the pixels can show or comprise a motif, for example, a portrait, a landscape, an abstract geometric character, logo, or an alphanumeric character, and / or an icon, and / or a code, and / or a sequence of characters. A maximum elongation of the pixels is preferably between 0.5pm and 100pm. The structures 3 are light-diffractive or diffractive structures. Diffractive structures can be used to create holograms, motion images and static images, for example. An overall impression generated by the optically effective structures 3 appears achromatic to the naked eye. The underlying diffractive character of the structures 3 can either only be visible at a very narrow angle, which depends on the diffractive lattice spacing but does not negatively influence the overall achromatic impression, or can be determined by appropriate optical measurement methods (e.g. angle-dependent optical measurement using high-resolution microscopes). The structures 3 can, for example, generate a hologram and can, for example, have a depth T greater than 500nm, in particular between 500nm - 4pm. In the present context, depth T of a structure 3 is understood to mean a normal distance between the level of the lowest point and the level of the highest point of the structure 3. The width B of a structure 3 corresponds to the minimum width of a recess of the structure 3 in this case. The structures 3 preferably have an aspect ratio of 0.05 - 8. For structures with a right-angled angle of inclination, for example columnar structures, the aspect ratio is understood to be the ratio of depth T to width B of the structures 3. For structures with an angle of inclination other than 90°, for example sawtoothlike structures, the aspect ratio represents the ratio of depth T to a peak-to-peak distance of the structures. There are several options for showing motifs appearing achromatic with diffractive, optically effective structures 3. The individual structures 3 can be configured, for example, such that the diffraction colors generated thereby overlap for the viewer (at a distance from the security element itself) by means of additive color mixing and thus appear white, resulting in a generally achromatic behavior overall. The individual pixels can each have a colored appearance over a wide viewing range. Combining pixels with varying alignments of the optically effective, diffractive structures in a targeted manner leads to distinctions in the respective color of the individual pixels. Additive color mixing leads to an achromatic appearance overall. Alternatively or additionally, differing diffractive structures 3 can be present in a pixel, resulting thus in an additive color mixing occurring within a pixel already and both the pixel and the overall motif appearing achromatic. In addition or as an alternative to additive color mixing, the achromatic impression of the diffractive structures can also be achieved by irregular arrangement of the structures, for example. In this case, essentially no targeted arrangement of the diffractive structures into ordered pixels is used. The region 2 can then be filled with the diffractive structures 3 according to a free-form arrangement. By doing so, the disorder suppresses the diffractive effect. In this context, it is particularly advantageous for the structures to be substantially randomly distributed, wherein particularly a frequency, an alignment, region sizes and / or contours of regions in which the structures are arranged and / or shapes of the structures, for example curvatures of the structures, can vary. To calculate an arrangement of the structures 3, a software can be used that determines the arrangement of the optically effective structures 3 on the basis of the boundary conditions mentioned above, for example. The achromatic appearance of the optically effective structures 3 can significantly enhance protection against counterfeiting, even if no additional optical effect layer is present, since, as already mentioned above, the diffractive character of the structures is either only visible, if at all, at very specific viewing angles or can be detected / measured by appropriate optical aids. It is also possible for only a partial area of the motif to be shown (static or movement) to be provided with an achromatic appearance and for another partial area to have, for example, a colored appearance (based on diffractive structures). As a result, colored sub-regions can be displayed in an otherwise achromatic motif (and vice versa) in a targeted manner. An optical effect layer 4 can be applied to the entire surface or partially to the structures 3. A region 5, in which the effect layer 4 is recessed, can also be provided, for example. The optical effect layer 4 can be arranged directly on the structures 3. However, an additional bonding layer can be arranged between the structures 3 and the optical effect layer 4. The material of the bonding layer can, for example, be selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, manganese, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, palladium, iron, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, aluminum, silver, copper and / or alloys of these materials, in particular at least one nickel-chromium alloy, comprising or being manufactured from at least one of these materials. The material of the bonding layer is particularly preferably chromium or a nickel-chro-mium alloy, such as Inconel. The optical effect layer 4 is preferably formed as a thin-film element. The optical effect layer 4 formed as a thin-film element comprises at least one absorber layer 6 and at least one spacing layer 7. The absorber layer 6 can comprise a metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, palladium, iron, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, aluminum, silver, copper and / or alloys of these materials, or can be manufactured from at least one of these materials. The at least one spacing layer 7 can be formed from a dielectric material, for example. The at least one spacing layer 7 can further comprise or be manufactured from at least one low-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index less than or equal to 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), metal fluorides, for example magnesium fluoride (MgF2), aluminum fluoride (AlF3), cerium fluoride (CeF3), sodium aluminum fluorides (e.g. Na3AlF6 or Na5Al3F14), silicon oxide (SIOx), silicon dioxide (SiO2), neodymium fluoride (NdF3), lanthanum fluoride (LaF3), samarium fluoride (SmF3), barium fluoride (BaF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), lithium fluoride (LiF), low-refractive organic monomers and / or low-refractive organic polymers