A TiO for color effects 2 CrAlCr interlayer composite membrane and preparation method thereof

Abstract

A TiO for color effects 2 CrAlCr sandwich composite film and preparation method, the sandwich composite film comprises titanium dioxide layers (TiO 2 The composite film has a warm, bright and vibrant color effect, and is suitable for electronic product housings, interior decoration, automotive industry, art design and other fields. At the same time, strength tests show that the composite film exhibits excellent impact resistance. This composite film is not only beautiful, but also has high strength and is easy to post-process, meeting the high requirements of the product for color appearance, strength and processing performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to optical film materials, in particular to a TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film for achieving color effects and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the method of achieving color effects by coating composite film layers has been widely used in a variety of industrial products and crafts that require decoration. These decorative film layers are usually composed of single or multiple layers of metals or oxides. They use the optical properties of metals and oxides to produce the desired color effects through single or multiple reflections and refractions of light. These materials include but are not limited to aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and other metal elements and their oxides, such as niobium (Nb), silver (Ag), gold (Au), etc. The number of layers of these film layers can range from a single layer to more than ten layers. However, there are some defects in the prior art. In order to obtain the desired color effect, it is usually necessary to stack and combine a large number of film layers to regulate the optical properties. When the number of film layers increases, the total thickness may reach 200 nanometers or even thicker, which will significantly affect the strength of the substrate. In addition, when the post-processing is carried out by the stripping method, it is not only time-consuming, but also has a large amount of side etching. In contrast, although the single-layer film is easier to process, the color effect it can achieve is relatively limited. This results in the existing coating technology being unable to meet the demand when the product has high requirements for appearance, post-processing technology and strength. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new type of composite film layer that can achieve the ideal color effect while maintaining high strength.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used for understanding the background of the present application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects existing in the above-mentioned background technology and provide a TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film for achieving color effects and a preparation method thereof.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects comprises a titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer), a first chromium layer (Cr layer), an aluminum layer (Al layer) and a second chromium layer (Cr layer) which are sequentially stacked from inside to outside.

[0007] Furthermore, the thickness of each of the titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer), the first chromium layer (Cr layer), the aluminum layer (Al layer) and the second chromium layer (Cr layer) does not exceed 100 nm.

[0008] Furthermore, the total thickness of the composite film is 100±20 nm.

[0009] Furthermore, the titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer) is formed on a glass substrate.

[0010] A method for preparing a TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film for achieving a color effect comprises the following steps:

[0011] Prepare the substrate;

[0012] Depositing a titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer) on a substrate;

[0013] Depositing a first chromium layer (Cr layer) on the TiO2 layer;

[0014] depositing an aluminum layer (Al layer) on the first chromium layer;

[0015] A second chromium layer (Cr layer) is deposited on the aluminum layer.

[0016] Furthermore, the deposition uses an evaporation or sputtering process.

[0017] Furthermore, the sputtering process includes the following steps: first, vacuum treatment is performed to ensure that the inside of the sputtering chamber reaches the required vacuum level, and then the substrate surface is activated or cleaned by plasma cleaning treatment to enhance the adhesion of subsequent coatings; then, the TiO2 layer, the first Cr layer, the Al layer and the second Cr layer are sputtered in sequence, the deposition time of each layer is determined according to the required layer thickness, and the film quality is optimized by controlling the sputtering power and using the corresponding process gas.

[0018] Furthermore, in the sputtering process, a mixed gas of argon (Ar) and / or oxygen (O2) is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, and argon (Ar) is used when sputtering the first Cr layer, the Al layer, and the second Cr layer.

[0019] Furthermore, in the sputtering process, a power of 8 KW is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, a power of 8 KW is used when sputtering the first Cr layer and the second Cr layer, and a power of 10 KW is used when sputtering the Al layer.

[0020] Furthermore, in the sputtering process, the vacuum degree is 9.00E-04 Pascal (Pa).

[0021] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The present invention proposes a TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects. The composite film achieves an ideal color effect with a total thickness of only about 100nm by stacking TiO2 layers, Cr layers, Al layers and Cr layers sequentially from the inside to the outside, significantly reducing the thickness compared with traditional multilayer films, thereby effectively reducing the impact on substrate strength. The design of the composite film utilizes the optical properties of metal oxides and metal layers to produce specific color effects through reflection and refraction of light, wherein the TiO2 layer, the first Cr layer and the Al layer together constitute the main color control layer, and can form a specific LAB color value by adjusting the thickness of the stacked layers. Such LAB color values ​​achieve a warm, bright and vibrant color effect. At the same time, the outermost Cr layer not only provides additional protection to prevent the Al layer from oxidizing and discoloring, but also helps to improve the durability of the overall film layer. This design simplifies post-processing procedures, such as the deplating process, while maintaining the strength of the substrate, reducing processing time and reducing the amount of side etching. In addition, through measured data, the composite film of the present invention shows excellent strength in impact resistance tests, proving its reliability in practical applications. Therefore, the composite film of the present invention not only meets high requirements in color effect, but also has significant advantages in strength and post-processing convenience, and can meet the high requirements of products for color appearance, strength and processing performance.

