阅读说明：本技术 抗紫外光的制品及其制造方法 (Ultraviolet light resistant articles and methods of making the same ) 是由 K·阿迪比 R·A·贝尔曼 A·W·布克班德 S·D·哈特 A·P·赫伯利 K·W·科齐三 于 2016-10-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请公开了抗紫外光的制品及其制造方法。一种抗紫外光的制品,其包括：包含玻璃或玻璃陶瓷以及第一主表面和第二主表面的基材；包括设置在第一主表面上的第一介电层和第二介电层的介电层叠层；以及至少一层紫外光吸收层,其在100nm至380nm的波长下的吸收大于50％,并且厚度在10nm至200nm之间,其中,至少一层光吸收层位于介电层叠层内,其中,紫外光吸收层包括比第一介电层和第二介电层的折射率高的折射率,进一步地,其中,紫外光吸收层包括比第一介电层和第二介电层的吸收高的吸收。(Ultraviolet light resistant articles and methods of making the same are disclosed. An ultraviolet light resistant article comprising: a substrate comprising glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces; a dielectric layer stack including a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer disposed on the first major surface; and at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer having an absorption of more than 50% at a wavelength of 100nm to 380nm and a thickness of between 10nm and 200nm, wherein the at least one light absorbing layer is located within the dielectric stack, wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises a refractive index higher than the refractive indices of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, further wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises an absorption higher than the absorption of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.)

1. An ultraviolet light resistant article, comprising:

a substrate comprising glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces;

a dielectric layer stack including a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer disposed on the first major surface; and

at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer having an absorption of more than 50% at a wavelength of 100nm to 380nm and a thickness of between 10nm and 200nm,

wherein the at least one light absorbing layer is within a dielectric stack, wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, further wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises an absorption higher than an absorption of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second dielectric layers comprise refractive index values that are different from one another.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light absorbing layer.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer stack comprises an alternating sequence of dielectric layers and ultraviolet light absorbing layers.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≦ 5x10 at a wavelength of 380nm to 700nm^-4。

6. The article of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing element has an extinction coefficient (k) of 5x10 or more at wavelengths greater than 700nm^-4。

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a glass composition comprising SiO₂、Al₂O₃And at least two oxides selected from the group consisting of: b is₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂O。

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO.

9. The article of claim 1, wherein the total thickness of the dielectric layer stack is between 10nm and 5000 nm.

10. The article of claim 1, wherein the article has a maximum indentation hardness of 8GPa or greater, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test, along an indentation depth of 50nm or greater.

11. The article of claim 1, wherein the maximum indentation hardness of the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test along an indentation depth of 50nm or greater is within ± 50% of the maximum indentation hardness of the article.

12. The article of claim 1, wherein the article exhibits an a parameter color shift and a b parameter color shift of less than 4 upon exposure of the article to visible light at normal incidence angles.

13. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer has an absorption of greater than 75% at wavelengths from 100nm to 380 nm.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of ultraviolet light-absorbing light absorbs greater than 90% at wavelengths from 100nm to 380 nm.

15. A method of making an ultraviolet light resistant article, the method comprising:

providing a substrate comprising a glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces;

forming at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer over the first major surface, the light-absorbing layer having an absorption of 50% or more at a wavelength of 100nm to 380nm and a thickness of 10nm to 1000 nm; and

forming a dielectric layer using a plasma-assisted deposition process, including forming an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers over the first major surface,

wherein the light absorbing layer is configured to suppress damage to the first main surface of the substrate due to the step of forming the dielectric layer, wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer includes a refractive index higher than refractive indices of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and further wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer includes an absorption higher than absorption of the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are characterized by different refractive index values.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the forming at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and the forming a dielectric layer are performed such that the at least one light-absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light-absorbing layer formed on the first major surface, and the dielectric layer is formed over the light-absorbing layer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein forming at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and forming the dielectric layer are performed such that the at least one light-absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light-absorbing layer formed within the dielectric layer.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the dielectric layer and forming the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer are performed substantially simultaneously to form an alternating sequence of dielectric layers and ultraviolet light absorbing layers.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the ultraviolet light absorbing layer and forming the dielectric layer are both performed in a single deposition chamber.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a glass having a composition comprising: SiO 2₂、Al₂O₃And is selected from B₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂At least two oxides of O.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing layer comprises AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And in ZnOAt least one of them.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein after the step of forming the ultraviolet light absorbing layer, the substrate exhibits an a parameter color shift and a b parameter color shift of less than 4 after exposing the substrate to visible light at normal incidence angles.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the forming of the ultraviolet light absorbing layer and the forming of the dielectric layer are performed such that the light absorbing layer is formed within the dielectric layer.

25. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

after the dielectric layer is formed, the substrate is annealed at a temperature of 200 to 300 ℃ for 1 to 24 hours.

26. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a front surface, a rear surface, and side surfaces;

an electronic component at least partially located within the housing;

a display at or adjacent to the front surface of the housing; and

a cover substrate disposed over a display, wherein the cover substrate comprises the article of claim 1.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to Ultraviolet (UV) light protection of glass and glass-ceramic articles. More particularly, various embodiments disclosed herein relate to glass and glass-ceramic articles structured to provide protection from adverse effects (e.g., discoloration) associated with UV-related processes (e.g., plasma enhanced coating deposition).

Background

Glass and glass ceramic substrates used in consumer products can have a number of different inherent properties of interest. In certain applications, the mechanical properties of the substrate are of particular importance. In other applications, the optical properties of the substrate become important. In most applications, the substrate is configured to have a suitable combination of properties that encompass mechanical, optical, thermal, and many other desirable attributes.

In certain developments, including in some display device applications, a standard set of glass and glass-ceramic materials may be used as a starting point for the substrate. The set of materials may have a defined set of mechanical properties. Therefore, in view of the application requirements, development efforts may place emphasis on the refinement of the optical properties of the substrate. For example, efforts may be made to increase the optical losses, optical reflectivity, transmission, and color perception associated with these substrates under certain illumination.

Coatings deposited or otherwise formed on substrates are typically optimized and configured to alter and enhance optical properties associated with the substrate. Some coatings may be extremely simple, using a single layer of a certain material, while others may be extremely complex, having hundreds of layers of several materials. Regardless of the coating design and number of layers, it is generally desirable that substrate properties (e.g., light transmission in visible wavelengths, color perception, etc.) should not change significantly during or after the coating deposition process. The reason behind this assumption is that during the design process one needs to have a good understanding of the substrate parameters and the material parameters in order to target the desired results for a particular application.

