Abstract: An optical article includes a substrate with front and rear main faces, one main face coated with a columnar micro- or nano-structured coating. The substrate and optical article are transparent in at least a part of the visible region ranging from 380 to 780 nm, along at least one incidence angle. The columnar micro- or nano-structured coating includes an array of columns including each a core and an upper layer covering the core, the core and the upper layer being structurally and/or chemically different and have light absorbing properties with an extinction coefficient “k” ?10-2 in the spectrum 250-2500 nm and are able to cause a change in transmission or in reflection of incident light through the optical article as a function of the angle of incidence of light. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing an optical article including a columnar micro- or nano-structured coating.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to electrochromic devices (100, 1500), assemblies incorporating electrochromic devices, and methods of making the same. Highly-durable electrochromic devices include tungsten oxide (e.g., WO3 or other suitable stoichiometry) films (102, 1510) prepared using high-rate bias-enhanced sputter deposition. The sputtering is performed in a low-pressure (e.g., 1 mTorr) environment, and the biasing is very high (e.g., greater than ?400 V, more preferably greater than ?500 V), which causes high energy ion bombardment that in turn leads to partial nanocrystallization of the WO3 matrix, while simultaneously generating the porous microstructure desirable for ionic diffusion.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical article comprising a transparent substrate with a front main face and with a rear main face, at least one of the main faces being coated with a multilayered antireflective coating comprising at least one low refractive index layer (LI) having a refractive index lower than 1.55 at 550 nm, named hereafter first LI layer, one first high refractive index layer (HI) having a refractive index higher than or equal to 1.55 at 550 nm, named hereafter the first HI layer, and one encapsulated metal film (EMF) comprising a metal island layer (MIL) that is encapsulated between a first layer (L1) and a second layer (L2), said first layer (L1) and said second layer (L2) being both composed of at least one dielectric material, characterized in that said—the first layer (L1) is a second LI layer having a refractive index lower than 1.

Abstract: The invention concerns an ophthalmic lens having an increased resistance to thermal and hygroscopic stresses, said ophthalmic lens comprising a substrate, at least one main face of which is coated with a siloxane-based anti-abrasion hardcoat, characterized in that said ophthalmic lens further comprises at least one protective layer of an organic-inorganic material directly in contact with said hardcoat, said protective layer of organic-inorganic material having a Young's modulus higher than 20 GPa, preferably of at least 25 GPa.

Abstract: A method for forming a layer of alumina on the surface of a metal alloy substrate including aluminium, includes depositing a first aluminium layer on a surface of the metallic substrate, depositing a second layer by vapour-phase deposition on the first layer, the second layer comprising aluminium, a halogen and oxygen, and heat treatment of the substrate coated with the first and second layers under oxidising atmosphere in order to form the layer of alumina at the surface of the metallic substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an article comprising a substrate having at least one main surface coated with a layer A having a refractive index lower than or equal to 1.50, said layer A being obtained by deposition of activated species issued from at least one compound C in gaseous form, containing in its structure at least one Si-fluoroalkyl group, at least one carbon atom, at least one hydrogen atom and optionally at least one nitrogen atom and/or at least one oxygen atom, the deposition of said layer A being carried out by applying a bombardment with an ion beam to layer A while layer A is being formed, and said layer A being formed in the absence of inorganic precursor compounds. Application to the preparation of interferential coatings.

Abstract: An article is described herein which includes: a transparent substrate having a primary surface; and a protective film disposed on the primary surface, such that each of the substrate and the protective film have an optical transmittance of 20% or more in the visible spectrum, and such that the protective film includes at least one of: (1) a hardness of greater than 13 GPa, as measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter, or (2) an effective fracture toughness (Kc) of greater than 2.5 MPa·m1/2, as measured by indentation fracture at a depth of greater than 1 ?m.

Abstract: An optical article includes a substrate with front and rear main faces, one main face coated with a columnar micro- or nano-structured coating. The substrate and optical article are transparent in at least a part of the visible region ranging from 380 to 780 nm, along at least one incidence angle. The columnar micro- or nano-structured coating includes an array of columns including each a core and an upper layer covering the core, the core and the upper layer being structurally and/or chemically different and have light absorbing properties with an extinction coefficient “k” ?10-2 in the spectrum 250-2500 nm and are able to cause a change in transmission or in reflection of incident light through the optical article as a function of the angle of incidence of light. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing an optical article including a columnar micro- or nano-structured coating.

Abstract: An article includes: a transparent substrate having a primary surface; and a protective film disposed on the primary surface, such that each of the substrate and the protective film have an optical transmittance of 20% or more in the visible spectrum, and such that the protective film includes at least one of: (1) a hardness of greater than 13 GPa, as measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter, or (2) an effective fracture toughness (Kc) of greater than 2.5 MPa·m1/2, as measured by indentation fracture at a depth of greater than 1 ?m.

Abstract: An optical article including a substrate with two main surfaces, at least one of which is covered by a polymer coating having an outer surface, said coating including a first superficial layer beneath the outer surface having a first refractive index n1 and a second layer beneath the first superficial layer having a second refractive index n2, with n2<n1 and having the lowest refractive index of said polymer coating, and said coating exhibiting antireflective properties due to the difference between refractive indexes n1 and n2, said refractive index difference within the coating resulting from a plasma, corona, and/or an ion beam treatment of an initial polymer coating, through the outer surface. Also, a method for manufacturing this optical article.

