Provided is a polarizing plate having a wire grid structure, comprising a transparent substrate, a first antireflection film laminated on the first surface of the transparent substrate, a plurality of protrusions protruding from the first antireflection film, a second antireflection layer laminated on a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the plurality of protrusions are periodically arranged at a pitch shorter than a wavelength of light in a use band, each of the protrusions extends in in a first direction and includes a reflective layer, a dielectric layer, and an absorption layer in order from the first direction, and both the first antireflection layer and the second antireflection layer have high refractive index layers and low refractive index layers that are alternately laminated.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to coated articles having a metamaterial-inclusive layer, coatings having a metamaterial-inclusive layer, and/or methods of making the same. Metamaterial-inclusive coatings may be used, for example, in low-emissivity applications, providing for more true color rendering, low angular color dependence, and/or high light-to-solar gain. The metamaterial material may be a noble metal or other material, and the layer may be made to self-assemble by virtue of surface tensions associated with the noble metal or other material, and the material selected for use as a matrix. An Ag-based metamaterial layer may be provided below a plurality (e.g., 2, 3, or more) continuous and uninterrupted layers comprising Ag in certain example embodiments. In certain example embodiments, barrier layers comprising TiZrOx may be provided between adjacent layers comprising Ag, as a lower-most layer in a low-E coating, and/or as an upper-most layer in a low-E coating.

To provide a glass substrate with an antireflection film, which employs glass having high refractive index and which has excellent strength, and an optical member comprising it.

A glass substrate with an antireflection film, comprising a glass substrate which consists of glass having refractive index (n.sub.d) of from 1.68 to 2.00 and which has plate thickness of from 0.01 to 2 mm, and an antireflection film formed on at least one principal plane of the glass substrate.

An article that includes: a glass, glass-ceramic or ceramic substrate comprising a primary surface; at least one of an optical film and a scratch-resistant film disposed over the primary surface; and an easy-to-clean (ETC) coating comprising a fluorinated material that is disposed over an outer surface of the at least one of an optical film and a scratch-resistant film. The at least one of an optical film and a scratch-resistant film comprises an average hardness of 12 GPa or more. Further, the outer surface of the at least one of an optical film and a scratch-resistant film comprises a surface roughness (R.sub.q) of less than 1.0 nm. Further, the at least one of an optical film and a scratch-resistant film comprises a total thickness of about 500 nm or more.

Certain example embodiments relate to ultra-fast laser treatment of silver-inclusive (low-emissivity) low-E coatings, coated articles including such coatings, and/or associated methods. The low-E coating is formed on a substrate (e.g., borosilicate or soda lime silica glass), with the low-E coating including at least one sputter-deposited silver-based layer, and with each said silver-based layer being sandwiched between one or more dielectric layers. The low-E coating is exposed to laser pulses having a duration of no more than 10.sup.12 seconds, a wavelength of 355-500 nm, and an energy density of more than 30 kW/cm.sup.2. The exposing is performed so as to avoid increasing temperature of the low-E coating to more than 300 degrees C. while also reducing (a) grain boundaries with respect to, and vacancies in, each said silver-based layer, (b) each said silver-based layer's refractive index, and (c) emissivity of the low-E coating compared to its as-deposited form.

In one aspect, the present invention is an organic-inorganic hybrid membrane of a cerium oxide and an organic fluorine compound, the organic-inorganic hybrid membrane satisfying the following (a), (b), and (c): (a) the visible-light transmittance is 70% or higher; (b) the UV transmittance at a wavelength of 380 nm is 60% or lower; and (c) the water contact angle of the surface of the organic-inorganic hybrid membrane is 80 or higher. In another aspect, the present invention is an organic-inorganic hybrid membrane of a cerium oxide and an organic fluorine compound, the organic-inorganic hybrid membrane satisfying the following (a), (b), and (c): (a) the visible-light transmittance is 70% or higher; (b) the UV transmittance at a wavelength of 380 nm is 60% or lower; and (c) the water contact angle of the surface of the organic-inorganic hybrid membrane is 90 or higher. The organic fluorine compound may include a fluorine-based resin. Also disclosed are a laminate and an article that include the organic-inorganic hybrid membrane.

A chalcopyrite compound-based thin film in which an alkali metal is incorporated, and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The chalcopyrite compound-based thin film in which an alkali metal is incorporated may have improved film characteristics such as excellent chalcopyrite crystal characteristics and improved surface characteristics, and may exhibit improved optical characteristics by control of the distribution of constituent elements in the chalcopyrite compound layer. Accordingly, performance of a solar cell including the chalcopyrite compound-based thin film may be improved. The chalcopyrite compound-based thin film may be easily fabricated through a solution process.

A decorative product includes a decorative layer containing nickel, chromium, and molybdenum as constituent components. The molybdenum content in the decorative layer is 50 atm % or less. The total content of nickel, chromium, and molybdenum in the decorative layer is 95 atm % or more.

Coated articles include two or more functional infrared (IR) reflecting layers optionally sandwiched between at least dielectric layers. The dielectric layers may be of or including silicon nitride or the like. At least one of the IR reflecting layers is of or including titanium nitride (e.g., TiN) and at least another of the IR reflecting layers is of or including indium-tin-oxide (ITO).

A cesium tungsten oxide film has high heat ray shielding performance and a radio wave transmissivity, and a method for manufacturing a cesium tungsten oxide film capable of manufacturing such film by a dry method. A cesium tungsten oxide film including cesium, tungsten and oxygen as main components, wherein, an atomic ratio of the cesium and the tungsten is Cs/W, which is 0.1 or more and 0.5 or less, and the cesium tungsten oxide film is having a hexagonal crystal structure. A method for manufacturing a cesium tungsten oxide film including cesium, tungsten and oxygen as main components, including: a film deposition process using a cesium tungsten oxide target; and a heat treatment process for heat-treating the film at a temperature of 400 C. or more and less than 1000 C., wherein either the film deposition process or the heat treatment process is performed in an atmosphere containing oxygen.