In other developments, the application may require specific optical properties (e.g. very high light transmission and very low color change) associated with glass or glass-ceramic substrates having very thick protective coatings (e.g. scratch resistant layers) which are currently not obtainable with known material systems and methods. That is, known methods of greatly improving the durability of substrates by secondary coating often trade off the loss of certain substrate optical properties.

More generally, certain glass and glass ceramic substrates can undergo changes in optical properties associated with secondary processing. For example, secondary processing in the form of an ultraviolet light assisted coating deposition process can break or otherwise reform silicate bonds in underlying glass and glass ceramic substrates. These changes in bond structure affect the glass network and its refractive index. In addition, these bond structure changes can cause defects to form in the glass, which can affect the optical properties of the glass or glass-ceramic substrate.

In view of these considerations, there is a need for articles having and methods of designing articles and subassemblies comprising glass and glass-ceramic substrates that are not susceptible to damage and property changes from secondary processing, including uv-assisted coating deposition processes. Ultraviolet light resistant articles and subassemblies can be more effectively used in application development schemes that employ UV-assisted secondary processing (e.g., plasma enhanced coating deposition). Similarly, articles and subassemblies resistant to UV light can also be optimized to achieve superior mechanical properties (e.g., via thick scratch resistant layers) that would not otherwise be achievable with conventional substrates that are more susceptible to damage from secondary processing. It is to the provision of such techniques that this disclosure is directed.

Disclosure of Invention

Articles and subassemblies that are resistant to UV light, and in particular to UV damage associated with UV-assisted secondary processing techniques, are described herein.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ultraviolet light resistant article comprising: a substrate having a glass or glass-ceramic composition, a substrate thickness between about 0.2mm to about 1.2mm, and first and second major surfaces; an ultraviolet light absorbing element having an absorbance of greater than 50% at wavelengths from about 100nm to about 300nm (or from about 100nm to about 380nm) and a thickness between about 10nm to about 100nm (or from about 10nm to about 500 nm); and a dielectric stack (dielectric stack) formed using a plasma enhanced process. In addition, the light absorbing element is between the substrate and the dielectric stack.

In certain embodiments of the above aspect, the dielectric stack includes first and second dielectric layers over the first major surface and the ultraviolet light absorbing element, each layer characterized by a different refractive index value. According to some of these embodiments, the dielectric stack comprises an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers. The number of sequences may range from a set of layers to hundreds of such layers or more, depending on the thickness of each layer.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ultraviolet light resistant article comprising: a substrate having a glass or glass-ceramic composition, a substrate thickness between about 0.2mm to about 1.2mm, and first and second major surfaces; a dielectric stack formed over the first major surface using a plasma enhanced process; and at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer having an absorbance of greater than 50% at a wavelength of about 100nm to about 300nm (or about 100nm to about 380nm) and a thickness of between about 10nm to about 100nm (or about 10nm to about 200 nm). Furthermore, the at least one light absorbing layer is located within the dielectric stack.

In certain embodiments of this aspect, the dielectric stack comprises an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers, each layer characterized by a different refractive index value. The number of sequences may range from a set of layers to hundreds of such layers or more, depending on the thickness of each layer. In addition, the dielectric stack may include an ultraviolet light absorbing layer, or multiple layers, each layer being located between alternating sequences of first and second dielectric layers.

In certain embodiments of these articles, the ultraviolet light absorbing element or layer has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≦ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 400nm to about 700nm (either a single wavelength or the entire range of wavelengths within the range)^-3Or ≤ 5x10^-4. In some embodiments, the ultraviolet light absorbing element has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≧ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 200 to about 400nm, about 250 to about 400nm, about 300 to about 400nm, or about 250 to about 400nm^-4、≥5x10^-3Is not less than 5x10^-2Or even ≧ 5x10^-1And (k) of (1). In one or more embodiments, the ultraviolet light absorbing elements and layers may comprise AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO. In certain aspects, these elements and layers (or the entire coated article) range from about 100nm to about 380nm, from about 200 to about 400nm, from about 250nm to about 350nm, or from about 250nm to about 300nmThe absorption at any selected wavelength is greater than 50% or greater than 75%. At the same time, the ultraviolet light absorbing element or layer (or the entire coated article) may exhibit a light absorption of less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, or less than 1% for all wavelengths in the visible range of about 400nm to about 700 nm. The key feature of the ultraviolet light absorbing layer is that it exhibits high light absorption in the UV wavelength range and low absorption in the visible wavelength range.

According to some embodiments, a dielectric stack comprising uv-resistant elements or layers may be constructed according to a total thickness between about 10nm to about 2000 nm. The dielectric stack can also be configured to have a maximum indentation hardness of 8GPa or greater, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test defined below. In certain instances, the average indentation hardness of the ultraviolet light absorbing element or layer, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test defined below, is within about ± 25% of the average indentation hardness of the dielectric stack.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing an ultraviolet light resistant article, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a glass or glass-ceramic composition, a substrate thickness of between about 0.2mm to about 1.2mm, and first and second major surfaces; forming at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer having an absorbance of about 50% or more at a wavelength of about 300nm to about 100nm and a thickness of between about 10nm to about 100nm over the first major surface; and forming the dielectric stack using a plasma assisted process. In addition, the light absorbing layer is configured to suppress damage to the first main surface of the base material due to the step of forming the dielectric stack.

In certain embodiments of the method, the step of forming the dielectric stack comprises forming an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers over the first major surface, the first and second dielectric layers being characterized by different values of refractive index. In some of the foregoing embodiments, the step of forming the dielectric stack and the step of forming the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer may be performed such that the at least one light absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light absorbing layer on the first major surface, and the dielectric stack is formed over the light absorbing layer. In another embodiment of the previous embodiment, the at least one light absorbing layer is a single light absorbing layer formed within the dielectric stack. In addition, some aspects of the method have the step of forming the dielectric stack and the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer substantially simultaneously, thereby forming an alternating sequence of dielectric layers and ultraviolet light absorbing layers.

Additional features and advantages are described in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing various aspects as illustrated in the written description and the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of various aspects and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the principles of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain, for example, the principles and operations of the invention. Directional terms used herein, such as upper, lower, left, right, front, rear, top, bottom, are used with reference to the drawings as drawn only, and are not intended to imply absolute orientations.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a graph of exposure to a UV-containing light source and exposure to a UV-free light sourcePlot of total optical transmission versus wavelength for glass No. 2319 sample.

Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a UV light resistant article including a UV light absorbing element positioned between a substrate and a dielectric stack, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a UV resistant optical article including a UV light absorbing layer within a dielectric stack with alternating dielectric layers over a substrate according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2C is a schematic cross-sectional view of a UV light resistant article including a UV light absorbing layer within a dielectric stack with alternating dielectric layers over a substrate according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic graph of real and imaginary refractive index values as a function of wavelength for various oxide materials suitable for use in the UV light absorbing layers and elements of aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a graph of reflectance as a function of wavelength for various aluminum silicon oxynitride materials suitable for use in the UV light absorbing layers and elements of aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5A and 5B are graphs of reflectance and transmittance, respectively, as a function of wavelength for a UV light resistant article of one aspect of the present disclosure including a UV light absorbing element between the substrate and the dielectric stack.

Fig. 5C and 5D are color parameter curves of the article of fig. 5A and 5B, as measured by exposure to D65 and F2 illumination sources with incidence angles ranging from 0 ° to 60 °, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6A and 6B are graphs of reflectance and transmittance, respectively, as a function of wavelength for a UV light resistant article according to one aspect of the present disclosure that includes a UV light absorbing layer within a dielectric stack over a substrate.

Fig. 6C and 6D are color parameter curves of the article of fig. 6A and 6B, as measured by exposure to D65 and F2 illumination sources with incidence angles ranging from 0 ° to 60 °, according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an absorption curve as a function of wavelength for a glass substrate comprising a 500nm silica film deposited using a UV related process and having different degrees of post-deposition annealing according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8A is a plan view of an exemplary electronic device incorporating any of the uv resistant articles disclosed herein.

Fig. 8B is a perspective view of the exemplary electronic device of fig. 8A.

These and other aspects, advantages, and salient features will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Ranges can be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent "about," it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in combination with the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various principles of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art, having had the benefit of the present disclosure, that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details disclosed herein. In addition, descriptions of well-known devices, methods and materials may be omitted so as to not obscure the description of the various principles of the present invention. Finally, wherever applicable, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

Unless otherwise stated, it is not intended that any method described herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a particular order. Thus, in any respect, if a method claim does not actually recite an order to be followed by its steps or it is not otherwise specifically stated in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is not intended that any particular order be inferred. This applies to any possible non-expressive basis for interpretation, including: logical issues relating to the arrangement of steps or operational flows; obvious meaning problems derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; number or type of embodiments described in the specification.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a "component" includes aspects having two or more such components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Various UV light resistant articles and subassemblies are provided herein having one or more UV light resistant layers or elements configured to protect an underlying glass or glass ceramic substrate from layer processing steps, coating processing steps, or other processing steps that subject the substrate to UV light exposure. Advantageously, these UV resistant optical articles are not susceptible to substrate damage and property changes from secondary processing (e.g., plasma enhanced coating deposition) using a UV light source. The UV light resistant article may also help to make secondary processing (aggressive) configured to optimize coating related properties such as scratch resistance more effective. In some cases, the UV light resistant elements and layers themselves can provide anti-reflection (AR) and scratch resistance to the underlying glass and glass-ceramic substrates.

As demonstrated in fig. 1, the effect of UV light exposure on glass and glass ceramic substrates can be significant. Specifically, FIG. 1 is a graph of exposure to UV-containing and UV-free light sourcesGraph of total optical transmission (%) versus wavelength (nm) for glass No. 2319 substrate. The glass substrate without light exposure was labeled "C1" which served as a control. Samples "a 1", "a 2", and "A3" are substrates that were subjected to UV light exposure for 15s, 30s, and 60s, respectively. Samples "C2" and "C3" were substrates that were subjected to 30s and 60s of non-UV light exposure, respectively. In fig. 1, the C1-C3 samples exhibited a relatively constant level of transmission of greater than 90% between 350nm and 750 nm. In contrast, the a1-A3 sample experienced a significant transmission drop, particularly between 350nm and 450nm, relative to the C1-C3 sample. The severity of the transmittance drop increases with increasing uv exposure time. Based on FIG. 1, it is evident that the glass substrate is subjected to UV lightExposure can result in a loss of optical transmission of the substrate.

Referring to fig. 2A-2C, articles 100a, 100b, and 100C, respectively, that are resistant to UV light are depicted in cross-sectional schematic views. The UV light resistant articles 100a-100c are each configured with one or more UV light resistant layers 50. Referring to fig. 2A, an article 100a resistant to UV light includes a substrate 10, the substrate 10 having major surfaces 12, 14 and a thickness 16. A UV light-resistant element 50 having a thickness 56 is disposed over the major surface 12 of the substrate 10. Furthermore, an element 50 located between the main surface 12 and the dielectric stack 70 is also arranged above the main surface 12. In some embodiments, the dielectric stack 70 includes a set of alternating first and second dielectric layers 72, 74 that are formed using a plasma enhanced process. The stack 70 is also characterized by an overall thickness 76. In some embodiments, the dielectric stack 70 may comprise a single layer.

As depicted in fig. 2A, the thickness 16 of the substrate 10 is between about 0.2mm to about 1.2 mm. In some aspects, the thickness 16 is 0.2mm, 0.25mm, 0.3mm, 0.35mm, 0.4mm, 0.45mm, 0.5mm, 0.55mm, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, 0.7mm, 0.75mm, 0.8mm, 0.85mm, 0.9mm, 0.95mm, 1.0mm, 1.05mm, 1.1mm, 1.15mm, and up to about 1.2 mm. In addition, the substrate 10 mainly includes a material having a composition of glass and glass ceramic. In certain embodiments, the substrate 10 is substantially transparent in the visible spectrum.

For substrates 10 containing glass compositions, the material selected can be any of a variety of silicate, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, or boroaluminosilicate glass compositions, which optionally can include one or more alkali and/or alkaline earth modifiers. One such glass composition comprises the following ingredients: 58-72 mole percent (mol%) SiO₂(ii) a 9-17 mol% Al₂O₃(ii) a 2-12 mol% B₂O₃(ii) a 8-16 mol% Na₂O; and 0-4 mol% K₂O, whereinWherein the modifier comprises an alkali metal oxide.

