Coated article with improved barrier layer structure and method of making the same

• US 6,602,608 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guardian Glass LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Industries Corporation (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stachowiak, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZIALI, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/986,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20030104221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 428/428, 428/432, 428/448, 428/469, 428/472, 428/693, 428/697, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/702, 428/666, 428/667, 428/680
• US Class Current: 428/432
• 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 17/3644 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: C03C 2217/78 Coatings specially designed to be durable, e.g. scratch-resistant
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/024 Deposition of sublayers, e.g. to promote adhesion of the coating C23C14/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0652 Silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/085 of iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/185 by cathodic sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12847 Cr-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12854 Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12896 Ag-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 : Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

A coated article, and a corresponding method of making the same are provided. The coated article includes a coating supported by a substrate, the coating including a thin metal or metal nitride contact layer (e.g., NiCr, Ni, Cr, CrN_x or NiCrN_x) located directly between and contacting an infrared (IR) reflecting layer (e.g., Ag) and an oxide barrier layer (e.g., NiCrO_x).

Claims

1. A heat treated coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a coating supported by the glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises a first dielectric layer, an Ag inclusive layer, a layer comprising an oxide of NiCr, and a second dielectric layer, wherein the Ag inclusive layer is located between the first dielectric layer and the layer which comprise an oxide of NiCr; and

wherein the coating further includes a metal or metal nitride contact layer located directly between and contacting each of the Ag inclusive layer and the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr, wherein said metal or metal nitride contact layer is more metallic than said adjacent layer comprising an oxide of NiCr.

2. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer is on an upper side of the Ag inclusive layer, and is metallic and consists essentially of nickel.

3. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is located directly between and contacting each of a layer comprising silicon nitride and said contact layer.

4. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer comprises a nitride of NiCr and is less oxidized than said layer comprising an oxide or NiCr that the contact layer is in contact with.

5. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is more metallic at a location closer to the silver inclusive layer than at another location further from the silver inclusive layer.

6. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer comprises at least one of Ni and a nitride of NiCr.

7. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of at least 70%.

8. The coated article of claim 7, wherein the coated article has a visible transmission of at least 75%.

9. The coated article of claim 1, where the coating has a sheet resistance (R_S) of no greater than 20 ohms/sq.

10. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride.

11. The coated article of claim 10, wherein the second dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride.

12. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises an oxide of titanium.

13. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer is provided on the upper surface of the Ag inclusive layer.

23. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer is of a lesser thickness than the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr.

24. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer is from about 1-10 Å

thick, and the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is from about 10-50 Å

thick.

27. The coated article of claim 1, wherein the contact layer is substantially free of oxygen.

14. A heat treated coated article including a coating supported by a substrate, the coating comprising:

a layer comprising an oxide of NiCr;

an Ag inclusive layer; and

a metal or metal nitride layer located between and contacting each of the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr and the Ag inclusive layer, wherein the metal or metal nitride layer is more metallic than is the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr.

15. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is oxidation graded so as to be more metallic at a location closer to the metal or metal nitride layer than at a location further from the metal or metal nitride layer.

16. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the metal or metal nitride layer is of at least one of Ni, a nitride of Cr, and a nitride of NiCr.

17. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the coating has a sheet resistance (R_S) of no greater than 20 ohms/sq.

25. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the metal or metal nitride layer is from about 1-10 Å

thick, and the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is from about 10-50 Å

thick.

28. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the metal or metal nitride layer is oxidized from 0-5%.

29. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the contact layer has at least one metal in common with the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr which is in a contact with the contact layer.

30. The coated article of claim 14, wherein the metal or metal nitride layer has at least one metal in common with the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr which is in contact with the metal or metal nitride layer.

18. A heat treated coated article including a coating supported by a substrate, the coating comprising:

an oxide layer including an oxide of a metal or metal alloy;

an infrared (IR) reflecting layer;

a metal or metal nitride contact layer located between and contacting each of the IR reflecting layer and the oxide layer;

wherein the oxide layer is more metallic at a location closer to the metal or metal nitride contact layer than at another location further from the metal or metal nitride contact layer; and

wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer comprises at least one metal which is also in the oxide layer.

19. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the oxide layer comprises an oxide of NiCr, and wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer comprises Ni so that said at least one metal that the contact layer and the oxide layer have in common comprises Ni.

20. The coated article of claim 19, wherein the IR reflecting layer comprises Ag.

21. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer is metallic and is of Ni, and is located on an upper side of the IR reflecting layer, and wherein the IR reflecting layer comprises Ag.

22. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the coated article is characterized by a sheet resistance (R_S) of no greater than 20 ohms/sq., and a visible transmission of at least 70%.

26. The coated article of claim 18, wherein the metal or metal nitride contact layer is from about 1-10 Å

thick, and the oxide layer which contacts the metal or metal nitride contact layer is from about 10-50 Å

thick.

31. A heat treated coated article comprising:

a glass substrate;

a coating supported by the glass substrate, wherein the coating comprises a first dielectric layer, an Ag inclusive layer, a layer comprising an oxide of NiCr, and a second dielectric layer, wherein the Ag inclusive layer is located between the first dielectric layer and the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr;

wherein the coating further includes a contact layer comprising a metal located between and contacting the Ag inclusive layer and the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr; and

wherein the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr is oxidation graded so as to be more metallic at a location closer to the contact layer than at another location further from the contact layer.

32. The coated article of claim 31, wherein the contact layer is metallic and is of Ni.

33. The coated article of claim 31, wherein the contact layer is more metallic and less oxidized than is the layer comprising an oxide of NiCr.