Low-E matchable coated articles having absorber film and corresponding methods

• US 10,640,418 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Xu, Yongli, Boyce, Brent, Boussaad, Salah, Lingle, Philip J., Lao, Jingyu, Vernhes, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Colgan, Lauren R
• Application Number:
  US16/355,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20200079686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 428426, 428428, 428432, 428434, 428701, 428702
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/06 comprising glass as the main or only constituent of a layer, next to another layer of a specific material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/28 Multiple coating on one surface
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/416 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2315/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/00 Buildings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3618 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3626 one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3639 Multilayers containing at least two functional metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3689 one oxide layer being obtained by oxidation of a metallic layer
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0652 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/085 of iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 : Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/542 : Controlling the film thickness or evaporation rate

Abstract

A low-E coating has good color stability (a low ΔE* value) upon heat treatment (HT). Thermal stability may be improved by the provision of an as-deposited crystalline or substantially crystalline layer of or including zinc oxide, doped with at least one dopant (e.g., Sn), immediately under an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of or including silver; and/or by the provision of at least one dielectric layer of or including at least one of: (a) an oxide of silicon and zirconium, (b) an oxide of zirconium, and (c) an oxide of silicon. These have the effect of significantly improving the coating'"'"'s thermal stability (i.e., lowering the ΔE* value). An absorber film may be designed to adjust visible transmission and provide desirable coloration, while maintaining durability and/or thermal stability.

Claims

1. A coated article including a coating on a glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises:

a first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn (wt. %), provided on the glass substrate;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located on the glass substrate and directly over and contacting the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn;

wherein no silicon nitride based layer is located directly under and contacting the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn;

at least one dielectric layer comprising an oxide of zirconium directly contacting the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn, the dielectric layer comprising the oxide of zirconium being located between at least the glass substrate and the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn;

an absorber film including a layer comprising silver, wherein a ratio of a physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to a physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 5;

1, and wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film does not directly contact the first IR reflecting layer; and

wherein the coated article is configured to have, measured monolithically, at least two of;

(i) a transmissive Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to a reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., (ii) a glass side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., and (iii) a film side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.5 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber film further comprises a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and directly contacting the layer comprising silver of the absorber film.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber film is located over the first IR reflecting layer, so that the first IR reflecting layer is located between at least the absorber film and the glass substrate.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 8:

1.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 10:

1.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 15:

1.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is less than 60 Å

thick.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is less than 30 Å

thick.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is less than 15 Å

thick.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is configured to have, measured monolithically, all three of (i) a transmissive Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to a reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., (ii) a glass side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., and (iii) a film side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.5 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating further includes a second IR reflecting layer comprising silver, wherein the second IR reflecting layer is located over the first IR reflecting layer.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide is doped with from about 1-20% Sn (wt. %).

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide is doped with from about 5-15% Sn (wt. %).

14. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with Sn is crystalline or substantially crystalline as sputter-deposited.

15. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is configured to have, measured monolithically, all of:

(i) a transmissive Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.5 due to a reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., (ii) a glass side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.5 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., and (iii) a film side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C.

16. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is configured to have, measured monolithically, at least two of (i) a transmissive Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.3 due to a reference heat treatment for 16 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., (ii) a glass side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 2.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 16 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., and (iii) a film side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 16 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C.

17. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said coating has a sheet resistance (R_s) of no greater than 10 ohms/square.

18. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said coated article, measured monolithically, has a visible transmission of at least 40%.

19. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating as deposited further comprises a first amorphous or substantially amorphous layer comprising zinc stannate located on the glass substrate over at least the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver.

20. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the first amorphous or substantially amorphous layer comprising zinc stannate has a metal content of from about 40-60% Zn and from about 40-60% Sn (wt. %).

21. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating further comprises a contact layer located over and directly contacting the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver.