Another glass composition includes the following ingredients: 61-75 mol％SiO₂(ii) a 7-15 mol% Al₂O₃(ii) a 0-12 mol% B₂O₃(ii) a 9-21 mol% Na₂O; 0-4 mol% K₂O; 0-7 mol% MgO and 0-3 mol% CaO. Another exemplary glass composition includes the following ingredients: 60-70 mol% SiO₂(ii) a 6-14 mol% Al₂O₃(ii) a 0-15 mol% B₂O₃(ii) a 0-15 mol% Li₂O; 0-20 mol% Na₂O; 0-10 mol% K₂O; 0-8 mol% MgO; 0-10 mol% CaO; 0-5 mol% ZrO₂(ii) a 0-1 mol% SnO₂(ii) a 0-1 mol% CeO₂(ii) a Less than 50 parts per million (50ppm) As₂O₃(ii) a And less than 50ppm Sb₂O₃(ii) a Wherein, Li is more than or equal to 12 mol percent₂O+Na₂O+K₂O is less than or equal to 20 mol percent, and MgO plus CaO is less than or equal to 0 mol percent and less than or equal to 10 mol percent. Another exemplary glass composition includes the following ingredients: 55-75 mol% SiO₂8-15 mol% Al₂O₃10-20 mol% B₂O₃(ii) a 0-8% MgO, 0-8% CaO, 0-8% SrO and 0-8% BaO. Further, in certain aspects of the substrate 10 for the UV light resistant articles 100a, 100b, and 100c, the substrate may have a glass composition comprising SiO₂、Al₂O₃And at least two oxides selected from the group consisting of: b is₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂O。

Similarly, for the glass-ceramic used as the substrate 10, the material selected may be any of a variety of materials having both a glass phase and a ceramic phase. Exemplary glass-ceramics include those materials in which the glass phase is formed from silicate, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, or boroaluminosilicate and the ceramic phase is formed from beta-spodumene, beta-quartz, nepheline, kalsilite, or triclopyr.

Regardless of the material selected for the substrate 10, the substrate may take a variety of physical forms. That is, the substrate 10 may be flat or planar from a cross-sectional perspective, or it may be curved and/or severely bent. Similarly, it may be a single unitary object, or a multi-layer structure or laminate.

In some cases, the substrate 10 may be subjected to an optional treatment prior to disposing the dielectric stack 70 and the UV light resistant layer 50. Examples of such treatments include physical or chemical cleaning, physical or chemical strengthening (e.g., by thermal tempering, chemical ion exchange, or the like in the case of glass), physical or chemical etching, physical or chemical polishing, annealing, sintering, shaping, and/or the like. Such processes are known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

Referring again to the UV light resistant article 100a of fig. 2A, in some embodiments, the UV light resistant element 50 is a UV light absorbing layer that exhibits greater than 50% absorption at wavelengths of about 100nm to about 300nm, about 100nm to about 380nm, about 200 to about 400nm, about 250nm to about 350nm, or about 250nm to about 300 nm. At the same time, the ultraviolet light absorbing element or layer (or the entire coated article) may exhibit a light absorption of less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, or less than 1% for all wavelengths in the visible range of about 400nm to about 700 nm. The key feature of the ultraviolet light absorbing layer is that it exhibits high light absorption in the UV wavelength range and low absorption in the visible wavelength range. In certain aspects, the absorption may be greater than about 75% over the above wavelength ranges. Preferably, the absorption is greater than about 90% in the above wavelength range. As used herein, absorption is the percentage of light energy that is absorbed by a material, that is, light energy is lost through thermal transfer and is no longer light energy that can be transmitted, reflected, or scattered in the form of light (i.e., electromagnetic) energy. Absorption can be measured using spectroscopic ellipsometry. In other aspects, the UV light resistant element 50 is configured to have ≦ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 400nm to about 700nm (either a single wavelength or the entire range of wavelengths in the range)^-3Or ≤ 5x10^-4Extinction coefficient (k). In some embodiments, the ultraviolet light absorbing element has ≧ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 200 to about 400nm, about 250 to about 400nm, about 300 to about 400nm, or about 250 to about 400nm^-4Extinction coefficient (k) of ≥ 5x10^-3(k) of,≥5x10^-2Or even ≧ 5x10^-1And (k) of (1). In one or more embodiments, the ultraviolet light absorbing elements and layers may comprise AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO. More generally, elements 50 having a lower extinction coefficient may exhibit higher absorption in the UV spectrum. As used herein, the extinction coefficient (k) represents the imaginary component of the refractive index k, which is directly related to the amount of light absorbed by the material. In certain aspects, the absorption of these elements and layers (or the entire coated article) at any selected wavelength in the stated range can be greater than 50% or greater than 75%.

In other respects, the UV protection capability of the UV light absorbing element 50 is manifested by little change in the color properties of the substrate 10 after processing associated with the dielectric stack 70. In other words, the UV light resistant article 100a has little color shift after processing of the dielectric stack in view of the protection provided by the UV light absorbing element 50. In certain embodiments, the shift in color coordinates a and b of article 100a in the CIE L, a, b colorimetric system has a magnitude of 4 or less after exposure to visible light at normal incidence. The color coordinates a and b were observed under a D65 and/or F2 illuminant.

For the thickness 56 of the UV light-resistant elements 50 of the UV light-resistant article 100a, it may be in the following range: 10nm to about 100nm, 10nm to about 200nm, 10nm to about 300nm, 10nm to about 400nm, 10nm to about 500nm, and any range therebetween. In certain embodiments, the thickness 56 of the element 50 may be 10nm, 15nm, 20nm, 25nm, 30nm, 35nm, 40nm, 45nm, 50nm, 55nm, 60nm, 65nm, 70nm, 75nm, 80nm, 85nm, 90nm, 95nm, about 100nm, about 125nm, about 150nm, about 175nm, about 200nm, about 225nm, about 250nm, about 275nm, about 300nm, about 325nm, about 350nm, about 375nm, about 400nm, about 425nm, about 450nm, about 475nm, and up to about 500 nm.

The UV light resistant element 50 may comprise various compositions, preferably including oxide and nitride compositions that result in high UV light absorbance. In one aspect, the element 50 may comprise AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO. Preferably, the element 50 is made of AlSiO_xN_yAnd (5) manufacturing the material. In certain embodiments, AlSiO_xN_yThe amount of nitrogen and/or Si in the material is greatest because it is believed that higher percentages of these elements in the UV light resistant element 50 help improve UV light absorption without compromising other properties, including mechanical properties.

