EP1636047A2

EP1636047A2 - Security elements and chromophoric security features

Info

Publication number: EP1636047A2
Application number: EP04739924A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matthias Müller; Martin Bergsmann; Friedrich Kastner; Marco Mayrhofer
Original assignee: Hueck Folien GmbH; ArjoWiggins Security SAS
Current assignee: Hueck Folien GmbH; ArjoWiggins Security SAS
Priority date: 2003-06-18
Filing date: 2004-06-16
Publication date: 2006-03-22
Also published as: WO2004110771A3; US20060141255A1; WO2004110771A2; BRPI0411611A; JP2006527669A; CN1860034B; CA2529212A1; CN1860034A; AT501356A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, security elements and chromophoric security features that are producible by vapor deposition in a PVD or CVD process. The invention further relates to a method for producing the same and to their use.

Description

Security elements and security features with color effects

The invention relates to a system, security elements and security features with color effects which can be produced by vapor deposition in a PVD or CVD process, processes for their production and their use.

Data carriers and documents of value, such as banknotes, identity papers, or the like, or packaging materials for sensitive goods such as electronic components, pharmaceutical products and the like are provided with security elements, for example in the form of threads, strips of tape, patches or other formats, for verifiability of their authenticity. The information and encodings, for example electrical conductivity, magnetic encodings, holograms or diffraction structures, characters, patterns, cutouts, color and / or luminescent effects or sequences and the like, which have these security features, are becoming increasingly complex and complex in order to provide increased security against counterfeiting achieve and make an exact replica almost impossible.

However, the complex information, encodings and the like, which have these security features, are usually difficult to recognize optically or an optical recognizability or verifiability is not desired. In most cases, these security features can only be read out by machine in a complex manner and the authenticity of the corresponding data carrier, the value document or the packaging can be checked.

In many cases, however, it is advantageous to attach an additional optically clear and recognizable feature on the data carrier, the value document or the packaging, which not only serves as an additional security feature, if necessary, but also to clearly assign the data carrier, the value document or the packaging, for example to a certain place of origin, a certain value or a certain content, a certain brand or the like.

The object of the invention was to propose a system of security elements which, in addition to the codings and elements described above, allows a certain defined property to be assigned to a data carrier, a bank note or the like by means of an easily recognizable special color effect.

The object of the invention is therefore a system for optically easily recognizable and clearly assignable identification of data carriers, value documents and / or packaging and the like, characterized in that the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging is provided with a full or partial coating that by their coloring or by the generated color effect and / or by their dimension and / or location and / or their structure allows a clear assignment of the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging to a defined property.

Another object of the invention are security elements for application to and / or for at least partial embedding in data carriers, valuable documents and / or packaging and the like, characterized in that the security elements are provided with a coating which is colored by its color or by the color effect produced and / or by their dimension and / or location and / or their structure allows a clear assignment of the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging to a defined property.

Another object of the invention is a film material, characterized in that it is provided with a coating which by its color or by the color effect produced and / or by its dimension and / or the situation and / or its structure allows an unambiguous assignment to a defined property.

The system according to the invention comprises security elements with a defined colored, possibly also metallic or metallic-appearing or reflecting coating, which allows the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging to be uniquely assigned to a defined property by the different color effects.

Thus, for example, a security element according to the invention, which is provided with such a coating with different color effects as a security feature, can be applied to and / or at least partially embedded in documents of value according to their value.

The color tone or the color effect of the coating then allows a clear assignment to the value of the value document.

It is possible, for example, to use different colors or color effects depending on the value of a banknote or, for example, to use different shades or intensities of the same color within a banknote series.

Furthermore, a color matching of the coating to the color of the

Banknote.

In the case of packaging, this defined color effect can, for example, clearly identify the content and / or the place of origin of the product.

The coating can additionally have further features, for example cutouts in the form of patterns, characters, lines, guilloches and the like. Furthermore, the coating can be in the full tone, in the halftone, or screened.

Furthermore, the coating according to the invention can have further layers with functional and / or decorative features, for example layers with magnetic and / or conductive properties, layers with optically effective structures, for example surface reliefs, diffraction gratings and / or holograms can be combined.

The coating with the defined color effect described can be present over the entire surface or partially and is preferably applied to a carrier substrate by means of a PVD or CVD method.

