Low emissivity panel assembly

• US 20020037414A1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Published: 03/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James A. Cunningham
• Original Assignee: James A. Cunningham
• Inventors: Cunningham, James A.
• Application Number:
  US09/905,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20020037414A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/412
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3605 Coatings of the type glass/metal/inorganic compound
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3626 one layer at least containing a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3644 the metal being silver
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3647 in combination with other metals, silver being more than 50%
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3652 the coating stack containing at least one sacrificial layer to protect the metal from oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/366 Low-emissivity or solar control coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/40 all coatings being metal coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/282 reflecting for infrared and transparent for visible light, e.g. heat reflectors, laser protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate

Abstract

A panel assembly is for transmitting a desired portion of visible radiation while reflecting a large portion of incident infrared radiation. The panel assembly may include a transparent substrate, a barrier metal layer adjacent the transparent substrate, and a silver alloy layer adjacent the barrier layer. The barrier metal layer may preferably be metallurgically stable for the silver alloy. In addition, a silicon nitride layer may be provided adjacent the silver alloy layer on a side thereof opposite the barrier metal layer. In another embodiment, the silver alloy may include aluminum with a silicon nitride layer thereon and without the metal barrier layer.

Claims

1. A panel assembly for transmitting a desired portion of visible radiation while reflecting a large portion of incident infrared radiation and comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a barrier metal layer adjacent said transparent substrate; and

a silver alloy layer adjacent said barrier layer;

said barrier metal layer being metallurgically stable for said silver alloy.

2. A panel assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a silicon nitride layer adjacent said silver alloy layer on a side thereof opposite said barrier metal layer.

3. A panel assembly according to claim 1 further comprising an antireflection layer between said transparent substrate and said barrier metal layer.

4. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said transparent substrate comprises glass.

5. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polycarbonate.

6. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said silver alloy comprises silver and copper.

7. A panel assembly according to claim 6 wherein said silver alloy comprises 0.5 to 20 atomic percent copper.

8. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said silver alloy comprises silver and aluminum.

9. A panel assembly according to claim 8 wherein said silver alloy comprises 5 to 20 atomic percent aluminum.

10. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer comprises at least 50 atomic percent chromium.

11. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer comprises a nitride compound.

12. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer comprises at least one of boron, carbon, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, molybdenum, and ruthenium.

13. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer comprises an amorphous TaSiN film.

14. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said barrier metal layer comprises an amorphous CrSiN film.

15. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said silver alloy layer h as a thickness in a range of about 60 to 200 Å

.

16. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said silver alloy layer comprises an element having a relatively low solubility in silver and which forms one or more intermetallic compounds with silver.

17. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said silver alloy layer comprises at least one of barium, calcium, gadolinium, samarium, strontium, tellurium and ytterbium.

18. A panel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first substrate defines a first panel;

and further comprising a second panel connected to said first panel at peripheral edges thereof.

20. A panel assembly according to claim 19 further comprising an antireflection layer between said transparent substrate and said silver alloy layer.

21. A panel assembly according to claim 19 wherein said transparent substrate comprises glass.

22. A panel assembly according to claim 19 wherein said transparent substrate comprises polycarbonate.

23. A panel assembly according to claim 19 wherein said silver alloy comprises 5 to 20 atomic percent aluminum.

24. A panel assembly according to claim 19 wherein said silver alloy film has a thickness in a range of about 60 to 200 Å

.

25. A panel assembly according to claim 19 wherein said first substrate defines a first panel;

and further comprising a second panel connected to said first panel at peripheral edges thereof.

19. A panel assembly for transmitting a desired portion of visible radiation while reflecting a large portion of incident infrared radiation and comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a silver alloy layer adjacent said substrate and comprising silver and aluminum; and

a silicon nitride layer adjacent said silver alloy layer on a side thereof opposite said substrate.