22. The coated article of claim 21, wherein the contact layer comprises Ni and Cr.

23. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating further comprises:

a second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located on the glass substrate over at least the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver,

a second crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn (wt. %), located under and directly contacting the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver;

wherein no silicon nitride based layer is located between the glass substrate and the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver; and

wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film does not directly contact any of the first and second IR reflecting layers.

24. The coated article of claim 23, wherein the absorber film is located between the first and second IR reflecting layers.

25. The coated article of claim 24, wherein the absorber film is located below both the first and second IR reflecting layers.

26. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is thermally tempered.

27. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprising the oxide of zirconium includes two such layers comprising zirconium oxide and is located both:

(1) between at least the glass substrate and the first crystalline or substantially crystalline layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn (wt. %), and (2) between at least the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver and the absorber film.

28. The coated article of claim 27, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprising the oxide of zirconium comprises from 0-5% nitrogen (atomic %).

29. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is located on and directly contacting a layer comprising zinc oxide.

30. The coated article of claim 29, wherein the layer comprising zinc oxide is located on and directly contacting a layer comprising zirconium oxide of the at least one dielectric layer comprising the oxide of zirconium.

31. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the absorber film comprises a layer sequence comprising Ag/NiCrO_x/Ag.

32. A coated article including a coating on a glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises:

a first dielectric layer located on the glass substrate;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located on the glass substrate and over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located on the glass substrate, wherein the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver is located between at least the glass substrate and the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver;

an absorber film including first and second layers comprising silver that do not directly contact any of the first and second IR reflecting layers, and a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and Cr located between and directly contacting the first and second layers comprising silver of the absorber film, and

wherein a ratio of a physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver, and/or a physical thickness of the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver, to a physical thickness of the first layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 5;

1.

33. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coated article is configured to have, measured monolithically, at least two of (i) a transmissive Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to a reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., (ii) a glass side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.0 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C., and (iii) a film side reflective Δ

E* value of no greater than 3.5 due to the reference heat treatment for 12 minutes at a temperature of about 650 degrees C.

34. The coated article of claim 32, wherein no silicon nitride based layer is located between the glass substrate and the second IR reflecting layer comprising silver.

35. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises zinc oxide doped with from about 1-30% Sn.

36. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coating further comprises a layer comprising zirconium oxide located between at least the first and second IR reflecting layers, and under the absorber film.

37. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coating further comprises a layer comprising zirconium oxide located between at least the glass substrate and the first IR reflecting layer.

38. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and Cr comprises NiCrO_x, and where a physical thickness ratio of Ag/NiCrO_x in the absorber film is 1:

Z, where 2.0<

Z<

15.0.

39. The coated article of claim 38, wherein the physical thickness ratio of Ag/NiCrO_x in the absorber film is 1:

Z, where 3.0<

Z<

12.0.

40. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coating further comprises a second dielectric layer between at least the first IR reflecting layer and the absorber film, and at least a third dielectric layer between at least the second IR reflecting layer and the absorber film.

41. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the absorber film is located between at least the first and second IR reflecting layers.

42. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the absorber film is located below both the first and second IR reflecting layers, so that the absorber film is located between at least the glass substrate and the first IR reflecting layer.

43. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 8:

1.

44. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 10:

1.

45. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the ratio of the physical thickness of the first IR reflecting layer comprising silver to the physical thickness of the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is at least 15:

1.

46. The coated article of claim 45, wherein the layer comprising silver of the absorber film is less than 30 Å

thick.

47. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coating further comprises a second dielectric layer comprising zinc oxide doped with from 1-30% Sn located under and directly contacting the second IR reflecting layer.

48. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the absorber film comprises a layer sequence comprising Ag/NiCrO_x/Ag/NiCrO_x.

49. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coated article, measured monolithically, has a visible transmission of at least 30%.

50. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coated article, measured monolithically, has a visible transmission of at least 50%.

51. The coated article of claim 32, wherein the coated article, measured monolithically, has a glass side visible reflectance (R_gY) of no greater than 20%.

52. An IG window unit comprising the coated article of claim 32 coupled to another glass substrate.