Sapphire thin film coated substrate
A method to deposit a layer of harder thin film substrate onto a softer substrate. In particular, the present invention provides a method to deposit a layer of sapphire thin film on to a softer substrate e.g. quartz, fused silica, silicon and (toughen) glass. This combination is better than pure sapphire substrate.
1. A method for coating sapphire on to a substrate comprising,
an e-beam evaporation or sputtering deposition process at room temperature, wherein sapphire is deposited directly on to a substrate selected from quartz, fused silica, silicon, glass, or toughened glass to form a sapphire coated substrate, wherein the substrate during deposition is without external cooling or heating; and
at least one anneal process, wherein said sapphire coated substrate is annealed under an annealing temperature ranging between 500° C. and 2040° C. for an effective duration of time.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises at least one material with a Mohs value less than that of said sapphire.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said sapphire is deposited as a sapphire thin film on to said substrate.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of said substrate is of one or more orders of magnitude greater than a thickness of said sapphire thin film.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said sapphire thin film has the thickness between 150 nm and 600 nm.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said sapphire thin film has the thickness between 150 nm and 300 nm.
7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a thickness of said sapphire thin film is about 1/1000 of a thickness of said substrate.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said effective duration of time is no less than 30 minutes and no more than 2 hours.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one anneal process has a temperature raising rate of 5° C. per minute and a temperature declining rate of 1° C. per minute.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said annealing temperature ranges between 850° C. and 1300° C.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said annealing temperature ranges between 1150° C. and 1300° C.
12. A method for protecting a surface of a substrate by coating said surface with sapphire using the method according to claim 1 .
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said surface allows light to pass through.
14. A screen fabricated by using the method according to claim 1 for use in displays.
15. The screen according to claim 14 , wherein said screen is used as one or more interfaces in electronic or digital devices.
16. The screen according to claim 14 , wherein said screen is scratch resistant, shatter resistant, and light in weight.
17. The screen according to claim 14 , wherein said screen allows light to pass through.