Aluminum alloy exterior facing

Abstract

The invention relates to an aluminum alloy exterior facing. By applying a PVD coating to a non-exterior quality aluminum substrate, an exterior finish can be provided to the substrate. A housing for an electronic device may include: an aluminum substrate including 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum; a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating layer, wherein the PVD coating layer is arranged on the substrate; and a protective cushion layer disposed between the aluminum substrate and the PVD coating layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The described embodiments relate generally to surface finishes and materials for electronic devices. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to systems and methods for applying coatings that improve the appearance and enhance the physical properties of aluminum substrates. Background Art

[0002] Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a method of providing a coating on a metal substrate and is commonly used in industry to provide a protective and sometimes aesthetically attractive coating to metal parts. Typically during PVD, a solid material is evaporated in a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of the part. The properties of the PVD coating can depend on a variety of factors, including the metal substrate and the process parameters used in the PVD process. In some applications, PVD coatings are also colored, giving metal parts an attractive colored finish.

[0003] Unfortunately, when using certain metal alloy substrates, PVD coatings may flake, chip, or otherwise delaminate from their metal substrates when subjected to scratching or scraping forces during normal use of the part, or even during certain manufacturing operations such as drilling or machining that may be performed after the PVD coating is applied. Such delamination may result in the underlying metal substrate being exposed at the chipped or flaked areas of the anodic oxide coating, leaving visible notch marks and making the metal substrate more susceptible to corrosion. Such delamination may be at least partially due to poor adhesion of the PVD coating to the metal substrate.

[0004] In addition to making the anodized coating more susceptible to delamination, the conditions required by the PVD process itself can cause less durable aluminum alloys to fracture, further leading to corrosion or detracting from the part’s aesthetics. Summary of the invention

[0005] A housing for an electronic device may include: an aluminum substrate including 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum; a PVD coating disposed on the substrate; and a protective pad disposed between the aluminum substrate and the PVD coating. In some examples, the protective pad prevents cracking of the aluminum substrate during application of the PVD coating. In some examples, the protective pad may include an unsealed anodized oxide layer. In other examples, the protective pad may include a CrSn plating layer. The protective pad may include a thickness between about 9 μm and about 22 μm. In some examples, the aluminum substrate includes 6013 series aluminum or 7075 series aluminum. The aluminum substrate may include die-cast aluminum.

[0006] A coating on a part including an aluminum substrate may include: a barrier layer disposed on the aluminum substrate; a physical vapor deposition layer disposed on the barrier layer; and a color layer disposed on the physical vapor deposition layer. In some examples, the barrier layer may include an anodic oxide film. The anodic oxide film may be unsealed. In some examples, the barrier layer may include a chromium or titanium alloy. In some examples, the physical vapor deposition layer may include: a seed layer disposed on the barrier layer; and a transition layer disposed between the seed layer and the color layer. The physical vapor deposition layer may include a thickness between about 2 μm and about 3.5 μm.

[0007] A method for applying an appearance finish to a part including a 6000 series or 7000 series aluminum substrate may include: forming a cushion layer on the aluminum substrate; and applying a PVD coating to the cushion layer for at least 6 hours at at least 120°C. In some examples, forming the cushion layer may include forming an unsealed anodized layer by anodizing the aluminum substrate with an electrolyte and applying a voltage between about 20 volts and 50 volts and a current density of about 10 amps / square foot to about 15 amps / square foot. In some examples, forming the cushion layer may include forming a plating stack including at least one of copper, chromium, zirconium, or titanium. In some examples, the method may also include chemically pretreating the aluminum substrate before forming the cushion layer on the aluminum substrate. In some examples, the PVD coating may be applied at a bias of about 50%. In some examples, the method may also include applying a fluoropolymer coating to the PVD coating. In some examples, forming the cushion layer may increase the adhesion strength of the PVD coating and may prevent galvanic corrosion of the metal alloy substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The present disclosure will be readily understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like structural elements, and in which:

[0009] Figure 1 A perspective view of a device having metal surfaces that may be protected using a PVD coating is shown, according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a surface portion of the housing including the interface between the PVD coating and the aluminum substrate is shown.

