Anti-reflective, reduced visible light transmitting coated glass article

• US 6,124,026 A
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Strickler, David A., Soubeyrand, Michel J., McCurdy, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TURNER, ARCHENE A
• Application Number:
  US09/105,513
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 428/697, 428/701, 428/702, 428/432, 428/216, 428/212, 428/699, 428/336, 359/359, 359/580, 359/586, 359/589
• US Class Current: 428/216
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/113 using inorganic layer materials only
• 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 color neutral absorbing film applied as a coating on a glass substrate. The film is an antimony/tin oxide alloy coating containing at least about five atomic percent antimony. The coating is suitable for use in anti-reflective coatings containing other metal oxides or mixed metal oxides to achieve a coated glass article having a visible light transmittance of 30% or greater and a reflectance of less than 5%.

Claims

1. An anti-reflective, reduced visible light transmitting coated glass article, comprising:

(a) a glass substrate,

(b) a coating of an antimony/tin oxide alloy, having an extinction coefficient of greater than 0.1, applied onto said glass substrate, and

(c) a coating of a metal oxide applied over said coating of antimony/tin oxide alloy,

wherein said coated article exhibits a reflectance of less than 2%.

2. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony is present in the antimony/tin oxide alloy at levels of about 5 atomic percent or more.

3. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony is present in the antimony/tin oxide alloy at levels of about 5 atomic percent to about 10 atomic percent.

4. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said article has a visible light transmittance (Ill C) of about 30% or greater.

5. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said coating of metal oxide has a refractive index of about 1.45 to about 1.6.

6. A glass article as recited in claim 5, wherein said metal oxide is SiO₂.

7. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said article exhibits a neutral color in transmission and reflectance as defined in the CIELAB system having an a* value from about 6 to about -9 and a b* value of about 6 to about -9.

8. A glass article as recited in claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer applied between said glass substrate and said coating of the antimony/tin oxide alloy.

9. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said glass substrate is a float glass ribbon and said coatings are deposited pyrolytically onto said float glass ribbon.

10. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony/tin oxide alloy is applied at a thickness of about 500 angstroms to about 2500 angstroms, and said metal oxide is applied at a thickness of about 650 angstroms to about 1100 angstroms.

11. A glass article as recited in claim 1, further comprising a conductive metal oxide applied between said antimony/tin oxide alloy and said metal oxide coating.

12. A glass article as recited in claim 11, wherein said conductive metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of indium oxide doped with tin, indium oxide doped with fluorine, tin oxide doped with fluorine, tin oxide doped with antimony, zinc oxide doped with aluminum, zinc oxide doped with fluorine, zinc oxide doped with boron, and tungsten oxide doped with fluorine.

13. A glass article as recited in claim 11, wherein said conductive metal oxide is applied at a thickness of about 200 angstroms to about 5000 angstroms.

14. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony tin oxide alloy has an extinction coefficient of about 0.1 to about 0.3.

15. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony/tin oxide film have a sheet resistance of greater than 500 ohms per square.

16. A glass article as recited in claim 1, wherein said antimony/tin oxide alloy coating is a non-conductive coating.

17. An anti-reflective glass article, comprising:

(a) a glass substrate,

(b) a coating of an antimony/tin oxide alloy having a refractive index of about 1.8 to about 2.6 and having an extinction coefficient of greater than 0.1 applied onto said glass substrate, and

(c) a coating of a metal oxide having a refractive index of about 1.45 to about 1.6 applied onto said coating of antimony/tin oxide alloy, the coated article having a film side reflectance of less than 5%.

18. A glass article as recited in claim 17, wherein said glass article has a visible light transmittance (Ill C) of at least 30% or greater.

19. A glass article as recited in claim 17, wherein said glass article includes a metal oxide coating having a higher refractive index than said antimony/tin oxide alloy applied between said antimony/tin oxide alloy and said coating of metal oxide.

20. A glass article as recited in claim 17, wherein said antimony/tin oxide alloy coating is a non-conductive coating.