How a Three-Layer Coating Creates Vivid Colors Without Dyes
This patent describes a special three-layer coating that creates bright, stable colors by reflecting light in a specific way, similar to how a butterfly's wings get their color, without using traditional dyes or pigments.
Original patent title: “Three-layered structural color multilayer structures”
This patent describes a special three-layer coating that creates bright, stable colors by reflecting light in a specific way, similar to how a butterfly's wings get their color, without using traditional dyes or pigments. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent details a multilayer structure designed to produce color by manipulating light, rather than using chemical pigments. It achieves this by precisely arranging three optical layers: a core layer, a conformal dielectric layer that completely covers the core, and a conformal absorber layer that completely covers the dielectric layer. The abstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more → specifies that the structure "consists of three optical layers." When light hits this specific arrangement, it interferes in a way that reflects only certain colors, making the object appear that color. For example, coating a tiny particle with these layers could make it appear iridescent blue without any blue dye.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover colors created by chemical dyes, pigments, or inks.
- Does not cover structures that use more or fewer than three distinct optical layers.
- Does not cover colors produced primarily by light scattering, such as the blue of the sky.
- Does not cover structures where the dielectric or absorber layers are not 'conformal' to the layer beneath them, meaning they don't precisely follow the underlying shape.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the specific, ordered arrangement of exactly three optical layers—a core, a conformal dielectric, and a conformal absorber—to reliably generate structural color through light interference. This precise layering allows for controlled color generation without relying on traditional chemical colorants.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Iridescent paints and coatings for vehicles or consumer goods
Anti-counterfeiting features on currency or high-value products
Advanced display technologies for improved color gamut
Decorative finishes on electronics or jewelry
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Structural color offers significant advantages over traditional pigments, including superior fade resistance, environmental benefits by avoiding heavy metals, and potentially brighter, more vibrant hues. This technology could lead to new ways of coloring products, making them more durable and sustainable. It has the potential to impact industries seeking advanced aesthetic and functional coatings.
Filed
March 2, 2023
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Many materials science companies and consumer electronics manufacturers are actively researching and developing structural color technologies. Companies like Apple, Samsung, and LG explore these for device aesthetics and displays. Various chemical and materials firms, such as BASF, Merck, and 3M, also invest in advanced coatings and optical films that could leverage such three-layered structures.
Market impact
As this patent was recently filed and granted in 2026, its direct market impact is still emerging. However, the technology it describes could enable a new generation of products with more vibrant, durable, and environmentally friendly colors. It has the potential to create new product categories in decorative coatings, anti-counterfeiting, and advanced display technologies, allowing for unique visual effects and enhanced product longevity.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent details a multilayer structure designed to produce color by manipulating light, rather than using chemical pigments. It achieves this by precisely arranging three optical layers: a core layer, a conformal dielectric layer that completely covers the core, and a conformal absorber layer that completely covers the dielectric layer. The abstract specifies that the structure "consists of three optical layers." When light hits this specific arrangement, it interferes in a way that reflects only certain colors, making the object appear that color. For example, coating a tiny particle with these layers could make it appear iridescent blue without any blue dye.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the specific, ordered arrangement of exactly three optical layers—a core, a conformal dielectric, and a conformal absorber—to reliably generate structural color through light interference. This precise layering allows for controlled color generation without relying on traditional chemical colorants.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover colors created by chemical dyes, pigments, or inks.
- Does not cover structures that use more or fewer than three distinct optical layers.
- Does not cover colors produced primarily by light scattering, such as the blue of the sky.
- Does not cover structures where the dielectric or absorber layers are not 'conformal' to the layer beneath them, meaning they don't precisely follow the underlying shape.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$18K – $58K
Midpoint $36K · 16.4 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). How a Three-Layer Coating Creates Vivid Colors Without Dyes (U.S. Patent No. 12,736,728). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12736728/three-layered-structural-color-multilayer-structures
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US12736728"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Materials & Manufacturing
US 4575330 · 1986 · UVP Inc
How 3D Printers Build Objects Layer by Layer from Liquid
US 3953566 · 1976 · WL Gore and Associates Inc
Making Strong, Porous PTFE: The Gore-Tex Process
US 5121329 · 1992 · Stratasys Inc
How Machines Build 3D Objects Layer by Layer from Melting Plastic
US 3691140 · 1972
Sticky, Tiny Plastic Balls Made from Acrylates
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Three-Layer Coating Creates Vivid Colors Without Dyes cover?
This patent describes a special three-layer coating that creates bright, stable colors by reflecting light in a specific way, similar to how a butterfly's wings get their color, without using traditional dyes or pigments.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Structural color offers significant advantages over traditional pigments, including superior fade resistance, environmental benefits by avoiding heavy metals, and potentially brighter, more vibrant hues. This technology could lead to new ways of coloring products, making them more durable and sustainable. It has the potential to impact industries seeking advanced aesthetic and functional coatings.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover colors created by chemical dyes, pigments, or inks.
Patent monitoring