A carrier substrate, which may already have one or more structured or unstructured layers, is treated by means of an inline plasma, corona or flame process and the coating according to the invention is then applied either inline or in a subsequent process step in a PVD or CVD process ,

The carrier substrate is preferably treated by means of an inline plasma (low pressure or atmospheric plasma), corona or flame process. High-energy plasma, for example Ar or Ar / O ₂ plasma, cleans the surface of any toning residues that may be present. The necessary sharp delimitation of the contours of the cutouts, which is necessary for the necessary precision of the coding, is also achieved for a partial application. At the same time, the surface is activated. Terminal polar groups are created on the surface. This improves the adhesion of metals and the like to the surface.

If necessary, a thin metal or metal oxide layer can be applied as an adhesion promoter, for example by sputtering or vapor deposition, simultaneously with the application of the plasma or corona or flame treatment. Cr, Al, Ag, Ti, Cu, TiO ₂ , Si oxides or chromium oxides are particularly suitable. This adhesion promoter layer generally has a thickness of 0.1 nm - 5 nm, preferably 0.2 nm - 2 nm, particularly preferably 0.2 to 1 nm. This further improves the adhesion of the partial or full-surface coatings.

Metals and their compounds, for example oxides, sulfides, or alloys are particularly suitable as coating material.

Suitable metals are, for example, Al, Cu, Fe, Ag, Au, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Bi and the like. Examples of metal compounds are oxides or sulfides or chromates of metals, in particular TΪO ₂ , Cr oxides, ZnS, ITO, bi-oxide, ATO, FTO, ZnO, Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn chromate, Fe oxides, CuO and the like or silicon oxides. Suitable alloys are, for example, Cu-Al alloys, Cu-Zn alloys, iron alloys, steel, for example Cr-Ni steel and the like.

If appropriate, the vapor-deposited metal compounds can also be doped with rare earth metals. In addition to the desired color, this also gives a luminescent effect. Furthermore, copper color pigments such as azurite or malachite can be evaporated, for example.

The layer thickness of the vapor-deposited layer depends essentially on the desired color. For example, a bi-oxide layer with a thickness of at least 160 - 230 nm, as well as a TiO ₂ layer blue transparent, a ZnS layer green, a Cd layer yellow, an Al layer in connection with Fe ₂ O _{3 appear} orange to purple , whereby the hue is controlled by the energy input. If Cu is evaporated under an excess of oxygen, the coating appears blue. Evaporated ZnO appears reddish transparent.

The coating is applied in a PVD or CVD process. In a PVD process, the coating is carried out under vacuum (up to ^10'12 mbar, preferably 10 ^'2 to 10 ^{~ 6} mbar) at a temperature dependent on the vapor pressure and the thickness of the coating to be applied to the carrier substrate, for example by thermal evaporation, electric arc or Electron beam evaporation deposited. Another possibility is to apply the coating by AC or DC sputtering, depending on the thickness the appropriate method is selected for the layer to be applied and the material used. If several layers are to be applied, separating layers, for example insulators, polymer layers and the like, can be applied inline or in a separate process step between the individual layers.

In a CVD process, a chemical reaction is brought about by mixing the substance to be applied with a gas plasma or with an activation gas, for example CO, CO ₂ , oxygen, silanes, methane, ammonia and the like, using an ion beam, and the resulting substance is deposited on the carrier , In this way, several reactive layers can be applied simultaneously or in parallel, and a color effect is produced on the carrier substrate.

If the coating is to be applied partially to the carrier substrate, in a first step a paint application which is soluble in a solvent is applied to one or both sides of the carrier substrate, in a second step this layer is treated by means of an inline plasma, corona or flame process and in a third step the coating by means of a PVD or CVD

Process is applied, whereupon in a fourth step the paint application is removed using a solvent, optionally combined with a mechanical action.

The color application can be carried out by any method, for example gravure printing, flexographic printing, screen printing, digital printing and the like. The color or the color lacquer used is soluble in a solvent, preferably in water, but a color soluble in any solvent, for example in alcohol, esters and the like, can also be used. The color or the colored lacquer can be conventional compositions based on natural or artificial macromolecules. The soluble color can be pigmented or not be pigmented. All known pigments can be used as pigments. TiO ₂ , ZnS, kaolin and the like are particularly suitable.

The treatment described above is then carried out by means of an inline plasma (low-pressure or atmospheric plasma), corona or flame process and the application of the coating.

The paint layer is then removed using a suitable solvent which is matched to the composition of the paint layer. The paint application is preferably water-soluble. If necessary, the detachment can be supported by mechanical action.

In order to further improve the dissolving of the covered color layer, a thin pigmented color layer or a pure pigment layer can also be applied over the entire surface or in register, the thickness of this layer being approximately 0.01-5 μm.

By detaching the paint application with the areas of the coating located above the paint application, the desired partial coating is obtained.

