Coated article with low-E coating including IR reflecting layer (S) and corresponding method

• US 20040229074A1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique SA, Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lingle, Philip J., Dietrich, Anton, Muller, Jens-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,344,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/627
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10009 characterized by the number, the constitution or treatment of glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/00 Vehicles
• 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 17/3652 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 17/3681 the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3694 one layer having a composition gradient through its thickness
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0015 characterized by the colour of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0084 Producing gradient compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0652 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12576 Boride, carbide or nitride component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12611 Oxide-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12618 Plural oxides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12854 : Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component

Abstract

A coated article is provided that may be heat treated in certain example embodiments. A coating of the coated article includes zinc oxide inclusive layer(s) located under infrared (IR) reflecting layer(s) of a material such as silver. In certain example embodiments, coated articles are designed so as to realize higher visible transmission and/or lower sheet resistance values.

Claims

1. A heat treated coated article comprising a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

a first layer comprising silicon nitride which is located on and directly contacts a surface of the glass substrate;

a first layer comprising zinc oxide located over at least the first layer comprising silicon nitride;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the first layer comprising zinc oxide;

a second layer comprising silicon nitride located over at least the first IR reflecting layer;

a second layer comprising zinc oxide located over at least the second layer comprising silicon nitride;

a second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the second layer comprising zinc oxide;

a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and contacting the second IR reflecting layer;

at least another dielectric layer located over at least the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 3.0 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 78%.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.5 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 79%.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.1 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 80%.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.40.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.35.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.30.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich so as to be represented by Si_xN_y, where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.4.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said another dielectric layer, located over at least the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr, comprises a first layer comprising tin oxide and another layer comprising silicon nitride which is an outermost layer of the coating.

9. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising tin oxide located between the first IR reflecting layer and the second layer comprising silicon nitride.

10. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located directly on and contacting the first IR reflecting layer.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising silicon nitride includes from 1-10% aluminum.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising zinc oxide includes from 1-10% aluminum.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr includes an oxide of NiCr and is from 30-45 Å

thick.

14. The coated article of claim 1, wherein said second layer comprising silicon nitride is from 90-150 Å

thick.

15. A heat treated coated article comprising a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising:

a first dielectric layer on the substrate;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer located over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer located over at least the first IR reflecting layer;

a second IR reflecting layer located over at least the second dielectric layer;

a third dielectric layer located over at least the second IR reflecting layer; and

wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.5 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 78%.

16. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.1 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 79%.

17. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a visible transmission of at least 80%.

18. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.35.

19. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article following heat treatment, measured monolithically, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.30.

20. The coated article of claim 15, wherein at least one of the dielectric layers comprises silicon nitride which is Si-rich so as to be represented by Si_xN_y, where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.4.

21. The coated article of claim 15, wherein said first and second IR reflecting layers are located on and contacting first and second layers comprising zinc oxide, respectively.

22. A laminated vehicle windshield including first and second glass substrates laminated to one another, at least the first glass substrate supporting a multi-layered coating, the coating comprising:

a first layer comprising silicon nitride which is located on and directly contacts a surface of the first glass substrate;

a first layer comprising zinc oxide located over at least the first layer comprising silicon nitride;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the first layer comprising zinc oxide;

a second layer comprising silicon nitride located over at least the first IR reflecting layer;

a second layer comprising zinc oxide located over at least the second layer comprising silicon nitride;

a second IR reflecting layer comprising silver located over and contacting the second layer comprising zinc oxide;

a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and contacting the second IR reflecting layer;

at least another dielectric layer located over at least the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of at least the first glass substrate, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 3.0 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 76.0%.

23. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of at least the first glass substrate, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.5 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 77.0%.

24. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of at least the first glass substrate, has a sheet resistance of less than or equal to 2.1 ohms/square and a visible transmission of at least 77.5%.

25. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, wherein the windshield, following heat treatment of at least the first glass substrate, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.40.

26. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, wherein the windshield, following heat treatment of at least the first glass substrate, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.36.

27. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second layers comprising silicon nitride is Si-rich so as to be represented by Si_xN_y, where x/y is from 0.8 to 1.4.

28. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 22, further comprising a layer comprising tin oxide located between the first and second IR reflecting layers.

29. A laminated vehicle windshield including first and second glass substrates laminated to one another, at least the first glass substrate supporting a multi-layered coating, the coating comprising:

a first dielectric layer on the first glass substrate;

a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer located over at least the first dielectric layer;

a second dielectric layer located over at least the first IR reflecting layer;

a second IR reflecting layer located over at least the second dielectric layer;

a third dielectric layer located over at least the second IR reflecting layer; and

wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of each of the first and second glass substrates, has a sheet resistance via the coating of less than or equal to 2.5 ohms/square, and has a visible transmission of at least 77%.

30. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 29, wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of each of the first and second glass substrates, has a visible transmission of at least 77.5% and a haze value of less than or equal to 0.40.

31. The laminated vehicle windshield of claim 29, wherein the laminated vehicle windshield, following heat treatment of each of the first and second glass substrates, has a haze value of less than or equal to 0.35.