[0011] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of a surface portion of the housing including the interface between the PVD coating and the unsealed anodized aluminum substrate is shown.

[0012] Figure 3BA cross-sectional view of a surface portion of a housing including an interface between a PVD coating and a protective underlayer including a CrSn plating is shown according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 4A A cross-sectional view of a plating stack according to some embodiments is shown.

[0014] Figure 4B A cross-sectional view of a PVD stack according to some embodiments is shown.

[0015] Figure 5 A flow chart indicating a manufacturing process including a PVD coating applied to an aluminum substrate according to some embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to a preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover substitutions, modifications and equivalents that may be included in the essence and scope of the described embodiments defined by the appended claims.

[0017] The following disclosure relates to processes for providing visually attractive and durable physical vapor deposition ("PVD") coatings on aluminum alloy substrates. Conventional PVD processes, when applied to certain aluminum alloys, can result in corrosion of the substrate and coating, leading to cosmetic defects or susceptibility to delamination. The methods described herein relate to application processes that can be used to eliminate or reduce these cosmetic defects and provide well-adhered PVD coatings.

[0018] In certain embodiments, these methods and processes include forming or applying a barrier layer or a cushion layer on a substrate. The barrier layer protects the substrate from the influence of the PVD process conditions to prevent and / or minimize corrosion. Additionally, the cushion layer can improve the adhesion of the PVD coating to the substrate. In addition, the process and method described herein can be used to form an attractive surface on a substrate that is not too delicate and / or not too beautiful. Therefore, when applying the process disclosed herein, a wider range of possibilities of aluminum alloy substrates for external housings and small parts of electronic devices can be utilized. For example, the substrate that can be combined with the present system and method can include die-cast alloys, ultra-high strength alloys with significant second phase particles, welded housing structures, high recovery alloys with more impurity content, and other alloys manufactured by different methods except extrusion and / or computer numerical control (CNC) machining.

[0019] The present disclosure is provided with specific reference to certain aluminum alloy substrates, such as 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum alloy substrates. However, it should be understood that the methods described herein may be applicable to processing any of many other suitable metal alloys, including aluminum alloy substrates containing various alloying elements. In addition, aluminum alloy substrates or manufacturing processes in which the metal matrix is ​​formed from recycled metals or alloys (such as die cast aluminum) may also be used. In some examples, the metal matrix includes more than one type of alloy material. As used herein, the terms PVD film, PVD layer, and PVD coating are used interchangeably and may refer to any suitable PVD process used in the manufacture of a part or housing, unless otherwise specified. In addition, as used herein, the terms barrier layer, cushion layer, and protective cushion layer are also used interchangeably and may refer to a portion of a cross-section of a material disposed between an aluminum substrate and a PVD coating.

[0020] The methods described herein are well suited for providing a visually attractive surface finish for consumer products. For example, the methods described herein can be used to form a durable and visually attractive finish for housings or cases for computers, portable electronic devices, and electronic device accessories.

[0021] References below Figure 1 4 discusses these embodiments and other embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed descriptions of these figures given herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. In addition, as used herein, a system, method, article, component, feature, or sub-feature comprising at least one of a first option, a second option, or a third option should be understood to refer to a system, method, article, component, feature, or sub-feature that may include one of each listed option (e.g., only one first option, only one second option, only one third option), multiple of a single listed option (e.g., two or more first options), two options at the same time (e.g., one first option and one second option), or a combination thereof (e.g., two first options and one second option).

