阅读说明：本技术 用于标记电子设备的受控烧蚀和表面修饰 (Controlled ablation and surface modification for marking electronic devices ) 是由 M·S·纳什奈尔 P·N·卢塞尔-克拉克 于 2019-07-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及用于标记电子设备的受控烧蚀和表面修饰。本文公开了一种具有激光形成的标记的制品。该制品包括限定制品的外表面的涂层,并且标记延伸穿过涂层。该标记包括为标记提供颜色或其他视觉属性的凹陷标记特征部。(The present disclosure relates to controlled ablation and surface modification for marking electronics. An article having a laser-formed mark is disclosed. The article includes a coating defining an outer surface of the article, and the indicia extends through the coating. The indicia includes recessed indicia features that provide color or other visual attributes to the indicia.)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an equipment component, the equipment component comprising:

a metal substrate;

a coating layer formed along at least a front surface of the metal substrate and comprising:

a first layer disposed on the front surface of the metal substrate and comprising a polymeric binder and inorganic pigment particles dispersed within the polymeric binder; and

a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising a transparent polymer defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device; and

a marking formed along the outer surface and including a laser-formed relief feature having:

at least one depression wall partially defining a depression extending through the first layer and the second layer; and

a recessed marking feature defining a bottom of the recess and visually distinct from an adjacent portion of the coating.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the recessed mark feature comprises an oxide layer formed on the metal substrate; and

the color of the recessed indicia feature is at least partially due to the thickness of the oxide layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the laser-formed relief feature includes:

a groove extending into the metal substrate and defining a pair of groove walls;

a first metal oxide layer extending along a first wall of the pair of groove walls and having a first thickness partially defining a first color; and

a second metal oxide layer formed along a second wall of the pair of groove walls, having a second thickness different from the first thickness and partially defining a second color.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein an apparent color of the recessed mark feature is due to a combined effect of the first color and the second color.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:

the groove is V-shaped; and

the angle defined between the first groove wall and the second groove wall is from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the laser-formed relief features further comprise recesses formed into the metal substrate.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the recesses are less than 500 μm deep.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the recessed indicia feature comprises a texture along the front surface of the metal substrate; and

the texture at least partially defines the reflectivity of the recessed indicia feature.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

an equipment component, the equipment component comprising:

a metal material;

a multi-layer coating formed on a surface of the metal material and including:

a first layer disposed on the surface of the metallic material and comprising a binder and pigment particles dispersed within the binder; and

a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising a transparent polymer; and

a marking formed into the multilayer coating and comprising:

a first recessed marking feature along the surface of the metallic material and visually distinct from the multilayer coating; and

a laser-formed relief feature at least partially surrounding the first recessed indicia feature and having:

a recess wall partially defining a recess extending through the first and second layers of the multi-layer coating; and

a second recessed marking feature visually distinct from an adjacent portion of the multilayer coating and partially defining a bottom of the recess.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the first recessed indicia feature further comprises a metal oxide layer formed along the surface of the metal material; and

the first recessed indicia feature has an indicia color defined at least in part by a thickness of the metal oxide layer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the first recessed marking feature further comprises:

a first metal oxide layer along a first region of the surface of the metal material and having a first thickness;

a second metal oxide layer along a second region of the surface of the metal material and having a second thickness; and

the first recessed indicia feature has a first indicia color defined at least in part by the first thickness and a second indicia color defined at least in part by the second thickness.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the second recessed mark features comprise geometric features formed into the metallic material.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the pigment particles are titanium dioxide particles; and

the indicia further includes a color feature partially formed at an interface between the first layer and the second layer.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the multilayer coating does not include visible cracks along the recess walls.

15. A method for forming a mark including embossed features along an exterior surface of an electronic device, the method comprising:

removing a portion of a multilayer coating using a first laser to form a recess through the multilayer coating and expose a metal portion of a substrate, the multilayer coating formed on a surface of the substrate and comprising:

a first layer comprising a binder and inorganic pigment particles within the binder; and

a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising a transparent polymer; and

modifying the metal portion using a second laser to create a recessed marking feature comprising at least one of:

a geometric feature formed into a surface of the metal portion; or

A metal oxide layer formed along the surface of the metal portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first laser generates pulses having a duration in the femtosecond range and a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second laser produces pulses having a duration in the nanosecond range and a wavelength in the infrared range.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the second layer has a hardness greater than a hardness of the first layer;

the recess is at least partially defined by a recess wall formed in the multilayer coating; and is

The recess walls are substantially free of cracks or visual defects.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising laser texturing the metal portion using a third laser, the laser texturing occurring prior to forming the metal oxide layer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

modifying the metal portion using the second laser to create the recessed marking feature comprising the metal oxide layer formed along the surface of the metal portion; and

the method also includes the operation of forming a geometric feature in the metal oxide layer using a third laser.

Technical Field

The embodiments generally relate to forming indicia on an article or a component of an electronic device. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to forming indicia including relief features that extend at least partially through a coating defining an exterior surface of a component of an article or electronic device.

Background

Articles such as electronic devices often include external components, such as housings, that may be marked or printed. Some conventional marking techniques use ink lines to form letters or glyphs. Such marks may be subject to wear during the lifetime of the device.

Embodiments described herein relate to a marking for an article, such as an electronic device, which may have advantages over some conventional techniques. In embodiments described herein, the article includes a coating along an outer surface, and the marking includes marking features recessed relative to the coating. The recessed indicia features may provide color or other visual attributes to the indicia. The marking described herein can provide a unique appearance to the article and can also provide durability over some traditional ink or pigment based marking techniques. Generally, the markings formed using the described techniques may be immune to the disadvantages associated with some conventional ink-based marking techniques.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments described herein relate to indicia formed along an outer surface of an article, articles including the indicia, and techniques for forming the indicia. The indicia may be in the form of images, patterns, text, glyphs, symbols, or geometric shapes. In embodiments, the indicia extends through and visually contrasts with a coating defining the outer surface of the article. The marking may be formed using a laser to allow precise removal of the coating in the marked area and to provide color or other visual attributes to the marking.

In aspects of the present disclosure, an article includes a device component, and a mark is formed on the device component. In additional aspects, the article is an electronic device or a component of an electronic device. The device components may comprise a metallic material, such as a metal or metal alloy. The device component may also include a coating formed on a surface, such as a front surface, of the metallic material. The coating may be a multilayer coating.

In other aspects, the indicia includes recessed indicia features that provide color or other visual attributes to the indicia. For example, the recessed indicia feature is recessed relative to the outer surface of the article and is defined along the outer surface of the metallic material.

In additional aspects, the recessed marking features are included in relief features that can be formed by a laser. The relief feature may also include at least one recess wall partially defining the recess. The recesses may extend through all or a portion of the coating thickness. In additional aspects, the indicia can include additional features, such as laser-formed color features formed within the coating.

In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a device component including a metal substrate, a coating formed along at least a front surface of the metal substrate, and indicia. The coating includes a first layer disposed on the front surface of the metal substrate and including a polymeric binder and inorganic pigment particles dispersed within the polymeric binder. The coating also includes a second layer disposed on the first layer and including a transparent polymer defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device. The indicia is formed along an exterior surface of the electronic device and includes laser-formed relief features. The laser-formed relief feature has at least one recessed wall that partially defines a recess extending through the first and second layers of the coating. The laser-formed relief feature also has a recessed marking feature that defines a bottom of the recess and is visually distinct from an adjacent portion of the coating.

The recessed indicia features may include geometric features, color features, and/or texture features formed in the front surface of the metal substrate as described in the present disclosure. The recessed indicia feature may comprise at least one geometric feature, such as a groove or channel, formed into the outer surface of the metallic material. As another example, the recessed indicia feature may include a color feature having a structural color. For example, a metal oxide layer may be formed on the outer surface of the device component and have a thickness that imparts color to the mark (mark color) by, for example, light interference. As another example, the recessed mark feature may include a textural feature, such as a surface finish that defines a roughness of the recessed mark feature. The recessed indicia features may also include combinations of these features. In aspects described herein, the marking includes at least two recessed marking features.

In further embodiments, an electronic device includes a device component including a metallic material, a multilayer coating formed on a surface of the metallic material, and a mark formed into the multilayer coating. The multilayer coating includes a first layer disposed on a surface of a metallic material and including a binder and pigment particles dispersed within the binder. The multilayer coating also includes a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising a transparent polymer. The marking includes a first recessed marking feature along a surface of the metallic material and visually distinct from the multilayer coating. The mark also includes a laser-formed relief feature at least partially surrounding the first recessed mark feature. The relief feature has a recess wall that partially defines a recess extending through the first and second layers of the multilayer coating. The laser-formed relief feature also has a second recessed marking feature that is visually distinct from an adjacent portion of the multilayer coating and partially defines a bottom of the recess.

As described in this disclosure, each of the first and second recessed marking features may include a geometric feature, a color feature, and/or a texture feature. The second recessed marking feature may be visually distinct from the first recessed marking feature. The first recessed indicia feature may also partially define a bottom of the recess. For example, the first recessed indicia feature may comprise a color feature and the second recessed indicia feature may comprise a geometric feature forming a full or partial perimeter around the first recessed indicia feature.

The present disclosure also relates to methods for forming indicia along an exterior surface of an article, such as an electronic device or a component of an electronic device. In aspects of the present disclosure, the multilayer coating defines an exterior surface of an electronic device, and the indicia includes a laser-formed relief feature including a recessed indicia feature and a recessed wall at least partially defining a recess in at least a portion of the multilayer coating.

