Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Canadian Patents and Development Limited/societe Canadienne Des Brevets

Allan J Waldorf

Jerzy A Dobrowolski

Fang C Ho

A hard to simulate, readily distinguishable from counterfeits, optical interference authenticating device comprises a substrate, and two optical interference coatings in interfacial contact on one side of the substrate, one of the optical interference coatings being a contrast coating, the other of the optical interference coatings being a form depicting coating for depicting a form relative to the contrast coating. The optical interference coatings each comprising at least one optical interference layer the material and thickness of which has been selected for the coatings to have different, particular, known spectral reflectance and spectral transmittance characteristics from one another when viewed at a particular angle, such that the form depicting coating is visible by reflected or transmitted light of particular coloration, when viewed at the particular angle, at least in part by optical interference of light partically reflected or transmitted at the interfacial contact. A further optical interference contrast coating may be provided on the substrate and the form depicting coating may be sandwiched between the contrast coatings. The substrate may be transparent, semi-transparent or opaque, depending how the spectral characteristics are to be observed. A marginal edge portion of the form depicting coating may taper in thickness to provide a multicolored auriole around the form. A plurality form depicting coatings may be provided which overlie one another to provide a more complex pattern.

Form depicting, optical interference authenticating device

Hard to simulate, readily distinguishable from counterfeits, optical interference authenticating devices are provided by depositing two coatings on a substrate, each coating comprising at least one optical interference layer, the material of each layer being selected so that the two coatings together and separately have different spectral reflectance and spectral transmittance characteristics at different angles of incidence of light thereon. The substrate may be, for example, a polyester film and a first one of the coatings is sufficiently radiation absorbing of, say, infrared radiation that at least one portion of that coating can be removed by an infrared laser beam through, for example, a mask to provide a readily distinguishable pattern on the substrate. The first coating may be, for example, a multilayer absorber coating containing Inconel, aluminum or some other suitable material, while the other coating, which is insufficiently radiation absorbing by, for example, infrared radiation to be substantially resistant to excavation solely by the infrared laser beam may be, for example, a multilayer coating of ZrO.sub.2 or SiO.sub.2, etc. If the first coating is outermost from the substrate then only the first coating will be excavated by the infrared laser beam. If the second coating is outermost from the substrate then both the first and second coatings will be excavated by the infrared laser beam.

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Kemptville, Canada

Allan J Waldorf