In certain aspects of the UV light resistant articles 100a-100c, the dielectric stack 70 is configured to have a high indentation hardness level such that it can be used as a scratch resistant layer. For example, the dielectric stack 70 can have a maximum indentation hardness of 8GPa or greater as measured by the Berkovich indenter hardness test. As used herein, the "Berkovich Indenter Hardness Test" involves measuring the Hardness of a material on a surface by embossing the surface of the material with a diamond boustrophedon Indenter. The berkovich indenter hardness test involves embossing the dielectric stack 70 (or the surface of any one or more layers in the stack) with a diamond berkovich indenter to form indentations having an indentation depth in the range of about 50nm to about 1000nm (or the entire thickness of the anti-reflective coating or layer, which is smaller) and measuring the maximum hardness from the indentation along the entire indentation depth range or a segment of the indentation depth (e.g., in the range of about 100nm to about 600 nm), typically using the methods in the following references: by Oliver, w.c.; pharr, g.m. "a modified technique for determining hardness and modulus of elasticity using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments" (An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentations); J.Mater.Res., Vol.7, No. 6, 1992, 1564-1583; and Oliver, w.c.; hardness and modulus of elasticity using instrumental indentation, written by Pharr, g.m: improvements in Understanding and methods (Measurement of Hardness and Elastic Module by Instrument indexing: Advances in Understanding and references to methods) J.Mater. Res., Vol.19, No. 1, 2004, 3-20. As used herein, hardness refers to the maximum hardness and not to the average hardness.

In some embodiments, the UV light resistant article 100a-100c has a maximum indentation hardness of 8GPa or greater as measured by the Berkovich indenter hardness test. In some of these aspects, the UV light absorbing element 50 is configured to have a maximum indentation hardness as measured by the Berkovich indenter hardness test that is comparable to the maximum indentation hardness of the dielectric stack 70 and/or the UV light resistant articles 100a-100 c. Preferably, in these aspects, the element 50 exhibits a maximum indentation hardness as measured by the Berkovich indenter hardness test that is within about + -25% or about + -50% of the maximum indentation hardness of the dielectric stack 70 and/or the UV light resistant articles 100a-100 c.

In the UV light resistant article 100a depicted in fig. 2A, the alternating first and second dielectric layers 72, 74 may be configured to have different refractive index values. Thus, the article 100a may contain multiple first and second dielectric layers or sets of layers 72, 74. In certain embodiments, the total stack thickness 76 may range from about 10nm to about 2000nm, depending on the number of layers 72, 74 and the thickness of each layer. Additionally, in some embodiments, the thickness 76 of the dielectric stack 70 may be in the following range: 10nm, 50nm, 75nm, 100nm, 200nm, 300nm, 400nm, 500nm, 600nm, 700nm, 800nm, 900nm, 1000nm, 1100nm, 1200nm, 1300nm, 1400nm, 1500nm, 1600nm, 1700nm, 1800nm, 1900nm and 2000 nm.

Although the UV light resistant article 100a shown in fig. 2A is described as containing a dielectric stack 70 with the dielectric stack 70 having alternating sets of first and second dielectric layers 72, 74, certain embodiments of the stack 70 may include only one type of dielectric layer. Other embodiments of stack 70 include three or more dielectric layers. Other aspects rely on some dielectric layers and additional non-dielectric layers within the stack 70. In addition, certain configurations of the stack 70 use dielectric layers 72, 74 (and others) that exhibit the same or similar refractive indices. In general, various configurations of the laminate 70 are possible for the UV light resistant article 100a, provided that they involve one or more steps of subjecting the underlying substrate 10 to UV light, which substrate needs to be protected by the UV light absorbing elements 50.

Referring to fig. 2B, an article 100B resistant to UV light includes a substrate 10, the substrate 10 having major surfaces 12, 14 and a thickness 16. A UV light-resistant element 50 having a thickness 56 is disposed over the major surface 12 of the substrate 10. In addition, the element 50 is located within a dielectric stack 70, disposed over a set of dielectric layers 72, 74. The dielectric stack 70 for article 100b includes a set of alternating first and second dielectric layers 72, 74 formed using a plasma enhanced process. The stack 70 is also characterized by an overall thickness 76.

Referring again to fig. 2B, identically labeled elements in articles 100B and 100a have the same or similar functions, structures, and variations. The elements 50 may be placed at different locations within the dielectric stack 70. As shown in fig. 2B, the element 50 is a single layer over a set of dielectric layers 72, 74. In other embodiments, the element 50 is located at a position above the sets of dielectric layers 72, 74. Placing the elements 50 deeper within the stack 70 (i.e., closer to the major surface 12) maximizes the portion of the stack 70 and maximizes the uv light associated with the stack that is shielded from the underlying substrate 10. Conversely, some applications may benefit from placing the element 50 closer to the outer surface of the dielectric stack 70, depending on the optical and/or mechanical properties of the element 50 itself.

Referring to fig. 2C, an article 100C resistant to UV light includes a substrate 10, the substrate 10 having major surfaces 12, 14 and a thickness 16. A set of UV light-resistant elements 50 each have a thickness 56, the elements 50 being disposed over the major surface 12 of the substrate 10. In addition, the elements 50 are located within the dielectric stack 70 in an alternating sequence with the dielectric layer 74. That is, the dielectric stack 70 for the article 100c includes a set of alternating first and second dielectric layers 72, 74 that are formed using a plasma enhanced process. The stack 70 is also characterized by an overall thickness 76.

Referring again to fig. 2C, identically labeled elements in articles 100C and 100a have the same or similar functions, structures, and variations. As shown in fig. 2C, element 50 is part of a group of such elements, each element being located above a dielectric layer 74. In other embodiments, the elements 50 are located at a position over multiple sets of dielectric layers, some of which elements 50 may be different from dielectric layer 74. By placing elements 50 under subsequent alternating dielectric layers (e.g., layer 74), each element 50 can provide protection to the underlying substrate 10 from UV light exposure associated with processing of the overlying dielectric layer 74.

According to another aspect, a method of manufacturing an ultraviolet light resistant article (e.g., articles 100a-100c) is provided, the method comprising a set of steps of: first, a substrate (e.g., substrate 10) having a glass or glass-ceramic composition is provided. The substrate is characterized by a substrate thickness (e.g., thickness 16) between about 0.2mm to about 1.2mm and first and second major surfaces (e.g., major surfaces 12, 14). The second step of the method is to form one or more ultraviolet light absorbing layers (e.g., light absorbing elements 50) over the first major surface, the light absorbing layers having an absorbance of about 50% or more at wavelengths of about 300nm to about 100nm and a thickness of between about 10nm to about 100 nm. The third step of the method is to form a dielectric stack (e.g., stack 70) using a plasma assisted process. In addition, the light absorbing layer is configured to suppress damage to the first main surface of the base material due to the step of forming the dielectric stack.

