IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,033,649
Granted Patent B2
US 7,033,649 · App. 10/870,939 · Granted Apr 25, 2006

Hydrophilic DLC on substrate with UV exposure

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,033,649
App. No.
10/870,939
Granted
Apr 25, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate is coated with a layer(s) or coating(s) that includes, for example, amorphous carbon in a form of diamond-like carbon (DLC). In certain embodiments, the DLC inclusive layer may be doped with at least one polar inducing dopant (e.g., Boron, Nitrogen, and/or any other suitable polar inducing dopant) in order to make the layer more polar and thus more hydrophilic so as to have a lower contact angle θ. In other embodiments, where such doping is optional, the DLC may be exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in a manner sufficient to cause the contact angle θ of the DLC layer to drop into a hydrophilic range (e.g., less than or equal to about 20 degrees).

Claims (13)

1. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

forming a layer comprising diamond-like carbon (DLC) on a substrate; and

exposing the layer comprising DLC to ultraviolet (UV) radiation so that the layer comprising DLC has a contact angle θ of less than or equal to 20 degrees.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC is formed using an ion beam.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC has a contact angle of less than or equal to 15 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC has a contact angle of less than or equal to 10 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC is ion beam deposited in a manner so as to include hydrogen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC has an average hardness of at least 10 GPa.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC has an average hardness of at least 20 GPa.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC is provided on the substrate, so that a low-E coating is located between the substrate and the layer comprising DLC.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the low-E coating comprises at least one layer comprising silver.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coated article is a window having a visible transmittance of at least 60%.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprising DLC includes sp 3 carbon-carbon bonds.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2017
From: GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES CORP.
To: GUARDIAN GLASS, LLC.
Reel/Frame 044053/0318 →