Method for cool deposition of layers of materials onto a substrate

Claim 1

In deposition process wherein at least one layer is deposited upon thermally degradable substrates including plastic substrates in such a way that substantial degradation including deformation, melting, delamination or surface hazing of the substrate is caused by radiant heat transmission in the absence of a reflective material, the method of reducing radiant heating of the substrate which comprises depositing upon said substrate a reflective material which reflects a significant fraction of the thermal radiation incident upon said substrate during the deposition process and subsequently depositing upon said substrate said layer at a rate which is less than that which will cause degradation of the substrate but which is at least as great as that which would have caused degradation of the substrate in the absence of said reflective material.