Xerocoat Inc. (Redwood City, CA) earned U.S. Patent 7,642,199 for nanoporous silica and silica-like films and a nanofabrication process to produce them. Basically a precursor formulation is cured in an ammoniacal atmosphere to produce a continuous, interconnected, nano-porous silica network. The method provides a low cost simple method for producing robust films with effective control over the thickness and refractive index of the coating, along with being able to coat a range of substrate materials and shapes.
According to Australian inventors Paul Meredith and Michael Harvey (Brisbane, AU), the films are ideal candidates for cheap, robust, efficient optical coatings for applications including antireflection coatings, chemical and mechanical barrier coatings, anti-fogging coatings, anti-glare coatings (light diffusing effect), high reflectivity coatings, low refractive index supports and cladding and dielectric barrier layers.
The thin films may be employed as low refractive index optical coatings for anti-reflection coatings or as low and high refractive index materials in high-low refractive index multilayer coatings. As a low refractive index optical coating the silica thin films may be applied to all forms of glass including spectacles, windows, windscreens, decorative, etc.; coatings for CRT and other display devices such as computer monitors, televisions, etc.; coatings for solar cells; optical instrument coatings such as lenses, mirrors, and the like; active and passive optical waveguides in telecommunications, and advanced photonics; and optoelectronic devices.
The thin films may also be used as physical and chemical barrier coatings including, invisible metal and plastics protection, invisible protection for delicate optical surfaces.
A further use of the thin films can be as anti-fogging coatings for applications including automotive and marine glass, architectural glass, spectacles, windows of all sorts, bathroom mirrors and shower screens.
The films may be manufactured with an additional component imbedded in the porous network to make the film an active coating. The nanoporous structure of the film also makes it potentially useful as a nanosieve.
According to Australian inventors Paul Meredith and Michael Harvey (Brisbane, AU), the films are ideal candidates for cheap, robust, efficient optical coatings for applications including antireflection coatings, chemical and mechanical barrier coatings, anti-fogging coatings, anti-glare coatings (light diffusing effect), high reflectivity coatings, low refractive index supports and cladding and dielectric barrier layers.
The thin films may be employed as low refractive index optical coatings for anti-reflection coatings or as low and high refractive index materials in high-low refractive index multilayer coatings. As a low refractive index optical coating the silica thin films may be applied to all forms of glass including spectacles, windows, windscreens, decorative, etc.; coatings for CRT and other display devices such as computer monitors, televisions, etc.; coatings for solar cells; optical instrument coatings such as lenses, mirrors, and the like; active and passive optical waveguides in telecommunications, and advanced photonics; and optoelectronic devices.
The thin films may also be used as physical and chemical barrier coatings including, invisible metal and plastics protection, invisible protection for delicate optical surfaces.
A further use of the thin films can be as anti-fogging coatings for applications including automotive and marine glass, architectural glass, spectacles, windows of all sorts, bathroom mirrors and shower screens.
The films may be manufactured with an additional component imbedded in the porous network to make the film an active coating. The nanoporous structure of the film also makes it potentially useful as a nanosieve.