[0022] The methods and processes described herein can be used to form durable and visually attractive coatings for metal surfaces of consumer devices. Figure 1 Several example consumer products are shown that can be manufactured using the methods and configurations described herein. Figure 1 An example portable phone 102, tablet computer 104, smart watch 106, and portable computer 108 are illustrated, each of which may include metal parts and / or housings. Portable phone 102, tablet computer 104, smart watch 106, and portable computer 108 will be collectively referred to below as devices 102, 104, 106, and 108. During typical use, devices 102, 104, 106, and 108 may be subject to impact forces, such as scratches, drops, grinding, chips, and gouging.

[0023] Typically, the metal substrate is treated or coated to add a protective layer to these metal surfaces. The mechanical properties of aluminum provide multiple benefits for use in electronic devices and equipment, particularly in the case of a lightweight structure. However, it has been found that the adhesion strength of the coating may depend at least in part on the type of metal used for the substrate. For example, some harder aluminum alloys, although providing good structural integrity for equipment 102, 104, 106 and 108, may also have a surface that forms a coating that is more susceptible to fragmentation, scratching and other damages caused by impact forces. The PVD process represents an improved alternative to many conventional coating processes for depositing wear-resistant films on aluminum surfaces. Specifically, conventional coating processes (such as cladding) may have a tendency to fragment, layer crack, blister or delaminate under surface impact, thereby showing exposed substrate alloys, which may impair the appearance of equipment 102, 104, 106 and 108. The metal surfaces at the edges and corners of equipment 102, 104, 106 and 108 may be particularly prone to such fragmentation and delamination. Additionally, the cladding metal may be subject to galvanic corrosion, which may cause the device to fail after normal use.

[0024] During the application of PVD to aluminum alloy substrates, such as those forming the metal surfaces of devices 102, 104, 106, and 108, any of a number of alloying elements may have a tendency to fracture or crack due to the conditions to which the underlying substrate is subjected during the PVD process. To illustrate, Figure 2 An example PVD process applied directly to an aluminum substrate 202 is shown.

[0025] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a PVD coating 204 applied directly to an aluminum alloy substrate 202 is illustrated. PVD coatings applied directly to aluminum alloy substrates generally do not provide sufficient corrosion resistance to prevent corrosion during normal use. PVD coating 204 (also known as thin film coating) is a process in which a solid material is evaporated in a vacuum and deposited onto the surface of substrate 202. PVD coating 204 is not just a metal layer. Instead, a composite material may be deposited atom by atom to form a thin, bonded metal or cermet surface layer that may improve appearance, durability, and / or functionality. In some examples, PVD coating 204 may include a thickness between about 2 μm and about 3.5 μm. In some examples, the PVD process is performed at about 140°C. As Figure 2 As shown, corrosion 206 may occur on the surface of an aluminum alloy substrate 202 through a PVD coating. Additionally, the PVD application process conditions may stress and corrode the substrate 202. Therefore, prior to forming the PVD coating, a barrier or underlayer may be included on the surface of the substrate to provide acceptable corrosion resistance. Figure 3A An example configuration is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of a surface portion of the housing 300 including an interface between a PVD coating 304 and an unsealed anodized aluminum substrate 302 is shown. In some examples, the aluminum substrate 302 may include 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum. 6000 series aluminum is a family of aluminum alloys containing magnesium and silicon as primary alloying components. Some beneficial properties of the 6000 alloy include its extrudability, excellent strength, and high corrosion resistance. The 7000 series aluminum alloy contains zinc and may also include copper, having relatively high strength values. In contrast, the 6000 series aluminum has a higher elongation at break; in other words, the 6000 series aluminum can undergo greater deformation before it breaks, while the 7000 series aluminum has a much higher tensile strength. Therefore, 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum is desirable for a variety of beneficial properties. According to an exemplary embodiment, the aluminum substrate 302 may include a 6013 aluminum alloy. The 6013 aluminum alloy may include magnesium, silicon, copper, manganese, iron, zinc, chromium, and titanium as secondary alloying elements. In other examples, the aluminum substrate 302 may include a 7075 aluminum alloy. The 7075 aluminum alloy may include zinc as a primary alloying element. The 7075 aluminum alloy has excellent mechanical properties and exhibits good ductility, high strength, toughness, and good fatigue resistance. The 7075 aluminum alloy may include approximately 5.6% to 6.1% zinc, 2.1% to 2.5% magnesium, 1.2% to 1.6% copper, and less than 0.5% silicon, iron, manganese, titanium, chromium, and other metals.

