A film layer is disclosed having a graded index of refraction and layer stacks, along with processes and apparatuses for making film layers. The graded index of refraction may have a continuous change through thickness of the film layer. The film layer may be made of a cation oxynitride material. Film layers may be made by using a sputtering source and varying gas flows over time, or by moving or positioning a substrate within PVD zones having lower and higher index of refraction material deposition.

The present invention aims to provide a vehicular exterior member that is excellent in strength and cost, and sufficiently ensures a viewing field of sharpness of a thermal image obtained by a far-infrared camera. A vehicular exterior member that includes a light blocking region and is configured to be attached to a vehicle equipped with a far-infrared camera. The vehicular exterior member further includes, in the light blocking region, a far-infrared ray transmitting region having an opening and a far-infrared ray transmitting member disposed in the opening. An average transmittance of far-infrared rays having a wavelength ranging from 8 to 13 m of the far-infrared ray transmitting member is equal to or larger than 25%. A length of the longest straight line in straight lines connecting any desired two points on a surface on a vehicle exterior side of the far-infrared ray transmitting member is equal to or smaller than 80 mm. A diameter of the largest circle in circles formed in a projected shape obtained by projecting the far-infrared ray transmitting member in an optical axis direction of the far-infrared camera is equal to or larger than 12 mm. An average thickness of the far-infrared ray transmitting member is equal to or larger than 1.5 mm.

A coated article includes a substrate and a functional coating over the substrate. The functional coating includes a first dielectric layer, a continuous first metallic layer, a first primer layer, a second dielectric layer including a first film and a second film, a discontinuous second metallic layer, a second primer layer, a third dielectric layer including a first film and a second film, a continuous third metallic layer, a third primer layer, a fourth dielectric layer, and a protective layer. The coated article includes an exterior reflectance b* (Rg b*) of 12>Rgb*>6; an interior reflectance of less than or equal to 16%; and a visible light transmittance of at least 40%. A coated transparency and a method of making a coated article are also provided.

A quartz glass crucible 1 having a cylindrical side wall portion 10a, a bottom portion 10b, and a corner portion 10c connecting the side wall portion 10a and the bottom portion 10b to each other includes a transparent layer 11 made of quartz glass that does not contain bubbles, a bubble layer 12 formed outside the transparent layer 11 and made of quartz glass containing a large number of bubbles, and a semi-molten layer 13 formed outside the bubble layer 12 and made of raw material silica powder solidified in a semi-molten state, wherein at least one semi-molten layer-removed portion 13X is formed as a recessed region from which a portion of the semi-molten layer 13 has been removed toward an inner side of the quartz glass crucible 1.

The present invention relates generally to vehicle transparencies, such as vehicle windshields, and in one particular embodiment, to a heatable vehicle windshield. In one instance, a heatable windshield according to the present invention comprises a substrate having a first coating formed over the substrate, the first coating comprising various dielectric, metallic, and primer layers; and a second coating formed over at least a portion of the first coating, the second coating being located above an AS-1 Line and comprising dielectric, metallic, and primer layers.