In embodiments, the method of forming the mark results in little, if any, damage to the multilayer coating adjacent to the recessed mark feature. For example, the method may not change the color and/or texture of the recess walls of the relief features to the extent that the human eye is visually discernable at normal viewing distances. As another example, the method can produce a recess wall and an adjacent portion of the multilayer coating that do not have a visually discernable crack at a normal viewing distance by the human eye.

In aspects of the present disclosure, the relief features may be formed using a laser-based process as described herein. The laser-based processing may include at least two different laser-based processing operations. The at least two different laser-based processing operations may involve two different lasers or a single laser operating at two different process conditions.

In an embodiment, a method for forming a mark including a relief feature along an exterior surface of an electronic device includes removing a portion of a multilayer coating using a first laser to form a recess through the multilayer coating and expose a metal portion of a substrate. The multilayer coating is formed on a surface of a substrate and includes a first layer including a binder and inorganic pigment particles dispersed within the binder, and a second layer including a transparent polymer. The method also includes modifying the metal portion using a second laser to form a recessed marking feature of the relief feature. The recessed indicia feature comprises at least one of a geometric feature formed into the metal portion or a color feature formed on the metal portion.

Modifying the metal portion may include one or more of laser texturing and laser coloring the metal portion. The operation of modifying the metal portion may further include laser forming the metal portion. As previously discussed, in embodiments, the operation of modifying the metal portion causes little, if any, damage to the multilayer coating adjacent to the recessed marking feature.

Drawings

The present disclosure will become more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements.

Fig. 1A illustrates an exemplary article having indicia according to embodiments herein.

FIG. 1B illustrates an enlarged view of the indicia of FIG. 1A, showing a top view of the relief features.

FIG. 1C illustrates an enlarged view of the indicia of FIG. 1A, showing a top view of another relief feature.

FIG. 1D shows an example of a cross-sectional view of the marker of FIG. 1C.

FIG. 1E shows another example of a cross-sectional view of the marker of FIG. 1C.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature including a geometric feature.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature comprising a plurality of geometric features.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of another exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature including a geometric feature.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an additional exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature including a geometric feature.

Fig. 6A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature comprising a metal oxide layer.

Fig. 6B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of another exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature comprising a metal oxide layer.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary mark including geometric features and recessed mark features having a metal oxide layer.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an additional exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature comprising a geometric feature and a metal oxide layer.

Fig. 9 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of another exemplary mark including a recessed mark feature comprising a geometric feature and a metal oxide layer.

Fig. 10A illustrates an enlarged view of additional exemplary indicia, showing a top view of the relief features.

Fig. 10B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the marker of fig. 10A.

Fig. 11A illustrates an enlarged view of another exemplary mark, showing a top view of a relief feature.

Fig. 11B illustrates an enlarged view of another exemplary mark, showing a top view of a relief feature.

Fig. 11C shows an enlarged view of an additional mark showing a top view of the relief feature.

FIG. 12 shows a flow chart of an exemplary process for making a mark.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D schematically illustrate stages in an exemplary process for making a mark.

FIG. 14 shows a flow chart of an additional exemplary process for making a mark.

FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram of another exemplary process for making a mark.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic representation of an electronic device.

The use of cross-hatching or shading in the drawings is generally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate the legibility of the drawings. Thus, the presence or absence of cross-hatching or shading does not indicate or indicate any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, proportions of elements, dimensions of elements, commonality of like illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, property or attribute of any element shown in the figures.

Further, it should be understood that the proportions and dimensions (relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the limits, spacings, and positional relationships presented therebetween are provided in the drawings solely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein, and thus may not necessarily be presented or illustrated as being scaled and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for the illustrated embodiments to preclude embodiments described in connection therewith.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred implementation. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and defined by the appended claims.

The following disclosure relates generally to forming indicia along an outer surface of an article. In embodiments, the indicia extends through a coating defining the outer surface of the article. The marking may include a laser-formed relief feature having a marking feature at least partially recessed relative to the coating. The relief feature may also include a recess wall that partially defines the recess. In aspects of the disclosure, the article is an electronic device or a component of an electronic device.

The techniques described herein use a laser to form the mark. In aspects of the disclosure, the technique uses a laser to form the relief features. The laserable parameters are specifically adapted to limit or prevent visual defects or cracks caused within the coating due to thermal effects of the laser. Further, the techniques described herein may be adapted to limit removal and/or roughening of the metallic material underlying the coating during depression formation. Thus, the laser-based marking techniques described herein may provide advantages over some conventional techniques, which may cause greater interference with the coating and/or the surface of the metal substrate. For example, the laser-based marking techniques described herein may provide advantages over some mechanical engraving or chemical etching techniques. Further, the laser-based techniques described herein may form recessed marking features having at least one dimension on a micrometer scale or a millimeter scale.

The indicia may be in the form of images, patterns, text, glyphs, symbols, or geometric shapes. For example, geometric shapes include, but are not limited to, straight lines, curved lines, and shapes such as circles, ovals, and polygons. Polygons include, but are not limited to, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, and hexagons.

The indicia may include a relief feature that is partially recessed relative to the outer surface of the coating. For example, the recessed marking features may be recessed relative to the outer surface of the coating. The relief features may have a depth of less than 1mm, less than 500 μm, from about 100 μm to about 500 μm, from about 50 μm to about 150 μm, or from about 5 μm to about 30 μm. In aspects, the relief features have a width of about 20 μm to about 100 μm, less than about 1mm, less than about 1cm, or less than about 5 cm. Typically, the relief features are blind features and do not extend through the device component.

The relief features may also include one or more recess walls defining recesses in the coating, wherein the recess marking features are positioned at least partially below the recesses. For example, the relief feature may include a pair of recess walls defining a recess in the coating. The recessed indicia feature may define a bottom of the recess. The relief features may also include a perimeter at the outer surface of the coating, and may be formed using laser-based processing as described herein.

The visual appearance of the indicia and coating may be different to provide visual contrast. For example, the recessed indicia features may provide a different reflectivity and/or color than the outer surface of the coating. Further, the recessed indicia features may include visually discernable geometric features. The recessed indicia features may be formed along an outer surface of the metallic material. The metal material may form a part or all of the substrate. For example, the substrate may be formed of a metal material, in which case the substrate may be referred to as a metal substrate. Recessed indicia features may also be formed along the outer surface of the metal portion of the substrate.

For example, the visually discernable geometric features may be formed as indentations, protrusions, holes, or other geometric forms relative to the outer surface of the metal material. For example, the geometric features may have a depth of 10 μm to 500 μm. The recessed indicia features may include one or more grooves or channels forming indentations on the outer surface of the metallic material. Further, the recessed indicia feature may include a recess having a perimeter defining a circular, elliptical, or polygonal shape.

In embodiments, the groove or channel may have a width that is narrow relative to the width of the recessed indicia feature. For example, the groove or channel may have a width that is less than about 20% or less than about 10% of the width of the recessed indicia feature. As another example, the groove or channel can have a width that is greater than about 20% of the width of the recessed indicia feature and less than or equal to the width of the recessed indicia feature. As another example, the groove may have a v-shaped or u-shaped cross-section 123. As used herein, the terms "about" and "approximately" are used to explain relatively minor variations, such as +/-10%, +/-5%, or +/-2% variations. For example, the width of the groove or channel may be greater than its depth, equal to its depth, or less than its depth. In embodiments, the depth of the grooves or channels is less than the thickness of the coating.

The grooves or channels may take a variety of forms. For example, the groove may form a perimeter around a portion of the recessed indicia feature. Additional features of the mark, such as texture features (e.g., surface finish) or color features (e.g., metal oxide layer) may thus be inward from the perimeter. The recessed indicia feature may also comprise a pattern of a plurality of grooves. For example, the recessed indicia features may include a plurality of grooves that are aligned to form a hatch pattern. As another example, the marker features may include a first set of grooves aligned to form a first hatch pattern and a second set of grooves aligned to form a second hatch pattern angled with respect to the first hatch pattern to form a cross hatch pattern. As another example, geometric features such as angles or grooves may be formed in the surface of the metallic material so as to present areas of the recessed markings at a particular angle relative to the horizontal plane.

In additional aspects, the geometric features can provide a degree of isolation between the recess walls of the relief features and the region of the recess marking features to be laser-based processed. Including such geometric features in the recess marking features can minimize damage to the recess walls of the relief features during laser-based processing. Suitable geometric features for this purpose include, but are not limited to, angles, curves, or grooves formed in the surface of the metallic material adjacent to the recessed walls of the relief features. For example, the angular geometric features may define an obtuse angle (e.g., an angle from 110 degrees to 160 degrees) with respect to the region of the recessed marking feature to be laser-based processed.

In aspects of the present disclosure, the color feature produces a structural color. Structural color can be caused by a variety of effects including light interference, light diffraction, and combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the color feature comprises a metal oxide layer configured to produce color by interference. The desired color can be produced at the desired viewing angle. In additional embodiments, the color features include diffractive features configured to produce color by diffraction, such as laser-induced periodic surface structures. In embodiments, the color feature does not include a pigment or ink.

The color of the color feature may be characterized using a color model. For example, in a Hue Saturation Value (HSV) color model, hue refers to one or more wavelengths of visible light (e.g., blue or magenta) observed when viewing a color feature, and the value refers to the lightness or darkness of the color and to the amount of light reflected from the color feature. Saturation relates to perceived chrominance, as judged in proportion to its luminance. As another example, coordinates in CIEL a b (CIELAB) color space may be used to characterize a color, where L denotes brightness, a denotes a position between red/magenta and green, and b denotes a position between yellow and blue. The color of the color feature may be determined using broadband or quasi-broadband illuminants. For example, CIE illuminants may be used.