[0027] In some examples, the aluminum substrate 302 may include die cast aluminum. Aluminum die casting is a manufacturing process that produces geometrically complex metal parts using reusable die casting molds (called dies). Cast aluminum is affordable and durable. Additionally, aluminum die casting can be used to make very lightweight parts without sacrificing strength.

[0028] like Figure 3A As shown, a PVD coating 304 is disposed on an aluminum substrate 302, wherein a protective underlayer 306 is disposed between the aluminum substrate 302 and the PVD coating 304. As briefly discussed above, the protective underlayer 306 prevents cracking and corrosion of the aluminum substrate 302 during and / or after the application of the PVD coating by providing a barrier between the substrate and the PVD layer during the application of the PVD coating and also providing additional protection for the aluminum substrate 302 from corrosive elements at the surface (e.g., sweat, impact, oil). Cracking refers to the expansion of visually perceptible cracks in the substrate when exposed to temperatures of about 80° C. or higher. It is noted that the PVD process may include operating at temperatures in excess of 80° C. After exposure to high temperatures, the aluminum substrate 302 may crack and a high density of cracks may result in poor corrosion protection of the underlying substrate, particularly when exposed to a corrosive environment.

[0029] The protective pad 306 may include an unsealed anodic oxide layer. In some examples, the anodic oxide pad 306 may be formed on the substrate 302 by anodizing the substrate 302 in an electrolyte. The anodic oxide pad 306 defines a coating on the substrate 302 to provide corrosion protection. In some examples, the anodic oxide protective pad 306 may include a thickness α between about 9 μm and about 22 μm. Anodization may last for about 30 minutes to about 60 minutes, or about 35 to about 55 minutes, or about 40 to about 50 minutes, or about 45 minutes. The thickness of the oxide pad 306 may be controlled in part by the duration of the anodizing process. The anodic oxide may have brittle properties and may tend to break when it reaches a certain level of tensile strain. The tensile limit and the corresponding tolerance to high temperatures depend linearly on the thickness α of the anodic oxide pad 306.

[0030] As described above, the anodized oxide pad layer 306 can be unsealed. The sealed surface can include pores of the sealed oxide pad layer 306. As the temperature rises, the base metal (such as the aluminum substrate 302) expands more than the anodized oxide coating. The expansion puts the anodized oxide pad layer 306 under a tensile strain proportional to the temperature. The sealed anodized oxide is brittle and breaks when it reaches a certain level of tensile strain. Therefore, the anodized oxide pad layer 306 can remain unsealed to prevent cracking or corrosion. Although the anodized oxide pad layer 306 can provide sufficient corrosion protection for the application of the PVD coating 304, other coatings can also be applied to the aluminum substrate 302.

[0031] Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of a surface portion of a housing including an interface between a PVD layer and a protective underlayer including a barrier layer 308 having a plating stack is shown according to some embodiments. In some examples, coating 300 can include barrier layer 308 disposed on aluminum substrate 302. Coating 300 can also include a PVD coating or PVD layer 304 disposed on barrier layer 308. In some examples, color layer 310 can be disposed on PVD layer 304.

[0032] A plating process, such as the plating process used to form barrier layer 308, is a manufacturing process that applies a thin metal layer to coat a substrate. Metal plating provides benefits to aluminum substrate 302, such as corrosion resistance and improved adhesion of PVD layer 304. Plating can be applied by electroplating (which includes an electric current) or by electroless plating (which is in an autocatalytic chemical process). In some examples, barrier layer 308 may include a chromium or titanium alloy. In other examples, barrier layer 308 may include a NiW-based plating. In yet other examples, barrier layer 308 may include a SnCu-based plating. In some examples, the plated barrier layer 308 may include a thickness β between about 9 μm and about 22 μm.

