Coated article with IR reflecting layer and method of making same

• US 20060275613A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: C.R.V.C., Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dietrich, Anton, Blacker, Richard, Kriltz, Uwe, Butz, Jochen
• Granted Patent: US 7,597,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/432
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• 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 17/3652 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: C23C 14/0089 in metallic mode
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/3414 Metallurgical or chemical aspects of target preparation, e.g. casting, powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/315 Surface modified glass [e.g., tempered, strengthened, etc.]

Abstract

A coated article is provided with at least one infrared (IR) reflecting layer (e.g,. silver based). In certain example embodiments, silicon nitride, zinc oxide, and an oxide of Ni and/or Cr are provided under the IR reflecting layer. It has been found that improved thermal stability may be realized upon heat treatment. In certain example instances, the silicon nitride may be replaced with tin oxide.

Claims

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

a dielectric layer;

a layer comprising silicon nitride;

a layer comprising zinc oxide over and directly contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride;

a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver on the glass substrate, located over and directly contacting the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr;

another layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and directly contacting the IR reflecting layer comprising silver;

a layer comprising a metal oxide located over and directly contacting the another layer comprising the oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

a layer comprising silicon nitride located over the layer comprising the metal oxide.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article includes only one layer comprising silver.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises titanium oxide.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises tin oxide.

5. The coated article of claim 1, further comprising a layer comprising tin oxide provided between the dielectric layer and the layer comprising silicon nitride.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprising silver has a specific resistivity (SR) of no greater than 4.5 micro-ohms·

cm.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprising silver has a specific resistivity (SR) of no greater than 4.2 micro-ohms·

cm.

8. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance (R_s) of no greater than 3.8 ohms/square.

9. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance (R_s) of no greater than 3.4 ohms/square.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is an insulating glass (IG) window unit.

11. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article is an insulating glass (IG) window unit, the IG window unit comprising said glass substrate and another glass substrate spaced therefrom, and wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.25 W/(m²K).

12. The coated article of claim 11, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.15 W/(m²K).

13. The coated article of claim 12, wherein the IG window unit has a U-value of no greater than 1.1 W/(m²K).

14. The coated article of claim 12, wherein the IG window unit has a visible transmission of at least 70%.

25. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (transmissive and/or film side reflective) of no greater than 4.0 due to heat treatment.

26. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a Δ

E* value (transmissive and/or film side reflective) of no greater than 3.0 due to heat treatment.

15. A coated article including a coating supported by a glass substrate, the coating comprising, from the glass substrate outwardly:

a layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide;

a layer comprising zinc oxide over and directly contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide;

a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver over and directly contacting the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

a dielectric layer.

16. The coated article of claim 15, further comprising a layer comprising a metal oxide located between the glass substrate and the layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide.

17. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article is not heat treated and the layer comprising the oxide of Ni and/or Cr is substoichiometric.

18. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article is heat treated.

19. The coated article of claim 15, further comprising:

another layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr located over and directly contacting the IR reflecting layer comprising silver;

a layer comprising a metal oxide located over and directly contacting the another layer comprising the oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

a dielectric layer located over the layer comprising the metal oxide.

20. The coated article of claim 15, wherein the coated article has only one IR reflecting layer comprising silver, is thermally tempered, and has a sheet resistance of no greater than 3.4 ohms/square.

21. A method of making a coated article, the method comprising:

providing a glass substrate;

forming a layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide on the glass substrate;

sputtering a ceramic target comprising zinc and oxygen in an atmosphere including at least an inert gas in order to form a layer comprising zinc oxide on the glass substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide;

forming a layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr on the glass substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising zinc oxide;

forming an infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising silver on the glass substrate over and directly contacting the layer comprising an oxide of Ni and/or Cr; and

forming a dielectric layer over at least the IR reflecting layer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising sputter-depositing a layer comprising an oxide of titanium on the glass substrate so as to be located between at least the substrate and the layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the layer comprising silicon nitride or tin oxide, comprises silicon nitride.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising thermally tempering the coated article.