or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II, III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers. The optical effect layer 4 formed as a thin-film element can be applied directly to the structures 3 or, for example, to the aforementioned bonding layer, which can be arranged on the structures 3. The layer thickness of the individual layers or plies forming the thin-film element is shown in a manner greatly exaggerated and not to scale. The color-shifting optical effect layer 4 can also comprise a reflection layer 8. In this case, the at least one spacing layer 7 is arranged between the absorber layer 6 and the reflection layer 8. The reflection layer 8 is applied to the structures 3 and can, in particular, be printed and / or vapor-deposited thereon. It is also possible to reverse this sequence in the optical effect layer so that the absorber layer is arranged on the bonding layer or the structures 3 and also the spacing layer and the reflection layer. Thus, the arrangement according to the order of structures 3 would be - absorber layer 6 - spacing layer 7 - reflection layer 8. The reflection layer 8 can comprise a metallic material selected in particular from the group consisting of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, niobium, tin or from nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt and palladium or alloys of these materials, in particular cobaltnickel alloys or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium-tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), for example, high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers or be manufactured from at least one of these materials. This applies to all reflection layers 8 described in the embodiments. However, a further absorber layer can also be provided instead of the aforementioned reflection layer 8. The security element 1 can further comprise a carrier layer 9. The carrier layer 9 can be formed from a plastic material. Furthermore, the carrier layer 9 can also be formed by a plurality of layers. The plastic can be formed by a translucent and / or thermoplastic plastic material. The carrier layer 9 may consist of at least one of the materials from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP), biaxi-ally oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), polyethylene imide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid-crystalline polymers (LCP), polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene polymer (EFEP), cellulose-based or lignin-based plastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and / or at least one recycled and / or biologically or marine degradable plastic and / or mixtures and / or copolymers of these materials. The carrier layer can have a thickness of 5um to 1000um, particularly preferably a thickness of 10^m to 50^m in this case. The optical effect layer 4 or its layers can be arranged on or applied to the structures 3 by a printing process and / or a vapor-deposition process or by a plurality of the same, for example. Although the optical effect layer 4 is also described in the present context as a thin-film element, the optical effect layer 4 can also be realized, for example, by means of an ink or printing ink containing color-shifting pigments, a lacquer containing color-shifting pigments, or a liquid-crystal layer, in particular in combination with a dark overcoat layer applied to a side facing away from a visible side of the liquid-crystal layer. The structures 3 can be embossed directly into the carrier layer 9, for example, by heating the carrier layer 9 and embossing the structures using an embossing tool such as an embossing roller. A further alternative option is to provide an individual further layer 10 for receiving the structures 3. The further layer 10 can be applied directly to the carrier layer 9. By doing so, the further layer 10 can be formed by an embossing lacquer, for example, which is formed corresponding to the arrangement of the structures 3. This, in turn, can be carried out by means of an impression device or an impression element in an embossing process. This further layer, in particular an embossing lacquer layer, with the structures 3 formed therein, can have a thickness of 0.5pm to 300pm, in particular of 0.8pm to 50pm, preferably oflpm to 10pm, for example. Furthermore, at least one intermediate layer can be provided between the layer 10 and the carrier layer 9, the former can be formed, for example, by a bonding agent, a primer, an adhesive or the like. A protective layer not shown here can be provided as the uppermost layer or outermost layer on the optical effect layer 4, for example, which protects the entire layer and / or ply structure from mechanical damage, such as scratches, score marks and the like. The protective layer could also be arranged on the side of the carrier layer 9 facing away from the optical effect layer. An arrangement on both sides would also be conceivable. A planar configuration of the security element 1 can preferably also be achieved by the protective layer. It should be mentioned that the layer structure and the arrangement of further layers depend on the type of attachment of the security element to a security object, since the side of the security element to be observed after attachment is decisive. As shown in the figures, the viewing side can be observed thus from above, but it is also possible to observe the security element from a viewing side from below, through a carrier, for example. At this point, it should be noted that the phrase "a layer is applied (on)to something" is to be understood such that the layer can be applied directly, or that another or more intermediate layers can be located between the layer applied and that to which the layer is applied. It is worth noting here that one or more intermediate layers can be arranged between the layers described in this document. It is therefore not absolutely necessary for the layers described to contact each other. It should further be noted that the term layer in this document is to be understood such that a layer can also be composed of several sub-layers. Furthermore, the entire layer structure of the security element can be applied adhesively to or into an object to be secured or can also be configured as a transfer element, for which at least one security feature formed from the diffractive structures, together with any further layers, is transferred to the object to be secured and thereby detached from a transfer film. List of reference numerals 1 Security element 2 Region 3 Structures 4 Effect layer 5 Region 6 Absorber layer 7 Spacing layer 8 Reflection layer 9 Carrier layer 10 Layer

