The present invention relates to a razor blade having one or more coatings formed by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, the formed coatings being uniform, conformal, and dense. The coatings may be on an entire surface of a blade flank, and at least a portion or an entire surface of a blade body. The coatings may be etched. The invention relates to a razor blade having a first coating of a first material and a second coating of a second material where at least one of the first and second coatings is deposited using an ALD process and the second coating is deposited on a top surface of the first coating. The first and second materials may be similar or different. The present invention relates to a razor component having one coating of at least one layer of one or more materials formed using an ALD process.

A medical instrument, including an atomic layer deposition, ALD, coating to indicate the type of the medical instrument, and use of ALD to indicate number of re-uses of a medical instrument.

As described above, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles having structural color, and methods of making articles having structural color. The present disclosure provides for articles that exhibit structural colors through the use of an optical element having one or more reflective layers, where structural colors are visible colors produced, at least in part, through optical effects (e.g., through scattering, refraction, reflection, interference, and/or diffraction of visible wavelengths of light).

A black ceramic composite coating is presented. The ceramic composite coating comprises a ceramic matrix having embedded therein carbide nanoparticles (in particular metal carbide nanoparticles) and/or metal-carbon composite nanoparticles (with separate metal and carbon phases) embedded therein. The carbide nanoparticles are metastable and the metal-carbon composite nanoparticles are decay products of the metastable carbide nanoparticles. A further aspect of the invention relates to producing such a ceramic composite coating.

Single crystal CVD diamond material comprising a total nitrogen concentration of at least 5 ppm and a neutral single substitutional nitrogen, N.sub.s.sup.0, to total single substitutional nitrogen, N.sub.s, ratio of at least 0.7. Such a diamond is observed to have a relatively low amount of brown colouration despite the relatively high concentration of nitrogen. A method of making the single crystal diamond is also disclosed, the method including growing the CVD diamond in process gases comprising 60 to 200 ppm nitrogen, in addition to a carbon-containing gas, and hydrogen, wherein the ratio of carbon atoms in the carbon-containing gas to hydrogen atoms in the hydrogen gas is 0.5 to 1.5%.

A method of applying a multi-color finish to a plumbing fixture includes depositing a first coating on the plumbing fixture; selectively applying a masking material in a graduated fashion over at least a portion of the first coating to define a gradient from a first portion of the plumbing fixture that is substantially completely covered by the masking material to a second portion of the plumbing fixture that has substantially no masking material; depositing a second coating over the masking material; and removing the masking material from the plumbing fixture such that the plumbing fixture has a surface finish including a transition region representing a gradual transition between the first coating and the second coating.

A plumbing fixture having a multi-color appearance includes a first portion including a first finish having a first appearance and a second portion including a second portion having a second appearance that differs from the first appearance. The plumbing fixture further includes a transition region between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the appearance of the third region is graduated from the first appearance to the second appearance between a first end of the transition region adjacent the first portion and a second end of the transition region adjacent the second portion. The plumbing fixture has an ombr? appearance as a result of the graduated transition between the first portion and the second portion.

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to trim components having textured surfaces that support physical vapor deposition (PVD) deposited thin film coatings, and/or methods of making the same. A plastic substrate has a surface to be coated that is textured so that PVD-deposited layers formed thereon are generally conformal thereto and provide a desired matte or glossy aesthetic for the trim component. An adhesion promoting base layer and an overcoat sandwich a metal-inclusive layer, and each of these layers may be PVD-deposited on the textured plastic substrate surface. The adhesion promoting base layer and the overcoat are optional. Layers of metal, transition element, and/or other materials may be used to provide the desired coloration in certain example embodiments. The trim components may be used for interior and/or exterior vehicle or other applications, e.g., in connection with functional and/or decorative elements.

Single crystal CVD diamond material comprising a total nitrogen concentration of at least 5 ppm and a neutral single substitutional nitrogen, N.sub.s.sup.0, to total single substitutional nitrogen, N.sub.s, ratio of at least 0.7. Such a diamond is observed to have a relatively low amount of brown colouration despite the relatively high concentration of nitrogen. A method of making the single crystal diamond is also disclosed, the method including growing the CVD diamond in process gases comprising 60 to 200 ppm nitrogen, in addition to a carbon-containing gas, and hydrogen, wherein the ratio of carbon atoms in the carbon-containing gas to hydrogen atoms in the hydrogen gas is 0.5 to 1.5%.

The present invention relates generally to a coated jewelry article or a coated component of a jewelry article, comprising a jewelry article or a component of a jewelry article, a first metallic coating, and a second metallic coating.