IE55013B1 - A method of producing an optical component,and components formed thereby - Google Patents

A method of producing an optical component,and components formed thereby

Info

Publication number
IE55013B1
IE55013B1 IE138/84A IE13884A IE55013B1 IE 55013 B1 IE55013 B1 IE 55013B1 IE 138/84 A IE138/84 A IE 138/84A IE 13884 A IE13884 A IE 13884A IE 55013 B1 IE55013 B1 IE 55013B1
Authority
IE
Ireland
Prior art keywords
layer
coating
glass
optical component
specular reflective
Prior art date
Application number
IE138/84A
Other versions
IE840138L (en
Original Assignee
Spafax Holdings Plc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Spafax Holdings Plc filed Critical Spafax Holdings Plc
Publication of IE840138L publication Critical patent/IE840138L/en
Publication of IE55013B1 publication Critical patent/IE55013B1/en

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29DPRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D11/00Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
    • B29D11/00605Production of reflex reflectors
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29DPRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D11/00Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
    • B29D11/00596Mirrors
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29DPRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D11/00Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms
    • B29D11/00865Applying coatings; tinting; colouring

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
  • Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)

Abstract

A method of making an optical component having specular reflective properties from plastics material comprising applying to the plastics material a face layer of hard glass or a substance having hard glasslike properties and subsequently applying to the face layer a coating of specular reflective material. [GB2152703A]