In certain embodiments of the method, the step of forming a dielectric stack (e.g., stack 70) includes forming an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers (e.g., dielectric layers 72, 74) over the first major surface, the first and second dielectric layers being characterized by different refractive index values. In some of the foregoing embodiments, the step of forming the dielectric stack and the step of forming the one or more ultraviolet light absorbing layers (e.g., UV light absorbing elements 50) may be performed such that the light absorbing layer (or layers) is a single UV light absorbing layer on the first major surface and the dielectric stack is formed over the light absorbing layer (e.g., consistent with the UV light resistant article 100a shown in fig. 2A). In other of the foregoing embodiments, the UV light absorbing layer is a single light absorbing layer formed within the dielectric stack (e.g., consistent with the UV light resistant article 100B shown in fig. 2B). In another aspect, alternating UV light absorbing layers are formed over or under one or more dielectric layers to form a dielectric stack having alternating UV light absorbing layers and dielectric layers (e.g., consistent with UV light resistant article 100C shown in FIG. 2C). In addition, some aspects of the method have the step of forming the dielectric stack and the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer substantially simultaneously, thereby forming an alternating sequence of dielectric layers and ultraviolet light absorbing layers.

As described above, aspects of the UV light resistant articles of the present disclosure and methods of making the same may be used to protect a glass or glass-ceramic substrate (e.g., substrate 10) from UV light generated during a film deposition process used to form various arbitrary secondary films of the substrate, including a dielectric stack (e.g., dielectric stack 70). In particular, deposition processes using plasma are known to produce high levels of UV radiation, which can damage the underlying glass or glass ceramic substrate. These film deposition processes include Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), reactive and non-reactive sputtering, DC or RF sputtering, plasma or ion beam assisted evaporation, and related methods that use and/or emit UV radiation as a byproduct.

In certain embodiments, aspects of the UV light resistant articles of the present disclosure and methods of making the same may be used to protect a glass or glass-ceramic substrate (e.g., substrate 10) from UV exposure during a cleaning process (e.g., a plasma cleaning or UV ozone cleaning process).

In addition, the coatings, treatments, and related aspects of the present disclosure can be used to protect a glass substrate, a glass article, a display, or an electronic device containing the glass or coating from UV exposure due to sunlight. This is particularly important for outdoor applications where long term exposure to UV is possible, such as windows, outdoor signs, outdoor electronic displays, traffic signs, billboards, road signs, solar panels, etc. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a UV light resistant article having one or more UV light resistant layers has a maximum indentation hardness of greater than 8GPa as measured by a berkovich indenter hardness test; (ii) has a maximum indentation hardness for the UV light resistant article of 8Gpa or greater as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test; a or b color shift at normal incidence or at different angles of less than about 4.0; and a UV absorption of greater than about 50%, greater than 75%, or greater than 90% for UV light having a wavelength of less than about 300nm, less than about 250nm, or less than about 200 nm. Optionally, the coated surface of the article may have a reflectance of less than about 10%, less than about 5%, less than about 4%, less than about 3%, less than about 2%, or less than about 1%.

Referring to fig. 3, this figure is a schematic graph of real and imaginary refractive index values as a function of wavelength (nm) for various oxide materials suitable for use in the UV light absorbing layers and elements (e.g., the UV light resistant elements 50) of aspects of the present disclosure. These oxide materials include Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO. As demonstrated in fig. 3, each of these materials exhibits relatively high real (n) and imaginary (k) refractive index components at wavelengths less than 400nm in the UV range. It is also evident from fig. 3 that certain materials for the UV light resistant elements of the present disclosure may be selected depending on the desired wavelength range of the UV light source. For example, Nb₂O₅Exhibiting a particularly high refractive index component for wavelengths less than 250 nm. In contrast, ZnO tends to exhibit particularly high refractive index component values for wavelengths between 250nm and 400 nm.

As depicted in fig. 4, an aluminum silicon oxynitride (i.e., AlSiO)_xN_y) Materials are also suitable for use as an element that is resistant to UV light in some embodiments of the present disclosure. In fig. 4, it is a graph of reflectance (%) as a function of wavelength (nm) for various aluminum silicon oxynitride materials suitable for use as elements resistant to UV light. For these materials, the reflectance values tend to vary between about 30% and 10% between about 200nm and 300 nm. In general, the material exhibiting the highest reflectivity value has a higher percentage of nitrogen and/or aluminum relative to the other constituents of the aluminum silicon oxynitride material.

According to one preferred aspect of the present disclosure, a UV light resistant article consistent with UV light resistant article 100a may include the substrates, individual UV light resistant elements, and a dielectric stack (e.g., for use as a scratch resistant coating) listed in table 1 below. More specifically, the design of the UV light resistant article listed in table 1 includes a UV light resistant layer between the dielectric stack and the substrate. Additionally, in this aspect, the total thickness of the dielectric stack and the article resistant to UV light is about 2179 nm.

TABLE 1

Referring to fig. 5A and 5B, which are graphs of reflectance (%) and transmittance (%) as a function of wavelength (nm) for the UV light-resistant articles listed in table 1, respectively, fig. 5A and 5B demonstrate that Nb minimizes or otherwise prevents damage to a glass substrate from UV radiation associated with dielectric stack processing₂O₅Effectiveness of the UV resistant optical layer. Similarly, fig. 5C and 5D are graphs of color parameters measured by exposure to D65 and F2 illumination sources having incident angles ranging from 0 ° to 60 ° for the UV light resistant articles listed in table 1. The graph of fig. 5C relates to color shift measurements obtained from the reflectance of incident sources off the structure of table 1. The graph of fig. 5D relates to color shift measurements obtained from the transmission of incident sources through the structure of table 1. In both figures, the "D65" and "F2" samples correspond to illumination sources with corresponding D65 and F2 sources incident through an incidence angle range of 0 ° to 60 °. In contrast, the "D65 (0 ℃)" and "F2 (0 ℃)" samples correspond to illumination sources with respective D65 and F2 sources at an incident angle of 0 °. Based on the graphs shown in fig. 5C and 5D, it is apparent that the color shift has a magnitude of no more than about 0.2 for the a parameter and a magnitude of no more than about 0.4 for the b parameter.

According to one further preferred aspect of the present disclosure, a UV light resistant article consistent with UV light resistant article 100c may include the substrates listed below in table 2, three UV light resistant elements, and a dielectric stack (e.g., for use as a scratch resistant coating). More specifically, the design of the UV light resistant article listed in table 2 includes a dielectric stack disposed over a substrate. The dielectric stack comprises alternating Nb₂O₅A layer resistant to UV light and a silicon dioxide or silicon aluminum oxynitride layer. Additionally, in this aspect, the total thickness of the dielectric stack and the UV light resistant article is about 2160 nm.