[0033] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B Any of the features, components, and / or parts shown (including arrangements and configurations thereof) may be included, alone or in any combination, in any other examples of devices, features, housings, coatings, and parts shown in other figures described herein. Likewise, any of the features, housings, coatings, and / or parts shown and described with reference to other figures (including arrangements and configurations thereof) may be included, alone or in any combination, in any other examples of devices, features, housings, coatings, and parts shown in other figures described herein. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B Examples of devices, features, components, and parts are shown.

[0034] Figure 4A 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an example plating stack 400 according to some embodiments. The plating stack may be Figure 3B The barrier layer 308 of the same. In some examples, the plating stack 400 may include at least one plating layer applied to the aluminum substrate 402. The method of forming a plating stack such as the plating stack 400 may include several steps, including pretreatment, treatment and post-treatment. In some examples, the aluminum substrate 402 is pretreated in preparation for the plating process. The pretreatment may include removing harmful contaminants, oils and greases, which may hinder the plating process from providing a uniform and satisfactory deposition rate. The pretreatment may include several steps of cleaning, rinsing and other mechanical pretreatment processes, such as sanding, sandblasting and / or finishing the aluminum substrate 402.

[0035] After pretreatment, the parts and / or housing may be plated. Plating may include electroplating or electroless plating. Electroplating is the process of coating an object with a metal layer using electrodeposition. Figure 4A As shown, an aluminum substrate 402 is plated with a copper layer 404. In some examples, controlled electrolysis can be used to transfer the coating from the anode to the cathode aluminum substrate 402. The anode and cathode are placed in an electrolyte chemical bath and exposed to a continuous charge. The electricity causes negatively charged ions (anions) to move to the anode and causes positively charged ions (cations) to move to the cathode, thereby covering or coating the aluminum substrate 402 with a plating material (e.g., a copper layer 404). Electroplating takes the aluminum substrate 402 and encapsulates the substrate in a plating metal (such as copper). In some examples, the electroplating can then be repeated. As shown in FIG. Figure 4A As shown, the copper-plated aluminum substrate 402 may be further plated with a nickel-platinum layer 406 and again plated with an electroless nickel layer 408 .

[0036] In some examples, using an electroless nickel plating process, uniform thickness and high hardness can be achieved. Electroless nickel plating can include depositing a nickel alloy onto the surface of a substrate through a chemical bath (excluding electrodes or external charges). Electroless nickel plating has proven to be able to plate difficult-to-reach surfaces, such as small holes and complex shapes. Due to high corrosion resistance, nickel plating can be used without further hardening. In addition, uniform thickness can be obtained on most surfaces. The deposition is controlled by the surface charge of the part to be plated. The adhesion strength of electroless nickel plating depends on the ability of the metal to react with the plating solution. Adhesion further depends on the cleanliness of the surface before electroless nickel plating.

[0037] After the electroless nickel layer 408 is applied, the plated aluminum substrate 402 may be further plated with a CuSn coating layer 410. The CuSn coating provides excellent adhesion for the PVD layer or stack 412 applied to the CuSn coating layer 410. CuSn alloys such as bronze provide good resistance to elemental exposure such as salt and sweat, are hard and polishable, and provide good wear resistance. Finally, a PVD deposit may be applied to the CuSn coating layer 410.

