IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Thin Films Tuesday Sessions
       Session TF-TuP

Paper TF-TuP12
Aluminum Flakes with Enhanced Spectral Properties

Tuesday, October 30, 2001, 5:30 pm, Room 134/135

Session: Microstructure, Oxides, and Optical Properties Poster Session
Presenter: K.E. Coulter, Flex Products, Inc.
Authors: K.E. Coulter, Flex Products, Inc.
R.W. Phillips, Flex Products, Inc.
T. Mayer, Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc.
R.A. Bradley, Flex Products, Inc.
J.S. Matteucci, Flex Products, Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
A vacuum deposited multi-layer rigid and brittle bright metal flake has been developed that provides favorable planar specular reflective characteristics in the visible wavelength range and application and durability advantages. Two constructs of the 300nm thick by 15micron in diameter brittle flakes have been demonstrated. One design has a central layer of reflective material supported on both sides by dielectric layers at a thickness of 10-100nm. The addition of the dielectric layers theoretically reduces the specular reflectance of the aluminum surface but the addition a dielectric for support increases reflectance 5-10% in the flake form. The second design utilizes the same materials and dimensions but has the dielectric as the central layer with the reflective material on each side. The result for both designs is a sub-micron thick three-layered metal flake that exhibits a uniaxial compressive strength of approximately 8 times a corresponding uniaxial tensile strength. As a result, the metal flake is then afforded the benefits of rigidity and brittle fracture during manufacturing and application processing. In this talk, a review of design, vacuum deposition processes for manufacture, characterization and use of the flakes in applications will be discussed.