COLOR EFFECT LAYER SYSTEM AND COATINGS BASED ON PHOTONIC CRYSTALS AND A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION AND USE THEREOF

Abstract

The invention relates to a color effect layer system, including: a carrier substrate selected from glass or glass-ceramics, at least one layer of spheres, particularly preferred at least 50 layers, more preferred 50 to 100 layers, including filled or not filled cavities/honeycombs, in the form of a porous material composite of a crystal-like superstructure or an inverse crystal-like superstructure having a three-dimensional periodic or substantially periodic configuration in the order of magnitude of the wavelength of visible light, wherein the sphere diameters and optionally the cavity/honeycomb diameters have a very strict distribution. In addition to the excellent optical properties, the coating systems also have sufficient mechanical stability.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a color effect coating on a substrate, including a porous material composite with equivalent spatial periodicity, wherein the cavities may optionally be filled with a material of low or high refractivity;

FIG. 2 is a color effect coating on a substrate, including two porous material composites with differing spatial periodicity, wherein the cavities may optionally be filled with a material of low or high refractivity;

FIGS. 3 a-c show the production of crystal-like superstructures, for example from polymer spherules by way of hypercritical drying;

FIGS. 4 a-c show the production of crystal-like superstructures made of highly refractive material by way of sol-gel infiltration of a template and hypercritical drying of the sol-gel infiltrate, wherein the (honeycomb) frame may be made of a high temperature resistant material and the resulting cavities may or may not be filled with a high temperature resistant material; and

FIG. 5 shows a crystal-like superstructure, wherein between the spheres forming the superstructure neck-shaped material connections are formed to provide mechanical stability.

Claims

1. A color effect layer system, comprising: a carrier substrate comprised of one of a glass and a glass-ceramic; andat least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

2. The color effect layer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

3. The color effect layer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

4. The color effect layer system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

5. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein a material of said plurality of spheres is the same in at least one said layer.

6. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in at least two of said plurality of layers.

7. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in all of said plurality of layers.

8. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material that is present in said plurality of cavities includes at least one of a high temperature resistant oxide, a high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound, a high temperature resistant sulfide, and a high temperature resistant element.

9. The color effect layer system according to claim 8, wherein said high temperature resistant oxide is at least one of SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, Y2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SnO2, and Al2O3, said high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound being at least one of CdSe, CdTe, GaN, InP, and GaP, said high temperature resistant sulfide being at least one of CdS, SnS2, and Sb2S3, and said high temperature resistant element being at least one of Si, Ge, W, Sn, Au, Ag, and C.

10. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.1.

11. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.03.

12. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.001.

13. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spheres have a size in a range of 10 nm to 10 μm.

14. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes up to about 500 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

15. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 5 to up to at least 200 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

16. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 10 to up to at least 100 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

17. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of characteristic dimensions of different periodically arranged said plurality of cavities of one of said crystal-like and said inverse crystal-like superstructure largely agree with each other and are within a very narrow distribution, a lattice periodicity of a refractive index being such that a maximum of a first refractive order for reflected light of at least one visible wavelength is in an angle range between 0 and 180 degrees.

18. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres of one of said crystal-like superstructure and said inverse crystal-like superstructure with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration has a periodic distance d in a range of 100 nm≦d≦3000 nm.

19. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres of one of said crystal-like superstructure and said inverse crystal-like superstructure with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration has a periodic distance d in a range of 300 nm≦d≦1000 nm.

20. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein the color effect layer system includes a plurality of loose structures configured for increasing a plurality of optical effects of the color effect layer system, said plurality of loose structures including one of a plurality of structures which has a primary volume percentage having a medium with a low refractive index, a plurality of structures which has a distance d of said plurality of spheres in a range of two times a sphere radius to five times said sphere radius, and a plurality of structures which has a primary volume percentage having a medium with a high refractive index.

21. The color effect layer system according to claim 20, wherein said medium with said low refractive index is air.

22. The color effect layer system according to claim 20, wherein said medium with said high refractive index includes at least one of TiO2, ZnS, ZrO2, Ge, Si, GaP, Sb2S3, SnS2, and CdS.

23. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a refractive index of a material of said plurality of spheres and a refractive index of a material of said plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities is as large as possible.

24. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material in said plurality of cavities includes one of plastic, amorphous material, and glass.

25. The color effect layer system according to claim 24, wherein said plastic includes at least one of polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, silicon, and Teflon.

26. The color effect layer system according to claim 24, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities includes one of amorphous SiO2 and SiO2 glass.

27. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material in said plurality of cavities varies dependent on a thermal load of said composite.

28. The color effect layer system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of a low thermal load includes a plastic.

29. The color effect layer system according to claim 28, wherein said plastic includes one of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate.

30. The color effect layer system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of a high thermal load includes one of a silicon and Teflon.

31. The color effect layer system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of an extremely high thermal load includes at least one of a high temperature resistant oxide, a high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound, a high temperature resistant sulfide, and a high temperature resistant element.

32. The color effect layer system according to claim 31, wherein said high temperature resistant oxide includes at least one of SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, Y2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SnO2, and Al2O3,

33. The color effect layer system according to claim 31, wherein said high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound includes at least one of CdSe, CdTe, GaN, InP, and GaP,

34. The color effect layer system according to claim 31, wherein said high temperature resistant sulfide includes at least one of CdS, SnS2, and Sb2S3.

35. The color effect layer system according to claim 31, wherein said high temperature resistant element includes at least one of Si, Ge, W, Sn, Au, Ag, and C.

36. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said carrier substrate is configured for making possible a perception of a plurality of optical properties.

37. The color effect layer system according to claim 36, wherein said carrier substrate includes a dark colored carrier substrate.

38. The color effect layer system according to claim 36, wherein said carrier substrate includes a black carrier substrate.

39. The color effect layer system according to claim 36, wherein said carrier substrate includes one of a glass-ceramic cooktop, a glass-ceramic hot plate, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass-ceramic cooktop and said glass-ceramic hot plate.

40. The color effect layer system according to claim 36, wherein said carrier substrate includes one of a plurality of refrigerating furniture fittings, a plurality of freezing furniture fittings, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said plurality of refrigerating furniture fittings and said plurality of freezing furniture fittings.

41. The color effect layer system according to claim 40, wherein one of said plurality of refrigerating furniture fittings and said plurality of freezing furniture fittings includes at least one of a plurality of doors and a plurality of shelves.

42. The color effect layer system according to claim 36, wherein said carrier substrate includes one of a plurality of display elements and a plurality of control elements, said one of said plurality of display elements and said plurality of control elements including one of said glass, said glass ceramic, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass and said glass ceramic.

43. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, wherein said crystal-like superstructure substantially has no neck-shaped material connections between said plurality of spheres forming said crystal-like superstructure having one of said three-dimensional periodic configuration and said three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration.

44. The color effect layer system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of walls and a plurality of pores, wherein said inverse crystal-like superstructure substantially has no inverse neck-shaped passages in said plurality of walls between said plurality of pores.

45. A color effect layer system, comprising: a carrier substrate comprised of one of a glass and a glass-ceramic and including at least one of a top and a bottom;an oxidic matrix; anda plurality of particles including respectively at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, said plurality of particles including a plurality of particle diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, said plurality of particles being in a form of a plurality of pigments in said oxidic matrix, said plurality of particles being a composite coupled with at least one of said top and said bottom of said carrier substrate.

46. The color effect layer system of claim 45, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

47. The color effect layer system of claim 45, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

48. The color effect layer system of claim 45, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

49. A color effect coating for one of a glass and a glass-ceramic substrate, said color effect coating comprising: at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

50. The color effect coating of claim 49, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

51. The color effect coating of claim 49, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

52. The color effect coating of claim 49, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

53. The color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein a material of said plurality of spheres is the same in at least one said layer.

54. The color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in at least two of said plurality of layers.

55. The color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in all of said plurality of layers.

56. The color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material that is present in said plurality of cavities includes at least one of a high temperature resistant oxide, a high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound, a high temperature resistant sulfide, and a high temperature resistant element.

57. The color effect coating according to claim 56, wherein said high temperature resistant oxide is at least one of SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, Y2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SnO2, and Al2O3, said high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound being at least one of CdSe, CdTe, GaN, InP, and GaP, said high temperature resistant sulfide being at least one of CdS, SnS2, and Sb2S3, and said high temperature resistant element being at least one of Si, Ge, W, Sn, Au, Ag, and C.

58. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.1.

59. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.03.

60. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein said plurality of spheres includes a sphere radius, said distribution being such that a standard deviation of said sphere radius divided by a mean value of said sphere radius Δr/ r=√{square root over ( r2= r2)}/ r (the dash denoting that a mean value is formed) is <0.001.

61. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein said plurality of spheres have a size in a range of 10 nm to 10 μm.

62. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes up to about 500 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

63. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 5 to at least 200 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

64. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 10 to at least 100 layers of said plurality of spheres with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration.

65. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein a plurality of characteristic dimensions of different periodically arranged said plurality of cavities of one of said crystal-like and said inverse crystal-like superstructure largely agree with each other and are within a very narrow distribution, a lattice periodicity of a refractive index being such that a maximum of a first refractive order for reflected light of at least one visible wavelength is in an angle range between 0 and 180 degrees.

66. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres of one of said crystal-like superstructure and said inverse crystal-like superstructure with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration has a periodic distance d in a range of 100 nm≦d≦3000 nm.

67. The color effect layer system according to claim 49, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres of one of said crystal-like superstructure and said inverse crystal-like superstructure with one of said periodic and said substantially periodic configuration has a periodic distance d in a range of 300 nm≦d≦1000 nm.

68. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein the color effect layer system includes a plurality of loose structures configured for increasing a plurality of optical effects of the color effect layer system, said plurality of loose structures including one of a plurality of structures which has a primary volume percentage having a medium with a low refractive index, a plurality of structures which has a distance d of said plurality of spheres in a range of two times a sphere radius to five times said sphere radius, and a plurality of structures which has a primary volume percentage having a medium with a high refractive index.

69. The color effect coating according to claim 68, wherein said medium with said low refractive index is air.

70. The color effect coating according to claim 68, wherein said medium with said high refractive index includes at least one of TiO2, ZnS, ZrO2, Ge, Si, GaP, Sb2S3, SnS2, and CdS.

71. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein a difference between a refractive index of a material of said plurality of spheres and a refractive index of a material of said plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities is as large as possible.

72. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material in said plurality of cavities includes one of plastic, amorphous material, and glass.

73. The color effect coating according to claim 72, wherein said plastic includes at least one of polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, silicon, and Teflon.

74. The color effect coating according to claim 72, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities includes one of amorphous SiO2 and SiO2 glass.

75. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material in said plurality of cavities varies dependent on a thermal load of the coating.

76. The color effect coating according to claim 75, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of a low thermal load includes a plastic.

77. The color effect layer system according to claim 76, wherein said plastic includes one of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate.

78. The color effect coating according to claim 75, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of a high thermal load includes one of a silicon and Teflon.

79. The color effect coating according to claim 75, wherein at least one of said material of said plurality of spheres and said material in said plurality of cavities in a case of an extremely high thermal load includes at least one of a high temperature resistant oxide, a high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound, a high temperature resistant sulfide, and a high temperature resistant element.

80. The color effect coating according to claim 79, wherein said high temperature resistant oxide includes at least one of SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, Y2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SnO2, and Al3,

81. The color effect coating according to claim 79, wherein said high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound includes at least one of CdSe, CdTe, GaN, InP, and GaP,

82. The color effect coating according to claim 79, wherein said high temperature resistant sulfide includes at least one of CdS, SnS2, and Sb2S3.

83. The color effect coating according to claim 79, wherein said high temperature resistant element includes at least one of Si, Ge, W, Sn, Au, Ag, and C.

84. A color effect coating according to claim 49, wherein said crystal-like superstructure substantially has no neck-shaped material connections between said plurality of spheres forming said crystal-like superstructure having one of said three-dimensional periodic configuration and said three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration.

85. A color effect coating according to claim 49, further comprising a plurality of walls and a plurality of pores, wherein said inverse crystal-like superstructure substantially has no inverse neck-shaped passages in said plurality of walls between said plurality of pores.

86. A color effect layer system, comprising: an oxidic matrix; anda plurality of particles including respectively at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, said plurality of particles including a plurality of particle diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, said plurality of particles being in a form of a pigment in an oxidic matrix in a form of a coating.

87. The color effect layer system of claim 86, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

88. The color effect layer system of claim 86, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

89. The color effect layer system of claim 86, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

90. A method for producing a color effect coating, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution; andapplying said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres to a carrier substrate.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

92. The method of claim 90, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

93. The method of claim 90, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

94. The method according to claim 90, wherein a material of said plurality of spheres is the same in at least one said layer.

95. The method according to claim 90, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in at least two of said plurality of layers.

96. The method according to claim 90, wherein at least one said layer of said plurality of spheres includes a plurality of layers, a material of said plurality of spheres being the same in all of said plurality of layers.

97. The method according to claim 90, wherein at least one of a material of said plurality of spheres and a material that is present in said plurality of cavities includes at least one of a high temperature resistant oxide, a high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound, a high temperature resistant sulfide, and a high temperature resistant element.