[0023] Other beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a graph showing the impact strength test results of the TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film (with glass substrate) according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be emphasized that the following description is only exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope and application of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, connection can be used for fixing as well as for coupling or communication.

[0028] It should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0029] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0030] See also Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects, including a titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer), a first chromium layer (Cr layer), an aluminum layer (Al layer) and a second chromium layer (Cr layer) stacked sequentially from the inside to the outside. Among them, the titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer) serves as the base layer of the composite film. The first chromium layer (Cr layer) works in conjunction with the titanium dioxide layer to reflect and absorb light of a specific wavelength, increase the wear resistance of the film layer, and protect the titanium dioxide layer. The aluminum layer (Al layer) has a high reflectivity and is used to improve the brightness of the composite film, and its good ductility helps the plastic deformation of the composite film during post-processing and reduces the risk of cracks and fractures. The first three layers of TiO2 / Cr / Al in the sandwich are the main color control layers, and a specific LAB color value can be formed by adjusting the thickness of the stack. The second chromium layer (Cr layer) serves as a protective layer to prevent the aluminum layer from oxidizing and discoloring, increase the durability of the composite film, and complete the final adjustment of the color effect.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of each of the titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer), the first chromium layer (Cr layer), the aluminum layer (Al layer) and the second chromium layer (Cr layer) does not exceed 100 nm.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the total thickness of the composite film is within the range of 100±20 nm.

[0033] In some embodiments, the TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film may be (but is not limited to) formed on a glass substrate.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for preparing the TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects, comprising the following steps: preparing a substrate; depositing a titanium dioxide layer (TiO2 layer) on the substrate; depositing a first chromium layer (Cr layer) on the TiO2 layer; depositing an aluminum layer (Al layer) on the first chromium layer; and depositing a second chromium layer (Cr layer) on the aluminum layer.

[0035] In some embodiments, the depositing uses an evaporation or sputtering process.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the sputtering process includes the following steps: first, vacuum treatment is performed to ensure that the sputtering chamber reaches the required vacuum degree, and then the substrate surface is activated or cleaned by plasma cleaning treatment to enhance the adhesion of the subsequent coating; then, TiO2 layer, first Cr layer, Al layer and second Cr layer are sputtered in sequence, the deposition time of each layer is determined according to the required layer thickness, and the film quality is optimized by controlling the sputtering power and using the corresponding process gas. During the entire deposition process, the thickness of each layer is precisely controlled to ensure that the total thickness of the composite film meets the design requirements. Preferably, a mixed gas of argon (Ar) and or oxygen (O2) is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, and argon (Ar) is used when sputtering the first Cr layer, Al layer and second Cr layer. Preferably, a power of 8KW is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, a power of 8KW is used when sputtering the first Cr layer and the second Cr layer, and a power of 10KW is used when sputtering the Al layer. Preferably, the vacuum degree is 9.00E-04.

[0037] The present invention proposes a TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects. The composite film achieves an ideal color effect with a total thickness as low as only about 100nm by stacking TiO2 layers, Cr layers, Al layers and Cr layers sequentially from the inside to the outside, which significantly reduces the thickness compared with traditional multilayer films, thereby effectively reducing the impact on the strength of the substrate. The design of the composite film utilizes the optical properties of metal oxides and metal layers to produce specific color effects through reflection and refraction of light, wherein the TiO2 layer, the first Cr layer and the Al layer together constitute the main color control layer, which can form a specific LAB color value by adjusting the thickness of the stacked layers to achieve a warm, bright and vibrant color effect. At the same time, the outermost Cr layer not only provides additional protection to prevent the Al layer from oxidizing and discoloring, but also helps to improve the durability of the overall film layer. This design simplifies post-processing procedures, such as the deplating process, while maintaining the strength of the substrate, reducing processing time and reducing the amount of side etching. In addition, through measured data (to be further described later), the composite film of the present invention exhibits excellent strength in the impact resistance test, proving its reliability in practical applications. Therefore, the composite film of the present invention not only meets high requirements in color effect, but also has significant advantages in strength and post-processing convenience, and can meet the high requirements of products for color appearance, strength and processing performance.

[0038] Examples

[0039] A method for preparing a TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects, the specific steps comprising:

[0040] 1. Prepare substrates: Select several glass substrates that will be used to deposit the composite films.

[0041] 2. Loading the substrate: The glass substrate is loaded into the sputtering machine in preparation for the coating process.

