Low-emissivity coatings that are highly reflective to infrared-radiation. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver.

Disclosed is an inorganic polarizing plate that exhibits improved heat resistance while suppressing an increase in lead time resulting from addition of process steps and an increase in costs. An inorganic polarizing plate 1 includes: a substrate (11) transparent to light having a wavelength within a used band; a plurality of linear reflective film layers (12) arranged on the substrate (11) at pitches smaller than the wavelength of the light within the used band; a plurality of dielectric film layers (13) arranged on the corresponding reflective film layers (12); and a plurality of absorptive film layers (14) arranged on the corresponding dielectric film layers (13). Each of the absorptive film layers (14) includes: a property-oriented layer (15); and a heat-resistance-oriented layer (16) made of the same material as the property-oriented layer (15) and having an extinction coefficient greater than an extinction coefficient of the property-oriented layer (15).

Provided is a transparent conductive film-attached glass sheet that is less likely to be broken when produced or used in the form of a roll. A transparent conductive film-attached glass sheet 1 includes: a glass sheet 2; and an amorphous transparent conductive film 3 provided on a principal surface 2a of the glass sheet 2.

Methods and apparatus for improving the loading ratio of a hydrogen gas in a transition metal are disclosed. Blocking desorption sites on the surface of a metallic structure increases the partial hydrogen/deuterium pressure when the absorption and desorption processes reach an equilibrium. The higher the number of desorption sites that are blocked, the higher the equilibrium pressure can be reached for attaining a higher hydrogen loading ratio. Moreover, since hydrogen desorption occurs at grain boundaries, reducing grain boundaries is conducive to reducing the hydrogen desorption rate. Methods and apparatus for increasing grain sizes to reduce grain boundaries are also disclosed.

A low-E coating has good color stability (a low E* value) upon heat treatment (HT). Thermal stability may be improved by the provision of an as-deposited crystalline or substantially crystalline layer of or including zinc oxide, doped with at least one dopant (e.g., Sn), immediately under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of or including silver; and/or by the provision of at least one dielectric layer of or including an oxide of zirconium. These have the effect of significantly improving the coating's thermal stability (i.e., lowering the E* value). An absorber film may be designed to adjust visible transmission and provide desirable coloration, while maintaining durability and/or thermal stability. The dielectric layer (e.g., of or including an oxide of Zr) may be sputter-deposited so as to have a monoclinic phase in order to improve thermal stability.

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 substrate having a coating is disclosed. The coating is formed of a plurality of layers. A base layer of the plurality of layers includes an alloy, and at least two additional layers include silver. A coating for a substrate is also disclosed. A method of coating a substrate is further disclosed.

The present disclosure provides a composite conductive substrate exhibiting enhanced properties both in the folding endurance and the electric conductivity and a method of manufacturing the composite conductive substrate. A composite conductive substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an insulating layer; a metal nanowire structure embedded beneath one surface of the insulating layer; and a metal thin film coupled to the metal nanowire structure. The composite conductive substrate may be fabricated in an order of the insulating film, the metal nanowire structure, and the metal thin film, or vice versa.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a tempered glass sheet that has been tempered by an ion exchange process, the method including: a film forming step of covering a surface of an original glass sheet with an ion permeation suppressing film configured to suppress permeation of an alkali metal ion, to thereby provide a glass sheet with a film; a processing step of subjecting, after the film forming step, the glass sheet with a film to at least any one of cutting processing, end-surface processing, and hole-opening processing, to thereby provide a glass sheet to be tempered including an exposed portion free from being covered with the ion permeation suppressing film; and a tempering step of chemically tempering, after the processing step, the glass sheet to be tempered by the ion exchange process to provide a tempered glass sheet.

Provided is an optical member which includes: a substrate; and a laminated structure including two or more kinds of layers having different materials which are disposed on the substrate, in which the number of layers constituting the laminated structure is 10 or more, the maximum layer thickness of the layers constituting the laminated structure is 8 nm or less, and the minimum transmittance in a wavelength range of 400 nm to 800 nm or in a wavelength range of 6 m to 12 m is 10% or more.