Reflective security element for security papers, value documents or the like

1. A security element for manufacturing value documents, comprising an upper side on which there is formed a microcavity structure that has a multiplicity of adjacent microcavities configured as retroreflectors, wherein on the microcavities there is formed a structure causing a color effect, wherein the microcavities are respectively configured such that they have a first region in which radiation incident on an upper side is singly reflected, and a second region in which radiation incident on an upper side is multiply reflected, and that the structure causing the color effect has a dispersion dependent on an angle of incidence, so that radiation singly reflected at the first region shows a different color effect, when viewed from the upper side, than radiation multiply reflected at the second region.

2. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the structure causing the color effect is configured as a color-shift coating.

3. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the microcavities are configured as spherical, aspherical or elliptical depressions or in the form of a freeform area.

4. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the microcavities are configured as non-rotationally symmetric channel-shaped depressions.

5. The security element according to claim 3 , wherein the microcavity structure has several districts in which the respective microcavities are non-rotationally symmetric microcavities that all extend along a main direction, wherein the main directions of the districts differ.

6. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the microcavities have an extent, at least in a direction which is parallel to the surface, which is between 2 μm and 300 μm.

7. A value document having a security element according to claim 1 .

8. A manufacturing method for a security element for value documents, wherein a substrate is provided, which has an upper side, on the upper side there is formed a microcavity structure that has a multiplicity of adjacent microcavities configured as retroreflectors, and on the microcavities there is formed a structure causing a color effect, wherein the microcavities are respectively configured such that they have a first region in which radiation incident on an upper side is singly reflected, and a second region in which radiation incident on an upper side is multiply reflected, and that the structure causing the color effect is provided with a dispersion dependent on an angle of incidence, so that radiation singly reflected at the first region shows a different color effect, when viewed from the upper side, than radiation multiply reflected at the second region.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the structure causing the color effect is configured as a color-shift coating.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the microcavities are configured as spherical, aspherical or elliptical depressions or in the form of a freeform area.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the microcavities are configured as non-rotationally symmetric channel-shaped depressions.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein in the microcavity structure there are formed several districts, in which the respective microcavities are non-rotationally symmetric microcavities that all extend along a main direction, wherein the main directions of the districts differ.

13. A security element for manufacturing value documents, the security element comprising:

a microcavity structure comprising a substrate having formed thereon a plurality of adjacent microcavities configured as retroreflectors, each microcavity having:

a first region configured such that radiation incident thereon is singly reflected; and

a second region configured such that radiation incident thereon is reflected multiple times; and

a layer structure formed on the microcavities so as to cause a color effect, the layer structure having a dispersion that is dependent on an angle of incidence, so that for each microcavity, radiation singly reflected at the first region shows a different color effect than radiation reflected multiple times at the second region.

14. The security element according to claim 13 , wherein the layer structure is a color-shift coating.

15. The security element according to claim 13 ,

wherein the microcavity structure has several districts in which the microcavities are positioned,

wherein the microcavities of each district are non-rotationally symmetric microcavities that all extend along a main direction, and

wherein the main directions of the districts differ.

16. A value document having a security element according to claim 13 .

17. A method of manufacturing a security element for value documents, the method comprising:

forming a microcavity structure on a substrate, the microcavity structure bounding a plurality of adjacent microcavities configured as retroreflectors, each microcavity being formed so as to have:

a first region configured such that radiation incident thereon is singly reflected; and

a second region configured such that radiation incident thereon is reflected multiple times; and

forming a layer structure on the microcavities so as to cause a color effect, the layer structure having a dispersion that is dependent on an angle of incidence, so that for each microcavity, radiation singly reflected at the first region shows a different color effect than radiation reflected multiple times at the second region.