Method of making laminating glazing unit

• US 5,348,599 A
• Filed: 05/05/1993
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Nietering, Kenneth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/059,088
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 156/99, 156/100, 156/106, 204/192.1, 204/192.14, 204/192.17, 204/192.29
• US Class Current: 156/100
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10005 laminated safety glass or glazing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3615 Coatings of the type glass/metal/other inorganic layers, at least one layer being non-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 17/3673 specially adapted for use in heating devices for rear window of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3681 the multilayer coating being used in glazing, e.g. windows or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/86 the heating conductors being embedded in the transparent or reflecting material H05B3/845 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12597 Noncrystalline silica or noncrystalline plural-oxide component [e.g., glass, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12611 Oxide-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3163 : Next to acetal of polymerized unsaturated alcohol [e.g., formal butyral, etc.]

Abstract

A method of making a glazing unit comprises sputter coating surface of a substrate ply with a first film of dielectric material and then a substantially transparent, electrically conductive coating, and then laminating the coated surface of the substrate ply to a laminating ply of polymeric material. The first film of dielectric material is sputtered onto the surface of the substrate followed by sputtering, in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, an electrically conductive film of silver metal over the first dielectric film. An adhesion film of copper or zinc is sputtered over the silver metal film in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. A film of tantalum pentoxide is then sputtered over the adhesion film. Applications include, for example, glazing units for solar load reduction and electrically heated glazing units.

Claims

1. A method of making a laminated glazing unit comprising:

sputter coating a surface of a substrate ply with a first film of dielectric material and then sputter coating thereover a substantially transparent, electrically conductive coating by sputter deposition of an electrically conductive film of silver metal over the first film of dielectric material in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, then sputter deposition of an adhesion film selected from the group consisting of copper or zinc over the film of silver metal in a non-oxidizing atmosphere and then sputter depositing a film of tantalum pentoxide over the adhesion film; and

then laminating the coated surface of the substrate ply to a laminating ply of polymeric material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate ply is glass, the laminating ply is PVB, the first film of dielectric material is zinc oxide.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesion film is copper.

4. The method of claim 1 where the sputter deposition of the tantalum pentoxide film comprises first sputter deposition of a sacrificial layer of tantalum metal by sputtering tantalum in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, followed immediately by sputter deposition of tantalum in an oxidizing atmosphere, the sacrificial layer being substantially oxidized upon exposure to said oxidizing atmosphere.