Further, one or more colors may be characterized according to the wavelength of the perceived visible light (e.g., from about 380nm to about 750 nm). The colors have hues (e.g., primarily red, blue, yellow, or green). Spectral colors exist in the visible spectrum and are associated with relatively narrow bands of wavelengths. The non-spectral colors may include achromatic color systems (such as white, gray, or black), colors mixed from spectral colors (such as magenta), colors mixed from spectral colors and achromatic color systems, and metallic colors. For example, violet may be associated with light having a wavelength of about 380nm to about 450nm, blue may be associated with light having a wavelength of between about 450nm to about 495nm, cyan may be associated with light having a wavelength of between about 490nm to about 520nm, green may be associated with light having a wavelength of between 495nm and 570nm, yellow may be associated with light having a wavelength of between about 570nm to about 590nm, orange may be associated with light having a wavelength of between about 590nm to about 620nm, and red may be associated with light having a wavelength of between about 620nm to about 750 nm. Further, magenta may be associated with light having primarily red and blue/violet wavelengths.

In additional embodiments, the spectral reflectance curve of a signature feature can be used to describe its optical properties. The spectral reflectance curve can be obtained over the visible spectrum or over a wider range, such as about 400nm to about 1500 nm. Furthermore, the range of specular reflection or the directionality of the reflection may be measured.

The color feature having a metallic color may have a metallic luster. For example, a metallic color with a metallic luster may have a spectral reflectance curve with a relatively high reflectance over a relatively large portion of the visible spectrum, and may have primarily specular reflection. In embodiments, the color feature having a metallic luster has a spectral reflectance of at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, at least 50%, or at least 40% over at least a portion of the visible spectrum. In embodiments, the metallic color may have a generally gray or "silvery" appearance when the spectral reflectance is substantially uniform over the visible spectrum. The laser coloration process can produce a structural color that modifies the gray or "silvery" appearance of the metal. For example, the laser coloration process may alter the spectral reflectance profile to reduce the reflectance of at least a portion of the blue and/or green portions of the visible spectrum, thereby producing a color feature that is at least partially gold in color.

In embodiments, the color feature may include an oxide layer that imparts color (i.e., a marking color) to the recessed marking feature. The metal oxide may be a thermally grown metal oxide. In additional embodiments, the oxide layer may impart more than one color to the recessed indicia features. In some aspects, a first portion of the oxide layer may provide a first marking color and a second portion of the oxide layer may provide a second marking color. Alternatively, the first portion of the oxide layer may be referred to as a first oxide layer, and the second portion of the oxide layer may be referred to as a second oxide layer.

In embodiments, a portion of the oxide can have a thickness or range of thicknesses configured to produce a desired hue or combination of hues, such as at a desired viewing angle. In additional aspects, the thickness of the oxide layer can be varied such that the color features blend different colors. For example, when the size of the recessed mark features is significantly larger than the spot size of the laser used to form the color features, the difference in heating of the metal substrate may produce some variation in the thickness of the oxide layer over the recessed mark features.

The textural features may comprise texture formed into the outer surface of the metallic material. In an embodiment, the textural features comprise a surface finish. The surface finish may at least partially define the reflectivity of the recessed mark features. For example, the surface finish may be characterized by the roughness of the outer surface of the metallic material. In additional embodiments, the textural features may include fine geometric features formed into the metallic material, such as hatching. The texture may be coated with a relatively thin oxide layer formed during the texturing process. In embodiments, a thinner oxide layer may produce little, if any, color effects, and may have a thickness of less than 5nm, less than 3nm, or less than 2 nm.

In embodiments, the laser-formed relief features extend through the multilayer coating. For example, the coating may include a first layer disposed on the metallic material and a second layer disposed on the first layer. In additional aspects, the coating consists of or consists essentially of the first layer and the second layer. The first coating may comprise pigment particles and a binder. The pigment particles may be inorganic pigment particles, such as metal oxide particles or carbon particles. In some aspects of the disclosure, the inorganic pigment particles impart a white or black color to the first coating. The adhesive may be a polymer or resin adhesive, such as an acrylate or epoxy adhesive. The pigment particles may be dispersed within the binder.

The second coating may comprise a transparent polymer. The transparent polymer may have a hardness and/or abrasion resistance greater than the hardness and/or abrasion resistance of the first coating layer. For example, the second coating may comprise an acrylate polymer or an epoxy polymer. The second coating may also include a filler material, such as a nanoscale inorganic material or a diamond material. For example, the multilayer coating can have a thickness of less than 1mm, such as from about 50 μm to about 500 μm.

In additional aspects, the indicia further comprises other features. In embodiments, a laser-formed color feature may be formed in one layer of the coating. For example, exposure of the pigment particles in the first coating to a laser beam may cause a color change in the pigment particles, which may be used to form a mark. As another example, exposure of the titanium dioxide particles in the first coating to a laser beam can produce darker color features within the coating.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to fig. 1A-16. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

Fig. 1A shows a simplified example of an article. In some embodiments, article 100 is an electronic device that incorporates one or more electronic components. Article 100 may also be a component of an electronic device, including, for example, a housing, case, or cover of an electronic device. The electronic device may be a portable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. For example, the portable electronic device may be a laptop computer or a tablet computer. As another example, the portable electronic device may be a wristwatch, a media player, a mobile phone, a camera, a headset device, an earpiece device, a remote control, an identifier (e.g., a card), or other electronic device.

In additional aspects of the present disclosure, article 100 may include data bearing records, but need not incorporate electronic components. For example, article 100 may have optical and/or magnetic features that are capable of storing data and that are readable by components of a data processing system. The article 100 may be portable. For example, article 100 may be part of a laptop computer, tablet computer, watch, media player, mobile phone, camera, headset device, earpiece device, remote control, or may be an identifier (e.g., card) or other such article.

As shown in fig. 1A, article 100 has an outer surface 102, and indicia 120 has been formed along outer surface 102. The location of the indicia is not limited and the indicia 120 may be formed on the outer surface 106, the outer surface 104, and/or the outer surface 102 of the article 100. For example, the exterior surface 102 may be a front or rear surface of the device, and the exterior surface 104 may be a side surface of the device. As shown, the article 100 includes a coating 130 that defines at least a portion of the exterior surface 102. The coating 130 may be formed along the outer surface 112 of the metal substrate 140, as shown in FIG. 1D.

The article 100 also includes a device component 110. Alone or in combination with other apparatus components, apparatus component 110 may define an interior volume configured to receive one or more interior components of article 100. For example, the device component 110 may be a component of a housing, case, or lid for the article 100. The internal components of article 100 may include various electronic components. For example, the electronic components may include one or more of a processor, control circuitry, sensors, memory, and a battery. An exemplary electronic device is described below with respect to fig. 16, and the description provided herein applies generally to articles of manufacture as described herein.

As shown in fig. 1A, the indicia 120 further includes a first relief feature 150 and a second relief feature 160. The first relief feature 150 includes a perimeter 152 at the exterior surface 102 of the article 100. The second relief feature 160 includes an inner perimeter 161 and an outer perimeter 162 at the outer surface 102; inner perimeter 161 is contoured around a portion of coating 130. The visual appearances of the first and second relief features 150 and 160 may be different from each other or may be the same. Each of the first and second relief features 150, 160 differ in visual appearance from the coating 130. For example, the first and second relief features 150 and 160 may be visually distinct from a portion of the coating adjacent to the laser-formed relief feature. For example, adjacent portions of the coating may include an outer surface of the coating and may form a perimeter around the relief feature.

FIG. 1B shows an enlarged top view of the relief feature 150 of FIG. 1A (detail 1-1). As shown in fig. 1B, the relief features 150 include recessed indicia features 156. The relief feature 150 also includes a perimeter 152 defined by the outer surface of the coating 130. The recessed indicia feature 156 may have a visual appearance that is different from the visual appearance of the coating 130 such that it is visually distinct from adjacent portions of the coating (e.g., the coating adjacent the perimeter 152). In some embodiments, the recessed indicia features may have at least one dimension, such as a width, that is on the order of a micron (having a dimension that is greater than or equal to 1 micron and less than 1 millimeter). In additional embodiments, the recessed indicia feature may have at least one dimension, such as a width, that is in the millimeter (having a dimension that is greater than or equal to 1 millimeter and less than 1 centimeter).

FIG. 1C shows an enlarged top view (detail 2-2) of the relief feature 160 of FIG. 1A. As shown in fig. 1C, the relief features 160 include recessed indicia features 166. The recessed indicia features 166 may have a visual appearance that is different from the visual appearance of the coating 130. The relief feature 160 also includes an inner perimeter 161 and an outer perimeter 162 defined by the outer surface of the coating 130.

Fig. 1D is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the relief feature 160 of fig. 1C. Fig. 1D provides an example of a fine mark that may be produced using a laser-based technique to remove a portion of the coating 130 and expose a portion of the metal substrate 140. As shown, removing a portion of the coating does not significantly deform the remainder of the coating or the underlying metal substrate. Although the exposed metal substrate 140 is shown as being flat, this is not limiting, as described below with respect to the examples of fig. 1E, 2-5, 6B, 7-9, and 10B. In additional examples, the metal substrate may be referred to as a metal material. In addition, a metal oxide layer is formed on the exposed metal substrate, as described below with respect to fig. 6A to 9.

The relief features 160 include recessed indicia features 166 that are recessed relative to the outer surface 102 of the article 100. The recessed feature 166 is positioned below the recess 163 in the coating 130 and has a width W. The coating 130 surrounding the recesses 163 defines recess walls 164 (sidewalls) of the relief features 160. Although recessed wall 164 is shown as forming an angle of about 90 ° with respect to surface 112, this is not limiting, as shown with respect to fig. 1E. The outer surface of the coating 130 defines at least a portion of the outer surface 102 of the article 100.