[0042] 3. Vacuum treatment: Set the vacuum degree in the sputtering machine to 9.00×10 -4 Pascal (Pa), to ensure that the required vacuum level is achieved inside the sputtering chamber.

[0043] 4. Plasma cleaning: Plasma cleaning is performed on the substrate surface for 200 seconds to activate or clean the surface and improve the adhesion of subsequent coatings.

[0044] 5. Deposition of TiO2 layer: Through crystal oscillator control, using 8KW power and a mixed gas of argon (Ar) and oxygen (O2), the first layer of TiO2 is deposited with a thickness controlled at 30nm.

[0045] 6. Deposition of the first Cr layer: Continue to use 8KW power and argon (Ar) to deposit the second Cr layer with a thickness of 3nm.

[0046] 7. Deposition of Al layer: Adjust the power to 10KW, use argon (Ar) gas, and deposit the third Al layer with a thickness of 50nm.

[0047] 8. Deposition of the second Cr layer: Again using 8KW of power and argon (Ar) gas, deposit a fourth layer of Cr with a thickness of 10nm.

[0048] After the glass substrate was fired, the color values ​​were measured to be L: 75.53, a: 2.44, b: 7.15. These LAB color values ​​indicate that the TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr interlayer composite film can achieve a warm, bright and vibrant color effect, which is suitable for interior decoration, electronic product housing, automotive industry and art design.

[0049] 9. The glass substrate was coated with a pattern and then sent to the deplating process. The deplating was carried out for 1 minute using a deplating solution. The deplating was successful without obvious side erosion.

[0050] Strength test

[0051] After the preparation of the TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr sandwich composite film, a rigorous strength test was conducted to evaluate the physical strength and impact resistance of the composite film. Figure 2 As shown, a falling ball impact test method was used, in which a 130g steel ball was used starting from a height of 5cm, increasing by 5cm each time until the glass broke. During the test, no protective film or explosion-proof film was applied to the glass substrate to ensure the accuracy of the test. The number of times the steel ball impacted the glass substrate at different heights was recorded in the test until the glass broke. According to the test results, the calculated B10 value was 44.5, that is, at a height of 44.5cm, only 10% of the test samples would break, which is much higher than the judgment standard (20cm) and the control standard (25cm), indicating that the TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr interlayer composite film provides a significant enhancement effect.

[0052] In summary, the color value measurement and strength test results prove that the TiO2 / Cr / Al / Cr sandwich composite film of the present invention not only meets high requirements in color effect, but also performs well in physical strength, and can maintain the integrity of the glass substrate even under high impact conditions. The excellent strength performance makes the composite film of the present invention very suitable for products that require high durability and color appearance.

[0053] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific / preferred embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, without departing from the concept of the present invention, it can also make several substitutions or modifications to these described embodiments, and these substitutions or modifications should be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of this specification, the description of the reference terms "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "preferred embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in combination with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily target the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In the absence of mutual contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples. Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of protection of the patent application.

Claims

1. A TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film for achieving color effects, characterized in that: The invention comprises a titanium dioxide layer, a first chromium layer, an aluminum layer and a second chromium layer which are sequentially stacked from the inside to the outside.

2. The TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of each of the titanium dioxide layer, the first chromium layer, the aluminum layer and the second chromium layer does not exceed 100 nm.

3. The TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total thickness of the composite film is 100±20 nm.

4. The TiO2CrAlCr sandwich composite film for achieving color effects according to claim 1, characterized in that: The titanium dioxide layer is formed on a glass substrate.

5. A method for preparing a TiO2CrAlCr interlayer composite film for achieving color effects as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Prepare the substrate; depositing a titanium dioxide layer on the substrate; depositing a first chromium layer on the titanium dioxide layer; depositing an aluminum layer on the first chromium layer; A second chromium layer is deposited on the aluminum layer.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The deposition uses an evaporation or sputtering process.

7. The preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sputtering process includes the following steps: first, vacuum treatment is performed to ensure that the inside of the sputtering chamber reaches the required vacuum degree, and then the substrate surface is activated or cleaned by plasma cleaning treatment to enhance the adhesion of subsequent coatings; then, a TiO2 layer, a first Cr layer, an Al layer and a second Cr layer are sputtered in sequence, the deposition time of each layer is determined according to the required layer thickness, and the film quality is optimized by controlling the sputtering power and using corresponding process gases.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the sputtering process, a mixed gas of argon (Ar) and / or oxygen (O2) is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, and argon (Ar) is used when sputtering the first Cr layer, the Al layer, and the second Cr layer.

9. The preparation method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: In the sputtering process, a power of 8 KW is used when sputtering the TiO2 layer, a power of 8 KW is used when sputtering the first Cr layer and the second Cr layer, and a power of 10 KW is used when sputtering the Al layer.

10. The preparation method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: In the sputtering process, the vacuum degree is 9.00E-04 Pascal (Pa).

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