Thermochromic coating

• US 6,440,592 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bruno K. Meyer
• Inventors: Meyer, Bruno K., Christmann, Thomas, Schalch, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Versteeg, Steven H.
• Application Number:
  US09/701,635
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.15, 204/192.22, 204/192.23, 428/426, 428/428, 428/446, 428/472, 428/699, 428/701, 427/419.2, 427/419.3, 427/419.7
• US Class Current: 428/701
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/245 by deposition from the vapour phase
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3417 all coatings being oxide coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/3435 comprising a nitride, oxynitride, boronitride or carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/218 V2O5, Nb2O5, Ta2O5
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/24 Doped oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/241 with halides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0057 using reactive gases other than O2, H2O, N2, NH3 or CH4
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium

Abstract

A thermochromic coating comprises a vanadium oxide layer 16 which comprises tungsten and fluorine (FIG. 1).

Claims

1. A thermochromic coating on glass, the coating comprising a vanadium oxide layer which furthermore comprises tungsten and fluorine.

2. A coating as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tungsten content is in the range from 0.01 to 3.0 atom-%.

3. A coating as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the fluorine content is in the range from 0.01 to 2 atom-%.

4. A coating as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an intermediate layer provided between the glass carrying the vanadium oxide layer and the vanadium oxide layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises titanium oxide.

5. A coating as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the intermediate layer has a thickness in the range from 10 to 100 nm.

6. A coating as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a silicon oxynitride covering layer on the vanadium oxide layer.

7. A coating as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the covering layer has a thickness in the range from 10 to 300 nm.

8. A coating as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the vanadium oxide layer has a thickness in the range from 30 to 350 nm.

9. A thermochromic coating on glass, comprising a vanadium oxide layer which comprises tungsten in the range from 1.0 to 2.6 atom-%, and furthermore comprising an intermediate layer of titanium oxide which is arranged between the vanadium oxide layer and a glass substrate carrying the vanadium oxide layer.

10. A thermochromic coating on glass, comprising a vanadium oxide layer which comprises fluorine, preferably in the range from 0.01 to 3 atom-%, and furthermore comprising an intermediate layer of titanium oxide which is arranged between the vanadium oxide layer and a glass substrate carrying the vanadium oxide layer.

11. A process for the production of a thermochromic coating on glass, comprising a) deposition on glass of a vanadium oxide layer doped with tungsten and fluorine.

12. A process as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the deposition of the vanadium oxide layer is carried out by a sputtering process.

13. A process as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the doped vanadium oxide layer is deposited by reactive high-frequency sputtering of a tungsten-containing vanadium target in an atmosphere comprising an oxygen/argon mixture and trifluoromethane.

14. A process as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the trifluoromethane partial pressure is in the range 0.5-5·

10<sup>−

3</sup> Pa.

15. A process as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the deposition power during deposition of the vanadium oxide layer is in the range 200-600 W.

16. A process as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the deposition temperature during deposition of the vanadium oxide layer is in the range 200-600°

C.

17. A process as claimed in claim 11, furthermore comprising, before step a), the deposition of a titanium oxide layer on the glass.

18. A process as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the titanium oxide layer is deposited by sputtering of a titanium target in an atmosphere comprising an oxygen/argon mixture.

19. A process as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that, during performance or reactive high-frequency sputtering, the deposition power during deposition of the titanium oxide layer is in the range from 200 to 600 W.

20. A process as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that, during performance of reactive high-frequency sputtering, the deposition temperature during deposition of the titanium oxide layer is in the range from room temperature to 600°

C.

21. A process as claimed in claim 11, furthermore comprising, after step a), deposition of a silicon oxynitride layer on the vanadium oxide layer.

22. A process as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the silicon oxynitride layer is deposited by sputtering a silicon target in an atmosphere comprising an argon/oxygen/nitrogen mixture.

23. A process as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that, during performance of reactive high-frequency sputtering, the deposition power during deposition of the silicon oxynitride layer is in the range from 200 to 300 W.

24. A process as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that, during performance of reactive high-frequency sputtering, the deposition temperature during deposition of the silicon oxynitride layer is in the range from room temperature to 200°

C.

25. A process for the production of a thermochromic coating on glass, comprising:

a) deposition of a titanium oxide layer on a glass substrate, and

b) deposition of a vanadium oxide layer doped with tungsten or fluorine, on the titanium oxide layer.