As shown in fig. 1D, the coating 130 is formed along the outer surface 112 of the metal substrate 140 and the recessed indicia features 166 are formed along the outer surface 114 of the metal substrate 140. The outer surface 112 may be a first portion of the outer surface of the metal substrate 140 and the outer surface 114 may be a second portion of the outer surface of the metal substrate. The outer surface 114 need not be at the same height as the outer surface 112. For example, laser-based treatment of the outer surface 114 may result in the outer surface 114 being recessed relative to the outer surface 112. In some embodiments, the outer surface 114 is recessed relative to the outer surface 112 by 5 μm or less, by 3 μm or less, by 2 μm or less, or by 1 μm or less. For outer surface 102, outer surface 114 may be a front wall, a rear wall, or a recessed wall of a metal substrate.

The outer surface 114 may have a texture that imparts visual attributes to the recessed indicia features. For example, the outer surface 114 may have a surface finish with a roughness corresponding to the roughness of the polished surface. The roughness of the outer surface 114 may be about 1 μm to about 5 μm. In additional examples, the roughness of the outer surface 114 may be greater than 5 μm, or greater than 10 μm. One measure of surface roughness is the parameter Ra, which is a measure of the magnitude of the roughness curve (the arithmetic average of roughness determined by the deviation around the centerline). Another parameter is Sm, which is the average spacing between peaks in the roughness curve. Reflectance can also be used as a measure of surface roughness. The above discussion regarding texture and surface finish is not limited to the example of fig. 1D, but applies more generally to the textural features of the present disclosure.

Further, the outer surface 114 may include an oxide layer that imparts a marking color to the recessed marking features. The metal oxide may be a thermally grown metal oxide. For example, a metal oxide layer may be thermally grown on a metal material by laser heating the substrate. Suitable metallic materials include, but are not limited to, titanium alloys, steel, or zirconium-, titanium-, or iron-based bulk solidifying alloy plates. In some embodiments, the metallic material is predominantly crystalline and may have a crystalline phase percentage greater than 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%. In some embodiments, the thermally grown metal oxide may have a porosity less than that of the anodically grown porous metal oxide. In embodiments, the metal oxide may include titanium oxide, iron oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, or combinations thereof.

The thickness of the metal oxide layer can affect the color of the recessed marking features in several ways. For example, the metal oxide layer may display color due to interference of light reflected from the metal oxide and the underlying metal substrate. In general, the interference color displayed depends on the thickness of the metal oxide. A metal oxide having too large a thickness to display an interference color may appear dark. When the metal oxide is very thin (or absent), the recessed indicia features may appear very bright or metallic in color. A variety of colors are available including, but not limited to, blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, gold, brown, and green. The thickness of the metal oxide layer suitable for obtaining color by light interference may depend on the composition and crystallinity of the layer and the desired color to be obtained. For example, the thickness of the metal oxide layer may be 50nm to 500nm to obtain color by light interference. The above discussion regarding color features comprising metal oxide layers is not limited to the example of fig. 1D, but applies more generally to the color features of the present disclosure.

The coating 130 may be a multilayer coating. As shown in FIG. 1D, coating 130 includes a coating having a thickness T₁And has a thickness T₂Second coating 136. The thickness of the first coating layer may be greater than the thickness of the second coating layer. In some embodiments, the combined thickness of the coating is from 50 μm to 500 μm or from 100 μm to 300 μm. The first coating 134 is disposed on the outer surface 112 of the metal substrate 140, and as shown in fig. 1D, may contact the outer surface 112 at the interface between the coating 130 and the metal substrate 140. A second coating 136 is disposed on the first layer 134. In some cases, first coating 134 may be positioned on or may include a primer layer that is coated or positioned along a surface of metal substrate 140. The primer may include a polymeric material including, for example, a urethane, acrylate, or polymeric material that facilitates adhesion to the metal substrate 140. For purposes of this description, the first coating 134 may include one or more sub-layers of primer or other material. That is, the first coating 134 is not necessarily homogeneous or uniform throughout the thickness of the layer.

In embodiments, the first coating 134 comprises pigment particles and a polymeric binder. For example, the pigment particles may be inorganic pigment particles. Inorganic pigments include, but are not limited to, metal oxides, such as titanium oxide (TiO)₂、Ti₂O₃) Zinc oxide (ZnO), manganese dioxide (MnO)₂) And iron oxide (Fe)₃O₄). The particles may have a size range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm or 0.1 μm to 1 μm. Suitable polymers for the adhesive include, but are not limited to, mono-urethane polymers, multi-urethane polymers, polyurethanes, acrylate polymers, and epoxy polymers. In addition to pigments, the first coating may also contain other additives. When the first coating 134 includes a primer sub-layer, the first coating 134 may also include another sub-layer that includes pigment particles and a polymeric binder.

In embodiments, the second coating 136 is transparent and comprises a transparent polymer. The transparent polymer may have a hardness and/or abrasion resistance greater than the hardness and/or abrasion resistance of the first coating layer. For example, the second coating may comprise an acrylate polymer or an epoxy polymer. The second coating may be a UV curable acrylic or other type of optically curable polymer. The second coating may also include a filler material, such as a nanoscale inorganic material or a diamond material. The nanoscale filler material can have a diameter of less than 100nm or less than 50 nm. The second coating may also include various fillers including, for example, wax fillers, fluoropolymers, silica fillers, fluorosurfactants, and other materials. The second coating 136 may be treated to provide a particular surface texture or feel. In some cases, the second coating can provide a ceramic-like feel. For example, the second coating may comprise a UV curable acrylic with wax and silica fillers sufficient to simulate a smooth ceramic-like friction between the surface and the skin of a user's finger. The above discussion regarding the first and second coatings is not limited to the example of fig. 1D, but applies more generally to the multilayer coatings of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1E is another exemplary cross-sectional view of the relief feature 160 of fig. 1B. FIG. 1E provides another example of a fine mark that may be produced using a laser-based technique to remove a portion of the coating 130 and expose a portion of the metal substrate 140. As shown, removing a portion of the coating does not significantly deform the remainder of the coating or the underlying metal substrate. Although the exposed metal substrate 140 is depicted as being concave, this is not limiting. In addition, a metal oxide layer is formed on the exposed metal substrate, as described below with respect to fig. 6A to 9.

The relief features 160 include recessed indicia features 166 that are recessed relative to the outer surface 102 of the article 100. The recessed feature 166 is positioned below a recess 163 formed at least partially in the coating 130, and the recessed feature 166 has a width W. The coating 130 surrounding the recesses 163 defines recess walls 164 (sidewalls) of the relief features 160. Although the recessed wall 164 is shown as having an oblique angle relative to the surface 112, this is not limiting. The outer surface of the coating defines at least a portion of the outer surface 102 of the article 100.

Fig. 2-9 and 10B show schematic cross-sectional views of indicia along an exterior surface of an exemplary article. For example, the outer surface of the article of fig. 2-9 and 10B may be the front surface of the article. Alternatively, the article exterior surface of fig. 2-9 and 10B may be the back or side surface of the article. In aspects of the present disclosure, the articles of fig. 2-9 and 10B are electronic devices.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary marker 220 including recessed marker features 266 including geometric features 272. As shown in fig. 2, the geometric feature 272 is a groove formed in the outer surface 214 of the metallic material 240, which may also be referred to as a metallic substrate. As shown, the groove 272 is proximate to the recessed wall 264 of the relief feature 260. The groove may have a circular cross-sectional shape. For example, the width of the groove may be about 10% or less of the width W of the recessed indicia feature.

As shown in fig. 2, the device component 210 includes indicia 220 along the outer surface 202 of the article. The device component 210 includes a coating 230 along the outer surface 212 of the metallic material 240. The coating includes a first layer 234 and a second layer 236. The indicia 220 includes relief features 260 including recessed indicia features 266 and recessed walls 264. The recessed wall 264 at least partially defines a recess 263.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary marker 320 including a recessed marker feature 366 including a plurality of geometric features 372. As shown in fig. 3, the geometric feature 372 is a groove formed in the outer surface 314 of the metallic material 340. As shown, the grooves 372 have an angular cross-sectional shape and are arranged to form a pattern. For example, the width of the groove may be about 10% or less of the width W of the recessed indicia feature.

As shown in fig. 3, the device component 310 includes indicia 320 along the outer surface 302 of the article. The device component 310 includes a coating 330 along an outer surface 312 of a metallic material 340. The coating includes a first layer 334 and a second layer 336. The marker 320 includes a relief feature 360 including a recessed marker feature 366 and a recessed wall 364. The recess wall 364 at least partially defines a recess 363.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of another example marker 420 that includes a recessed marker feature 466 that includes a geometric feature 472. As shown in fig. 4, the geometric feature 472 is a channel (or groove) formed in the outer surface 414 of the metallic material 440 and having an angular cross-sectional shape. The channel 472 may have a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed indicia feature 466. For example, the width of the geometric feature may be about 80% to 100% of the width of the recess width marker feature 466. The angle θ between wall 473a and wall 473b may be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. Wall 473a and wall 473b may also be referred to as a pair of channel walls or groove walls.