TABLE 2

Referring to fig. 6A and 5B, which are graphs of reflectance (%) and transmittance (%) as a function of wavelength (nm) for the UV light-resistant articles listed in table 2, respectively, fig. 6A and 5B demonstrate that Nb minimizes or otherwise prevents damage to a glass substrate from UV radiation associated with dielectric stack processing₂O₅Effectiveness of the UV resistant optical layer. Similarly, fig. 6C and 6D are graphs of color parameters measured by exposure to D65 and F2 illumination sources having incident angles in the range of 0 ° to 60 ° for the UV light resistant articles listed in table 2. The graph of fig. 6C relates to color shift measurements obtained from the reflectance of incident sources off the structure of table 2. The graph of fig. 6D relates to color shift measurements obtained from the transmission of incident sources through the structure of table 2. In both figures, the "D65" and "F2" samples correspond to illumination sources with corresponding D65 and F2 sources incident through an incidence angle range of 0 ° to 60 °. In contrast, the "D65 (0 ℃)" and "F2 (0 ℃)" samples correspond to illumination sources with respective D65 and F2 sources at an incident angle of 0 °. Based on the graphs shown in fig. 6C and 6D, it is apparent that the color shift has a magnitude of no more than about 0.3 for the a parameter and a magnitude of no more than about 0.6 for the b parameter.

According to another preferred aspect of the present disclosure, a UV light resistant article consistent with UV light resistant article 100c may include the substrates listed in table 3 below, three UV light resistant elements, and a dielectric stack (e.g., for use as a scratch resistant coating). More specifically, the design of the UV light resistant article listed in table 3 includes a dielectric stack disposed over a substrate. The dielectric stack comprises alternating Nb₂O₅A layer resistant to UV light and a layer of silicon dioxide or aluminum oxynitride. Additionally, in this aspect, the total thickness of the dielectric stack and the article resistant to UV light is about 2171 nm. In this embodiment, the final layer of the dielectric stack, aluminum oxynitride, exhibits a particularly high hardness and a particularly high refractive index.

TABLE 3

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of making a UV light resistant article (e.g., UV light resistant articles 100a, 100b, and 100c) may include the step of annealing the substrate to remove or reduce any defects associated with the processing of the dielectric stack associated with UV radiation. In some aspects, the annealing step may serve the same function as the UV light-resistant elements used in other embodiments, thereby avoiding the need for UV light-resistant elements in certain UV light-resistant articles. In other more preferred aspects, the annealing step can be used to enhance the UV light protection provided by the UV light resistant elements or layers. Depending on the glass or glass-ceramic composition of the substrate and the thermal sensitivity of the layers used in the dielectric stack, the annealing step may comprise annealing the article at an annealing temperature of about 200 ℃ to about 300 ℃ for about 1 to about 24 hours after completion of the step of forming the dielectric stack.

For example, fig. 7 is a graph of absorption (%) as a function of wavelength (nm) for a glass substrate comprising a 500nm silicon dioxide film deposited using a UV-related process and having different degrees of post-deposition annealing. In fig. 7, the control sample labeled "C1" was a quartz substrate having a 500nm thick silica coating applied using a UV assisted deposition process. The data demonstrates that the absorption of the C1 sample is no higher than 0.5%, indicating the lack of any damage to the crystalline substrate due to the silica deposition process. In contrast, the samples labeled "C2" and "C3" were silica coated with a thickness of 500nmGorillaGlass No. 2320 substrate. Here, the damage associated with the silicon dioxide deposition process is relatively high and the absorption level reaches or exceeds 3% at wavelengths less than 400 nm. To demonstrate the beneficial effects of annealing, samples "A1" through "A5" were 500Of nm-thick silicon dioxide coatingsGorillaGlass No. 2320 substrates that were exposed to the following annealing parameters: 12 hours at 200 ℃ (A1); at 250 ℃ for 12 hours (A2); 275 ℃ for 12 hours (A3); 12 hours at 300 ℃ (a 4); and 300 ℃ for 24 hours (A5). Based on the data of fig. 7, it is evident that increasing the annealing time and temperature decreased the measured absorption levels in these samples, as the silicon dioxide deposition process associated with the UV radiation caused the recombination of the defects and their removal. For example, the a5 sample exhibited an absorption level of about 0.5% or less across the measured wavelength range, which is very similar to the C1 control sample with the quartz substrate.

The articles 100a-100c disclosed herein may include articles (or display articles) having a display (e.g., consumer electronics, including cell phones, tablets, computers, navigation systems, etc.), building articles, transportation articles (e.g., automobiles, trains, aircraft, boats, etc.), appliance articles, or any article that requires a degree of transparency, scratch resistance, abrasion resistance, or a combination thereof. One specific example of an article 100a-100c included in a product is shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, fig. 8 shows a consumer electronic device 800 comprising a housing 802, the housing 802 having a front surface 804, a rear surface 806, and side surfaces 808; electronic components (not shown) located at least partially or entirely within the housing and including at least a controller, memory and display 810 at or adjacent the front surface of the housing; and a cover substrate 812 at or above the front surface of the housing such that the cover substrate is above the display. In some embodiments, the cover substrate 812 may comprise the articles 100a-100 c. In some embodiments, the housing 802 may include articles 100a-100 c.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly any "preferred" embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of various principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and various principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

In a first aspect, an article resistant to ultraviolet light is provided. The article comprises: a substrate comprising a glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces; an ultraviolet light absorbing element having an absorbance of greater than 50% at wavelengths from about 100nm to about 380nm and a thickness between about 10nm to about 500 nm; and a dielectric layer disposed on the first major surface. The ultraviolet light absorption element is positioned between the substrate and the dielectric layer.

In a second aspect according to the first aspect, the dielectric layer further comprises first and second dielectric layers over the first major surface, and each layer is characterized by a different refractive index value.

In a third aspect according to the first or second aspect, the substrate has a glass composition comprising SiO₂、Al₂O₃And at least two oxides selected from the group consisting of: b is₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂O。

In a fourth aspect according to any one of the first to third aspects, the ultraviolet light-absorbing element has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≦ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 400nm to about 700nm^-4。

In a fifth aspect according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the extinction coefficient (k) of the ultraviolet light absorbing element at wavelengths greater than about 200nm is ≧ 5x10^-4。

In a sixth aspect according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the dielectric layer comprises one or more materials having a high refractive index and an absorption less than that of the ultraviolet light absorbing element.

