Highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon coating on glass

• US 6,261,693 B1
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Veerasamy, Vijayen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Turner, Archene
• Application Number:
  US09/303,548
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 428/408, 428/216, 428/336, 428/426
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/083 involving the use of fluoropolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/06 by giving articles subject to fouling a special shape or arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/065 the surface having a microscopic surface pattern to achieve the same effect as a lotus flower
• 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 17/1033 Laminated safety glass or glazing containing temporary protective coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/22 with other inorganic material C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3441 comprising carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/347 comprising a sulfide or oxysulfide
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/36 at least one coating being a metal
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3634 one layer at least containing carbon, a carbide or oxycarbide
• 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 17/42 at least one coating of an organic material and at least one non-metal coating
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/76 Hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/112 : by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/151 : by vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/31 : Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0075 : Cleaning of glass specially adapted to plate glass B08B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/076 : with 40% to 90% silica, by weight C03C3/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 : Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/00 : Coating not provided for in groups C23C2/00 - C23C24/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/268 : Monolayer with structurally defined element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

A soda inclusive glass substrate is coated with a highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon inclusive layer that is a form of diamond-like carbon (DLC). In certain embodiments, the amorphous carbon layer includes at least about 35% sp³ carbon—carbon bonds, more preferably at least about 70%, and most preferably at least about 80% of the sp³ carbon—carbon bonds. The high density (e.g. greater than or equal to about 2.4 gm/cm³) of the amorphous carbon layer prevents soda from exiting the glass and reacting with water at surface(s) of the glass, thereby minimizing visible stains (or corrosion) on the glass. The high density amorphous carbon layer also may repel water. In some embodiments, the highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer is part of a larger DLC coating, while in other embodiments the highly tetrahedral layer forms the entirety of a DLC coating on the substrate.

Claims

1. A coated glass comprising:

a soda inclusive glass substrate comprising, on a weight basis;

2. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said first highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer has at least about 70% sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds, and wherein said glass substrate is a soda lime silica glass substrate including from about 66-75% SiO₂, from about 10-20% Na₂O, from about 5-15% CaO, from about 0-5% MgO, from about 0-5% Al₂O₃, and from about 0-5% K₂O.

3. The coated glass of claim 2, wherein said highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer has at least about 80% sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds.

4. The coated glass of claim 2, wherein said DLC coating has an average hardness of at least about 40 Gpa, and an average density of at least about 2.4 gm/cm³.

5. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating has a thickness of from about 30 to 3,000 Å

.

6. The coated glass of claim 5, wherein said DLC coating has a thickness of from about 50 to 300 Å

.

7. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating has a bandgap of from about 1.8 to 2.2 eV.

8. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein the coated glass comprises the following characteristics:

visible transmittance (Ill. A);

>

60%

UV transmittance;

<

38%

IR transmittance;

<

35%.

9. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating includes at least about 70% sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds.

10. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating includes at least about 80% sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds.

11. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating is from about 30 to 3,000 Å

thick, and wherein said first highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer of said DLC coating is from about 30 to 2,900 Å

thick.

12. The coated glass of claim 1, wherein said DLC coating includes hydrogen.

13. A coated glass comprising:

a glass substrate including at least about 5% by weight Na₂O;

a highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer, for reducing corrosion on the substrate, having a density of at least about 2.4 gm/cm³ provided on said glass substrate in order to reduce corrosion or stains on the coated glass, wherein said highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer includes sp² and sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds;

wherein said highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer has more sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds than sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds; and

wherein sp³³ carbon—

carbon bonds are subimplanted into said glass substrate so as to bond said amorphous carbon layer to said glass substrate.

14. The coated glass of claim 13, wherein said highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer has at least about 70% sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds, and a thickness of from about 30-300 Å

.

15. The coated glass of claim 13, wherein said highly tetrahedral amorphous carbon layer includes hydrogen.

16. A coated glass comprising:

a soda inclusive glass substrate comprising, on a weight basis;

17. A coated glass article comprising:

a glass substrate;

an amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer deposited directly on a surface of said glass substrate in a manner so that the diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer includes hydrogen and has more sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds than sp² carbon—

carbon bonds; and

wherein sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds are subimplanted into said glass substrate so as to bond said DLC inclusive layer to said glass substrate.

18. The coated glass article of claim 17, wherein said coated article has a visible transmittance (Ill. A) of greater than 60%.

19. The coated glass article of claim 17, wherein said DLC inclusive layer is ion beam deposited onto said surface of said glass substrate, and wherein said glass substrate includes Na₂O.

20. The coated glass article of claim 17, wherein said DLC inclusive layer has an average hardness of at least about 40 GPa and an average density of at least about 2.4 gm/cm³.

21. A coated glass article comprising:

a glass substrate including Na₂O;

a diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer deposited directly on a surface of said glass substrate in a manner so that the diamond-like carbon (DLC) inclusive layer includes more sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds than sp² carbon—

carbon bonds; and

wherein sp³ carbon—

carbon bonds are subimplanted into said glass substrate so as to bond said DLC inclusive layer to said glass substrate.

22. The coated glass article of claim 21, wherein said DLC inclusive layer is amorphous and is hydrogenated.