As shown in fig. 4, the device component 410 includes indicia 420 along the outer surface 402 of the article. The device component 410 includes a coating 430 along an outer surface 412 of a metallic material 440. Coating 430 includes a first layer 434 and a second layer 436. The marker 420 includes a relief feature 460 including a recessed marker feature 466 and a recessed wall 464. Recess wall 464 at least partially defines a recess 463.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an additional exemplary indicia 520 including a recessed indicia feature 566 that includes a geometric feature 572. As shown in fig. 5, the geometric feature 572 is a channel formed in the outer surface 514 of the metallic material 540 and having a circular cross-sectional shape. The circular cross-sectional shape may be defined by a first radius of curvature R proximate the recessed wall 564₁And a second radius of curvature R at the bottom of the channel₂A description is given. As shown, the second radius of curvature may have a greater magnitude than the first radius of curvature and may result in curvature of the opposite direction or sign. The channel 572 can have a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed indicia feature 566. For example, the width of the channel may be about 80% to 100% of the width W of the recess width indicia feature 566. The angle θ between walls 573a and 573b may be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. Channel 572 may have a depth D.

As shown in fig. 5, the device component 510 includes indicia 520 along the outer surface 502 of the article. The device component 510 includes a coating 530 along an outer surface 512 of the metallic material 540. The coating includes a first layer 534 and a second layer 536. The indicia 520 includes a relief feature 560 including a recessed indicia feature 566 and a recessed wall 564. The recess wall 564 at least partially defines the recess 563.

Fig. 6A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary marker 620 that includes a recessed marker feature 666 that includes a metal oxide layer 682 formed along the outer surface 614 of the metallic material 640. As shown, the metal oxide layer 682 can have a thickness T and can extend across a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed mark feature 666. As previously discussed, the thickness of the metal oxide layer 682 may be configured to produce structural color by interference.

As shown in fig. 6A, the thickness of the metal oxide layer 682 is substantially uniform. However, the illustration of fig. 6A is not limiting, and the thickness of the metal oxide layer may vary over the recessed mark features. In embodiments, oxide layers of varying thickness may be described by an average thickness or a range of thicknesses. In one embodiment, the range of metal oxide thickness variation (e.g., thickness range) may be small enough such that the color of the indentation marking feature is covered by a single spectrum of colors or hues (e.g., blue or green). In other embodiments, the recessed indicia features may exhibit a plurality of different spectral colors or hues or blends of different colors. In some embodiments, the desired viewing angle is about perpendicular to the recessed marker feature 666.

As shown in fig. 6A, the device component 610 includes indicia 620 along the outer surface 602 of the article. The device component 610 includes a coating 630 along an outer surface 612 of the metallic material 640. Coating 630 includes a first layer 634 and a second layer 636. The marker 620 includes a relief feature 660 including a recessed marker feature 666 and recessed walls 664. The recessed wall 664 at least partially defines a recessed portion 663. As shown in fig. 6A, as the metal oxide layer 682 grows into the metal material 640, the outer surface 614 beneath the metal oxide layer 682 may be recessed relative to the outer surface 612 beneath the coating 630.

Fig. 6B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary marker 620 that includes a recessed marker feature 666 that includes a metal oxide layer 682 formed along the outer surface 614 of the metallic material 640. As shown, the metallic material 640 is defined to include a wall 673a, a wall673 b. A metal oxide layer 682 is positioned within the channel, has a thickness T, and spans a width W less than a width W of the recessed marker feature 666_OAnd (4) extending. As previously discussed, the metal oxide layer 682 can have a thickness or range of thicknesses configured to produce a desired hue or combination of hues, such as at a desired viewing angle. In an embodiment, the desired viewing angle is about perpendicular to the recessed marker feature 666.

Further, the walls 673a, 673b can each be considered as angled geometric features that form a complete perimeter or partial perimeter around the metal oxide layer 682. The walls 673a, 673b can define an obtuse angle (e.g., an angle from 110 degrees to 160 degrees) with respect to the plane of the metal oxide layer 682 or the outer surface 602. Similarly, the complementary angles between wall 673a, wall 673b, and recess wall 664 may be acute.

As shown in fig. 6B, the device component 610 includes indicia 620 along the outer surface 602 of the article. The device component 610 includes a coating 630 along an outer surface 612 of the metallic material 640. The coating includes a first layer 634 and a second layer 636. The marker 620 includes a relief feature 660 including a recessed marker feature 666 and recessed walls 664. The recessed wall 664 at least partially defines a recessed portion 663. As shown in fig. 6B, the outer surface 614 beneath the metal oxide layer 682 is recessed relative to the outer surface 612 beneath the coating 630.

In additional embodiments, one or more geometric features may be formed in the metal oxide layer. The geometric feature may be any geometric feature described herein. The plurality of geometric features may form a pattern. For example, a plurality of aligned grooves may be hatched.

In additional aspects, the indicia may include recessed indicia features comprising a first color defined in part by a first metal oxide thickness, and a second color defined in part by a second metal oxide thickness. Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary marker 720 including a recessed marker feature 766 including metal oxide layers 782a, 782b and geometric features 772a, 772 b. As shown, the metal oxide layer 782 may be formed along the outer surface 714 of the metal material 740 and may include a first thicknessDegree T₁And has a second thickness T₂The second portion 782 b. The first portion of the metal oxide layer may provide a first color and the second portion of the metal oxide layer may provide a second color. The first color and/or the second color may be defined in part by light interference. As previously discussed, the first and second portions 782a, 782b of the oxide layer can have a thickness or range of thicknesses configured to produce a desired hue or combination of hues, such as at a desired viewing angle. In an embodiment, the desired viewing angle is about perpendicular to the recessed marking feature 766.

Recessed indicia features comprising a first metal oxide thickness and a second metal oxide thickness can be obtained by various methods. The second portion of the oxide layer may be grown to a different thickness than the first portion of the oxide layer. Further, laser ablation may be used to reduce the thickness of the oxide layer to the first thickness and/or the second thickness. Alternatively, the first portion of the oxide layer may be referred to as a first oxide layer, and the second portion of the oxide layer may be referred to as a second oxide layer.

As shown in fig. 7, the geometric features 772a, 772b are grooves formed in the outer surface 714 of the metallic material 740 adjacent to the recess walls 764 of the relief features. The geometric features 772a, 772b are also illustrated as having a circular cross-sectional shape. Fig. 7 shows a groove having two portions 772a, 772 b; the grooves shown in fig. 7 may form a complete loop or a partial loop. As shown, the metal oxide layer 782 is at least partially inward from the portions 772a, 772b of the recess. The metal oxide layer 782 extends across a width approximately equal to the distance between the portions 772a, 772b of the recess.

As shown in fig. 7, the device component 710 includes indicia 720 along the outer surface 702 of the article. The device component 710 includes a coating 730 along the outer surface 712 of the metallic material 740. The coating includes a first layer 734 and a second layer 736. The marker 720 includes a relief feature 760 comprising a recessed marker feature 766 and a recessed wall 764. The recess wall 764 at least partially defines a recess 763. A portion of the recess 763 may be located to the side of the recess mark feature 766 rather than above when the metal oxide layer 782 is grown upward from the plane of the outer surface 712.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an additional exemplary marker 820. The marking 820 includes relief features 860 including geometric features 872 and recessed marking features 866 including a metal oxide layer 882. As shown, the metal oxide layer 882 is formed on the geometric feature 872 and has a thickness T. As previously discussed, the metal oxide layer 882 may have a thickness or range of thicknesses configured to produce a desired hue or combination of hues, such as at a desired viewing angle. In an embodiment, the desired viewing angle is about perpendicular to coating 830.

As shown in fig. 8, the geometric feature 872 may be a channel formed in the outer surface 814 of the metallic material 840. Channel 872 may have a cross-sectional shape that defines walls 873a and 873 b. The angle between wall 873a and wall 873b can be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. The channel feature 872 may have a width that is approximately equal to the width W of the recessed marking feature 866, such as about 80% to 100% of the width of the recessed marking feature 866.

A metal oxide layer 882 is formed along the outer surface 814 of the metallic material 840 and along at least a portion of the outer surface of the via 872. As shown, the metal oxide layer 882 can extend across a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed marking feature 866. Due to the geometry of the underlying channel, the outer surface of oxide layer 882 on wall 873a may form an angle with the outer surface of oxide layer 882 on wall 873 b. The angle may be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees.

As shown in fig. 8, the device component 810 includes indicia 820 along the outer surface 802 of the article. Device component 810 includes a coating 830 along outer surface 812 of metallic material 840. The coating 830 includes a first layer 834 and a second layer 836. The marker 820 includes relief features 860 including recessed marker features 866 and recessed walls 864.

In additional aspects, the marking may include a recessed marking feature comprising a first color defined in part by a first metal oxide thickness along a first wall of the groove or channel, and a second color defined in part by a second metal oxide thickness along a second wall of the groove or channel. The apparent color of the recessed indicia feature is attributable to the combined effect of the first color and the second color. The apparent color of such recessed indicia features may depend on the viewing angle. For example, from some perspectives, approximately equal amounts of the first and second walls may be visible, and both the first and second colors may appear as different colors. From other perspectives, the visible amount of the first wall can be substantially less than the visible amount of the second wall, and the color of the recessed indicia feature can be predominant or can appear to have the first color (or vice versa). Thus, the apparent color of the recessed indicia features may appear to be offset as the viewing angle changes.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an additional exemplary marker 920. The indicia 920 includes relief features 960 that include geometric features 972 and recessed indicia features 966. As shown in fig. 9, the recessed mark feature 966 includes a metal oxide layer including a first thickness T₁And a first portion 982a having a second thickness T₂And a second portion 982 b. As shown, the first thickness is less than the second thickness. Metal oxide layers 982a, 982b are formed along outer surface 914 of metal material 940 and along at least a portion of the outer surface of geometric feature 972. As previously discussed, the first and second portions 982a, 982b of the oxide layer may each have a thickness or range of thicknesses configured to produce a desired hue or combination of hues, such as at a desired viewing angle. In an embodiment, the desired viewing angle is about perpendicular to the coating 930.