The carrier substrate for the security feature according to the invention is, for example, carrier films, preferably flexible plastic films, for example made of PI, PP, MOPP, PE, PPS, PEEK, PEK, PEI, PSU, PAEK, LCP, PEN, PBT, PET, PA, PC, COC ₁ POM , ABS, PVC in question. The carrier films preferably have a thickness of 5 to 700 μm, preferably 5 to 200 μm, particularly preferably 5 to 50 μm.

The carrier substrate can also be used in colored, colored lacquered or demetalized plastic films with color effects. Furthermore, metal foils, for example Al, Cu, Sn, Ni, Fe or stainless steel foils with a thickness of 5-200 μm, preferably 10 to 80 μm, particularly preferably 20-50 μm, can also serve as the carrier substrate. The films can also be surface-treated, coated or laminated, for example with plastics, or painted.

Furthermore, paper or composites with paper, for example composites with plastics with a basis weight of 20-500 g / m ² , preferably 40-200 g / m ² , can also be used as carrier substrates.

Furthermore, woven or non-woven fabrics, such as continuous fiber non-woven fabrics, staple fiber non-woven fabrics and the like, which can optionally be needled or calendered, can be used as carrier substrates. Such fabrics or nonwovens preferably consist of plastics, such as PP, PET, PA, PPS and the like, but woven or nonwovens made of natural, optionally treated fibers, such as viscose nonwovens, can also be used. The fabrics or nonwovens used have a weight per unit area of approximately 20 g / m ² to 500 g / m ² . If necessary, these fabrics or nonwovens can be surface-treated.

However, the carrier substrates can also additionally have a lacquer or color layer which can be unstructured or structured, for example embossed. The lacquer layer can be, for example, a release-capable transfer lacquer layer, it can be crosslinked or crosslinkable by radiation, for example UV radiation, and can be provided with a scratch-resistant and / or antistatic finish. Both aqueous and solid lacquer systems, in particular lacquer systems based on polyester acrylate or epoxy acrylate, are suitable rosin, acrylate, alkyd, melamine, PVA, PVC, isocyanate, urethane systems, the conventional or reactive curing mixture or radiation curing ) could be. A wide variety of compositions can be used as the coloring or lacquer layers. The composition of the individual layers can vary in particular according to their task, that is to say whether the individual layers are used exclusively for decorative purposes or are intended to be a functional layer or whether the layer is to be both a decorative layer and a functional layer.

These layers can be pigmented or unpigmented. All known pigments, such as titanium dioxide, zinc sulfide, kaolin, ITO, ATO, FTO, aluminum, chromium and silicon oxides as well as colored pigments can be used as pigments. Solvent-based coating systems and systems without solvents can be used.

Various natural or synthetic binders can be used as binders.

These further functional layers already present on the carrier substrate or subsequently applied, for example, can have certain chemical, physical and also optical properties.

The optical properties of a further layer can be determined by visible dyes or pigments, luminescent dyes or pigments which fluoresce or phosphoresce in the visible, in the UV range or in the IR range, effect pigments such as liquid crystals, pearlescent, bronzes and / or Multilayer color change pigments and heat-sensitive colors or pigments affect. These can be used in all possible combinations. In addition, phosphorescent pigments can also be used alone or in combination with other dyes and / or pigments. Furthermore, electrically conductive layers can also be present on the substrate or subsequently applied, for example electrically conductive polymer layers or conductive dye or lacquer layers.

To adjust the electrical properties, the paint or lacquer to be applied, for example graphite, carbon black, conductive organic or inorganic polymers, metal pigments (for example copper, aluminum, silver, gold, iron, chromium and the like), metal alloys such as copper-zinc or Copper-aluminum or amorphous or crystalline ceramic pigments such as ITO, ATO, FTO and the like can be added. Furthermore, doped or undoped semiconductors such as silicon, germanium or doped or undoped polymeric semiconductors or ion conductors such as amorphous or crystalline metal oxides or metal sulfides can also be used as additives. Furthermore, polar or partially polar compounds such as surfactants or non-polar compounds such as silicone additives or hygroscopic or non-hygroscopic salts can be used or added to the lacquer to adjust the electrical properties of the layer.

A full-area or partial metal layer can also be applied as a layer with electrical properties, the partial application being able to take place by means of an etching process (application of a full-area metal layer and subsequent partial removal by etching) or by means of a demetallization process.

If a demetallization process is used, a solvent-soluble paint (optionally in the form of an inverse coding) is preferably applied in a first step, then the metallic layer is applied, optionally after activation of the carrier substrate by a plasma or corona treatment, followed by the soluble paint layer is removed by treatment with a suitable solvent together with the metallization present in these areas. Furthermore, an electrically conductive polymer layer can also be applied as the electrically conductive layer. The electrically conductive polymers can be, for example, polyaniline or polyethylene dioxythiophene. PEDT / TS is particularly preferably used as the electrically conductive polymer.

