Industrial-Grade Structural Coloration with Robust and Vivid TiON-Based Structures

Abstract

A durable, high-performance structural coloration approach is presented using TiON-based Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavities. Conventional metal-insulator-metal structures suffer from oxidation and mechanical degradation, limiting their industrial viability. Here, the top metal layer is replaced with TiON, a lossy dielectric known for its corrosion resistance and high hardness. Fabricated TiON/Si3N4/metal structures achieve vivid, tunable colors across a broad spectrum while maintaining high stability. Their optical, mechanical, and environmental robustness is systematically evaluated through five-year aging, humidity, and abrasion tests. Reflectance spectra confirm stable near-perfect light absorption (>90%) with minimal color shifts (≈10 nm). Camera imaging, CIE chromaticity analysis, and SEM investigation validate long-term color retention and stable surface morphology. The findings demonstrate that TiON-based F-P cavities offer a promising solution for industrial applications, overcoming key limitations of conventional structural color materials.