As shown in fig. 9, geometric feature 972 may be a recess formed in outer surface 914 of metal material 940. Recess 972 may have a cross-sectional shape that defines walls 973a and 973 b. The angle between wall 973a and wall 973b may be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees. The recess 972 may have a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed indicia feature 966, such as approximately 80% to 100% of the width of the recessed indicia feature 966.

As shown, the metal oxide layer may extend across a width approximately equal to the width W of the recessed mark feature 966. Due to the geometry of the undercut, the outer surface of the oxide layer on wall 973a may form an angle with the outer surface of the oxide layer on wall 973 b. The angle may be greater than about 45 degrees and less than 180 degrees, or from about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees.

As shown in fig. 9, the device component 910 includes indicia 920 along the outer surface 902 of the article. The device component 910 includes a coating 930 along the outer surface 912 of the metallic material 940. The coating includes a first layer 934 and a second layer 936. The marker 920 includes relief features 960 that include recessed marker features 966 and recessed walls 964. The recessed wall 964 at least partially defines a recess 963.

In additional aspects, the indicia includes at least two recessed indicia features. For example, the first recessed indicia feature may define a first region that is visually distinct from the coating. Each of the first and second recessed indicia features may include geometric features, color features, texture features, or a combination thereof. The second recessed marking feature may have a different visual attribute than the first recessed marking feature. The second recessed indicia feature may at least partially surround the first recessed indicia feature, or vice versa. 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, and 11C illustrate non-limiting examples of markers including two recessed marker features.

The first recessed indicia feature and the second recessed indicia feature may encompass equal or unequal portions of the indicia. One or more visual properties of the larger of the first and second recessed marking features may dominate the appearance of the marking. For example, if the second recessed indicia feature is thinner relative to the first recessed indicia feature, the properties of the first recessed indicia feature may largely determine the appearance of the indicia. For example, the second recessed indicia feature may have a width less than the first recessed indicia feature and may form a full perimeter or partial perimeter around the first recessed indicia feature.

Fig. 10A illustrates an enlarged view of the additional example mark 1020 of fig. 1A, showing a top view of the relief feature 1050. As shown in fig. 10A, the relief features 1050 include recessed marker features 1056a, 1056 b. As shown, the recessed marker feature 1056b comprises a textural feature and is visually distinct from the coating 1030. The relief feature 1050 also includes a recessed marker feature 1056a that defines a perimeter that at least partially surrounds the recessed marker feature 1056 b. The relief feature 1050 also includes a perimeter 1052 surrounding the recessed indicia feature 1056 and defined by the coating 1030.

Fig. 10B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the marker 1020 of fig. 10A. As shown in fig. 10B, the marker 1020 includes a relief feature 1050. The recessed marker features 1056a of the relief features 1050 include channels 1072 formed in the outer surface 1014a of the metallic material 1040. As shown, the channel 1072 is proximate to the recessed wall 1054 of the relief feature 1050.

As shown in fig. 10B, the marker 1020 further includes a recessed marker feature 1056B. The recessed indicia features 1056b include a surface roughness formed in the outer surface 1014b of the metallic material. The recessed marker feature 1056b may be wider than the recessed marker feature 1056 b.

As shown in fig. 10B, the device component 1010 includes indicia 1020 along the outer surface 1002 of the article. The device component 1010 includes a coating 1030 along an outer surface 1012 of a metallic material 1040. The coating comprises a coating having a thickness T₁And a first coating 1034 having a thickness T₂Second layer 1036. The relief features 1050 include recessed walls 1054. The recess wall 1054 at least partially defines a recess 1053.

Fig. 11A illustrates an enlarged view of another exemplary indicia 1120 of fig. 1A, showing a top view of the relief features 1150. As shown in fig. 11A, the relief features 1150 include recessed indicia features 1156a, 1156 b. As shown, the recessed indicia features 1156b comprise a plurality of grooves arranged in a hatch pattern and are visually distinct from the coating 1130. The relief features 1150 also include recessed indicia features 1156a that define a perimeter that at least partially surrounds the recessed indicia features 1156 b. The relief features 1150 also include a perimeter 1152 surrounding the recessed indicia features 1156a and defined by the coating 1130.

As shown in fig. 11B, the relief features 1150 include recessed indicia features 1150. As shown in fig. 11B, the relief features 1150 include recessed indicia features 1156a, 1156B. As shown, the recessed indicia features 1156b comprise a plurality of grooves arranged in a cross-hatch pattern and are visually distinct from the coating 1130. The relief features 1150 also include recessed indicia features 1156a that define a perimeter that at least partially surrounds the recessed indicia features 1156 b. The relief features 1150 also include a perimeter 1152 surrounding the recessed indicia features 1156a and defined by the coating 1130.

Fig. 11C illustrates an enlarged view of another indicium of fig. 1A, showing a top view of the relief features 1150. As shown in fig. 11B, the relief features 1150 include recessed indicia features 1156a, 1156B. The recessed marker features 1156b include a plurality of circular geometric features 1172 and are visually distinct from the coating 1130. The relief features 1156 also include recessed indicia features 1156a that define a perimeter that at least partially surrounds the recessed indicia features 1156 b. The relief features 1150 also include a perimeter 1152 surrounding the recessed indicia features 1156a and defined by the coating 1130.

The description of the present disclosure also encompasses processes for forming indicia along an outer surface of an article. The article may be an electronic device. The process may be performed on an article comprising the equipment component. The device component can include a substrate comprising a metallic material, and can further include a coating disposed on an outer surface of the substrate. The coating can be a multi-layer coating as described herein, including a first layer disposed on the metallic material and a second layer disposed on the first layer. The electronic device may include indicia formed along an outer surface of the device component, indicia formed within the coating, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, a process for forming a mark along an outer surface of a device component includes laser ablating a coating in a marked area to expose a metal portion of the device component and laser modifying the metal portion to form a recessed marking feature. The operation of laser modifying the metal portion may include at least one of laser texturing and laser coloring the metal portion. Further, the operation of laser modifying the metal portion may include laser shaping the metal portion to form the geometric feature. For example, the metal portion may be laser-formed by ablation to form the recess; the recess may then be laser textured and/or laser tinted. The metal portion may be laser textured by ablation, partial melting, or a combination thereof. In embodiments, the metal portion may be laser colored by annealing without substantial ablation or melting.

Fig. 12 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process 1200 for forming indicia along an outer surface of an article. The process 1200 may be used to form relief features having recessed indicia features. The recessed indicia feature may be formed along an outer surface of the substrate comprising a metallic material; textural and/or geometric features may be formed in the metal portion of the substrate to create a visual effect. For example, the process 1200 may be used to form the recessed mark features of fig. 1D, 1E, and 2-5 along an outer surface of a metal portion. As used herein, a metal portion may include a metal alloy portion.

Operation 1210 includes laser ablating the coating in the marked area of the article. The marking zone is along the outer surface of the article defined by the outer surface of the coating. For example, operation 1210 includes removing a first portion of the coating located in the marked area using a first laser. The operation of laser ablating the coating in the marked area may use a first laser. For example, the first laser may be a femtosecond laser that generates pulses having an effective pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The first laser may generate wavelengths in the ultraviolet range (e.g., having wavelengths of about 200nm to about 400 nm). Alternatively, the first laser may generate wavelengths in the infrared range (e.g., having wavelengths of about 1 μm to about 5 μm). The first laser may operate in a vector mode, a grating mode, or a combination thereof.

For example, a vector pattern may be used to laser ablate a profile in a first portion of the coating, and a grating pattern may be used to laser ablate the coating within the profile, thereby laser ablating the remainder of the first portion of the coating. In some embodiments, the wavelength used to ablate the profile in the first portion of the coating may be different from the wavelength used to remove the remainder of the first portion of the coating within the profile.

For example, the laser used to ablate the profile in the first portion of the coating may have a pulse duration of from about 200fs to about 800fs, an average power of from about 0.5W to about 15W, or about 1W to about 10W. The repetition rate may be from about 10kHz to 750kHz, from about 10kHz to about 500kHz, or from about 10kHz to about 100 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be about 1 mm/sec to about 50 mm/sec. The laser used to form the profile may be operated in a vector mode.

Further, the laser used to remove the remainder of the first portion of the coating may have a higher average power, repetition rate, and/or scanning speed than the laser used to form the profile. For example, the pulse duration may be about 200fs to about 800fs and the average power may be about 0.5W to about 15W or about 1W to about 10W. The repetition rate may be about 50kHz to about 1000kHz, or about 200kHz to about 750 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be from about 100 mm/sec to about 1000 mm/sec, the hatch distance from about 5 μm to about 30 μm, and the number of scan passes from 1 to 8. The spot size may be 10 μm to 50 μm. The laser used to remove the remainder of the first portion of the coating may be operated in a grating mode. In embodiments, the profile may be formed using the same laser as the laser that removed the remainder of the first portion of the coating, or a different laser may be used.

As explained in further detail with respect to fig. 13A and 13B, the operation of removing the first portion of the coating using the first laser may form a recess extending through the coating. A second portion (the remainder) of the coating surrounds the recess and defines a recess wall. The operation of removing the first portion of the coating also exposes the metal portion of the substrate. The exposed metal portion is under the recess. The exposed metal portion may alternatively be referred to as a metal portion.

In an embodiment, the one or more lasers used in operation 1210 may be operated with minimal damage to the coating defining and adjacent to the recess walls. As previously mentioned, the coating may be a multi-layer coating comprising a first layer and a second layer. In an example, few, if any, visually observable cracks are created in the second layer and/or the recess walls during operation 1210. In some embodiments, heating the second layer during operation 1210 may help prevent cracking of the layer.