It is also possible to add the magnetic paint used, for example carbon black or graphite, as a result of which a simultaneously magnetic and also electrically conductive layer can be produced in a defined coding in a particularly advantageous manner by the method according to the invention.

Further surface relief structures, for example diffraction gratings, holograms and the like, may also be considered as additional security features, these structures possibly also being metallized or partially metallized.

To produce such surface structures, UV-curable deep-drawable lacquer is initially applied. Subsequently, for example, a surface structure can be produced by molding a die into this lacquer, which is pre-hardened to the gel point at the time of the molding, whereupon the radiation-hardenable lacquer is completely hardened after the surface structure has been applied.

By using the UV-curable lacquer, layers applied to it after curing, including any surface structure that may have been introduced, are stable even under thermal stress.

The radiation-curable lacquer can, for example, be a radiation-curable lacquer system based on a polyester, an epoxy or polyurethane system which contains 2 or more different photoinitiators which are known to the person skilled in the art and which cure the lacquer system at different wavelengths initiate to varying degrees. For example, one photoinitiator can be activated at a wavelength of 200 to 400 nm, the second photoinitiator then at a wavelength of 370 to 600 nm. There should be enough difference between the activation wavelengths of the two photoinitiators so that the second photoinitiator is not excited too strongly takes place while the first is activated. The range in which the second photoinitiator is excited should be in the transmission wavelength range of the carrier substrate used. Electron radiation can also be used for the main curing (activation of the second photoinitiator).

A water-dilutable lacquer can also be used as the radiation-curable lacquer. Polyester-based paint systems are preferred.

Furthermore, the coating according to the invention can additionally be combined with a layer which causes a color shift effect, in which case the coating can function as a layer reflecting electromagnetic waves.

The coating causing the color shift effect has at least one layer reflecting electromagnetic waves, a spacer layer (for example one or more polymer layers) and a layer formed by metallic clusters. A partial or full-surface layer reflecting electromagnetic waves, for example the coating according to the invention, and then one or more partial and / or full-surface polymer layers of a defined thickness are applied to the carrier substrate. A layer of metallic clusters, which is produced by means of a vacuum technology process or from solvent-based systems, is applied to this spacer layer.

Furthermore, the security elements or film materials according to the invention can be provided with a protective lacquer layer on one or both sides his. The protective lacquer can be pigmented or unpigmented, all known pigments or dyes, for example TiO ₂ , ZnS, kaolin, ATO, FTO, aluminum, chromium and silicon oxides or, for example, organic pigments such as pthalocyanine blue, indolid yellow, dioxazine violet and the like can be used. Furthermore, luminescent dyes or pigments that fluoresce or phosphoresce in the visible, UV or IR range, effect pigments such as liquid crystals, pearlescent, bronzes and / or multilayer color change pigments and heat-sensitive colors or pigments can be added. These can be used in all possible combinations. In addition, luminescent pigments can also be used alone or in combination with other dyes and / or pigments.

Furthermore, the security element according to the invention can be provided on one or both sides with a hot or cold seal adhesive or a self-adhesive coating for application to or for embedding in a substrate, it being possible for these adhesives or adhesive coatings to be pigmented.

Furthermore, the security element according to the invention can be laminated with one or more carrier substrates, which optionally have functional and / or decorative layers, optionally using a laminating adhesive, which laminating adhesive can also be pigmented.

It is possible to combine the system according to the invention in combination with further security features, if necessary, elsewhere in the value document or the packaging.

For example, the combination with an at least partially embedded security thread, which has, for example, positive or negative cutouts, is conceivable. In one embodiment, the security element according to the invention is applied in register with the features located on or in the carrier, for example lines, cutouts, optical, electrical, magnetic or optically effective structures and the like, so that the security features located on the security element are only applied or applied form a complete authenticity or identification feature in the carrier. Furthermore, the described, precisely fitting application or insertion of the security element can result in a continuation or repetition of the security feature already present on the carrier, as a result of which the authenticity or identity can be clearly verified.

The system according to the invention can be used as an easily recognizable security feature or authenticity or identification feature on data carriers, in particular value documents, such as ID cards, cards, banknotes, on packaging materials in the pharmaceutical, electronics or food industry.

In the case of packaging, both the packaging and the product packaged therein, or possibly information packaged with it, such as technical data sheets, instructions for use, assembly instructions and the like, are advantageously provided with a coating with a defined color effect. As a result, both the integrity of the packaging and any tampering with the contents of the packaging can be determined.