Description

This invention relates to a method of producing an optical component and components produced thereby.
It is known to use synthetic plastics materials for optical components and these have several advantages over traditional glass and crystalline materials, such as resistance to thermal and mechanical shocks, lower production costs, reduced weight and greater design flexibility. Such plastics optical components are however, vulnerable to surface damage by abrasion, scratching and environmental conditions which often impair their function.
It is known that transparent scratch resistant layers may be deposited on to plastics material surfaces by dipcoating, ultra violet polymerisation and varnishing. Additional processing and end product problems are created, such as lack of thickness uniformity, variable adhesion to the plastic sub-strate gel formation on curing the coating and it is also generally expensive to produce at commercially acceptable efficiencies. The coating can be very specific to a particular plastic and deposition directly over metallic reflective finishes on the plastics material can present many problems.
There are many optical applications where it is required to produce an abrasion-resistant specular reflective finish onplastics material substrates.
This can be achieved in a number of ways including electro-chemical deposition of a hard reflective metal such as chromium or nickel onto the front surface of a clear or opaque plastics material, usually acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers. This method is very costly and prone to production problems. It also produces a mirror-like product of lower reflectivity than is achieved by conventional silver or aluminium surfaces. Despite the use of a relatively inert plastics base material for the mirror the multi-metal layer electroplating process can also give rise to troublesome electrolytic corrosion problems when the mirror is exposed to adverse environmental conditions. A further technique involves thermal evaporation of aluminium on to the rear surface of an already coated transparent plastics material, the coating of which is abrasion resistant to a degree and previously deposited by a separate and costly wet chemical process. Articles produced by this technique are limited by the size, shape and configuration of the basic coated plastics materials, usually in flat-sheet form, and are expensive by virtue of the multi-stage production methods involved.
Vacuum assisted metal deoosition onto untreated plastics material followed by a wet chemical coating process to confer abrasion resistance is also known but this is again costly ana prone to optical faults.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above drawbacks.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of making an optical component having specular reflective properties from plastics material comprises subjecting the plastics material to a degreasing operation by vapour degreasing in a fluorocarbon solvent 4 and then transferring the material to an uLtrasonically vibrated heated solution of the same solvent, performing a molecular cleaning operation (that is subjecting plastics material to a low pressure inert atmosphere in a vacuum vessel, applying a voltage to electrodes situated within the vacuum vessel to produce aglow discharge to provide a surface treatment) applying by magnetron sputtering a layer of hard glass or a substance having hard glass-like properties to a thickness of between O'. 5 and 1.0 microns thick and subsequently applying a coating of specular reflective material, said coating being between 0.5 and 5.0 microns thick.
Preferably also the glass or glass-like layer is formed by applying a coating of oxides of the material used for the specular reflective properties, said coating of oxides being applied in a vacuum vessel in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon. The layer of oxides may be applied by means of a magnetron sputtering operation in a vacuum vessel in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon at a pressure in the region of 2 x 10 mbar.
Immediately after the molecular cleaning operation the vacuum vessel may_ be reduced to 1 x 10 ^ mbar pressure and argon gas is introduced until the pressure -4 reaches 5 x 10 mbar, oxygen then being added until the pressure has risen to 2 x 10 mbar.
The layer of oxides may be built up to the said thickness of between 0.5 and 1.0 microns by means of a magnetron sputtering operation using a target of the metal to be deposited to form the said layer. The coating of reflective material may be applied directly to the glass or glass-like layer, and in this case the reflective material may be applied by means of a DC magnetron sputtering operation using target power density levels increased 5 555013 2 2 gradually from 4W/cm to 12W/cm until the layer thickness of 0.5 to 5.0 microns is achieved.
The coating of specular reflective material may be chromium to a thickness of 0.5 to 5 5.0 microns thick.
Alternatively the coating of specular reflective material may be aluminium. In this case a hard abrasion resistant top coat may be applied to the aluminium by sputtering with the 10 assistance of R.F. field. A hard abrasion resistant top coat may be applied to the aluminium by electron beam evaporation. The top coat may comprise a layer of dielectric oxide of between 0.5 and 5.0 microns thick.
The invention also includes within its scope an optical component formed by the method set forth.
The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment will now be described 20 by way of example. 6 6 SSO 13 In this example the plastics base material comprises a polycondensate polymer prepared by the interaction of a polyhydroxy compound with a carbonic acid derivative, typically the reaction product of bis-phenol-A with either 5 phosgene or diphenyl carbonate which is available commercially under the Trade Name "Lexan" polycarbonate and manufactured by the General Electric Co. U.S.A. An appropriate shape and size may be obtained either by a conventional thermoplastics injection process or by cutting to a given, desired 10 profile from precision manufactured extruded sheet.
The base material is vapour degreased in a fluorocarbon solvent, typically "Arklon" P (ICI) for three minutes, then transferred to an ultrasonical'ly vibrated heated solution of the same solvent for a further three minutes for 15 cleaning. A final vapour degreasing of three minutes duration may be given. The plastics material is then transferred to an appropriate location jig in a process vacuum vessel, this operation being carried out under strictconditions of cleanliness.
The vacuum vessel is sealed and pumped out to a pressure of 1 x 10-^ mbar. Argon is then introduced until the pressure rises to 1 x 10~* mbar. A voltage of 1.5 kilovolts AC is then applied to electrodes situated within the vacuum vessel and in close proximinity to the base plas-25 tics material surface which is to be processed. The glow discharge so initiated is held for a period of up to 20 minutes during which the plastics surface receives a ‘tnole-cular cleaning" and which treatment in effect although termed 7 55013 cleaning provides a surface treatment which makes it more receptive to receive the coating layer as described below.
After the molecular cleair.g a reactive oxidation process to provide a key coat face layer is carried out as 5 follows. The vessel is re-pumped to 1 x 10-5 mbar pressure and argon gas is introduced until the pressure reaches -4 5 x 10 mbar. Oxygen is then added until the pressure has risen to 2 x 10"^ mbar.
A magnetron sputtering operation using a chromium 10 target is then initiated within the vacuum chamber and the charged chromium atoms interact reactively with oxygen so as to deposit the key coat layer of chromium oxides onto the surface of the adjacent polycarbonate. This layer consists of one or more oxides of chromium and possibly also the 15 metal itself. The layer is preferably 0.5 - 1.0 microns thick.
The oxygen supply is then discontinued and a coven-tional DC magnetron sputtering of chromium initiated at target power density levels which gradually increase from 2 2 20 4 W/cm to 12 W/cm . This gradual deposition of chromium onto the chromium oxide key coat layer ensures that a stress-free film is deposited. It is known in the art that thin layers of chromium are prone to either compressive or tensile stresses and care is necessary at this stage. Typically a 25 reflective layer thickness of from 0.5 to 5.0 microns is applied.
Although the invention has been described with reference to chromium oxides and a chromium multi-layer system 530 13 8 it is-not limited thereto.
For example a more highly reflective aluminium mirror can be produced in a similar manner with a reactively sputtered aluminium layer which would be 5 similar to the chromium layer and consist of aluminium oxides and possibly aluminium metal itself, followed by a layer of aluminium metal. In the case of a softer metal such as this, it may be necessary to apply a hard abrasion resistant top coat of a 10 dielectric oxide such as an oxide of silicon either by sputtering with the assistance of an RF field or by an electron beam evaporation. Both techniques are well known to those skilled in the art. A typical thickness range for this top coat would be 15 0.5 to 5.0 microns.
Alternatively the hard abrasion resistant top coat layer may be deposited by the direct in vacuo vaporization of an already formed glass material e.g. borosilicate glass using electron beams or conventional electrical heating devices to induce vaporization.