As previously discussed, the process of forming the indicia along the outer surface of the article may include modifying the exposed metal portions with a laser to form recessed indicia features of the relief features. Operation 1220 of process 1200 includes laser texturing within the marked area of the article. The operation of laser texturing may form texture features, geometric features, or a combination thereof into the exposed metal portion. In some embodiments, the laser texturing operation may also affect the color of the marking features. For example, the surface roughness of the marking features may affect the brightness or darkness of the marking features.

The operation of laser texturing may use a second laser. For example, the second laser may be a femtosecond laser that generates pulses having an effective pulse duration in the femtosecond range. For example, a femtosecond laser may be used to form one or more geometric features (e.g., hatched as shown in fig. 11A-11B) into the exposed metal portions. Femtosecond lasers can generate wavelengths in the infrared range. The second laser may operate in a vector mode, a grating mode, or a combination thereof. The pulse duration may be from 200fs to 800fs, the average power may be from about 0.01W to about 15W, from about 1W to about 15W, or from about 0.01W to about 5W, and the repetition rate may be from about 50kHz to about 750kHz or from 50kHz to about 300 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be about 750 mm/sec to about 1500 mm/sec, the hatch distance is up to 50 μm, and the number of scan passes is 1 to 25. The spot size may be about 10 μm to about 50 μm. Some geometric features, such as those shown in fig. 7 and 8, may be formed using multiple passes of the second laser. In some embodiments, the laser texturing operation includes multiple laser texturing operations under different laser operating conditions.

In some embodiments, in addition to or as an alternative to femtosecond lasers, nanosecond lasers producing pulses with effective pulse durations in the nanosecond range may be used. For example, a nanosecond laser may be used to polish the exposed metal portion, thereby modifying the roughness of the exposed metal portion. The laser may produce wavelengths in the near infrared range. The pulse duration may be from about 2ns to about 300ns, and the average power may be from about 0.01W to about 15W, from about 0.01W to about 5W, or from about 1W to about 10W. The repetition rate may be from about 50kHz to about 400 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be from about 200 mm/sec to about 2000 mm/sec, the hatch distance from about 5 μm to about 30 μm, and the number of passes from 1 to 10. The spot size may be from about 10 μm to about 50 μm.

Process 1200 may optionally include an operation 1230 of laser coloring the marked area. Operation 1230 may occur as part of an annealing operation. For example, operation 1230 includes modifying the exposed metal portion of the substrate using a third laser to form a color feature along an outer surface of the metal portion. In embodiments, the laser coloring of the marked area produces a structural color. As previously discussed, structural color may be caused by a variety of effects, including light interference, light diffraction, and combinations thereof.

In an embodiment, operation 1230 includes thermally growing a metal oxide layer in the marked area of the article. The metal oxide layer may provide structural color by interference of light. For example, operation 1230 includes modifying the exposed metal portion of the substrate using a third laser to form a metal oxide layer along an outer surface of the metal portion. In some embodiments, the operation of thermally growing the oxide layer comprises multiple oxide growth operations under different laser operating conditions, for example, at different locations on the outer surface of the metallic material.

In additional embodiments, operation 1230 includes forming diffractive features along the exterior of the metal portion that provide structural color through diffraction of light. In additional embodiments, operation 1230 imparts a desired metallic color to the marked area. Metallic color can be characterized by reflectivity as well as color. In some embodiments, the steel, titanium, or titanium alloy sheet may be given the appearance of a metal such as silver, palladium, platinum, or gold. In further embodiments, metallic colors may be obtained by limiting the degree of annealing of the metallic portions, such as by using relatively lower power and/or relatively higher scan speed.

In an embodiment, operation 1230 may use a nanosecond laser that produces pulses having an effective pulse duration in the nanosecond range. In an embodiment, a nanosecond laser is used to form the metal oxide layer. Nanosecond lasers may produce wavelengths in the near infrared range. The pulse duration may be from about 2ns to about 500ns, the average power may be from about 1W to about 15W, and the repetition rate may be from about 100kHz to about 750kHz or from about 100kHz to about 500 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be from about 100 mm/sec to about 2000 mm/sec or from about 100 mm/sec to about 800 mm/sec. The number of scan passes may be 1 to 15 or 2 to 20. The spot size may be about 10 μm to about 50 μm. The hatch distance may be up to about 50 μm, or from about 10 μm to about 30 μm. In embodiments, the hatch distance may be less than, about equal to, or greater than the spot size.

In additional embodiments, operation 1230 may use a femtosecond laser that generates pulses with effective pulse durations in the femtosecond range. Femtosecond lasers can generate wavelengths in the near infrared range. The pulse duration may be from 200fs to 800fs, the average power may be about 1W to about 15W, and the repetition rate may be about 100kHz to about 750 kHz. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. The scan speed may be from about 800 mm/sec to about 1200 mm/sec or from about 1000 mm/sec to about 1750 mm/sec, the hatch distance being up to 50 μm, and the number of passes being from 1 to 10. The spot size may be from about 5 μm to about 50 μm.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D schematically illustrate three stages in an exemplary process for forming indicia along an outer surface of an article. Fig. 13A shows an equipment component 1310 of an article prior to any process operation. The device component 1310 includes a coating 1330 disposed on an outer surface 1312 of the metallic material 1340. As shown in fig. 13A-13D, the coating 1330 includes a first layer 1334 and a second layer 1336. The outer surface of the second layer 1336 forms the outer surface 1302 of the article. Also shown are the regions on which the marks are to be formed (marked regions 1322), a first portion 1331 of the coating to be removed, and a second portion 1332 of the coating to be retained.

Fig. 13B shows an apparatus component 1310 of an article of operation that removes a first portion of a coating (shown as 1331 in fig. 13A), in part, by using a first laser (not shown). A recess 1361 has been formed in the periphery of the marking region 1322 by the second layer 1336 and a portion of the first layer 1334 of the coating 1330. Accordingly, the recess 1361 may form a contour for the mark region 1322. Coating 1330 is disposed on outer surface 1312 of metallic material 1340, and the outer surface of second layer 1336 forms outer surface 1302 of the article.

The operation of removing the first portion of the coating can continue by removing the remaining portion of the first portion of the coating that is within the profile defined by recess 1361 and also located below recess 1361. Different laser conditions may be used to form the profile rather than removing the remainder of the first portion of the coating. In an embodiment, the profiled laser may be operated under conditions that minimize damage to the second layer 1336 in the second portion 1332 of the coating 1330. For example, the profiled laser may be operated at a lower power and/or at a lower repetition rate than described for operation 1210 of process 1200.

As shown in fig. 13C, removing the first portion 1331 of the coating 1330 in the marked region 1322 can form a recess 1363 that extends through the coating 1330 and is surrounded by the second portion 1332 of the coating 1330. As previously discussed with respect to fig. 12, a first laser may be used to remove the first portion 1331 of the coating 1330. A second portion 1332 of coating 1330 surrounding recess 1363 defines a recess wall 1364. As shown in fig. 13D, the recessed wall 1364 may be part of the relief feature 1360. In an embodiment, the operation of removing the first portion 1331 of the coating 1330 produces few, if any, cracks in the recess wall 1364. For example, the operation of removing the first portion 1331 of the coating 1330 can produce a recessed wall 1364 that has no visually discernable cracks at normal viewing distances by the human eye. Thus, the multilayer coating may not include visible cracks along the recess walls.

The operation of removing the first portion 1331 of the coating also forms an exposed metal portion of the substrate 1340 located below the depression 1353. As shown in fig. 13C, the exposed metal portion may correspond to an outer surface 1314 of substrate 1340. The outer surface 1314 need not be at the same height as the outer surface 1312 of the metallic material 1340 (located below the second portion 1332 of the coating). For example, removal of the first portion 1331 of the coating 1330 may result in the outer surface 1314 being recessed relative to the outer surface 1312. In some embodiments, the outer surface 1314 is recessed relative to the outer surface 1312 by 5 μm or less, 3 μm or less, 2 μm or less, or 1 μm or less.

Fig. 13D shows the apparatus component 1310 after laser texturing within the marked region 1322 of the article. For example, the exposed metal portion/outer surface 1314 of the modified substrate 1340 forms the recessed indicia feature 1366 of the relief feature 1360. As previously discussed with respect to fig. 12, the exposed metal portion/outer surface 1314 can be modified using a second laser. The recessed indicia features 1314 may include geometric features 1372 (such as recesses) formed into the outer surface 1314, as shown in fig. 13D. As previously described with respect to fig. 12, the recessed indicia feature 1314 may alternatively or additionally include a metal oxide layer formed along the outer surface 1314. Additional description of shared or similar features previously described with respect to any of fig. 13A-13C is omitted to reduce redundancy.

Fig. 14 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary process 1400 for forming indicia along an outer surface of an article. Process 1400 may be used to form relief features with recessed indicia features. The recessed indicia feature may be formed along an outer surface of the exposed metal portion of the substrate; an oxide layer may be formed along the outer surface of the exposed metal portion to create a visual effect. For example, the process 1400 may be used to form the recessed mark features of fig. 6-8.

Operation 1410 of process 1400 includes laser ablating the coating in the marked region of the article. The marking zone is along the outer surface of the article defined by the outer surface of the coating. For example, operation 1410 includes removing a first portion of the coating using a first laser. For example, the first laser may be a femtosecond laser that generates pulses having an effective pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The first laser may generate a wavelength in the ultraviolet range. The first laser may operate in a vector mode, a grating mode, or a combination thereof. The laser operating conditions may be as previously described with respect to operation 1210 of process 1200, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here.

