公开(公告)号：EP4086311A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-09

申请号：EP21215217.7

申请日：2021-12-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： BAO, Lijie ,  LIU, Jiayun ,  TONG, Fei ,  MATLAK, Jozef M. ,  POSTAK, Sonja R. ,  TRYON, Brian S.

IPC: C09D1/00 ,  C01B21/06 ,  C09D5/33 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C16/34 ,  G04G17/02 ,  G06F1/16 ,  H05K5/02

Abstract: An electronic device may include conductive structures with a light-reflecting coating. The coating may have a two or four-layer thin-film interference filter. The two-layer filter may have a CrN layer and an SiCrN layer. The four-layer filter may have two CrN layers and two SiCrN layers. The two-layer filter may be used to coat relatively small conductive components. The four-layer filter may be used to coat a conductive housing sidewall. Both types of interference filter may produce a relatively uniform light blue color despite variations in coating thickness produced on account of the geometry of the underlying conductive structure.

公开(公告)号：EP3640362A3

公开(公告)日：2020-08-19

申请号：EP19194502.1

申请日：2019-08-29

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： TRYON, Brian S. ,  YANG, Isabel ,  MINTZ, Todd ,  LI, Jeremy ,  GABLE, Brian ,  BAO, Lijie ,  CHEN, Yi ,  PREST, Christopher D. ,  YURKO, James

IPC: C23C14/00 ,  A44C27/00 ,  C23C14/02 ,  G04B45/00 ,  G04D3/00 ,  C23C28/04 ,  C23C28/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  B32B9/00 ,  B32B15/04 ,  G04B37/22

Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a conductive housing. A corrosion-resistant coating may be deposited on the conductive housing. The coating may include transition layers and an uppermost alloy layer. The transition layers may include a chromium seed layer on the conductive housing and a chromium nitride layer on the chromium seed layer. The uppermost alloy layer may include TiCrCN or other alloys and may provide the coating with desired optical reflection and absorption characteristics. The transition layers may include a minimal number of coating defects, thereby eliminating potential sites at which visible defects could form when exposed to salt water. This may allow the electronic device to exhibit a desired color and to be submerged in salt water without producing undesirable visible defects on the conductive housing structures.

公开(公告)号：EP3879315A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-15

申请号：EP21159662.2

申请日：2021-02-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： TRYON, Brian S. ,  BAO, Lijie ,  MELCHER, Martin ,  POSTAK, Sonja

IPC: G02B5/28 ,  C23C14/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  H04M1/02

Abstract: An electronic device may include conductive structures having a visible-light-reflecting coating. The coating may include a seed layer, transition layers, a neutral-color base layer, and an uppermost layer that forms a single-layer interference film. The neutral-color base layer may be opaque to visible light. The interference film may include silicon and may have an absorption coefficient between 0 and 1. The interference film may include, for example, CrSiCN or CrSiC. The composition of the interference film, the thickness of the interference film, and/or the composition of the base layer may be selected to provide the coating with a desired color in the visible spectrum (e.g., at blue or purple wavelengths). The color may be relatively stable even if the thickness of the coating varies across its area.

公开(公告)号：EP3778990A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-17

申请号：EP20191019.7

申请日：2020-08-13

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： TRYON, Brian S. ,  BAO, Lijie ,  MELCHER, Martin ,  POSTAK, Sonja R.

IPC: C23C28/04 ,  C23C28/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/16 ,  H04M1/08

Abstract: An electronic device may include conductive structures having a visible-light-reflecting coating. The coating may include a seed layer, transition layers, a neutral-color base layer, and an uppermost layer that forms a single-layer interference film. The neutral-color base layer may be opaque to visible light. The interference film may include silicon and may have an absorption coefficient between 0 and 1. The interference film may include, for example, CrSiN or CrSiCN. The composition of the interference film, the thickness of the interference film, and/or the composition of the base layer may be selected to provide the coating with a desired color near the middle of the visible spectrum (e.g., at green wavelengths). The color may be relatively stable even if the thickness of the coating varies across its area.

公开(公告)号：EP3640362A2

公开(公告)日：2020-04-22

申请号：EP19194502.1

申请日：2019-08-29

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： TRYON, Brian S. ,  YANG, Isabel ,  MINTZ, Todd ,  LI, Jeremy ,  GABLE, Brian ,  BAO, Lijie ,  CHEN, Yi ,  PREST, Christopher D. ,  YURKO, James

IPC: C23C14/00 ,  A44C27/00 ,  C23C14/02 ,  G04B45/00 ,  G04D3/00 ,  C23C28/04 ,  C23C28/00 ,  C23C14/06 ,  B32B9/00 ,  B32B15/04

Abstract: An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a conductive housing. A corrosion-resistant coating may be deposited on the conductive housing. The coating may include transition layers and an uppermost alloy layer. The transition layers may include a chromium seed layer on the conductive housing and a chromium nitride layer on the chromium seed layer. The uppermost alloy layer may include TiCrCN or other alloys and may provide the coating with desired optical reflection and absorption characteristics. The transition layers may include a minimal number of coating defects, thereby eliminating potential sites at which visible defects could form when exposed to salt water. This may allow the electronic device to exhibit a desired color and to be submerged in salt water without producing undesirable visible defects on the conductive housing structures.