High shading performance coatings

• US 20070009745A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,687,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/426
• 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 17/3639 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00

Abstract

The invention provides high shading performance, low-emissivity coatings. The invention provides a monolithic pane bearing a high shading performance, low-emissivity coating. The invention also provides an insulating glass unit bearing a high shading performance, low-emissivity coating. Finally, the invention provides methods of producing coated substrates by depositing high shading performance, low-emissivity coatings.

Claims

1. A method of producing coated substrates, the method comprising providing a pane having generally-opposed first and second major surfaces and depositing upon one of said major surfaces a low-emissivity coating comprising, in sequence outwardly:

(a) an inner coat;

(b) a first infrared-reflective film deposited directly over the inner coat at a thickness of between about 76 Å and

about 122 Å

;

(c) a first high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the first infrared-reflective film, the first high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film selected from the group consisting of niobium, titanium, and niobium-titanium, wherein the first high absorption blocker layer is deposited at a thickness of between about 38 Å and

about 69 Å

;

(d) a middle coat deposited directly over the first high absorption blocker layer;

(e) a second infrared-reflective film deposited directly over the middle coat at a thickness of between about 119 Å and

about 184 Å

; and

(f) a second high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the second infrared-reflective film, the second high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film selected from the group consisting of niobium, titanium, niobium-titanium, wherein the second high absorption blocker layer is deposited at a thickness of between about 29 Å and

about 63 Å

, wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of at least 70 Å

, wherein the inner coat comprises at least one transparent dielectric film, and wherein the middle coat comprises at least one transparent dielectric film, the coated pane having a maximum visible transmittance of less than about 50%.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 209 Å

and about 293 Å

.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 72 Å

and about 110 Å

.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each film of the inner coat is deposited as transparent dielectric film having a refractive index of between about 1.7 and about 2.4.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 233 Å

and about 266 Å

, and the combined thickness of the first and second high absorption blocker layers is between 80 Å and

100 Å

.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the inner coat is deposited at an optical thickness of less than about 334 Å

.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the inner coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 172 Å

and about 322 Å

.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the middle coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 962 Å

and about 1552 Å

.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing an outer coat further from the substrate than the second high absorption blocker layer, the outer coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the outer coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 476 Å

and about 624 Å

.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the inner coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 192 Å

and about 290 Å

, the middle coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 1070 Å and

about 1410 Å

, and the outer coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 530 Å and

about 568 Å

.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the middle coat is deposited directly over the first high absorption blocker layer and the outer coat is deposited directly over the second high absorption blocker layer.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are both deposited as films consisting essentially of metallic titanium.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective layers are both deposited as films consisting essentially of silver.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at thicknesses that are different by at least 5 angstroms.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at thicknesses that are different by 10-20 angstroms.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the inner coat is deposited at a physical thickness of less than about 125 angstroms.

15. A method of producing coated substrates, the method comprising providing a pane having generally-opposed first and second major surfaces and depositing upon one of said major surfaces a low-emissivity coating comprising, in sequence outwardly:

(a) an inner coat;

(b) a first infrared-reflective film deposited directly over the inner coat;

(c) a first high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the first infrared-reflective film, the first high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film;

(c) a second infrared-reflective film; and

(d) a second high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the second infrared-reflective film, the second high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film;

wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers have a combined thickness of at least 70 Å

, wherein the inner coat comprises at least one transparent dielectric film, wherein each film of the inner coat is a transparent dielectric film having a refractive index of between about 1.7 and about 2.4, and wherein the coated pane has a maximum visible transmittance of less than about 50%.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 209 Å

and about 293 Å

.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 72 Å

and about 110 Å

.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein each film of the inner coat is deposited as transparent dielectric film having a refractive index of between about 1.7 and about 2.4.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the inner coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 172 Å

and about 322 Å

.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the middle coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 962 Å

and about 1552 Å

.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising depositing an outer coat further from the substrate than the second high absorption blocker layer, the outer coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the outer coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 476 Å

and about 624 Å

.

34. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at thicknesses that are different by at least 5 angstroms.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at thicknesses that are different by 10-20 angstroms.

36. The method of claim 15 wherein the inner coat is deposited at a physical thickness of less than about 125 angstroms.

37. The method of claim 15 wherein the middle coat is deposited at a physical thickness of between about 454 angstroms and about 811 angstroms.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the middle coat is deposited at a physical thickness of between about 535 angstroms and about 705 angstroms.

39. The method of claim 15 where in the second infrared-reflective film is deposited at a thickness at least 35 angstroms thicker than the first infrared-reflective film.

40. The method of claim 15 wherein the second infrared-reflective film is deposited at a thickness that is between 35 angstroms and 60 angstroms thicker than the first infrared-reflective film.

41. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the high absorption blocker layers has a thickness greater than 50 angstroms.

42. The method of claim 15 wherein the coating provides an emissivity of less than about 0.06.

43. The method of claim 15 wherein the combined thickness of the first and second high absorption blocker layers is at least about 80 angstroms.

23. A method of producing coated substrates, the method comprising providing a pane having generally-opposed first and second major surfaces and depositing upon one of said major surfaces a low-emissivity coating comprising, in sequence outwardly:

(a) an inner coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film;

(b) a first infrared-reflective film deposited directly over the inner coat;

(c) a first high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the first infrared-reflective film, the first high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film;

(c) a second infrared-reflective film; and

(d) a second high absorption blocker layer deposited directly over the second infrared-reflective film, the second high absorption blocker layer being deposited as a metallic film;

wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at a combined thickness of at least 70 Å

, the first and second high absorption blocker layers being deposited at thicknesses that are different by at least 5 angstroms, and wherein the coated pane has a maximum visible transmittance of less than about 50%.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 209 Å

and about 293 Å

.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at a combined thickness of between about 72 Å

and about 110 Å

.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein each film of the inner coat is deposited as transparent dielectric film having a refractive index of between about 1.7 and about 2.4.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the inner coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 172 Å

and about 322 Å

.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the middle coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 962 Å

and about 1552 Å

.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising depositing an outer coat further from the substrate than the second high absorption blocker layer, the outer coat comprising at least one transparent dielectric film.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the outer coat is deposited at an optical thickness of between about 476 Å

and about 624 Å

.

44. The method of claim 23 wherein the first and second high absorption blocker layers are deposited at thicknesses that differ by 10-20 angstroms.

45. An insulating glass unit comprising first and second panes held in a spaced-apart configuration, the panes having confronting inner surfaces oriented toward a between-pane space and opposed outer surfaces oriented away from the between-pane space, wherein one of said inner surfaces bears a high performance, low-emissivity coating comprising first and second infrared-reflective films and first and second high absorption blocker layers positioned respectively directly over said first and second infrared-reflective films, the coating including an inner coat between the first infrared-reflective film and said one of said inner surfaces, the coating including a middle coat between the first high absorption blocker layer and the second infrared-reflective film, the coating including an outer coat over the second high absorption blocker layer, the insulating glass unit having a visible transmission of between about 0.38 and about 0.42, and yet the insulating glass unit has an exterior reflected color characterized by a_h and b_h color coordinates that are both negative, the insulating glass unit having a solar heat gain coefficient of less than about 0.27 and yet having an exterior visible reflectance of less than about 18%, wherein the coating provides an emissivity of less than 0.08.

46. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein each high absorption blocker layer comprises titanium which may be somewhat oxidized or nitrided.

47. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the solar heat gain coefficient is less than 0.26.

48. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the exterior visible reflectance is less than 15%.

49. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the exterior visible reflectance is about 14%.

50. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the unit has a U value of less than 0.28.

51. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the unit has a U value of about 0.26.

52. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the emissivity is less than 0.06.

53. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the emissivity is about 0.056.

54. The insulating glass unit of claim 45 wherein the first and second infrared-reflective films consist essentially of silver.