98. The method according to claim 97, wherein said high temperature resistant oxide is at least one of SiO2, TiO2, BaTiO3, Y2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, SnO2, and Al2O3, said high temperature resistant semi-conductor compound being at least one of CdSe, CdTe, GaN, InP, and GaP, said high temperature resistant sulfide being at least one of CdS, SnS2, and Sb2S3, and said high temperature resistant element being at least one of Si, Ge, W, Sn, Au, Ag, and C.

99. The method according to claim 90, wherein the color effect coating is produced using a sol-gel method.

100. The method according to claim 99, wherein the color effect coating is produced by sol-gel infiltration.

101. The method according to claims 99, wherein the color effect coating is produced by hypercritical drying.

102. The method according to claims 90, wherein said plurality of spheres have a size in a range of 10 nm to 10 μm.

103. The method according to claim 90, wherein the coating is applied to said carrier substrate by homogeneous deposition.

104. The method according to claim 90, wherein the coating is applied to said carrier substrate by a screen-printing method.

105. The method according to claim 90, wherein the color effect coating on said carrier substrate is subjected to a post-treatment step including at least one of an annealing method and an etching method in order to increase an adhesion, a scratch resistance, and a temperature stability of the coating.

106. A method for producing a color effect coating, said method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of particles including respectively at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, said plurality of particles including a plurality of particle diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, embedding said plurality of particles in a form of a plurality of pigments in an oxidic matrix; andapplying said plurality of particles as a composite on at least one of a top and a bottom of a carrier substrate.

107. The method according to claim 106, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

108. The method according to claim 106, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

109. The method according to claim 106, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

110. A method of using a color effect coating, said method comprising the steps of: providing the color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution; andusing the color effect coating on one of: a) one of a glass-ceramics cooktop, a glass-ceramics hot plate, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass-ceramics cooktop and said glass-ceramics hot plate, b) one of a plurality of refrigerating equipment fittings, a plurality of freezing equipment fittings, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said plurality of refrigerating equipment fittings and said plurality of freezing equipment fittings including a plurality of doors and a plurality of shelves, and c) one of a plurality of display elements and a plurality of control elements including one of glass, a plurality of glass ceramics, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass and said plurality of glass ceramics.

111. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 110, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

112. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 110, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

113. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 110, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

114. A glass-ceramics cooktop, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

115. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 114, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

116. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 114, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

117. The glass-ceramics cooktop of claim 114, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

118. A glass-ceramics hot plate, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

119. The glass-ceramics hot plate of claim 118, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

120. The glass-ceramics hot plate of claim 118, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

121. The glass-ceramics hot plate of claim 118, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

122. A refrigerating equipment fitting, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

123. The refrigerating equipment fitting of claim 122, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

124. The refrigerating equipment fitting of claim 122, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

125. The refrigerating equipment fitting of claim 122, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

126. The refrigerating equipment fitting of claim 122, wherein the refrigerating equipment fitting includes one of a door, a shelf, and at least one of a plurality of parts of said door and said shelf.

127. A freezing equipment fitting, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

128. The freezing equipment fitting of claim 127, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

129. The freezing equipment fitting of claim 127, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

130. The freezing equipment fitting of claim 127, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

131. The freezing equipment fitting of claim 127, wherein the freezing equipment fitting includes one of a door, a shelf, and at least one of a plurality of parts of said door and said shelf.

132. A display element, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, the display element including one of glass, a plurality of glass ceramics, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass and said plurality of glass ceramics.

133. The display element of claim 132, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

134. The display element of claim 132, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

135. The display element of claim 132, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.

136. A control element, comprising: a color effect coating including at least one layer of a plurality of spheres, said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres including a plurality of one of filled and unfilled cavities and being in a form of a porous material composite of one of a crystal-like superstructure and an inverse crystal-like superstructure having one of a three-dimensional periodic configuration and a three-dimensional substantially periodic configuration in an order of magnitude of a wavelength of visible light, said plurality of spheres including a plurality of sphere diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution, the control element including one of glass, a plurality of glass ceramics, and a plurality of parts of at least one of said glass and said plurality of glass ceramics.

137. The display element of claim 136, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes at least 50 layers.

138. The display element of claim 136, wherein said at least one layer of said plurality of spheres includes 50 to 100 layers.

139. The display element of claim 136, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a plurality of cavity diameters which are present in a very narrow distribution.