Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated optical phase-change recording medium for use with near-field optical head devices and which exhibits superior wear resistance and improved lifetime. According to the method, the surface of a composite optical phase-change media structure deposited onto a substrate is subjected to ion beam deposition of a DLC over-coat to a thickness of no greater than about 450 .ANG.. Preferably the DLC is ion beam deposited onto the phase-change recording layer at the surface of the medium structure or onto a germanium-containing adhesion-promoting interlayer to achieve the desired adhesion of the DLC to the surface of the medium structure.

Abstract: A unique Hall-Current ion source apparatus is used for direct ion beam deposition of DLC coatings with hardness values greater than 10 GPa and at deposition rates greater than 10 .ANG. per second. This ion source has a unique fluid-cooled anode with a shadowed gap through which ion sources feed gases are introduced while depositing gases are injected into the plasma beam. The shadowed gap provides a well maintained, electrically active area at the anode surface which stays relatively free of non-conductive deposits. The anode discharge region is insulatively sealed to prevent discharges from migrating into the interior of the ion source. A method is described in which a substrate is disposed within a vacuum chamber, coated with a coating of DLC or Si-DLC at a high deposition rate using a Hall-Current ion source operating on carbon-containing or carbon-containing and silicon-containing precursor gases, respectively.

Abstract: An abrasion-resistant dielectric composite product is described comprising a substrate and an abrasion wear resistant coating material comprising carbon, hydrogen, silicon, and oxygen and a dielectric material. An improved method is provided for the deposition of highly durable and abrasion-resistant multilayer dielectric antireflective coatings and reflective colored mirror coatings onto plastic lenses such as ophthalmic lenses, safety lenses, sunglass lenses, and sports optics. An adhesion-enhancing polymer layer may be deposited onto the plastic substrate prior to deposition of the abrasion-resistant first coating layer. The multilayer dielectric coating structure consists of a transparent, highly abrasion-resistant first coating, and a second dielectric coating composed of at least one layer of dielectric material.

Abstract: The invention provides a thermal print head with a protective coating of silicon-doped diamond-like carbon (Si-DLC) which imparts superior wear resistance, and improved lifetime. The Si-DLC is comprised of the elements C, H, Si and possibly O, N and Ar. The highly wear and abrasion-resistant Si-DLC diamond-like carbon coating is deposited by ion-assisted plasma deposition including direct ion beam deposition and capacitive radio frequency plasma deposition, from carbon-containing and silicon-containing precursor gases consisting of hydrocarbon, silane, organosilane, organosilazane and organo-oxysilicon compounds, or mixtures thereof. The resulting Si-DLC coating has the properties of Nanoindentation hardness in the range of approximately 10 to 35 GPa, thickness in the range of approximately 0.5 to 20 micrometers, dynamic friction coefficient of less than approximately 0.2, and a silicon concentration in the range of approximately 5 atomic % to approximately 40 atomic %.

Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product has greatly improved wear resistance for severe abrasive environments and comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, one or more chemically vapor deposited interlayers bonded to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of optically transparent or substantially optically transparent hard and low friction material bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.

Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product has greatly improved wear resistance for severe abrasive environments and comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, one or more chemically vapor deposited interlayers bond to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of optically transparent or substantially optically transparent hard and low friction material bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition method is provided for manufacturing a coated substrate with improved abrasion resistance, and improved lifetime. According to the method, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface. Alter the substrate surface has been sputter-etched, a protective, abrasion-resistant coating is deposited by ion beam deposition. The ion beam-deposited coating may contain one or more layers. Once the chosen thickness of the coating has been achieved, the deposition process on the substrates is terminated, the vacuum chamber pressure is increased to atmospheric pressure, and the coated substrate products having improved abrasion-resistance are removed from the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product has greatly improved wear resistance for severe abrasive environments and comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, a chemicaly vapor deposited first interlayer bonded to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of substantially optically transparent diamond-like carbon bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.

Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product has greatly improved wear resistance for severe abrasive environments and comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, a chemicaly vapor deposited first interlayer bonded to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of substantially optically transparent diamond-like carbon bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.