In a seventh aspect according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the ultraviolet light absorbing member comprises AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO.

In an eighth aspect according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, a total thickness of the dielectric layer and the light absorbing element is between about 10nm and about 2000 nm.

In a ninth aspect according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the article comprises a maximum hardness of 8GPa or greater, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test.

In a tenth aspect according to any of the first to ninth aspects, the maximum indentation hardness of the ultraviolet light absorbing element as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test is within about ± 50% of the maximum indentation hardness of the article.

In an eleventh aspect according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the article exhibits an a parameter color shift and a b parameter color shift of less than about 4 upon exposure of the article to visible light at normal incidence angles.

In a twelfth aspect according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the ultraviolet light absorbing element has an absorption of greater than 75% at wavelengths of about 100nm to about 380 nm.

In a thirteenth aspect according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the ultraviolet light absorbing element has an absorption of greater than 90% at a wavelength of about 100nm to about 380 nm.

In a fourteenth aspect, there is provided an ultraviolet light resistant article comprising: a substrate comprising a glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces; a dielectric layer stack disposed on the first major surface; and at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer having an absorption of greater than 50% at wavelengths from about 100nm to about 380nm and a thickness between about 10nm to about 200 nm. The at least one light absorbing layer is within the dielectric stack.

In a fifteenth aspect according to the fourteenth aspect, the dielectric layer stack comprises a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer comprise refractive index values different from each other.

In a sixteenth aspect according to the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light absorbing layer.

In a seventeenth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to sixteenth aspects, the dielectric layer stack comprises an alternating sequence of dielectric layers and ultraviolet light absorbing layers.

In the eighteenth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to seventeenth aspects, the at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≦ 5x10 at a wavelength of about 380nm to about 700nm^-4。

In a nineteenth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to eighteenth aspects, the ultraviolet light-absorbing element has an extinction coefficient (k) of ≧ 5x10 at a wavelength greater than about 700nm^-4。

In a twentieth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth aspects, the substrate has a glass composition comprising SiO₂、Al₂O₃And at least two oxides selected from the group consisting of: b is₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂O。

In the twenty-first aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twentieth aspects, the at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer contains AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO.

In a twenty-second aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twenty-first aspects, the total thickness of the dielectric layer stack is between about 10nm and about 5000 nm.

In a twenty-third aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twenty-second aspects, the article has a maximum indentation hardness of 8GPa or greater, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test, along an indentation depth of about 50nm or greater.

In a twenty-fourth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twenty-third aspects, the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer has a maximum indentation hardness, as measured by the berkovich indenter hardness test, within about ± 50% of the maximum indentation hardness of the article along an indentation depth of about 50nm or more.

In a twenty-fifth aspect according to any of the fourteenth to twenty-fourth aspects, the article exhibits an a parameter color shift and a b parameter color shift of less than about 4 upon exposure of the article to visible light at normal incidence angles.

In a twenty-sixth aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twenty-fifth aspects, the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer has an absorption of greater than 75% at a wavelength of about 100nm to about 380 nm.

In a twenty-seventh aspect according to any one of the fourteenth to twenty-sixth aspects, the at least one layer of ultraviolet light-absorbing light absorbs more than 90% at a wavelength of about 100nm to about 380 nm.

In a twenty-eighth aspect, a method of making an ultraviolet light resistant article is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing a substrate comprising a glass or glass-ceramic and first and second major surfaces; forming at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer over the first major surface, the light-absorbing layer having an absorption of about 50% or more at a wavelength of about 100nm to about 380nm and a thickness of between about 10nm to about 500 nm; and forming a dielectric layer using a plasma assisted deposition process. The light absorbing layer is configured to suppress damage to the first main surface of the substrate due to the step of forming the dielectric layer.

In a twenty-ninth aspect according to the twenty-eighth aspect, forming the dielectric layers comprises forming an alternating sequence of first and second dielectric layers over the first major surface, the first and second dielectric layers characterized by different refractive index values.

In a thirty-first aspect according to the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth aspect, the forming of the at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and the forming of the dielectric layer are performed such that the at least one light-absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light-absorbing layer formed on the first main surface, and the dielectric layer is formed over the light-absorbing layer.

In a thirty-first aspect according to any one of the twenty-eighth to thirty-third aspects, the forming at least one ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and the forming the dielectric layer are performed such that the at least one light-absorbing layer is a single ultraviolet light-absorbing layer formed within the dielectric layer.

In a thirty-second aspect according to any one of the twenty-eighth to thirty-first aspects, the forming of the dielectric layer and the forming of the at least one ultraviolet light absorbing layer are performed substantially simultaneously, thereby forming an alternating sequence of the dielectric layer and the ultraviolet light absorbing layer.

In a thirty-third aspect according to any one of the twenty-eighth to thirty-second aspects, the forming of the ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and the forming of the dielectric layer are both performed in a single deposition chamber.

In a thirty-fourth aspect according to the twenty-eighth to thirty-third aspects, the substrate comprises a glass having a composition comprising: SiO 2₂、Al₂O₃And is selected from B₂O₃、P₂O₅、MgO、CaO、SrO、BaO、ZnO、Na₂O、K₂O and Li₂At least two oxides of O.

In a thirty-fifth aspect according to twenty-eighth to thirty-fourth aspects, the ultraviolet light absorbing layer contains AlSiO_xN_y、Nb₂O₅、Ta₂O₅、TiO₂、SnO₂And ZnO.

In a thirty-sixth aspect according to the twenty-eighth to thirty-fifth aspects, the substrate exhibits an a parameter color shift and a b parameter color shift of less than about 4 after the step of forming the ultraviolet light absorbing layer and after exposing the substrate to visible light at normal incidence angles.

In a thirty-seventh aspect according to the twenty-eighth to thirty-sixth aspects, the forming of the ultraviolet light-absorbing layer and the forming of the dielectric layer are performed such that the light-absorbing layer is formed within the dielectric layer.

In a thirty-eighth aspect according to the twenty-eighth to thirty-seventh aspects, the method further comprises annealing the substrate at a temperature of about 200 ℃ to about 300 ℃ for about 1 to about 24 hours after forming the dielectric layer.

In a thirty-ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device comprises: a housing having a front surface, a rear surface, and side surfaces; an electronic component at least partially located within the housing; a display at or adjacent to the front surface of the housing; and a cover substrate disposed over the display, wherein the cover substrate comprises the article of any one of the first to twenty-seventh aspects.