Abstract: Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to electrochromic devices (100, 1500), assemblies incorporating electrochromic devices, and methods of making the same. Highly-durable electrochromic devices include tungsten oxide (e.g., WO3 or other suitable stoichiometry) films (102, 1510) prepared using high-rate bias-enhanced sputter deposition. The sputtering is performed in a low-pressure (e.g., 1 mTorr) environment, and the biasing is very high (e.g., greater than ?400 V, more preferably greater than ?500 V), which causes high energy ion bombardment that in turn leads to partial nanocrystallization of the WO3 matrix, while simultaneously generating the porous microstructure desirable for ionic diffusion.

Abstract: An article includes: a transparent substrate having a primary surface; and a protective film disposed on the primary surface, such that each of the substrate and the protective film have an optical transmittance of 20% or more in the visible spectrum, and such that the protective film includes at least one of: (1) a hardness of greater than 13 GPa, as measured by a Berkovich nanoindenter, or (2) an effective fracture toughness (Kc) of greater than 2.5 MPa·m1/2, as measured by indentation fracture at a depth of greater than 1 ?m.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article comprising a substrate having at least one major surface coated with a layer A of a material obtained by ion beam assisted vacuum deposition of at least one titanium oxide and of at least one organosilicate compound B, said material having a refractive index at 550 nm higher than or equal to 1.8, an extinction coefficient k at 550 nm lower than or equal to 0.02, and an H:E ratio higher than or equal to 0.046, where H and E designate the hardness of the material and the elastic coefficient of the material, respectively.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article comprising a substrate having at least one main surface coated with a multilayer interference coating, said coating containing a layer A having a refractive index less than or equal to 1.55. The article is characterised in that: layer A forms either the outer interference coating layer or an intermediate layer that is in direct contact with the outer interference coating layer, said outer interference coating layer being a layer B having a refractive index less than or equal to 1.55; layer A is obtained by ion beam deposition of activated species from at least one compound C in gaseous form and containing in its structure at least one silicon atom, at least one carbon atom, at least one hydrogen atom and, optionally, at least one nitrogen atom and/or at least one oxygen atom, layer A being deposited in the presence of nitrogen and/or oxygen when compound A does not contain nitrogen and/or oxygen; and layer A is not formed from inorganic precursor compounds.

Abstract: The invention concerns an article comprising a nanolaminate coating, wherein the nanolaminate coating has a total thickness ranging from 20 to 500 nm and comprises at least one pair of layers constituted of adjacent first and second layers and a minimum of three layers, said first layer being an inorganic silica layer obtained by evaporation of silicon oxide, especially evaporation of SiO2, and the second layer being a silicon-based organic-inorganic layer obtained by deposition of an organosilicon compound or a mixture of organosilicon compounds under plasma or ionic assistance, and wherein the refractive index of the nanolaminate coating as a whole is lower than 1.58 at 550 nm.

Abstract: The invention relates to an item comprising a substrate having at least one first main surface coated with an organic-inorganic layer of a material obtained by vacuum deposition of at least one metal oxide B, preferably having a refraction index no higher than 1.53, and at least one organic compound, said layer having a refractive index no higher than 1.45, and said metal oxide having been deposited by oblique angle deposition.

Abstract: The invention concerns an ophthalmic lens having an increased resistance to thermal and hygroscopic stresses, said ophthalmic lens comprising a substrate, at least one main face of which is coated with a siloxane-based anti-abrasion hardcoat, characterized in that said ophthalmic lens further comprises at least one protective layer of an organic-inorganic material directly in contact with said hardcoat, said protective layer of organic-inorganic material having a Young's modulus higher than 20 GPa, preferably of at least 25 GPa.

Abstract: The interference filter structure has a filter with a top side and a bottom side, a partially reflecting/transmitting thin metal layer, dielectric spacers on each sides of the partially transparent layer and a semi-absorbing film on at least a portion of top side or bottom side of the dielectric spacers. The filter provides a reflection mode when observed from the top or bottom side and light transmission is side independent.

Abstract: The invention concerns an optical article comprising a substrate with two main surfaces, at least one of which is covered by a polymer coating having an outer surface, said coating comprising a first superficial layer beneath the outer surface having a first refractive index n1 and a second layer beneath the first superficial layer having a second refractive index n2, with n2<nand having the lowest refractive index of said polymer coating, and said coating exhibiting antireflective properties due to the difference between refractive indexes n1 and n2, said refractive index difference within the coating resulting from a plasma, corona, and/or an ion beam treatment of an initial polymer coating, through the outer surface. The invention concerns also a method for manufacturing this optical article.

Abstract: An integrated security structure is provided employing an external source of energy to change the appearance of the structure rendering the structure more challenging to duplicate due to its complexity. The security structure includes a substrate forming part of a bank note, identification document, or other security device; an active device within the substrate changing color between at least two colors wherein a color of the substrate surrounding the active device matches one of the at least two colors to form a metameric device. At least one Interference Security Image Structure (ISIS) is configured to be metameric with a bleached state of the active device and is therefore invisible at normal incidence. Another ISIS is metameric with the colored state of the electrochromic device and consequently becomes invisible during coloration. When the whole device is tilted, both ISIS's change color while the rest of the device essentially remains the same.