Abstract: A substantially optically transparent coated substrate product with a highly adherent, abrasion-resistant diamond-like hard carbon coating is disclosed. The substrate product is comprised of a polymeric substrate, an adhesion-mediating polysiloxane polymer layer, one or more intermediate layers and an outer layer of diamond-like hard carbon. In another embodiment of the invention a thin metallic interlayer is disposed between a first interlayer layer and subsequent interlayers and/or diamond-like hard carbon. The invention also allows for the production of adherent thin film interference layer coatings (i.e. quarter wavelength stacks and anti-reflection coatings) using diamond-like hard carbon as the high refractive index layer and the interlayer(s) as the low refractive index layer or, alternatively, using diamond-like hard carbon as the low refractive index layer and the interlayer(s) as the high refractive index layer. The invention further discloses a method for fabricating the coated substrate product.

Abstract: A method for depositing a thick, adherent and coherent polycrystalline diamond (PCD) film onto a metallic substrate using a deposition rate of no greater than 0.4 .mu.m per hour. The resulting PCD Film has a smooth surface finish, enhanced crystal orientation in comparision to industrial grade diamond powder particularly in the (220) and (400) directions, and excellent electrical and thermal properties. The method enables one to deposit PCD films having a thickness of at least 12 microns for applications on flat as well as curved substrates having wide use in the electronics industry. Thick PCD films of this invention have been found to be ideal for dissipating heat from radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) devices.

Abstract: An improved hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) reactor is disclosed comprising a gas dispersion system, a filament network and an apertured support plate for the substrate. The apertures in the support plate provide for counteracting the natural pressure and temperature gradients which arise within the reactor so that a uniform deposit or material can be coated over the entire surface of multiple small pieces simultaneously. Specifically, the apertured support plate substantially reduces the extent of radial (stagnation point) gas flow adjacent to the substrate which significantly improves coating uniformity.

Abstract: The coated substrate product finds particular application in eyeglass and sunglass lenses, architectural glass, analytical instrument windows, automotive windshields and laser bar code scanners for use in retail stores and supermarkets. The product comprises a substantially optically transparent substrate, a chemically vapor deposited first interlayer bonded to the substrate and a chemically vapor deposited outer layer of substantially optically transparent diamond-like carbon bonded to the interlayer and away from the substrate.

Abstract: A coated substrate product is disclosed which comprises a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond layer having a smooth surface finish, enhanced crystal orientation in comparison to industrial grade diamond powder particularly in the (220) and (400) directions, and excellent electrical and thermal properties. Also disclosed is a method for fabricating such a coated substrate in which the polycrystalline diamond layer is chemically vapor deposited onto the substrate at substrate temperatures in the range of 650.degree. to 825.degree. C.

Abstract: The method for depositing multilayers of PCD film onto the substrate comprises chemically depositing a polycrystalline diamond layers onto the substrate at deposition temperatures in the range of 650.degree. to 825.degree. C., interrupting the deposition process with a cool-down step and then depositing at least one other layer under the same deposition conditions. The method enables one to deposit PCD films having a thickness of at least 12 microns for applications on flat as well as curved substrates having wide use in the electronics industry. Thick PCD films of this invention have been found to be ideal for dissipating heat from radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) devices.

Abstract: An ion beam deposition method is provided for manufacturing a coated substrate with improved abrasion resistance, and improved lifetime. According to the method, the substrate is first chemically cleaned to remove contaminants. In the second step, the substrate is inserted into a vacuum chamber, and the air in said chamber is evacuated. In the third step, the substrate surface is bombarded with energetic ions to assist in the removal of residual hydrocarbons and surface oxides, and to activate the surface. Alter After the substrate surface has been sputter-etched, a protective, abrasion-resistant coating is deposited by ion beam deposition. The ion beam-deposited coating may contain one or more layers. Once the chosen thickness of the coating has been achieved, the deposition process on the substrates is terminated, the vacuum chamber pressure is increased to atmospheric pressure, and the coated substrate products having improved abrasion-resistance are removed from the vacuum chamber.