US 12,338,524 B1
Durable, optically transparent, and superhydrophobic coating
John T. Simpson, Sahuarita, AZ (US); and Bryce Remesch, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/491,096.
Application 18/491,096 is a division of application No. 17/686,681, filed on Mar. 4, 2022, granted, now 11,827,969.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/165,245, filed on Mar. 24, 2021.
Int. Cl. C23C 14/06 (2006.01); C01B 32/205 (2017.01); C01B 32/21 (2017.01); C01B 32/26 (2017.01); C01B 32/28 (2017.01); C03C 17/00 (2006.01); C09D 5/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/58 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/0605 (2013.01) [C01B 32/205 (2017.08); C01B 32/21 (2017.08); C01B 32/26 (2017.08); C01B 32/28 (2017.08); C03C 17/007 (2013.01); C03C 17/009 (2013.01); C09D 5/02 (2013.01); C23C 14/34 (2013.01); C23C 14/5873 (2013.01); C03C 2217/29 (2013.01); C03C 2217/76 (2013.01); C03C 2218/113 (2013.01); Y10T 428/24521 (2015.01); Y10T 428/24612 (2015.01); Y10T 428/2462 (2015.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for preparing a coated substrate, comprising:
providing a carbon layer disposed on a substrate, the carbon layer having a first side adjacent the substrate and an opposed second side having a textured surface, the carbon layer comprising at least 10 wt. % graphitic carbon and at least 10 wt. % diamond-like carbon, such that the carbon layer comprises at least 80 wt. % of a combined amount of the graphitic carbon and diamond-like carbon;
providing a hydrophobic silane on the carbon layer, wherein the hydrophobic silane is covalently linked to the graphitic carbon and/or diamond-like carbon, and wherein providing the hydrophobic silane on the carbon layer comprises treating at least a portion of the textured surface of the carbon layer with one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of organosilanes, fluorinated silanes, and disilazanes; and
disposing aerogel adjacent to at least a portion of the textured surface after providing the hydrophobic silane on the carbon layer,
wherein the textured surface comprises a plurality of spaced features extending perpendicularly to the substrate and comprising at least a portion of the graphitic carbon and diamond-like carbon, the features having an average spacing of 10-2000 nm.