As previously described with respect to operation 1210 of the process 1200, operation 1410 may include ablating a profile in a first portion of the coating, and then removing a remaining portion of the first portion of the coating. Different laser conditions may be used to form the profile rather than removing the remainder of the first portion of the coating. For example, the laser conditions may be as described for operation 1210 of process 1210, and for the sake of brevity, this description is not repeated here.

Operation 1410 of removing a first portion of the coating using the first laser may form a recess that extends through the coating and is surrounded by a second portion of the coating. The operation of removing the first portion of the coating may also form an exposed metal portion of the substrate underlying the recess extending through the coating. The operation of removing the first portion of the coating may be similar to that schematically illustrated in fig. 13A, 13B and 13C.

Operation 1420 of process 1400 includes laser coloring the marked area. In an embodiment, operation 1420 includes thermally growing a metal oxide layer in the marked region of the article. For example, operation 1420 includes modifying the exposed metal portion using a second laser to form a metal oxide layer along an outer surface of the exposed metal portion. For example, the second laser may be a nanosecond laser that produces pulses having an effective pulse duration in the nanosecond range. The laser may produce wavelengths in the near infrared range. In additional embodiments, the second laser may be a femtosecond laser that generates pulses having an effective pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The laser conditions may be similar to those described for operation 1230 of the process 1200 shown in fig. 12, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here. In some embodiments, the operation of thermally growing the oxide layer comprises multiple oxide growth operations under different laser operating conditions, for example, at different locations on the outer surface of the metallic material.

Process 1400 optionally includes an operation 1430 of laser texturing the laser pigmented marking region. Laser texturing the laser-pigmented areas may include ablating the metal oxide or may include ablating deeper into the metal material, such as the metal material underlying the metal oxide. The operation of laser texturing may use a third laser. For example, the third laser may be a femtosecond laser that generates pulses having an effective pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The third laser may generate wavelengths in the infrared range. The third laser may operate in a vector mode, a grating mode, or a combination thereof. The pulse duration may be from about 200fs to about 800fs and the average power may be from about 0.01W to about 15W or from 0.05W to about 5W, or from about 1W to about 15W. The repetition rate may be from about 10kHz to about 100kHz, or from about 50kHz to about 750 kHz. The scan speed may be from about 200 mm/sec to about 1500 mm/sec, the hatch distance from about 5 μm to about 30 μm, and the number of passes is from 1 to 10. The spot size may be 10 μm to 50 μm. In some implementations, the laser can be operated in burst mode, where each burst includes a plurality of pulses. In an embodiment, the number of pulses in a burst may be 5 to 25. In some embodiments, the average power may be less than the power used in the laser coloring operation.

Fig. 15 shows a flow diagram of an additional process 1500 for making a mark. Process 1500 includes an operation 1510 of laser ablating the coating in the marked area. The process conditions of operation 1510 may be similar to those of operation 1210 of process 1200 shown in fig. 12, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here.

Process 1500 also includes an operation 1520 of laser forming and/or texturing the marked region. For example, the metal portion may be laser-formed by ablation to form a recess or other geometric shape, and then laser-textured to polish the laser-formed shape. The process conditions for laser forming may be similar to those described for forming the geometry in operation 1220 of process 1200 of fig. 12, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here. The process conditions for laser texturing the mark regions may also be similar to those described for operation 1220 of the process 1200 shown in fig. 12, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here.

The process 1500 also includes an operation 1530 of laser coloring the marked area. Generally, operation 1530 follows operation 1520. The process conditions of operation 1530 may be similar to those described for operation 1230 of process 1200 shown in fig. 12.

Further, process 1500 includes an operation 1540 of laser ablating and/or texturing the marked area after thermally growing the metal oxide layer. For example, laser texturing the marking region may include modifying the metal oxide layer with a laser to create recessed marking features of the relief features. The laser may ablate the metal oxide layer to produce one or more desired thicknesses in the oxide or to produce geometric features, such as grooves. In an embodiment, the laser is a femtosecond laser. The laser conditions may be similar to those described for operation 1430 of the process 1400 shown in fig. 14, and for the sake of brevity, the description is not repeated here. In additional embodiments, operation 1540 is optional.

Fig. 16 is a block diagram of exemplary components of an exemplary article of manufacture or electronic device. The schematic representation shown in fig. 16 may correspond to the article (e.g., electronic device) shown in fig. 1A-1C described above. However, the article of fig. 1A-1C need not include all of the components shown in fig. 16. Fig. 16 may also more generally represent other types of electronic devices having indicia, as described herein. Further, the tagging techniques described herein may be used to tag components of electronic device 1600, including, for example, device housings, enclosures, covers, or other device components.

As shown in fig. 16, the electronic device 1600 includes a processor 1604 that is operatively connected to computer-readable memory 1602. The processor 1604 may be operatively connected to the memory 1602 components via an electronic bus or bridge. The processor 1604 may be implemented as one or more computer processors or microcontrollers configured to perform operations in response to computer-readable instructions. Processor 1604 may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) of device 1600. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 1604 may include other electronic circuitry within the device 1600, including Application Specific Integrated Chips (ASICs) and other microcontroller devices. The processor 1604 may be configured to perform the functions described in the above examples. In addition, a processor or other electronic circuitry within the device may be disposed on or coupled to the flexible circuit board to accommodate folding or flexing of the electronic device.

The memory 1602 may include various types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media including, for example, read-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable memory (e.g., EPROM and EEPROM), or flash memory. The memory 1602 is configured to store computer readable instructions, sensor values, and other persistent software elements.

The electronic device 1600 may include control circuitry 1606. The control circuit 1606 may be implemented in a single control unit and need not be implemented as distinct circuit elements. As used herein, "control unit" will be used synonymously with "control circuit". Control circuitry 1606 may receive signals from processor 1604 or from other elements of electronic device 1600.

As shown in fig. 16, the electronic device 1600 includes a battery 1608 configured to provide power to the components of the electronic device 1600. The battery 1608 may include one or more power storage units coupled together to provide an internal power supply. The battery 1608 may be operatively coupled to power management circuitry configured to provide appropriate voltages and power levels for various components or groups of components within the electronic device 1600. The battery 1608 may be configured via the power management circuit to receive power from an external power source, such as an ac power outlet. The battery 1608 may store the received power such that the electronic device 1600 may operate without connection to an external power source for an extended period of time, which may range from several hours to several days. The battery may be flexible to accommodate bending or flexing of the electronic device. For example, the battery may be mounted to a flexible housing or may be mounted to a flexible printed circuit. In some cases, the battery is formed of flexible anode and flexible cathode layers, and the cell itself is flexible. In some cases, individual battery cells are not flexible, but are attached to a flexible substrate or carrier that allows the array of battery cells to be bent or folded around a foldable area of the device.

In some embodiments, the electronic device 1600 includes one or more input devices 1610. Input device 1610 is a device configured to receive input from a user or environment. For example, input devices 1610 may include, for example, push buttons, touch activated buttons, touch screens (e.g., touch sensitive displays or force sensitive displays), capacitive touch buttons, dials, crowns, and the like. In some embodiments, input device 1610 may provide dedicated or primary functions including, for example, a power button, a volume button, a home button, a scroll wheel, and a camera button.

Device 1600 may also include one or more sensors 1620, such as force sensors, capacitive sensors, accelerometers, barometers, gyroscopes, proximity sensors, light sensors, and so forth. The sensor 1620 may be operably coupled to processing circuitry. In some embodiments, the sensor 1620 may detect a deformation and/or a change in configuration of the electronic device and may be operably coupled to processing circuitry that controls the display based on the sensor signal. In some implementations, the output from the sensors 1620 is used to reconfigure the display output to correspond to the orientation or folded/unfolded configuration or state of the device. Exemplary sensors 1620 for this purpose include accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and other similar types of position/orientation sensing devices. Further, sensors 1620 may include microphones, acoustic sensors, light sensors, optical facial recognition sensors, or other types of sensing devices.

In some embodiments, electronic device 1600 includes one or more output devices 1612, which are configured to provide output to a user. The output device may include a display 1614 that presents visual information generated by the processor 1604. The output device may also include one or more speakers to provide audio output.

The display 1614 may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a light emitting diode, an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, an active layer organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an organic Electroluminescent (EL) display, an electrophoretic ink display, and the like. If the display 1614 is a liquid crystal display or an electrophoretic ink display, the display may also include a backlight component that may be controlled to provide variable display brightness levels. If the display 1614 is an organic light emitting diode or organic electroluminescent type display, the brightness of the display 1614 may be controlled by modifying the electrical signals provided to the display elements. Further, information regarding the configuration and/or orientation of the electronic device can be used to control the output of the display, as described with respect to input device 1610.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 1600 may include sensors 1620 to provide information about the configuration and/or orientation of the electronic device in order to control the output of the display. For example, a portion of display 1614 may be turned off, disabled, or placed in a low energy state when all or a portion of the viewable area of display 1614 is blocked or substantially obscured. As another example, display 1614 is adapted to rotate the display of graphical output based on a change in orientation of device 1600 (e.g., 90 degrees or 180 degrees) in response to rotation of device 1600.

The electronic device 1600 may also include a communication port 1616 configured to transmit and/or receive signals or electrical communications from an external device or a separate device. The communication port 1616 may be configured to couple to an external device via a cable, adapter, or other type of electrical connector. In some embodiments, the communication port 1616 may be used to couple the electronic device to a host computer.

The electronic device may also include at least one accessory 1618, such as a camera, a flash for a camera, or other such devices. The camera may be connected to other parts of the electronic device, such as the control circuitry.

The following discussion applies to the electronic devices described herein to the extent that such devices may be used to obtain personally identifiable information data. It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be explicitly stated to the user.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.