Abstract: Opaque flakes, such as pigment or bright flakes used in paints and inks, have a selected shape and/or other indicia to provide a covert security feature to an object. Shaped opaque covert flakes are not readily detectable by causal observation, but in some embodiments are easily seen at 50× magnification. In manufacturing the flakes a sheet of embossed frames are provided having embossed symbols or indicia within. Upon removing a coating from the embossed sheet the coating material tends to break along frame lines or grooves and the resulting flakes are substantially uniform in size. In order to have the flakes break along frame lines or grooves more readily than along the embossing or grooves defining indicia within a frame, the frames are provided with a deeper groove than indicia grooves. As well a groove having a different shaped profile conducive to breakage can be used for the frame grooves whereas a groove having a profile less conducive to breakage can be used to form the indicia grooves.

Abstract: Opaque flakes, such as pigment or bright flakes used in paints and inks, have a selected shape and/or other indicia to provide a covert security feature to an object. Shaped opaque covert flakes are not readily detectable by causal observation, but in some embodiments are easily seen at 50× magnification. In manufacturing the flakes a sheet of embossed frames are provided having embossed symbols or indicia within. Upon removing a coating from the embossed sheet the coating material tends to break along frame lines or grooves and the resulting flakes are substantially uniform in size. In order to have the flakes break along frame lines or grooves more readily than along the embossing or grooves defining indicia within a frame, the frames are provided with a deeper groove than indicia grooves. As well a groove having a different shaped profile conducive to breakage can be used for the frame grooves whereas a groove having a profile less conducive to breakage can be used to form the indicia grooves.

Abstract: Interference pigment flakes and foils are provided which have luminescent and color-shifting properties. The pigment flakes can have a symmetrical coating structure on opposing sides of a core layer, can have an asymmetrical coating structure with all of the layers on one side of the core layer, or can be formed with encapsulating coatings around the core layer. The coating structure of the flakes and foils includes a core layer, a dielectric layer overlying the core layer, and an absorber layer overlying the dielectric layer. A luminescent material is incorporated into the flakes or foils as a separate layer or as at least part of one or more of the other layers. The pigment flakes and foils exhibit a discrete color shift so as to have a first color at a first angle of incident light or viewing and a second color different from the first color at a second angle of incident light or viewing.

Abstract: Interference pigment flakes and foils are provided which have luminescent and color-shifting properties. A luminescent material coating structure is provided which partially covers or encapsulates a color-shifting pigment flake, or covers the outer surface of a foil. The pigment flakes can have a symmetrical coating structure on opposing sides of a core layer, can have an asymmetrical coating structure with all of the layers on one side of the core layer, or can be formed with encapsulating coatings around the core layer. The coating structure of the flakes and foils includes a core layer, a dielectric layer overlying the core layer, and an absorber layer overlying the dielectric layer. The luminescent pigment flakes and foils exhibit a discrete color shift so as to have a first color at a first angle of incident light or viewing and a second color different from the first color at a second angle of incident light or viewing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the direct detection of analytes using color changes that occur in immobilized biopolymeric material in response to selective binding of analytes to their surface. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions related to the encapsulation of biopolymeric material into metal oxide glass using the sol-gel method.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously producing areas of paraelectric states and areas of ferroelectric states on a single thin film layer, thereby reducing the number of processing steps required to produce integrated chips containing both standard capacitors and non-volatile memory devices from the number of steps needed using the conventional approach. A device containing both ferroelectric capacitors and non-ferroelectric capacitors using a single thin film as the dielectric.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with an intermetal level dielectric (IMD) including an organic-silica hybrid (110) and located between metal lines (104).

Abstract: A method for preparing encapsulated lipid-bilayer materials in a silica matrix comprising preparing a silica sol, mixing a lipid-bilayer material in the silica sol and allowing the mixture to gel to form the encapsulated lipid-bilayer material. The mild processing conditions allow quantitative entrapment of pre-formed lipid-bilayer materials without modification to the material's spectral characteristics. The method allows for the immobilization of lipid membranes to surfaces. The encapsulated lipid-bilayer materials perform as sensitive optical sensors for the detection of analytes such as heavy metal ions and can be used as drug delivery systems and as separation devices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the direct detection of analytes using color changes that occur in immobilized biopolymeric material in response to selective binding of analytes to their surface. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions related to the encapsulation of biopolymeric material into metal oxide glass using the sol-gel method.

Abstract: A dried gel material sterically entrapping nanoclusters of a catalytically active material and a process to make the material via an inverse micelle/sol-gel synthesis. A surfactant is mixed with an apolar solvent to form an inverse micelle solution. A salt of a catalytically active material, such as gold chloride, is added along with a silica gel precursor to the solution to form a mixture. To the mixture are then added a reducing agent for the purpose of reducing the gold in the gold chloride to atomic gold to form the nanoclusters and a condensing agent to form the gel which sterically entraps the nanoclusters. The nanoclusters are normally in the average size range of from 5-10 nm in diameter with a monodisperse size distribution.

Abstract: An active biological material encapsulated in a glass is formed using a sol-gel process. A metal alkoxide is mixed with water and exposed to ultrasonic energy at a pH.ltoreq.2 to form a single phase solution which is then buffered to a pH between about 5 and 7. The buffered solution is then mixed with the active biological material and the resultant gel is aged and dried. The dried product is a transparent porous glass with substantially all of the added active biological material encapsulated therein, the biological material retaining a high level of activity.