Claims

1. A security element (1), in particular for valuable documents, security papers orsecurity objects, such as bank notes, ID cards, credit cards, wherein the security element (1) has at least one region (2) with optically effective, diffractive structures (3), characterized in that an overall impression generated by the optically effective, diffractive structures (3) appears achromatic to the naked eye.

2. The security element according to Claim 1, characterized in that security element has an image composed of regions, in particular pixels.

3. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 or 2, characterized in thatthe optically effective structures are arranged in an irregular, preferably substantially random manner, wherein particularly a frequency, an alignment, region sizes and / or contours of regions in which the structures are arranged and / or shapes of the structures, for example curvatures of the structures, vary.

4. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe overall achromatic impression is caused by an additive color mixture of colors generated by the structures.

5. The security element according to Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that individualregions, in particular pixels, are each formed from a plurality of optically effective structures, wherein the optically effective structures in the individual regions, in particular pixels, are aligned such that each of these regions, in particular each of these pixels, appears achromatic.

6. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 to 5, characterized in thatthe structures (3) are covered entirely or partially by at least one optical effect layer (4).

7. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 to 6, characterized in thatthe structures (3) are embossed structures, in particular structures embossed in an embossing lacquer layer.

8. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 to 7, characterized in thatthe optical effect layer (4) is formed as a thin-film element and has at least one absorber layer (6) and at least one spacing layer (7).

9. The security element according to Claim 8, characterized in that the at least oneabsorber layer (6) comprises at least one metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, palladium, iron, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, aluminum, silver, copper and / or alloys of these materials, or is manufactured from at least one of these materials.

10. The security element according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that at least onespacing layer (7) comprises or is manufactured from at least one low-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index less than or equal to 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), metal fluorides, for example magnesium fluoride (MgF2), aluminum fluoride (AlF3), cerium fluoride (CeF3), sodium aluminum fluorides (e.g. Na3AlF6 or Na5Al3F14), silicon oxide (SIOx), silicon dioxide (SiO2), neodymium fluoride (NdF3), lanthanum fluoride (LaF3), samarium fluoride (SmF3), barium fluoride (BaF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), lithium fluoride (LiF), low-refractive organic monomers and / or low-refractive organic polymers or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers.

11. The security element according to one of the Claims 8 to 10, characterized inthat the optical effect layer (4) formed as a thin-film element further comprises at least one reflection layer (8) and / or a second absorber layer, wherein the at least one spacing layer (7) isarranged between the at least one first absorber layer (6) and the at least one reflection layer (8) and / or the at least one second absorber layer.

12. The security element according to Claim 11, characterized in that the at least onereflection layer (8) comprises at least one metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, niobium, tin, or from nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt and palladium or alloys of these materials, in particular cobalt-nickel alloys or at least one high-refractive dielectric material with a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In2O3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) cerium oxide (CeO2), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), europium oxide (Eu2O3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III)oxide (Fe3O4) and iron(III)oxide (Fe2O3), hafnium nitride (HfN) hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO2), lanthanum oxide (La2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO) neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11), samarium oxide (Sm2O3), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), tungsten trioxide (WO3), high-refractive organic monomers and / or high-refractive organic polymers, or is manufactured from at least one of these materials.

13. The security element according to one of the Claims 1 to 12, characterized inthat it comprises a carrier layer (9) made of a plastic, the plastic being formed in particular from a translucent and / or thermoplastic plastic, and the carrier layer preferably comprising or being manufactured from at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), polyethylene imide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid-crystalline polymers (LCP), polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin copolymers (COC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene polymer (EFEP), cellulose-based or lignin-based plastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), thermoplastic starch (TPS),polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and / or at least one recycled and / or biologically or marine degradable plastic and / or mixtures and / or copolymers and / or at least one recycled and / or biologically or marine degradable plastic and / or mixtures and / or copolymers of these materials.

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