Claims (16)

1. A method of making an optical component having specular reflective properties from plastics material comprising subjecting the plastics material to a degreasing operation by vapour degreasing in a fluorocarbon solvent and then transferring the material to an ultrasonically vibrated heated solution of the same solvent, performing a molecular cleaning operation, (as defined) applying, by magnetron sputtering a layer of hard glass or a substance having hard glass-like properties to a thickness of between 0.5 and 1.0 microns thick and subsequently applying a coating of specular reflective material,· said coating being between 0.5 and 5.0 microns thick.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the glass or glass-like layer is formed by applying a coating of oxides of the material used to form the specular reflective properties, said coating of oxides being applied in a vacuum vessel in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 which the coating of oxides is applied by means of a magnetron sputtering operation in a vacuum vessel in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon at a pressure in the region of 2 x 10 ^ mbar.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which immediately after the molecular cleaning the vacuum vessel is reduced to 1 x lO'^mbar pressure and argon gas is -4 introduced until the pressure reaches 5 x 10 mbar oxygen then being added until the pressure has risen to 2 x 10-^ mbar. 10
5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the layer of oxides is built up to the said thickness of between 0.5 and 1.0 microns by means of a magnetron sputtering operating using a target of the metal to be deposited to form the said layer.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 in which the coating of reflective material is applied directly to the said glass or glass-like layer.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the reflective material is applied by a DC magnetron sputtering operation using target power density levels 2 2 increased gradually from 4W/cm to 12W/cm until the layer thickness of 0.5 to 5.0 microns is achieved.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7 in which the coating of a specular reflective material is chromium to a thickness of 0.5 to 5.0 microns.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8 in which the coating of specular reflective material is aluminium. 9 95 5 0 13
10. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which a hard abrasion resistant top coat is applied to the aluminium by sputtering with the assistance of an R.F. field.
11. A method as claimed in claim 9 in which a hard abrasion resistant top coat is applied to the aluminium by electron beam evaporation.
12. A method as claimed in claim 10 in which the top coat comprises a layer of dielectric oxide of between 0.5 and 5.0 microns thick.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12 in which the layer of hard glass or having hard glass-like prop erties is applied in a vacuum vessel by means of electron beam evaporation.
14. A method as claimed in claim 1 of making an optical component having specular reflective prop erties substantially as described herein.
15. An optical component made by the method as claimed in any one the the preceding claims.
16. An optical component made by the method substantially as described herein. F. R. KELLY & CO., AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS.
IE138/84A 1983-01-26 1984-01-20 A method of producing an optical component,and components formed thereby IE55013B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB838302165A GB8302165D0 (en) 1983-01-26 1983-01-26 Producing optical component

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
IE840138L IE840138L (en) 1984-07-26
IE55013B1 true IE55013B1 (en) 1990-04-25

Family

ID=10536991

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
IE138/84A IE55013B1 (en) 1983-01-26 1984-01-20 A method of producing an optical component,and components formed thereby

