Described is in particular a method of heat treatment of a material layer (102) of a material sandwich (100) comprising the material layer (102) and a substrate (104), wherein the substrate (104) comprises a silicon-oxygen compound and the material layer (102) comprises a silicon-oxygen compound, the method comprising irradiating the material layer (102) with a pulsed laser beam (114) of a carbon dioxide laser (112). According to an embodiment the irradiating is performed so as to selectively heat the material layer (102) and a substrate portion (116) of the substrate (104), wherein the substrate portion (116) faces (e.g. contacts) the material layer (102).

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.

Synthetic quartz glass substrates are prepared by furnishing a synthetic quartz glass block, coating two opposed surfaces of the glass block with a liquid having a transmittance of at least 99.0%/mm at a birefringence measuring wavelength, measuring a birefringence of the glass block by directing light thereacross, determining a slice thickness on the basis of the birefringence measurement and the dimensions of the substrate, and slicing the glass block at the determined slice thickness.

A method to transfer a layer of harder thin film substrate onto a softer, flexible substrate. In particular, the present invention provides a method to deposit a layer of sapphire thin film on to a softer and flexible substrate e.g. quartz, fused silica, silicon, glass, toughened glass, PET, polymers, plastics, paper and fabrics. This combination provides the hardness of sapphire thin film to softer flexible substrates.

Various embodiments provide an article including a substrate and a coating thereon including a functionalized fluorine containing compound crosslinked with a multifunctional siloxane resin. A method of forming the article includes applying a multifunctional siloxane resin to a substrate, applying a functionalized fluorine containing compound to the substrate, and annealing the multifunctional siloxane resin and the functionalized fluorine containing compound.

A method for preparation of a self-cleaning coating solution is provided. The method comprises mixing an aluminium compound with a solution of an ethanol compound to form a solution. Further, the formed solution is subjected to a first magnetic stirring. After the first magnetic stirring a first transparent solution is formed. Further, a stabilizing agent is added to the first transparent solution of the aluminium compound and the ethanol compound. Subsequent to adding the stabilizing agent a translucent solution is formed. Finally, the formed translucent solution is subjected to a second magnetic stirring for forming a homogeneous second transparent solution. The formed second transparent solution is a coating solution

A method of manufacture of an optical element for focusing electromagnetic radiation, comprising the steps of:•(a) providing a first light-transmissive glass substrate (20) having a front surface on which the electromagnetic radiation is incident in use and a back surface opposite to the front surface;•(b) applying a liquid silicone resin (30) to the back and/or the front surface of the glass substrate;•(c) contacting the liquid silicone resin with a mould such that the liquid silicone resin adopts the form of the mould and forms microstructures extending over the surface(s) of the glass substrate to which the liquid silicone resin has been applied;•(d) curing the liquid silicone resin to form a microstructured light-transmissive silicone coating wherein the glass surface has been

C roughened before application of the silicone.

A method of decorating a glass substrate having a coating, said method comprising: applying a paste onto at least a portion of said coating in a desired pattern; drying said paste to form a dried paste in said desired pattern; and firing said dried paste to form an enamel in said desired pattern, said enamel being directly bonded to said glass substrate by dissolution of the portion of the coating to which the paste is applied during the firing step. The paste comprises a solids portion dispersed in a dispersion medium, said solids portion including a composition comprising: 10 to 40 mol % ZnO; 20 to 40 mol % B.sub.2O.sub.3; 25 to 65 mol % Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, TeO.sub.2, or PbO, or mixtures thereof; and to 15 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

The invention relates to a method comprising the steps of: Abrasion, preferably but non-limited by means of sandblasting which produces mechanical roughing on the surface of the glass substrate, optionally applying a primer on the roughed surface, and applying an ink on this primer by means of screen printing which may be digital inkjet screen printing, drying the injected ink deposited by means of digital screen printing, and performing a tempering process. A glass substrate with an embossed surface finish is achieved which simulates the aesthetic and surface texture of different construction materials, such as stone, wood, granite, marble or porcelain, among others.

A method for making a beam splitter with photocatalytic coating is disclosed. First, a TiO.sub.2—SiO.sub.2 sol, a SiO.sub.2 sol, and an anatase TiO.sub.2 preform sol are prepared. A glass substrate having two opposite surfaces is provided. The two opposite surfaces of the glass substrate is coated with the TiO.sub.2—SiO.sub.2 sol, the SiO.sub.2 sol, and the anatase TiO.sub.2 preform sol by dip-coating, thereby forming a coated glass substrate with a multi-layer optical coating on each of the two opposite surfaces. The multi-layer optical coating comprises a TiO.sub.2—SiO.sub.2 coating, a SiO.sub.2 coating, and an anatase TiO.sub.2 preform coating. The coated glass substrate is subjected to an anneal process. The coated glass substrate is cut, thereby forming the beam splitter with photocatalytic coating.