[0038] Figure 4B According to some embodiments, Figure 4A 4. A cross-sectional view of a PVD stack or PVD layer 412 is shown. In some examples, the PVD stack 412 may include a seed layer 414 disposed on a barrier layer (e.g., protective pad 306) and a transition layer 416 including layers 416a and 416b. A color layer 418 may be disposed on the PVD layer 412. The transition layer 416 may be disposed between the seed layer 141 and the color layer 418. In some examples, the seed layer may include zirconium. Zirconium is a silvery gray transition metal that is malleable and ductile and easily forms stable compounds. Zirconium also has a high degree of corrosion resistance. The PVD stack 412 may also include a zirconium nitride (ZrN) layer 416a. ZrN grown by PVD may exhibit a pale gold color similar to elemental gold. The layer 416a forms a thin but very hard layer of ceramic material on the surface. The ZrN layer 416a exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and wear resistance. ZrN is biocompatible, extremely tough and highly resistant to abrasive wear. In some examples, the PVD stack 412 may also include a titanium aluminum zirconium nitride (TiAlZrN) layer 416b as part of the transition layer 416. In some examples, TiAlZrN is known to have a very high hardness of more than 40 GPa. Therefore, the PVD stack 412 also includes a color layer 418 of TiAlZrN. The multilayer structure of the PVD stack 412 provides a high level of hardness and toughness. The zirconium-based top layer minimizes chemical reactions between the coating and the environment. In some examples, the PVD layer 412 may include a total thickness between about 2 μm and about 3.5 μm.

[0039] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4BAny of the features, components, and / or parts shown (including arrangements and configurations thereof) may be included, alone or in any combination, in any other examples of devices, features, housings, coatings, and parts shown in other figures described herein. Likewise, any of the features, housings, coatings, and / or parts shown and described with reference to other figures (including arrangements and configurations thereof) may be included, alone or in any combination, in any other examples of devices, features, housings, coatings, and parts shown in other figures described herein. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B Examples of devices, features, coatings, and parts are shown.

[0040] Figure 5 A flow chart indicating a manufacturing process including a PVD coating applied to an aluminum substrate according to some embodiments is shown. In some examples, a method 500 of applying an appearance finish to a part including a 6000 series or 7000 series aluminum substrate. In some examples, the method 500 may include an action 502 of chemically pretreating the aluminum substrate before forming a pad on the aluminum substrate. In some examples, the chemical treatment of the part significantly affects its brightness (specular reflectivity). The chemical treatment may be performed before anodizing and may be an important factor in the final appearance of the anodized part. The pre-anodizing chemical treatment of aluminum is usually a cleaning, cleaning or pretreatment stage of the process. In some examples, a typical chemical treatment process may include at least one of the following: treatment in an inhibited acid or alkaline cleaner to remove dirt and oil, and / or deoxidation in a strong acidic solution to remove native oxide or heat treatment scale. In addition, in some examples, chemical etching may be included. Etching removes a very thin surface layer of the material, and the native oxide film may be removed so that the part can be successfully anodized.

[0041] Similarly, plating may include chemical pretreatment to remove grease, oil, imperfections and other contaminants. Generally speaking, the pretreatment process cleans the substrate with a series of alkaline or acidic chemicals. Between each chemical treatment, the substrate may be rinsed with water to fully remove residual chemical adhesion. Degreasing can remove contaminating oils, and further acid cleaning can remove scale. Alkaline zincates can be beneficial in removing contaminants from aluminum alloys.

[0042] Method 500 may include an act 504 of forming a pad layer on an aluminum substrate. In some examples, act 504 may include forming an unsealed anodized layer by anodizing the aluminum substrate with an electrolyte and applying a voltage between about 20 volts and 50 volts and a current density of about 10 amps / square foot to about 15 amps / square foot. Act 504 may include other conditions for anodizing the aluminum substrate, such as applying a higher or lower voltage and / or current density.

[0043] In some examples, the action 504 of forming a pad layer on the substrate may include forming a plating stack including at least one of copper, chromium, zirconium or titanium. The plating stack may include electroplating or electroless plating, and may be formed as described above. For example, a controlled electrolysis may be used to transfer the coating from the anode to the cathode aluminum substrate. The anode and cathode are placed in an electrolyte chemical bath and exposed to a continuous charge. The electricity causes negatively charged ions (anions) to move to the anode and causes positively charged ions (cations) to transfer to the cathode, thereby covering or plating the aluminum substrate with a plating material (e.g., copper layer 404). Electroless nickel plating may include depositing a nickel alloy onto the surface of the substrate by a chemical bath (not including electrodes or external charges).

