OPTICAL COATING WITH IMPROVED DURABILITY

• US 20080138547A1
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AGC Flat Glass North America Incorporated (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: MASCHWITZ, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,951,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/34
• 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 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24364 with transparent or protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

The invention discloses optical coatings with improved durability, the coating comprising a durability enhancing layer, a nucleation layer and an infrared reflecting layer. The invention also discloses methods of making thin film layers having enhanced durability.

Claims

1. An optical coating on a substrate, the coating comprising, in order outward from the substrate:

a durability enhancing layer;

a nucleation layer; and

an infrared reflecting layer.

2. The coating of claim 1, wherein the durability enhancing layer comprises an oxide or oxynitride of zirconium, magnesium, aluminum, hafnium or combinations thereof.

3. The coating of claim 1, wherein the wherein the durability enhancing layer comprises an oxide or oxynitride of zirconium.

4. The coating of claim 1, wherein the durability enhancing layer is in contact with the nucleation layer.

5. The coating of claim 1, wherein the coating is heat-treated or tempered.

6. The coating of claim 5, wherein the coating has an optical haze that is less than about 0.6% after being heat-treated or tempered.

7. The coating of claim 1, further comprising an oxide or oxynitride layer of titanium that is between the durability enhancing layer and the substrate.

8. The coating of claim 1, wherein the nucleation layer comprises Zn.

9. The coating of claim 8, wherein the nucleation layer comprises an oxide of zinc.

10. The coating of claim 1, wherein the infrared reflecting layer comprises silver, gold, copper, a nitride of titanium, a nitride of zirconium, nickel-chromium or combinations thereof.

11. The coating of claim 5, wherein the coating has improved mechanical durability as compared to a coating that does not comprise a durability enhancement layer.

12. The coating of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises at least one topcoat comprising an oxide, nitride or oxynitride of silicon or zirconium, or combinations thereof.

13. A window unit comprising the optical coating of claim 1, wherein the window unit is an insulated glass unit, a monolithic glass unit, a vehicular glass unit, or an architectural glass unit.

14. The optical coating of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric layer underlying the durability enhancing layer.

15. A window unit comprising the optical coating on a substrate of claim 14, wherein the window unit is one of an insulated glass unit, a monolithic glass unit, a vehicular glass unit, or an architectural glass unit.

21. A method of making an optical thin layer film having enhanced durability, said method comprising depositing on a substrate the coating of claim 1.

16. An optical coating on a substrate, the coating comprising, in order outward from the substrate,

a first dielectric layer;

a durability enhancing layer;

a subcomposite multilayer comprising

i) a nucleation layer;

ii) an infrared reflecting layer;

iii) a barrier layer; and

optionally,

a second dielectric layer.

17. The coating of claim 16, wherein the durability enhancement layer comprises an oxide or oxynitride of zirconium.

18. The coating of claim 16, wherein the first and second dielectric layers do not contain Zr.

19. The coating of claim 16, further comprising one or more additional subcomposite multilayers.

20. The coating of claim 16, further comprising an oxide or oxynitride layer of titanium that is between the durability enhancing layer and the substrate.

22. A method of making an optical thin layer film having enhanced durability, said method comprising depositing on a substrate the coating of claim 16.