COATED GLASS SURFACES AND METHOD FOR COATING A GLASS SUBSTRATE

• US 20100221575A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apogee Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apogee Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Stull, Randy Leland
• Granted Patent: US 8,574,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/680
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3613 Coatings of type glass/inorganic compound/metal/inorganic compound/metal/other
• 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 17/366 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 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

A substrate having a coating is disclosed. The coating is formed of a plurality of layers. At least one of the layers includes a super alloy and at least two additional layers including silver. A coating for a substrate is also disclosed. A method of applying a coating to a substrate is further disclosed.

Claims

1. An article comprising a substrate and a coating applied to the substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein at least one of the layers includes a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy and at least two additional layers include silver.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the coating includes an alloy layer having a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms, a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms and a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of layers is arranged such that the layer including the alloy is positioned between the substrate and the at least two additional layers including silver.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein the at least two additional layers including silver are formed of a first layer including silver and a second layer including silver, and wherein the plurality of layers includes a bottom oxide layer positioned between the substrate and the layer including the super alloy, a middle oxide layer positioned between the first layer including silver and the second layer including silver, and a top oxide layer adjacent the second layer including silver on a side of the second layer including silver opposite a side facing the middle oxide layer.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the bottom oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms, the middle oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms, and the top oxide layer has a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein the plurality of layers further comprises an overcoat layer.

8. The article of claim 5, wherein the bottom oxide layer, middle oxide layer and top oxide layer include an oxide selected from the group consisting of a zinc oxide, a tin oxide, and a zinc tin oxide.

9. The article of claim 5, further comprising a first barrier layer positioned between the first layer including silver and the middle oxide layer and a second barrier layer positioned between the second layer including silver and the top oxide layer.

10. A method of coating a substrate comprising:

applying a first layer of material onto a substrate by sputtering, the first layer including an Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy material;

applying a second layer of material onto the substrate by sputtering, the second layer material including a silver material;

applying a third layer of material onto the substrate by sputtering, the third layer including an additional silver material, wherein the first, second and third layers form at least a portion of a coating for the substrate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the applying steps occur in a coater having a plurality of coating zones and the substrate is conveyed within the coater through the plurality of coating zones.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first layer is applied in a coat zone by sputtering a target of alloy to deposit alloy material onto the substrate, the second layer is applied in the coat zone by sputtering a target of silver to deposit a silver material onto the substrate, and the third layer is applied in a separate coat zone by sputtering an additional target of silver to deposit a silver material onto the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

applying a bottom oxide layer to the substrate by sputtering prior to the step of applying a first layer of material;

applying a middle oxide layer to the substrate by sputtering prior to the step of applying a third layer; and

applying a top oxide layer to the substrate by sputtering following the step of applying a third layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the applying steps occur in a coater having a plurality of coating zones and the substrate is conveyed within the coater through the plurality of coating zones.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bottom oxide layer is applied in a first coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least one tin target, the super alloy is applied in a second coat zone by sputtering a target of alloy to deposit alloy material onto the substrate, silver is applied in the second coat zone by sputtering a target of silver to deposit a silver material onto the substrate to form a first silver layer, the middle oxide layer is applied in at least a third coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least one tin target, silver is applied in a fourth coat zone by sputtering an additional target of silver to deposit a silver material onto the substrate, forming a second silver layer, and the top oxide layer is applied in a fifth coat zone by sputtering a plurality of targets including at least one zinc target and at least on tin target.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising applying a first barrier layer between the first silver layer and the middle oxide layer by sputtering a target including titanium in the second coat zone to deposit a titanium material onto the substrate;

and applying a second barrier layer between the second silver layer and the top oxide layer by sputtering an additional target including titanium in the fourth coat zone to deposit a titanium material onto the substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising applying an overcoat to the substrate by sputtering a target including titanium to deposit a titanium material following the application of the top oxide layer in the fifth coat zone.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms, a second layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms, the third layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms, the bottom oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms, the middle oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms, and the top oxide layer is applied at a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying an overcoat layer to the substrate by sputtering following the step of applying a top oxide layer.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein alloy material is a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy which is sputtered onto the substrate to form the first layer.

21. A substrate coating, the coating comprising a first layer comprising a metal oxide, a second layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy, and a third layer comprising silver, wherein the second layer is between the first and third layers.

22. The substrate coating of claim 21, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

23. The substrate coating of claim 22, wherein the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms and the silver layer has a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

27. The substrate or composite of any of claims 21 through 26, wherein the first metal oxide is tin oxide, zinc oxide or a mixture thereof.

24. A composite comprising a substrate and a coating, the coating comprising a first metal oxide layer, a second layer comprising a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy and a third layer comprising a silver layer, wherein the second layer is between the first and third layers.

25. The composite of claim 24, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

26. The composite of claim 25, wherein the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms and the silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms.

28. An article comprising a substrate and a coating applied to the substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers includes no more than two silver layers, and wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.035.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein the plurality of layers includes a layer of a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

32. The article of claim 31, wherein the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the substrate outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) the alloy layer;

c) a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) a middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

f) a top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

34. An article comprising a substrate and a coating applied to the substrate, the coating comprising a plurality of layers, wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

7 to about −

11 as measured in Hunter Lab color space, and an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.039.

35. The article of claim 34, wherein the article has a b_h color coordinate value of about −

8 to about −

10 as measured in Hunter Lab color space.

36. The article of claim 35, wherein the article has an emissivity of about 0.030 to about 0.035.

37. The article of claim 36, wherein the plurality of layers includes a layer of a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy.

38. The article of claim 37, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

39. The article of claim 38, wherein the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

40. The article of claim 39, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the substrate outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) the alloy layer;

c) a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) a middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

f) a top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

41. An insulating glass unit comprised of at least two substantially parallel, spaced sheets of glass, said two sheets of glass being sealed together at their peripheral edges thereby to define an insulating chamber therebetween, wherein a coating is applied to a surface of one of said glass sheets within said insulating chamber, wherein said coating comprises a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers includes no more than two silver layers, and wherein the insulating glass unit has an SHGC of about 0.140 to about 0.300.

42. The insulating glass unit of claim 41, wherein the insulating glass unit has an SHGC of about 0.140 to about 0.260.

43. The insulating glass unit of claim 42, wherein the plurality of layers includes a layer of a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy.

44. The insulating glass unit of claim 43, wherein the alloy comprises Ni (about 58% minimum), Cr (about 20 to about 23%), Mo (about 8 to about 10%), Nb/Ta (about 3.15 to about 4.15%) and Fe (about 5% maximum) by weight.

45. The insulating glass unit of claim 44, wherein the alloy layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 to about 150 angstroms.

46. The insulating glass unit of claim 45, wherein the plurality of layers comprises, from the sheet of glass to which the coating is applied outwardly:

a) a bottom metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 360 to about 400 angstroms;

b) the alloy layer;

c) a first silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

d) a middle metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 550 to about 700 angstroms;

e) a second silver layer having a thickness ranging from about 80 to about 150 angstroms;

f) a top metal oxide layer having a thickness ranging from about 110 to about 140 angstroms.

47. An article comprising:

a substrate having a pair of major surfaces; and

a coating applied to at least one of the major surfaces, the coating comprising a plurality of layers;

wherein the color coordinate values of the article from a direction that is substantially normal to the coated major surface are substantially equal to the color coordinate values from directions that are acute to the coated major surface.

48. The article of claim 47, wherein the plurality of layers includes a layer of a Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum alloy.