[0044] Method 500 may also include an action 506 of applying a PVD coating to the pad. In some examples, the PVD coating may be applied by evaporating the source material into a plasma of atoms or molecules and depositing them onto the pad. In some examples, the specific application process may be performed by sputtering or thermal evaporation. Sputtering is a thin film coating technique in which the coating material is given an electric charge, causing it to be bombarded by ionized gas molecules in a vacuum environment, causing atoms of the PVD material to be "sputtered" into the plasma. Then, when the evaporated atoms condense into a thin film on the pad, they can be deposited. Thermal evaporation deposition may include heating a solid PVD material inside a high vacuum chamber to a temperature that produces a vapor pressure sufficient to raise a vapor cloud inside the chamber. The evaporated PVD material passes through the chamber as a vapor flow and contacts the pad to form a coating or film. In some examples, the PVD coating may be applied to the pad at least 120°C for at least 6 hours. In some examples, the PVD coating may be applied at about 140°C for about 8 hours.

[0045] In some examples, the PVD coating is applied with a bias voltage. In some examples, the bias voltage may be between about 30% bias and about 70% bias, or more specifically about 50% bias voltage. The bias voltage during the PVD process affects the coating properties and adhesion. The greater the bias voltage, the higher the film strength and durability. However, by increasing the bias voltage, the film adhesion may deteriorate. Therefore, a bias voltage of about 50% provides a balance between adhesion and strength of the PVD coating.

[0046] In some examples, method 500 may also include an act 508 of applying a fluoropolymer coating to the PVD coating. A fluoropolymer is a polymer based on fluorocarbons and having strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Fluoropolymers can reduce friction and resist corrosion. Fluoropolymers withstand very high temperatures and are insulators, meaning they do not conduct electricity. Similarly, fluoropolymers do not absorb water. In other words, the fluoropolymer coating protects the housing from wear and tear and extends the life of the device.

[0047] In some examples, when applied to housings of electronic devices and parts, method 500 can eliminate or reduce appearance defects and also provide a PVD coating with good adhesion. These devices and parts can be combined with various aluminum alloy substrates for external housings and small parts of electronic devices. The aluminum alloy substrate can have non-appearance qualities. In some examples, the coating enhances the physical properties of the aluminum substrate and protects the substrate from corrosion.

[0048] To the extent applicable to the present technology, the collection and use of data obtained from various sources may be used to improve the delivery of inspirational content or any other content that may be of interest to users. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances, such collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specific person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, phone numbers, email addresses, ID, home address, data or records related to the user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other identifying or personal information.

[0049] The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present technology can be used to benefit users. For example, the personal information data can be used to deliver targeted content that users are more interested in. Therefore, the use of such personal information data enables users to have planned control over the content delivered. In addition, the present disclosure also anticipates other uses of personal information data that benefit users. For example, health and fitness data can be used to provide insights into the user's overall health status, or can be used as positive feedback to individuals who use technology to pursue health goals.

[0050] The present disclosure envisions that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and adhere to privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information data. Such policies should be easily accessible to users and should be updated as the collection and / or use of data changes. Personal information from users should be collected for the legal and reasonable purposes of the entity and not shared or sold outside these legal uses. In addition, such collection / sharing should be performed after receiving the user's informed consent. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that other entities with access to personal information data comply with their privacy policies and procedures. In addition, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adjusted to specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and to applicable laws and standards including specific considerations of jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, the collection or access of certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained in each country for different types of personal data.

