Pane of transparent material having a low emissivity

• US 5,962,115 A
• Filed: 06/10/1996
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Films GmbH and Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Balzers und Leybold Deutschland Holding AG (Balzers & Leybold Group)
• Inventors: Braatz, Christoph, Zmelty, Anton, Szczyrbowski, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US08/664,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/432, 428/433, 428/698, 428/699, 428/697, 428/701, 428/702, 428/216, 428/212, 428/336, 428/426, 428/472, 359/359, 359/580, 359/585, 359/589
• US Class Current: 428/216
• 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 17/3642 the multilayer coating containing a metal layer
• 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: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

A system of layers applied to a transparent substrate includes a first layer of an oxide such as ZnO or SnO₂, a second layer of a substoichiometric oxide of Zn or Ta, a third layer of Ag or Cu, a fourth layer of a substoichiometric oxide of Ti, Cr, or Nb, and a fifth layer of similar composition as the first layer. The layers are preferably deposited by magnetron cathode sputtering in an atmosphere which consists of inert gas and, in the case of the oxide layers, a reactive gas.

Claims

1. Pane of transparent material with a substrate and a layer system provided on one side of the substrate, wherein said layer system comprises

(a) a first layer selected from at least one of ZnO, SnO₂, In₂ O₃, Bi₂ O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, Ta₂ O₅, SiO₂, Al₂ O₃, or selected from one at least one of AlN or Si₃ N, or selected from at least one of the oxynitrides of aluminum, titanium, zirconium, and silicon, is deposited in a thickness of 20-70 nm on the substrate;

(b) a second layer comprises at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of Ta₂ O_x and a mixture comprising ZnO_x and TaO_x in a thickness of 1 to 9 nm in the first layer wherein X is a number that results in a substoichiometric ratio of oxygen to either Zn or Ta;

(c) a third layer selected from at least one of Ag and Cu is applied in a thickness of 5-30 nm on the second layer;

(d) a fourth layer of at least one of the metals Ti, Cr, and Nb, or an alloy with at least 15 atom % of one of Ti, Cr, and Nb is deposited on said third layer as one of a metal layer or a substoichiometric metal oxide layer in a thickness of 0.5-5 nm, and

(e) a fifth layer selected from at least one of ZnO, SnO₂, In₃ O₃, Bi₂ O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, Ta₂ O₅, SiO₂, Al₂ O₃, or selected from one at least one of AlN or Si₃ N, or selected from at least one of the oxynitrides of aluminum, titanium, zirconium, and silicon is deposited in a thickness of 20-70 nm on the substrate is deposited on said fourth layer.

2. Pane according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the fifth layers consists of at least one of SnO₂, In₂ O₃, TiO₂, and Bi₂ O₃, and 0-20 atom % of at least one oxide of Mg, Al, P, Ti, Y, Zr, and Ta.

3. Pane according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and fifth layers consists of at least one of SnO₂, In₂ O₃, TiO₂, and Bi₂ O₃, and 0-5 atom % of an oxide of an element having an atomic number of 57-71.

4. Pane according to claim 1, wherein the second layer has a thickness of approximately 5 nm.

5. Pane according to claim 1, wherein an additional layer is deposited between the third and the fourth layer, said additional layer being a substoichiometric oxide of at least one of Zn and Ta in a thickness of 1-40 nm.

6. Pane according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a transparent inorganic glass.

7. Pane according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a transparent organic glass plate.

8. Pane according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a transparent organic film.

9. Pane according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the fifth layers is deposited as a double layer of two different materials with a total thickness of 20-70 nm.

10. Pane according to claim 1, wherein an additional layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 nm is deposited between the first and second layers, said additional layer being a substoichiometric oxide of at least one of Ti, Cr, and Nb, or of an alloy with at least 15 atom % of one of Ti, Cr, and Nb.