Country Status (20)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS60500502A (en)
AU (1) AU576487B2 (en)
BE (1) BE898767A (en)
CA (1) CA1246370A (en)
CH (1) CH665488A5 (en)
DE (1) DE3490033T1 (en)
DK (1) DK161754C (en)
ES (1) ES8501536A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2539881B1 (en)
GB (2) GB8302165D0 (en)
GR (1) GR81664B (en)
IE (1) IE55013B1 (en)
IT (1) IT1173135B (en)
NL (1) NL8420019A (en)
NO (1) NO843782L (en)
PH (1) PH23007A (en)
PT (1) PT78009B (en)
SE (1) SE453737B (en)
WO (1) WO1984002875A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA84518B (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5394317A (en) * 1992-11-03 1995-02-28 Grenga; John J. Lamp reflector
FI121061B (en) * 2007-07-04 2010-06-30 Reate Oy Method and apparatus for manufacturing an optical object
DE102011007557B4 (en) 2011-04-16 2023-09-28 EvoChem Advanced Materials GmbH Process for increasing the smudge resistance or scratch resistance of plastic surfaces

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1002584B (en) * 1940-12-14 1957-02-14 Dr Georg Hass Process for improving the adhesive strength of metallic coatings
US3372008A (en) * 1961-05-29 1968-03-05 Philips Corp Metal reflector and method of manufacturing such reflectors
DE1521157C3 (en) * 1965-09-21 1978-12-21 Balzers Hochvakuum Gmbh, 6201 Nordenstadt Process for increasing the strength of the bond between thin layers
US3530055A (en) * 1968-08-26 1970-09-22 Ibm Formation of layers of solids on substrates
CH494409A (en) * 1969-07-16 1970-07-31 Balzers Patent Beteilig Ag Front surface mirror and process for its manufacture
JPS4958171A (en) * 1972-10-06 1974-06-05
JPS5216586A (en) * 1975-07-30 1977-02-07 Daicel Chem Ind Ltd Surface-treated product of plastics and its preparation
US4022947A (en) * 1975-11-06 1977-05-10 Airco, Inc. Transparent panel having high reflectivity for solar radiation and a method for preparing same
DE2833133C3 (en) * 1978-07-28 1982-02-18 Glasplakatefabrik Offenburg Fritz Borsi KG, 7600 Offenburg Acrylic mirror and process for its manufacture
DE2852341A1 (en) * 1978-12-04 1980-06-26 Ver Flugtechnische Werke METHOD FOR METALLIZING PLASTIC SURFACES
DE3017713A1 (en) * 1980-05-08 1981-11-12 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Metallising polymer films - by sputtering adhesion promoting layer onto film and then vacuum depositing metal, used for resistance layers
JPS5713405A (en) * 1980-06-26 1982-01-23 Nhk Spring Co Ltd Reflecting mirror and its manufacture

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE898767A (en) 1984-05-16
SE8500918D0 (en) 1985-02-25
DK161754B (en) 1991-08-12
DK458684D0 (en) 1984-09-25
CH665488A5 (en) 1988-05-13
IT8419314A1 (en) 1985-07-25
PT78009A (en) 1984-02-01
GR81664B (en) 1984-12-12
GB2152703B (en) 1987-11-25
NL8420019A (en) 1985-10-01
FR2539881B1 (en) 1988-05-27
DE3490033T1 (en) 1986-03-13
PT78009B (en) 1986-03-27
ES529203A0 (en) 1984-11-16
ES8501536A1 (en) 1984-11-16
FR2539881A1 (en) 1984-07-27
CA1246370A (en) 1988-12-13
GB8503825D0 (en) 1985-03-20
ZA84518B (en) 1984-12-24
NO843782L (en) 1984-09-21
IT8419314A0 (en) 1984-01-25
SE8500918L (en) 1985-02-25
SE453737B (en) 1988-02-29
AU576487B2 (en) 1988-09-01
PH23007A (en) 1989-02-24
IE840138L (en) 1984-07-26
GB8302165D0 (en) 1983-03-02
WO1984002875A1 (en) 1984-08-02
AU2495584A (en) 1984-08-15
DK458684A (en) 1984-09-25
IT1173135B (en) 1987-06-18
DK161754C (en) 1992-02-17
JPS60500502A (en) 1985-04-11
GB2152703A (en) 1985-08-07

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