Abstract: A method of coating a metallic object with a substantially invisible protective coating, wherein the coating comprises a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, each layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride. The method comprises placing the object in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor; depositing a first layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on a surface of the object by ALD; depositing a second layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the first layer by ALD; and depositing a third layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the second layer by ALD, thereby forming the protective coating on the object.

Abstract: A protective coated object comprises an object having a surface and a coating on the surface. The coating comprises a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, each layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride. The coating may be substantially transparent relative to the surface. A method of coating an object with a protective coating comprises placing the object in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor; depositing a first layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on a surface of the object by ALD; depositing a second layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the first layer by ALD; and depositing a third layer comprising a metal oxide or a nitride on the second layer by ALD, thereby forming the protective coating on the object. The produced coating may be substantially transparent relative to the surface.

Abstract: In a method and system for controllable electrostatic-directed deposition of nanoparticles from the gas phase on a substrate patterned to have p-n junction(s), a bias electrical field is reversely applied to the p-n junction, so that uni-polarly charged nanoparticles are laterally confined on the substrate by a balance of electrostatic, van der Waals and image forces and are deposited on a respective p-doped or n-doped regions of the p-n junction when the applied electric field reaches a predetermined strength. The novel controllable deposition of nanoparticles employs commonly used substrate architectures for the patterning of an electric field attracting or repelling nanoparticles to the substrates and offers the opportunity to create a variety of sophisticated electric field patterns which may be used to direct particles with greater precision.