Method for manufacturing panes with high transmissivity in the visible range of the spectrum and with high reflectivity for thermal radiation

• US 5,279,722 A
• Filed: 02/20/1992
• Issued: 01/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding AG (Balzers & Leybold Group)
• Original Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Zmelty, Anton, Szczyrbowski, Joachim, Braatz, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM X
• Application Number:
  US07/839,349
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.15, 204/192.22, 204/192.23, 204/192.26, 204/192.27, 204/192.28
• US Class Current: 204/192.27
• 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 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• 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

Abstract

Method for the manufacture of panes with high transmissivity in the visible spectral range and with a high reflectivity for thermal radiation. The panes are coated by cathode sputtering. To the substrates S there is applied a first coating of a material of the oxide group ZnO, SnO₂, In₂ O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, TaO₅, SiO₂, Al₃ O₃, or mixtures thereof, or of one of the nitrides AlN, Si₃ N₄ or their mixtures, or of aluminum oxynitride, titanium oxynitride, zirconium oxynitride or silicon oxynitride or their mixtures, in a thickness of 20 to 60 nm. A second layer 2 follows, of one of the metals Ag, Cu or mixtures thereof, in a thickness of 5 to 30 nm, a third layer 3 of one of the metals Pd or Pt or their mixtures, in a thickness of 0.2 to 5 nm, preferably 0.5 nm, and a fourth layer 4 which, as a metallic or suboxidic (less than stoichiometric) layer of one of the metals Ti, Cr or mixture thereof, or of an alloy with at least 15% of one of the metals, in a thickness of 0.5 to 5 nm, preferably 1.5 nm. Lastly, a fifth layer 5 is applied, of a metal that is the same as that of the first layer 1.

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing panes of high transmissivity in the visible range of the spectrum and with a high reflectivity for thermal radiation, comprising:

coating transparent substrates by cathode sputtering, to form

a first layer of a material selected from the oxide group consisting of ZnO, SnO₂, In₂ O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, Ta₂ O₅, SiO₂, Al₃ O₃ and mixtures thereof and the nitride selected from the group consisting of AlN, Si₃ N₄ and mixtures thereof and oxynitride selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxynitride, titanium oxynitride, zirconium oxynitride and silicon oxynitride and mixtures thereof, with a thickness of 20 nm to 60 nm,

a second layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu and mixtures thereof, with a thickness of 5 to 30 nm,

a third layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt and mixtures thereof, with a thickness of 0.2 to 5 nm,

a fourth layer of a material selected from the group consisting of a metal Ti, Cr and a mixture and suboxides thereof, in a thickness of 0.5 to 5 nm, and

a fifth layer of a material that is the same as the first layer.

2. Method according to claim 1, which includes applying at least one of the oxide layers in a reactive atmosphere of inert gas and oxygen (O₂), the nitride layers in a reactive atmosphere of inert gas and nitrogen (N₂), the oxynitride layers in a reactive atmosphere of inert gas, oxygen (O₂) and nitrogen (N₂), and applying the metal layers in an inert atmosphere.

3. Method according to claim 1, in which the oxide layers are selected from the group consisting of SnO₂ and In₂ O₃ and their mixed oxides with a content selected from the group consisting of Mg oxide, Al oxide, P oxide, Ti oxide, Y oxide, Zr oxide, and Ta oxide of 0 to 20 at % and one of the oxides of the elements with the atomic number 57 to 71 of the periodic table from a range of 0 to 5 at %.

4. Method according to claim 1, in which the zinc oxide layer is formed with a content of aluminum oxide of 0 to 10 at %.

5. Method according to claim 1, which includes sputtering the layers from a metal target.

6. Method according to claim 1, which includes sputtering the oxide layers selected from the group consisting of ZnO, SnO₂ and In₂ O₃ and their mixed oxides from a target of a material selected from the group consisting of metal and metal alloy of the base elements with an admixture of at least one of the elements with the atomic number 57 to 71 of the periodic table and with a content of Al.

7. Method in accordance with claim 1 which comprises forming on the first layer and between the first layer and the second layer a first additional layer of a material selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr and a mixture and suboxides thereof, in a thickness of 0.5 to 5 nm, and forming on the first additional layer a second additional layer of a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt and mixtures thereof, with a thickness of 0.2 to 5 nm.