Claims

claims:

1) System for optically easily recognizable and clearly assignable identification of data carriers, value documents and / or packaging and the like, characterized in that the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging is provided with a coating which is colored by its color or by the generated color effect and / or by their dimension and / or location and / or their structure allows a clear assignment of the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging to a defined property.

2) Security elements for application to and / or for at least partial embedding in data carriers, documents of value and / or packaging and the like, characterized in that the security elements are provided with a coating as a security feature, which by their coloring or by the color effect generated and / or by their dimension and / or location and / or their structure allows an unambiguous assignment of the data carrier, the value document and / or the packaging to a defined property.

3) Security elements according to claim 2, characterized in that the coating is applied by means of a PVD or CVD method.

4) Security elements according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the coating consists of metals, their compounds or their alloys.

5) Security elements according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the coating made of Al, Cu, Fe, Ag, Au, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Bi, TiO ₂ , Cr oxides, ZnS, ITO, Bi oxide, ATO, FTO, ZnO ₁ AI ₂ O ₃ , Zn chromate, Fe oxide, CuO, Cu-Al alloys, Cu-Zn Alloys, iron alloys, steel, color pigments, azurite or malachite and the like exist.

6) Security elements according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the security elements have further functional and / or decorative layers.

7) Security elements according to claim 6, characterized in that they additionally have one or more electrically conductive layers and / or layers with magnetic properties and or layers with diffractive structures and / or layers with positive or negative printing.

8) Security elements according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that they are provided on one or both sides with a protective lacquer layer.

9) Security elements according to claim 8, characterized in that the protective lacquer layer is pigmented.

10) Security elements according to one of claims 2-9, characterized in that the security elements are laminated with one or more carrier substrate (s), which / which optionally has / have functional and / or decorative layers.

11) Security elements according to claim 10, characterized in that the laminating adhesive is pigmented.

12) Security elements according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the security elements on one or both sides with a hot or cold seal adhesive or a self-adhesive coating.

13) Security element according to claim 12, characterized in that the adhesive or the self-adhesive coating is pigmented.

14) Foil material, characterized in that it is provided with a coating that allows a clear assignment to a defined property by its coloring or by the color effect generated and / or by its dimension and / or location and / or its structure.

15) film material according to claim 14, characterized in that the coating is applied by means of a PVD or CVD method.

16) Foil material according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the coating consists of metals, their compounds or their alloys.

17) Foil material according to claim 16, characterized in that the coating of Al, Cu, Fe, Ag ₁ Au, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, Bi, TiO ₂ , Cr oxides, ZnS, ITO, Bi oxide, ATO , FTO, ZnO, Al ₂ O ₃ , Zn-chromate, Fe-oxide, CuO, Cu-Al alloys, Cu-Zn alloys, iron alloys, steel, color pigments, azurite or malachite and the like.

18) film material according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the film material has further functional and / or decorative layers.

19) film material according to claim 18, characterized in that the film material additionally one or more electrically conductive Has layers and / or layers with magnetic properties and or layers with diffractive structures and / or layers with positive or negative printing.

20) film material according to one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that the film material is provided on one or both sides with a protective lacquer layer.

21) Film material according to claim 20, characterized in that the protective lacquer layer is pigmented.

22) Film material according to one of claims 14-21, characterized in that the film material is laminated with one or more carrier substrate (s), which / which optionally has / have functional and / or decorative layers.

23) Foil material according to claim 22, characterized in that the laminating adhesive is pigmented.

24) Film material according to one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that the film material is provided on one or both sides with a hot or cold seal adhesive or a self-adhesive coating.

25) Foil material according to claim 24, characterized in that the adhesive or the self-adhesive coating is pigmented

26) documents of value, packaging and the like, which have a security element according to one of claims 2 to 13, and / or a system according to claim 1 27) Use of the security elements according to one of claims 2 to 13, possibly after assembly as security features in data carriers, in particular value documents such as ID cards, cards, banknotes or labels, seals on or as packaging material, for example in the pharmaceutical, electronics and / or food industry, for example in the form of blister films, folding boxes, covers, film packaging.

28) Use of the film material according to one of claims 14 to 25, possibly after assembly as security elements in data carriers, in particular value documents such as ID cards, cards, banknotes or labels, seals on or as packaging material, for example in the pharmaceutical, electronics and / or food industry, for example in the form of blister films, folding boxes, covers, film packaging.

29) Use of the system according to claim 1 for color-coding the value or other properties of a value document, a product and / or a packaging.