Bendable mirrors and method of manufacture

摘要

Heat-formed curved mirror (10) having a reflectance of at least 50% and comprising a curved substrate (12), and a sputter-deposited reflective coating (28) formed on a surface of the substrate (12). The reflective coating (28) comprises a sputter-deposited base layer (14) comprising a layer formed of a film of silicon (22) or a layer formed of silicon and stainless steel films (22,24) with the silicon film (22) nearer the substrate (12) than the stainless steel film (24), and a reflective layer (16) positioned further from the substrate than the base layer (14) and formed by sputter deposition of a reflective metallic film. A durable protective layer (18) of silicon nitride is positioned further from the substrate (12) than either the base layer (14) or the reflective layer (16), the protective layer (18) providing sufficient oxygen permeation inhibition as to prevent the reflectance of the mirror from decreasing upon heat bending to less than 50%. <IMAGE>