[0051] Regardless of the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates implementation schemes in which users selectively block the use or access of personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware elements and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, with respect to an advertising delivery service, the technology of the present invention may be configured to allow a user to choose to "opt in" or "opt out" to participate in the collection of personal information data at any time during or after registration for the service. In another example, a user may choose not to provide emotion-related data for a target content delivery service. In another example, a user may choose to limit the length of time that emotion-related data is retained, or completely prohibit the development of basic emotional conditions. In addition to providing "opt-in" and "opt-out" options, the present disclosure also contemplates providing notifications related to access or use of personal information. For example, a user may be notified that their personal information data will be accessed when downloading an application, and then the user may be reminded again just before the personal information data is accessed by the application.

[0052] In addition, it is the intention of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and processed in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Once the data is no longer needed, the risk can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting the data. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect the privacy of users. De-identification can be facilitated by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than at the address level), controlling how the data is stored (e.g., aggregating data between users), and / or other methods when appropriate.

[0053] Thus, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may also be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology will not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. For example, content may be selected and delivered to a user by inferring preferences based on non-personal information data or an absolute minimum amount of personal information, such as content requested by a device associated with the user, other non-personal information available to a content delivery service, or publicly available information.

[0054] For the purpose of illustration, the foregoing description uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the embodiments. Therefore, for the purpose of illustration and description, the foregoing description of the specific embodiments described herein is presented. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the disclosed precise forms. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, in view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are feasible.

Claims

1. A housing for a portable electronic device, the housing comprising: An aluminum substrate, the aluminum substrate comprising 6000 series aluminum or 7000 series aluminum; a PVD coating, the PVD coating being disposed on the substrate; as well as A protective underlayer is disposed between the aluminum substrate and the PVD coating.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the protective padding prevents Cracking of the aluminum substrate during PVD coating.

3. The housing of claim 1, wherein the protective underlayer comprises an unsealed anodic oxide layer. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the protective underlayer comprises a CrSn plating. 5 . The housing of claim 1 , wherein the protective pad comprises a thickness between about 9 μm and about 22 μm.

6. The housing of claim 1, wherein the aluminum substrate comprises 6013 series aluminum or 7075 series aluminum.

7. The housing of claim 1, wherein the aluminum substrate comprises die cast aluminum.

8. A coating on an aluminum substrate, the coating comprising: a barrier layer, the barrier layer being disposed on the aluminum substrate; a physical vapor deposition layer, the physical vapor deposition layer being disposed on the barrier layer; as well as A color layer is disposed on the physical vapor deposition layer.

9. The coating of claim 8, wherein the barrier layer comprises an anodic oxide film.

10. The coating of claim 9, wherein the anodic oxide film is unsealed.

11. The coating of claim 8, wherein the barrier layer comprises a chromium alloy or a titanium alloy.

12. The coating of claim 8, wherein the physical vapor deposition layer comprises: a seed layer, the seed layer being disposed on the barrier layer; as well as A transition layer is disposed between the seed layer and the color layer.

13. The coating of claim 8, wherein the physical vapor deposition layer comprises a thickness between about 2 μm and about 3.5 μm.

14. A method of applying an appearance finish to a part comprising a 6000 series or 7000 series aluminum substrate, the method comprising: forming a cushion layer on the aluminum substrate; as well as The PVD coating is applied to the underlayer at a temperature of at least 120°C for at least 6 hours.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the pad layer comprises forming an unsealed anodized layer by anodizing the aluminum substrate with an electrolyte and applying a voltage between about 20 volts and 50 volts and a current density between about 10 amps / ft2 and about 15 amps / ft2. 16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the pad layer comprises forming a plating stack comprising at least one of copper, chromium, zirconium, or titanium. 17 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising chemically pretreating the aluminum substrate before forming the pad layer on the aluminum substrate.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the PVD coating is applied at a bias of about 50%.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying a fluoropolymer coating to the PVD coating.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the underlayer increases adhesion strength of the PVD coating and prevents galvanic corrosion of the aluminum substrate.

Images